Where's the Manual Transmission

[wildbill23c]

So I was slightly bored tonight and started searching through GM, Ford, and Dodge (RAM) sites at new trucks. Just for the heck of it I looked through to see what transmissions are available. So GM and Ford do not offer manual transmissions at all regardless of which truck F-150 or Superduties. GM only offers automatics as well. You can get a 6 speed manual transmission in the Dodge Ram but only if you get the Diesel engine.

So my question is why are all the manual transmissions gone? I would think in a full size heavy duty truck a manual transmission would be a great feature. Is it just pure laziness of today's society, or is there some actual logic behind the lack of availability of a manual transmission?

IMO, if I had the money to buy a new truck for towing/hauling, I would look for a truck with a manual transmission. Plus I go up in the mountains a lot, so having the ability to roll start if there's a starter failure or similar problem is a definite plus.

What's everyone's opinion? Is the manual transmission gone for good, is there any reason to have a manual transmission anymore, other than being in full control over speed and gear selection?

I'm looking at the manual transmission to soon become an anti-theft device at the rate things are going.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

To quote a letter once sent to a 4wd magazine...

"In short..The automatic transmission is responsible for the wussification of america"

 

[wildbill23c]

Haha, yeah I can see the truth in that quote.

I learned to drive a manual transmission on a farm driving farm trucks. Then I got old enough to go through driver's ed and all of the cars were automatics. Not a single driver's ed vehicle was a manual. I've taught quite a few kids to drive since then and I always make them learn how to drive a manual, if they can drive a manual they can damn sure drive an automatic.

My first vehicle I had was an automatic but it was given to me by my grandparents for all the work I did on their property. I've since owned 5 different vehicles with manual transmissions one of those being my latest the 84 Bronco 2. I really don't mind shifting gears, and I like the ability to be able to work on it if needed. I feel I could work on a manual transmission if I had to, where if I opened up an automatic I'd be lost.

 

[Frank The Tank]

I bought a manual trans Ranger in Dallas TX once extremely cheap off a lot. I asked why the price was so good for such a flawless truck. The dealer straight up told me that no one in their right mind would DD a manual in their traffic and most people couldn't drive one off the lot if they had to.

I prefer a manual. My full size tow rig is an auto because I couldn't even find a manual model at the time I was looking.

 

[CurtisP87]

Its only in america...in other countries the majority of vehicles are manual. Theres just no market for them here anymore. I think it stems from an increasing desire from americans for everything to be easy, requiring as little thought and attention as possible...more automation=better life

Soon you'll be able to get a robot to suck the s#*& out of you so you don't have to bother getting to the toilet...

 

[martin]

It's because it's difficult to drive a manual and text at the same time, gear shiftings come at the most inconvenient times. Just wait till they only offer automatic steering.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Its only in america...in other countries the majority of vehicles are manual. Theres just no market for them here anymore. I think it stems from an increasing desire from americans for everything to be easy, requiring as little thought and attention as possible...more automation=better life

Soon you'll be able to get a robot to suck the s#*& out of you so you don't have to bother getting to the toilet...

No, they will not offer one of those..... thing would slurp down all the politicians if anyone brought one to Washington.

Hey, that might be a good idea after all.....

 

[adsm08]

There are a few reasons that manual transmissions are getting hard to find.

One is laziness, sales of manual transmissions were down significantly before they stopped being offered.

Towing is another issue. It takes far less skill to tow with an auto and the constant mesh design of the gears means an auto is actually stronger when it is properly cooled.

Cost is a problem, it is actually cheaper to produce an auto but more people want them and are willing to pay more to have one. They are cheaper to make because most of the internals are cast, but almost every piece of a manual transmission has to be machined.

The last nail is the coffin was emissions. They got things nailed down so well that you can get about the same mileage as a manual, but the emissions can be lowered using an auto because the shift points are more consistent, closer to the optimum point, and because if the computer knows the trans is going to shift before it happens then it can compensate and lower fuel input during the shift.


Also, with all these vehicles going to turbos, well you don't loose your boost during the shift with an auto.

 

[Andy D]

I purposely bought a Ranger with a manual trans. I hadn't driven one in 25 yrs. But it isnt a DD. Automagics are best for daily driving in these parts. Rush hour commutes to Boston would really suck without one.

 

[straycat]

There are a few reasons that manual transmissions are getting hard to find.

One is laziness, sales of manual transmissions were down significantly before they stopped being offered.

Towing is another issue. It takes far less skill to tow with an auto and the constant mesh design of the gears means an auto is actually stronger when it is properly cooled.

Cost is a problem, it is actually cheaper to produce an auto but more people want them and are willing to pay more to have one. They are cheaper to make because most of the internals are cast, but almost every piece of a manual transmission has to be machined.

The last nail is the coffin was emissions. They got things nailed down so well that you can get about the same mileage as a manual, but the emissions can be lowered using an auto because the shift points are more consistent, closer to the optimum point, and because if the computer knows the trans is going to shift before it happens then it can compensate and lower fuel input during the shift.


Also, with all these vehicles going to turbos, well you don't loose your boost during the shift with an auto.

^^^What he said. Over 8 years ago a couple of my magazines (Car and Driver, Road and Track) had talked about drivers going for auto trans over the standard. More people are towing with the cars and trucks then ever before and the trend still continues. People want that auto trans for this crap stop and go traffic and more people are hauling boats and trailers and they want an auto trans. Hot rod cars (Mustangs and the Z28's) are getting selected more with the standard trans more than the auto trans.

 

[wildbill23c]

Gee seems the generality here is pure laziness. Never saw anything wrong with a manual transmission even for towing, but then again like a few have said that would mean they couldn't text and drive heaven forbid they had to put their phone down while they drove. Maybe less accidents that way.

I ask kids I see all the time if they can drive a manual transmission car, 99% of the time the answer is no. Most of them don't even care to learn, so one of these days car manufacturers need to build a bunch of cars with manual transmissions just to piss off all the kids, wait I can't buy a brand new $50k truck to show off to my friends because I don't know how to shift gears. Oh well guess I'll have to drive around the flintstone mobile another year.

 

[RonD]

I think I remember these same types arguments when carbs and points were disappearing because of fuel injection and HEI, "what!!...people are getting too lazy to adjust a carburetor and set/replace points???"

And then distributors disappeared, same discussions happened.
Now the manual transmission.

A "better" technology simply wins out, it is not laziness.

I don't know how to drive a team of horses pulling a wagon, I don't feel lazy or stupid because I don't really want to learn how, I just don't see that skill being needed in my future.
One day I may need that skill and will learn then, but as for now, I am satisfied in my current driving skill set.
That's the same as driving a manual vehicle for younger people now, the time frame difference is longer to make the point.

I have driven a manual all my life, my kids(over 30 years old now) drove manuals for at least a year after getting their licenses, then they got their own cars, all drive automatics now, I doubt they will ever drive a manual again, I know the grand kids won't, lol.
Is it good they know how to drive a manual, sure, nothing wrong with having a skill, but that was 15 years ago, is it needed now, no not really.

95% of drivers want to get in the vehicle drive it to a location and then drive it home, hassle free, except for the other "moron" drivers, lol, and they want to do this as inexpensively as possible, which means EFI, DIS, and an automatic, this is the "better" part since it is preferred by the majority of drivers, "better" is a personal opinion not a truth, so it changes.
5% like the driving part, they get sports cars or go 4-wheeling so want the manual transmissions, so for these few "better" is a manual transmission.

"The Times They Are A-Changin'"- Bob Dylan
“The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” - Abraham Lincoln

 

[adsm08]

My biggest beef with automatic transmissions isn't even the technology. It's what it has done to the people. It seems that everyone with an auto has a problem with them. Mostly that it doesn't shift smooth enough, even when it is brand new and working 100% correctly.

I have a manual trans, and I never have a problem with the way it shifts.

 

[HAPPY+RANGER+GUY]

It seems that everyone with an auto has a problem with them. Mostly that it doesn't shift smooth enough...
I have a manual trans, and I never have a problem with the way it shifts.

The saps ought to be thankful it's shifting at all and go on with their day!!
HeHe.
I agree with you, never have a problem with the way I shift.

 

[RonD]

Manuals have been around alot longer so most of the bugs have been worked out, although "next generation" manuals can bring their own new bugs, lol.

Automatics are not new but newer and have been through many generations, and are much improved over earlier versions.

I think if we could run the numbers on how many manuals have problems and how many automatics have problems on a percentage basis, there probably wouldn't be a big difference.
A few years back I think the numbers were 94% automatic and 6% manual sold on US vehicle purchases.
So 94 autos and 6 manuals over say 100,000miles.
And you have to include clutch problems(master/slave) with manuals if you include torque converter problems in autos, bummer for the Ford Ranger, lol.

I think percentage wise reliability would be about the same.
1 manual trans problem would mean a 16% failure rate
15 automatic failures would be a similar 16% failure rate

I do think, back a few years, the automatics did have a higher problem percentage, but I think that is going away and may even get lower than manual failure rates.

Just anecdotally, having always driven a manual, I have had 3 failures, my wife always drives an automatic and has had one.
Automatics can be more expensive to repair, almost always .