The End of Manual Labor?

i agree with GTR….if you have a performance car, they are more fun to drive with a manual, you have more control over the car and can grab gears when they need to be. when it comes down to it, the automotive industry can’t afford to drop the manual transmission.

The manuel is what started the revolution of automotive history. It was the only transmision available. Im not saying to stay to basics, but don’t exclude them all together either. The manuel keeps you more connected to the vehicle. The First automatic was offered in 1940 by GM after the war to help keep injred soldiers capable of driving. Chrysler released the vacuumatic auto shortly after wich you still had to shift from low to high gear. When the manuel is canceled it will be a sad day in automotive history. They are easy to repair, so i guess the manufactures will make even more money from us when the auto breaks. The manuel keeps you more connectd to your car, and the auto is sloppy until you do work to it. When a manuel gets sloppy its easy to repair. It’s basic, It’s simple’ and has work for us for more than a decade. Why retire it now?

i think manuals will stay around
simply bc an auto or paddle shifter almost disconnects you from the car

fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

fffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don’t think the manual shift will ever go away. Yes electronic shifters are faster in many cases, but just look at Top Gear when they tested one of the newest Aston Martins with a paddle shift, it wouldn’t down shift when it was told to, the shifts were hard and lerchy, and it kept braking. A real manual is more reliable, and allows the dirver more contorl, think about launching, and manipulating the clutch to avoid wheel spin. There will always be someone out there who wants to row their own gears, and thats the way it should be.

fuck tat manual is never going away not as long as im alive ill still be driving manual

My R34gtr V-Spec II only comes in a manual so, there is no choice there and i wouldn’t have it any other way.
Manual is for real drivers.

I bought my first manual-transmission car because it was $500 cheaper than the automatic and that mattered a lot–it was my first new car and my budget was limited.
I bought my second manual because I enjoyed driving one. The gas mileage was also a factor. I’m kinda disappointed that sticks have gotten so hard to find in new cars.

Ive owned 2 cars a 91 saturn SL2 and my current car a 95 Saturn SL2 the 95 is a 5spd and i would never go back to automatic(my gf tought me stick) embarassing yes glad she did yes. the fuel consumption is way better in the stick and acceleration is quicker also plus upgrading to a lighter fly wheel and clutch love my ACT there is no comparison. If any one wants to hate on the saturn go ahead but drive one and then tell me what you think i testdrove many cars before i chose and for the price the bang for the buck and reliability cant be beat plus its american too bad my next car wont be but those Japs make such nice cars. oh and i like 4bangers although a big V8 would be nice just cant afford it.

Sure manuals are more fun, but they get to be a pain in the ass in traffic. My daily driver’s an automatic, so is my Charger, but I don’t feel any less “control” over it. If I want my car in 2nd, I just pull the lever down to the number 2, the same goes for first and third. The only thing I don’t like about the automatic in my car is the slow shifts, but that can be eaisily fixed with a shift kit. I do think manual transmissions should always be an option though. It just gets annoying that people think the transmission is what makes the car. Somebody with a 4 banger Saturn or honda thinks they have a more manly car than someone with a 400 or 500 hp V8 with an auto trans. I have a couple of friends like that, all I have to say to them though is 2 words, “lets race”

if the 4, 5, or 6spd trany’s are taken away for good the car dealers would have to be dumb sticks are better for everyone who actually knows how to drive

I think if it’s for regular daily driving, then keep it an automatic. There’s already enough shit to do on the road, like talk on the cell phone, do your damn makeup, shave, eat, play with the radio, watch a DVD movie, and make out with the girlfriend at a red light.

Now if it’s for racing, then keep it manual. If it’s an automatic race car then the only contest is to simply not drive off the track and see who has the faster motor.

Manual transmissions give a feel of more control over the car.
Automatics rely too much on calculations of speed, RPMs, etc and not on driver’s intuition and skill.
“Sports-Shift” feels like a bad videogame, and is practically all electronically controlled anyway.

I think that people still deserve a choice to purchase/drive manual or automatic cars. But, I also personally think that people should LEARN to drive on manuals so that they will know how to do it and learn how to actually control the car.

I bought my maxima in mass. because it was the luxury model (leather,climate Control, sunroof, etc..) , and it is a 5spd. I live in Salt lake city, utah. That shipping came with a cost of 950, but was still more inexpensive than an automatic, and .. worth the month and a half wait for the car to arrive.. I have a luxury car, with a manual transmission. My dream…. I am not alone when it comes to the love for manuals… not to mention, my starter has gone out twice, and if it wasnt for my stick and push starting it to get home, id be paying hefty towing, or changing my starter where ever i was. haha…. needless to say, there are benefits, and I will take the control, and fun of a manual until my hips go out and im to old to push down that clutch so often I really hope they dont go away in a age where they are offered less and less….

NOOOOOOO MANUAL FTMFW

For me, the manual shouldn’t be permanently removed…some people like automatic. Some like manual so why do you need to remove the manual? people need to have choices. As for me, i prefer the manual better. It gives you more connection with the car and it gives you full control. It’s also a whole lot of fun to drive a manual! you can rev it up where you want it to and when your cornering fast you can downshift it for more traction. Besides, a lot of people tend to fall asleep while driving because their driving automatics. damn! what’s the future going to bring? auto pilot? where’s the fun in driving? KEEP THE MANUAL!

automatics take all the fun out of driving.. you have no control over what gear you are in and does not sound right to get rid of them… learned on a stick shift ford escort, now own a wrangler with the stick. my rig has no problems with the ax15 i feel more in control of a vehicle with a standard than an auto.. must say.. the best vehicle is a standard not the semi auto or sporttronic. stick all the way!!!

I hate automatic transmissions. Talk about be lazy.

Manual is 10000000 better more sporty and better in gas.

well the truck i have now is an automatic but my 1st truck was a stickshift, it just depends on what you use the car/truck for, if its a daily driver thats not “done up” then an auto is fine but if its somethin you race in or just a sporty car that seems better with a stick then ya have a stick, personally if i had a sporty car like a camaro or mustang then ya deffiantly a stick but anything else just an auto, i love a stick shift though, makes you feel more in control, they’re even startin to put “autoshifts” in tractor trailers which sucks cause a 18-wheeler don’t seem right with an autoshift, an off subject, only thing thats kinda embarrassing is having a camaro or mustang that has a V6, maybe its just me but it don’t seem right, if you can’t pay for the gas for a V8 camaro or mustang then get a little import, but anyways i don’t think they will do away with stick shifts for a while

I have had oh id say about 25 cars within the last year( iknow sad huh)damn near half were stick. stick is fun but when you do alot of driving it kinda ruins it. I put a average of 20k a year on a car (if i keep it that long) and honestly with that much driving auto is the best choice.

my last three tuners were stick

but my daily driver

always auto sorry.

STick Shifts are the best I have two stick shift trucks on ford a 4speed and the other a chevrolet a 4speed and they are the best i hate autos they suck i am only 15 and i learnt to drive a stick when i was 8 or 9 I will always have at 2 or more stick shifts all through my life stick shifts rule!!!!!

I have personally never had a manual either, but then again most people from long island don’t due to the amount of traffic. Im also only 18 and on my 2nd car. But I have driven a 5 speed car a few times and i want to make the switch. Lets face it, its more fun and better mpg’s and theyre much stronger than autos.

I have to weigh in on this one. I am probably one of the few here at CarDomain who will admit this, but I have never owned a stick shift. I do not even knew how to drive one (except in theory). My parents only ever owned automatics so that is what i learned how to drive. Since moving out I have yet to buy a car that a manual. I get around just fine in all weather conditions. My dad taught me how to use 1st and 2nd to keep the tires under control in the ice and snow. I am a father of 2 with limited money for recreational automotive fun, so I have no need for a sports car. It would not hurt my feealings any to see the manual go away.

manual is here to stay man its cheaper and in some ways more efficient and it gives the driver more control over the vehicle overall so i have a feeling well be driving manuals for another decade or so until the lazy drivers take over with theyre automatics then us manual drivers will just be historians but till then im gonna live it up in my 5spd

As long as its still cheaper to make, and as long as Manufacturers make sports cars, there will be a place in the market for a stick shift

keep the fuckin manuel its way more fun theres gotta always be anotehr side to the automatic…KEEP IT

good luck autocrossing with an automatic…you have no control over the car! same with drive by wire throttle bodies…i cant handle them!

Yeah man I love manual its the only way I can drive a car espec. a sports car.. personally I think anyone that buys a sports car that is automatic is an embaressment to the sports car community thats a crime to even buy a car like that much less make them. I was driving my moms honda pilot (never again) I was literally falling asleep my gf had to keep shaking me cause I was so bored. Manuals are WAY more fun whether or not its a fast car its still better driving if its manual because then I’m in control. I really hope they (companies) don’t get rid of sticks I’ll quit driving and hire someone to take me around

I got to tell you I rather have a manual than auto anyday but I would would have to take the auto-clutch manual from the ferrari enzo or fxx rather have the fxx evolution shifts in 60ms nothing can shift that fast but F1 racecars not sure about manuals going out for good if all the cars end up being electrics then it is a possibility

pshhhh
no way….had 2 stick shift cars,and 2 automatics in my life..
the 2 automatics dont even compare to how much fun u can have with a stick shift..
thats all i gotta sayy…

no, I love the manual. but the new paddle shift is becoming the replacement

Hello no! Even though the Ferrari Scuderia can shift it’s semi-automatic tranny in 60 milliseconds (i.e. 0.06 secs), I still would rather have a fully manual gearbox. There’s nothing in the world like revving your engine up to the redline and hammering down (or up) in to the next gear. And on the highway, when you need to pass someone, downshifting in third and blasting on through. The manual gearbox will never go away, not as long as I’m driving anyways!!!

I won’t buy an automatic vehicle. I feel way more in controll with a 6sdp. Especially in the winter, downshifting instead of breaking on icey roads. Manuel is just way better, too much fun!

my camaro is an automatic, i can still shift it, but its just not the same as my honda gaylude. if that car wasn’t a manual i would have probably pushed it off a cliff or something hahahaha. lets face it, manual is much more FUN to have.

I like to have control over stuff and i feel like manual keeps me more awake and alert, plus i love im 20 n stuff… lol stick 4 life…ive also thought numerous of my friends and than they found out why all my cars have been stick this whole time. They all agree stick for life. PLus my corolla doesn’t have abs so im constantly downshifting to keep stuff cool.

tercel manual 4spd
99rolla manual 5spd
golf manual 5spd
04rolla manual 5spd

Buddies
rx8 manual 6spd
240sx manual 5spd he’s been thru 3 240′s all manual
04cavy manual 5spd
02wrx manual 5spd
accord manual 5spd

see a pattern here…

however as optimistic as i am, i do think that eventually cars wont come with a manual tranny option anymore, and car dealers will give you the crap that auto cars are faster, more acurate n possibly save more gas…i mean u guys know how that goes….

stick 4 life…

if theres no more manual transmissions im riding the bus
ive had 2 cars, both manual, and im looking for a new one. it has to be a manual. i hate autos, and i hate people that say autos are better because theyre easier. they need to hang up the goddamned phone and pay attention. manuals also force you to pay attention to the road.
anyone can do it, its not hard. im sick of people saying *ive tried it and i cant do it*. if you cant do it, u didnt try hard enough

pretaining to drags of course
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As much as I love shifting, though my car is auto, I always remember:
Manuals impress high-school kids
Automatics win races

After buying my first manual transmission car, I haven’t been able to go back to driving auto and never intend to. It just makes the car that much more fun to drive. You feel like you have more control over the car and how it responds where as with automatic everything is done for you. Lets just say Ive grown so fond of driving stick that god forbid the day they ever retire the stickshift, I hope I’m not around to see it. Manual ftw!

STICK SHIFT FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You got to keep the stick it makes driving 10 times more fun.

LONG LIVE THE STICK!!!!

I used to be all about automatics, but it was because I was afraid of not being able to drive stick very well… I actually bought my most recent car so I would force myself to learn, now I’m glad I did that. Automatics are great for cruising and easy burnouts, but stick lets you be one with the car, totally different driving experience between the two. So I like both for different reasons and feel a need for both in my life. Don’t hate stick till you’ve tried driving one.

I haven’t seen as much Automatic anywhere in Europe as much i’ve seen in Canada, is it people that demand them, r they retarded, whats wrong with stick?!?!
The other day i went to some dealership, 300+ cars an the lot, and only 3 Sticks, i was shocked big time!!!
In Europe there is maybe 5% automatics, the rest of 4-wheeled population is Stick.
LONG LIVE STICK!!!
I like having control of my car, not having my car have control over me, and i love to shift those gears whenever i want to, i call that freedom of driving the way i want to!!!
No tehnology has invented the down shift for Automatic yet, there is no such thing.Driving a stick is not rocket science, but for some reason it seems like it in USA and Canada, why i ask u, why???

for me, driving is about having fun, and i cant have fun in an auto tranny. manuals are here to stay!!

for me, driving is about having fun, and i cant have fun in an auto tranny. manuals are here to stay!!

come on more computers between me and the road?
I get it if u are driving a suv but in a sports car or even a fast city car it’sdouble the fun, you just have to avoid traffic jams, besides you do some exercise with your left foot and your right arm
I learned to drive stick first as I’m from a small town, and automatic isn’t half the challenging and you can’t control the car like in a stick shift.

Whenever i’m window shopping on ebay, i usually have the manual box checked. Volvo’s bringing the stick back for their compact cars now (v50, s40, c30) Plus it’s 6-speed. Those tiptronic shifters just dont feel the same either…

To tigashrkaftadrk Comment:
“its not a true sports car if its not stick”

The Mercedes McClaren SLR Is A Automatic
And That’s A Damn Good Exotic…But I Do Get Where Your Going

I Suck @ Shifting Tho =(

I’m 20yrs old and just learned how to drive a stick this year in my civic and I can honestly tell you I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the auto as long as I have a choice between the two. Diving a manual has made me such a better driver and I really feel connected to my car. Another thing is that you DRIVE instead of operate when you’ve got the stick.

I love manual transmissions alot better than automatic. The USA is one of the only countries I know that people like the automatic transmission better than manual. When my dad when to Europe and I when to South America almost all of their cars are manual transmissions not automatic.

I love driving good “old fashoned” stick shifts because (for me) its more fun! My DSM has a 5 speed and my SER Sentra has a six and I love it!
I know most cars have paddle shifters and they may be easier and faster shifting but I still have more fun and like feeling the far/tranny through the shifter!

no way the stick will stay forever, it even makes my boring four banger truck fun to drive, plus i can leave it in 5th and cruise and get 30 mpg

you cant take away the stick shift..a bad ass car without a manual trans is just boring

Manual transmissions are fun to drive…but now I love my CVT automatic with steering wheel paddle shift clutchless manual mode…faster than a regular manual…sorry…best of both worlds

stick all the way. They aint hard to drive, I can shift gears, talk on the phone, and go around a turn at the same time

for commuuting i’d take an auto but for fun i’d have a manual. paddle shift is just a happy medium, good for both

I now hate auto trannies with a passion. I’m doing a manual transmission swap right now and I seriously think this is THE best upgrade I will ever do.

When I went to Europe a couple of years ago, I realized that everybody drives stick, for many reasons. Probably 98% of the cars there are manual. Drivers are more skilled because they concentrate on the road much more than North Americans (talking on their cellphones, or filling out paperwork while driving).

Anyway, just my 2 cents.

During my contest trip to Vegas (Thanks again CarDomain!) I drove both a Lotus Elise (Stick shift) and a Lamborghini Gallardo (Paddle shift). The Stick shift was one of the main reasons I preferred the Lotus over the Lambo. You don’t feel quite as connected to the car without the shifter and clutch peddle.

stick for the win!

I would take stick over auto, but i do think eventually car manuf. will move to the slap stick or pedal shifters before too long. Yes sticks are more fun to drive and better fuel and all, but more people are interested in autos for the practicallity of them. With cities getting bigger and more traffic on the road, people dont want to have to shift in slow traffic. Plus with the introduction of cell phones, its hard to do drive stick and talk on cell, even though your not supposed to. But I believe manual’s are going to be dissapearing in the next 10-15 years.

yo its big bob ya i say long live the shift stick

its not a true sports car if its not stick

I went from a auto to stick and I am never ever going back to auto. I can see the huge difference not only in driving but in fuel cost and man is it a blast to drive stick. So hell no their just coming out with new technology for people with families and children who can’t tell their son to keep it down shift and watch the road at the same time. Stick is fun and will never be gone!

what bout an automatic manual?

like the guy below me says NEVER man driving stick is the best auto will never win well maybe but still its BORING AS HELL!!! i feel useless driving auto

NEVER!

They better not end the stick. I love them so much, and have taught several of my friends how to dirve my truck. All of them bought a stick shift for there next vehicles and love it. It make driving fun, and you get to have choice. Also i have enjoyed the ability to run start my truck (once i had a dead battery, another time starter went out). Then it has saved my butt when i lost my brakes, My e-break is the out of place 4th peddle, and really sucks, I could down shift and just use the motor to slow down and bring me to a stop. granted there is the extra cost of tires ( some times it can be too much fun) and clutch, but it is well worth it. I would hate to see the death of the stick shift. I have 3 trucks that are manual and love them all, the one that is automatic…meh.

most ppl who dont like sticks barely know how to drive them, or havent really driven them enough other than old ppl

Definetly not over me cas 99% of my driving is city bumper to bumper.

i love stick more than i love my mom and if they are to take stick away from me il kill my self. it’s the funest way to drive and if you like speed it’s the best way to drive i have a 1991 3000gt and that car is awsome i love controling my speed and the car period. i could even control my gas .. okay mileage might be a littie hard to control but so what !

i love stick more than i love my mom and if they are to take stick away from me il kill my self. it’s the funest way to drive and if you like speed it’s the best way to drive i have a 1991 3000gt and that car is awsome i love controling my speed and the car period. i could even control my gas .. okay mileage might be a littie hard to control but so what !

I thought stick was a blast. But its doesn’t always work well in bumper to bumper traffic. Stick sucks if you have a pair of bad knees and a bad hip. Honestly I wont be able to drive stick again. Every day after getting home from work, I was in pain. Im only 26!

I have a six speed and I love it… I’d just shoot myself if I had to daily drive it (might have to do with the fact of the racing clutch and other oddities of the car, though). So I have the same version of my car in auto for daily driving.

I absolutely love my stick and won’t get an auto any time soon in the future!

I do like the feel of manuals. Both my trucks now are automatics, though. My first car was a 74 Beetle, and I loved making the front jerk upward when I shifted!

I never hav owned a stick mostly cause I like to smoke my special swishers, and talk on my phone so a stick is in the way. But I worked at this european auto store for a while and I am addicted to the Manny when you ride a ferrari or porsche.

as long as there is racing, manuels will never die

I’ve been drivin an 88 camry for the past week, and I love shifting in my little beater (ride page soon)!
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Still, after driving that, the Formula feels like it gained 50 Hp….
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Oh, btw, since I started the Firebird, and gas shot up 5 cents a gallon. I apologize everyone, for using 50% of the nation’s fuel supply.

If you are a driving entheusiast, a manual is obviously always going to be the primary choice.

Fun fact: In Europe 80% of cars are manual, with 20% being automatic, but in the US it’s the other way around.

I love manuals to death and I will weep bitterly if the day ever dawns when it is no longer possible to buy a new car with one. And then I’ll kill someone.

My last two cars have been stick and I’ve really enjoyed it, but I’m betting it will be my last. Upfront cost seems to be balanced out by higher resale (enthusiasts might want stick, but they’re a small fraction of the population). My wife can’t drive stick and really doesn’t care to learn. If my next car is offered with an auto that makes as good mileage as the stick version and ESPECIALLY if it comes with a DSG or something similar that can also outperform the stick version, I’d be all over it. Love it or hate it, I believe that changing technology is going to kill the stick, at least in the vast majority of applications.

I won’t buy a car which is not a manual.

Not to mention auto’s are bloody heavy.