Learning to drive manual trans?

[ab_slack]

When I was first learning to drive my parents cars were manual trans so of course that is what I learned on.

And thru the years I have preferred that especially with vehicles with smaller engines.

During the same period, friends who were learning, their parents drove big American cars with auto trans and naturally learned to drive using an automatic. And oddly enough had this distaste for even the idea of driving a car with a manual trans. Not only that I heard plenty of negatives from them about driving a manual trans.

It always struck me odd that they could be so negative about the idea of having a manual trans and had all negative comments about how it is to drive one when they never did. Like how could they know?

With the availability of a manual trans as an option becoming so much less common in the US, and consequently less people driving manual and young folks having opportunity to learn one growing up, I wonder if many ever will learn and if so how?

And does this further tilt the market in favor of automatic trans?

I know there are technical reasons why manufacturers are favoring them.

 

[96Indyram]

I agree with you. A friend once told me.." we put men on the moon years ago...why should I have to shift gears when we have automatics"

I think the reason the manual trans is going out of style is people have so much going on now to mess with having to use a foot and swing a lever around.
I mean come on...their way to busy messing with their cell phone, bluetooth, GPS, google glasses, Ipad mp3 audio..etc... they can't be bothered to shift gears.
Hell Its hard enough to get people to actually watch the road and drive anymore.

There making cars now that park themselves because the idiot drivers never learned or lacked the ability to parallel park.
Some car company's are making cars that will apply the brakes and stop now. The auto industy knows that probably the person behind the wheel is not paying attention anymore to actually drive a vehicle.

Edit to add: Look having a Manual Trans is a good theft deterrent anymore because the younger punks can't drive them to steal them, and the older ones that know how to don't bother stealing stuff anymore.

 

[Mark_88]

Well, about 45 years ago, while reading "Scientific American" or some other publication, they predicted that about 10 years ago there would be absolutely no human input required for vehicles...other than to tell them where you were going...and even that could be programmed into them...

So...we are not that far away from totally being free from worrying about things like being able to see where we are going, pushing the various and assorted pedals, knobs, and buttons to operate the vehicle or maintain comfort levels, or shifting gears...

I prefer them myself, even though I actually learned and passed my drivers test in an automatic (66 Chevy Biscayne)...my third car was a 66 Pontiac StratoChief with three in the tree...and I absolutely loved that car once I figured how to climb the tree and swing easily amongst the branches...

Perhaps it is part of the culture of being pampered and not having to do any thing too strenuous or complicated that is the draw for some people...I know that after driving a stick for 35 years I bought a vehicle with an automatic and it was quite nice for a change...especially commuting an hour each way in traffic...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I think it already has started tilting the market away from manuals, like 20-30 years ago.

Growing up for the most part the parents had automatics. It was between a CT-70 trail bike and dad's old F-350 service truck that I learned on. I mainly got the sequence down on the bike though.

I can drive either pretty well, I prefer an auto for most things but manuals can be fun. I had a manual for a dd when I lived in omaha for awhile, I didn't get much enjoyment out of it vs the automatic that replaced it.

 

[cvar]

Manual shifting is PITA. For me, it ceased to be fun, many decades ago. Too much mechanism, I think. Auto is simpler, perfect for us lazy ass Americans.

This xmas I borrowed a vehicle w/ manual trans., and it was a stupid nuisance. My wife kept reminding me to shift gears, just before I stalled it. That despite the idiot lamp arrows on speedo telling driver when to shift up/down. Who bothers to look down there? Just a PITA.

 

[96Indyram]

The main reason I love a Manual trans:
Is the maintance and dependability is much cheaper.
Clutch kit usually around $100

Automatic rebuild....$$$$$$$
It costs almost $900 now to rebuild a old chevy 350 turbo or Ford C4 anymore!
The autotrans in my 96 Dodge ram (46RE) is $1,800 now! It is currently acting up and...Thats why I'm driving it till it pukes the internals out! It cost $100 just for the fluid alone everytime I service it.

I can't even imagine the rebuild cost of the 6 speed in my 2011 f150 4x4 (6r80) will cost when it goes out.
or even the price tag of a rebuild in the newer 8 speed autos (ZF 8HP) coming out in various vehicles.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

This xmas I borrowed a vehicle w/ manual trans., and it was a stupid nuisance. My wife kept reminding me to shift gears, just before I stalled it. That despite the idiot lamp arrows on speedo telling driver when to shift up/down. Who bothers to look down there? Just a PITA.

The stupid nanny stuff on the newer manuals is annoying, my brother's Mustang has "skipshift" where if it doesn't think you are getting on it hard enough a little servo pushes on the lever when you go to second so you actually go into fourth. If it was my car that would have died before I refilled the fuel tank.

The main reason I love a Manual trans:
Is the maintance and dependability is much cheaper.
Clutch kit usually around $100

Automatic rebuild....$$$$$$$
It costs almost $900 now to rebuild a old chevy 350 turbo or Ford C4 anymore!

If you can do a clutch by yourself you could probably rebuild a 350 or C4 too, parts are pretty cheap.

Ford is teaming up with GM to come out with a 10 speed for their new half tons.

On the plus side the newer automatics generally hold up a lot longer than the old ones. Of course when the car they put a C4 in was shot at 100k the trans lasting 500k wasn't a big worry...

 

[RonD]

Yes, on most cars/trucks now the manual trans is an option that costs extra, automatics used to be the option you paid more for.

Automatics have gotten better over the years but manual is still more cost effective for MPG and service.

I learned to drive using a manual, and even took my driving test in a manual.
1954 Willy's Overlander, 4x4 with flat head 6 "super hurricane" engine, got it for $250 when I was 15, engine was in the back in pieces, grandfather talked me into a "fixer" and chipped in $150 for parts, he said "if your are going to drive 'em you had better know how to fix 'em", he was right.
Can't even guess how much money that $250 education has saved me over the years.

But I do get automatics for my cars, for my work truck I use daily would and have only gotten manuals.
Automatics are OK for pleasure driving, but I just don't trust them when I have to be at different job sites daily, vehicles have enough things that can go wrong, why add a few more things to the list.

 

[Twister]

Driving a manual is fun, although I've never dd one. My whole family can drive manuals, NY brother and sister dd manuals. I think its something every one should know how to do.

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk

 

[ab_slack]

My 02 explorer is automatic. It's okay and yes there are times when it is handy, but also I find myself getting less engaged in the driving process in the auto and that generally means my attention level drops.

When I drive for fun, I prefer the manual...cause I like the added control.

I did spend a 30 minutes in bad traffic yesterday and true the manual does get to be a little work. On the other hand with both legs going and the stick active it probably relieved the tedium a bit compared to just sitting there waiting for people to move.

That traffic was in Philly and I had to leave my BII in a lot. The attendant was impressed that I could so easily back into the parking spot he directed me to "with a manual transmission" as he put it.

This was one of those lots where you have to leave your keys so they can move the car so they can get another . I left the car cam running while away just to see what they did tho I doubted they would joy ride a BII!! lol They had to move it once just before I got back to it. Good thing I returned when I did. According to the camera the guy had been trying to get the key out for over a minute without success and he had left it in neutral with the parking brake off.

The stupid nanny stuff on the newer manuals is annoying, my brother's Mustang has "skipshift" where if it doesn't think you are getting on it hard enough a little servo pushes on the lever when you go to second so you actually go into fourth. If it was my car that would have died before I refilled the fuel tank.

Geeze, that seems incredibly annoying. It does that in a shift from 1st to 2nd or when trying to go from 3rd to second? Can you override it by pushing hard enough? I have to agree, it would have to conveniently break.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Geeze, that seems incredibly annoying. It does that in a shift from 1st to 2nd or when trying to go from 3rd to second? Can you override it by pushing hard enough? I have to agree, it would have to conveniently break.

First to second, skipping gears isn't that big of a deal, I have been known to do it without skipshift but when you feel the shifter kick over there on it's own it is disgusting. It is just a cute little flipper thing that guides it over there so there isn't really a way to force it without breaking something.

I think the fix is as simple as unplugging it, I think he was waiting for his warrenty to run out before he played with it (just ran out last summer. He did investigate it when he put the Boss 302 shifter in it. At least they don't have shift lights in the cluster, I would take skipshift over them...

The whole intent is to try to keep the rpm down so it will be closer to the automatic for miliage/emissions.

 

[96Indyram]

My 94 dodge stealth RT that I owned , had that stupid shift light in the cluster.
It was very irritating...mainly at night to have this bright orange light pop up.
It was a easy fix....that particular bulb was removed from the cluster the 2nd day of owning the car.

 

[swynx]

Both transmissioms have there place after all we are inthe technological era and autos are a technology thing. I'm 21 and have only ever driven 2 autos. An auto explorer and an auto 05 silverado. Because of the auto I nearly got into several accidents from not paying attention.

 

[ab_slack]

First to second, skipping gears isn't that big of a deal, I have been known to do it without skipshift but when you feel the shifter kick over there on it's own it is disgusting. It is just a cute little flipper thing that guides it over there so there isn't really a way to force it without breaking something.
.
.
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The whole intent is to try to keep the rpm down so it will be closer to the automatic for miliage/emissions.

I skip gears often enough depending on situation. I can't think of any time I would go from 1st to 4th without running up the revs, but that is a B2

I was doing some reading since you posted that and yeah it seems it is the nature of the city mileage computation, you would end up in lower gears and never get into the high gears. So by putting that there it would show better mileage...in that test.


My experience as far as fuel economy goes, at least when there is load on the engine (like going up a hill), medium RPMs are better than low. That at higher RPMs you don't have to give as much throttle. I have had some good measures that prove that. One of the things I never liked about automatic was that the only way it knew to downshift was when you pushed extra far on the gas. Or it would stay in the higher gear and just make you push down further whereas in a manual I either could judge the hill and drop into the lower gear in anticipation avoiding the need to get hard on the gas.

 

[BLOODBANE]

When I learned to drive anything , it was an old 35 Farmall tractor (raking the hay fields). Right now I only own one vehicle with a standard transmission (my Samurai). I actually prefer the auto (especially for rock crawling). For one you dont need three feet to run it (crawling), I can ease into the obstacle, and the engine stays running, and then I can ease over it or hammer it down. They are also better for the stop and go traffic that is most of what todays driver encounters. I have access to a 03 Dodge 3/4 ton with the 6spd transmission. I usually opt to drive my 12mpg 1 ton FORD, with the auto for when I drop my kids off to their mother (lots of stop and go).