The death of the manual transmission

[Cyraxe]

I can drive stick but, have an automatic in my current car. I experience the woes of shifting on my motorcycle when out joyriding locally thus am glad my car is auto. For work I have to drive stick and traffic sucks there. The big argument of gas mileage of the two still exists but, it's not as large of a comparison these days compared to lets say 20yrs ago.

[Laz]

I could drive a manual transmission but had to answer "Hypothetically, but it's been a long time since I did" since I became a left leg amputee and even with an artificial leg they barred me from driving one. Automatic for me but wish I could still so manual…

[Deleted]

I started with manuals, but lately all my company cars are hybrids.

The 2011 Toyota Auris Hybrid was CVT (so technically a manual single speed . Currently a 2013 Jetta Hybrid DSG which can be shifted with flippers, but why bother.

The Toyota got to like 1:22 l/km (mostly 1:19 or so though), the Jetta to 1:18.

[Twinkelle]

Yes, I can.

As many others have said, manual is the norm in the UK.

You'd be pretty hard pressed to find a teacher that has an automatic, if you were that way inclined.

[Guyv3r]

We already got pussy parking (the one that goes beep beep if you are near an object) and soon enough people will stop learning how to park.
If the sensors/cameras stop working, are they gonna cry and call tech support to park their car for them?

It's bad enough already. Drive manually or gtfo.

[Soikona]

There's really no reason for them anymore, as automatics are just as efficient now.

Because they are boring. Some people actually like driving, and an automatic removes the fun for most outside of the US. What is it about American posters assuming everyone on this site is American?

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I started learning to drive earlier this year. Due to circumstances, I've been learning in an automatic as manual hasn't been an option (free lessons from dad who used to be an instructor - better than the £20+ per lesson I'd pay for lessons through an active instructor).

I had always intended to drive manual, but the sort of things I'll be using my car for are in and around cities so an automatic hasn't been such a bad choice. It does limit what I can buy, but there's still enough choice out there that I'm not left unable to find a car. There's very little reason for me to want a manual besides the reduced initial cost.

Not sure about England, but in N.Ireland, if you learn to drive an automatic, your licence will not cover you for a manual. By learning to drive in an automatic, you are limiting your choices. In the future if you want a manual, like most cars are in the U.K., you will need to redo your test. Your dad should have told you this.

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If Americans move to Germany they have to redo driver's school because the standard of education in the US isn't high enough for the authorities here. It's probably the same in the UK.

Ain't the driving test for all countries that are members of the EU the same? I know it is for motorbike, I assume it is for car?

[Holofernes]

automatics are very rare in Europe, mostly its in the e-class of old men. It has a bad reputation for beeing used by old, slow and non- or inattantive people.

The only younger automatics driver i personally know only has one leg (the right one), the left one is a prothesis. Thats the only reason to go auto on a car I can comprehend.

What is really important to guys in my countrie is the control about traction. if u live in the snowy mountains of austria, and u want to go somewhere in winter, when its ice, snow, in the mountains, having a automatic transmission means u get stuck pretty soon.
You have no control on how to start going, (sometimes im required to drive from stand at a crossing in 3rd gear with clutch-gaming to not have the tires loose traction when driving to my grandpas house for example) and will burry your car on a snowy road on the slightest slope u have to stop. Most autos are very bad for environments where u want some control about traction, thats why nobody uses them.

[Puupi]

Most of the slides here could have been avoided with manual transmission. With automatic, if you lose traction or lift your foot from the gas, you become a passenger instead of a driver.

[Slant]

Most of the slides here could have been avoided with manual transmission. With automatic, if you lose traction or lift your foot from the gas, you become a passenger instead of a driver.

Trust the dude from Finland, if anyone knows how to drive in the winter, it's them.

[Deleted]

I've got nothing against automation, but there should always be the manual option.

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Most of the slides here could have been avoided with manual transmission. With automatic, if you lose traction or lift your foot from the gas, you become a passenger instead of a driver.

Studded tires would do wonders as well. Those people are just... suicidal.

Trust the dude from Finland, if anyone knows how to drive in the winter, it's them.

We've got mandatory slippery weather driving training as a part of our driving license courses. Still some people just can't grasp the idea that you are allowed to drive well below the speed limit, especially if the weather is bad...

[Deleted]

We already got pussy parking (the one that goes beep beep if you are near an object) and soon enough people will stop learning how to park.
If the sensors/cameras stop working, are they gonna cry and call tech support to park their car for them?

It's bad enough already. Drive manually or gtfo.

Man I've gotten so used to my little beeper, almost forgot how it was before it, I'm ashamed

Manual all the way tho, tried automatic, just get stressed out cause I don't know what to do with my left leg anymore. I don't want a car that semi drives for me, I want to be able to shift down to get past someone smoothly on the highway.
Also, shifting now takes no conscious though what so ever, if you drive enough with a manual you shift without hassle.

[Slant]

We've got mandatory slippery weather driving training as a part of our driving license courses. Still some people just can't grasp the idea that you are allowed to drive well below the speed limit, especially if the weather is bad...

Driving lessons is one thing, but actual experience is worth so much more. Take Germany, for instance. We don't get real snow in most areas. What you'll get is a light powder snow that is at most 5cm or so. And the roads are usually cleared as soon as snow falls, so by morning every major road is cleared and is more "wet condition" than snow. When actual snow falls here, 10cm+ people don't know what to do about it.

[Vash The Stampede]

Great thing about manual transmissions in the United States is that nobody wants them. So if you're in the market for buying a car, a manual would probably be cheaper.

[Slant]

Great thing about manual transmissions in the United States is that nobody wants them. So if you're in the market for buying a car, a manual would probably be cheaper.

Manual is always cheaper. The mechanics involved are so much simpler than an automatic transmission gearbox. That not many people are buying them in the US, isn't that more likely to increase the price? Car manufacturers don't produce a lot of manual transmission cars for the US market, I wager. I know I wouldn't.

[Slant]

The UK does love to live in the past i guess.

Once in a bluemoon, I open the posts from ignored users to see if they changed the reason I put them on ignore. 9 out of 10 times they display the very reason why I put them on ignore. It's funny how consistent you lot are. :P

[Slant]

It's your fault for being an anglophile

@Kalis Yo, did you hear that? Hahaha, this is brilliant!

[chubbybunny]

Can't really imagine the Race scenes in fast & furious where they change gears (seemingly each car has about 10 gears they change up to) with an auto transmission..

*pan down to foot*
*watches racer pushing down on accelerator peddle*
*watches car speed off*

Nah.... won't work

[wooters]

If you're an extremely skilled and/or professional driver, you'll be able to squeeze better performance out of a manual. For something that you drive to work, get groceries, pick up the kids, etc. a manual is useless. The only reason for it is if you find it "fun" but there's a reason self-driving cars are becoming a thing (people are terrible drivers, and I'd be willing to bet most manual drivers are even worse since some of their attention is preoccupied by shifting).

Although I suppose a manual is good for preventing people from texting and driving (unless you steer with your knee).

"self-driving cars are becoming a thing" this is a bad idea. don`t get me wrong, it would have been all right if every car worked that way. but they are not.. so mixing self drivers with human driven machines seems like a dumb idea

[Slicer299]

Class A CDL holder, with tanker endorsement, I can drive anything on the road.

[chubbybunny]

"self-driving cars are becoming a thing" this is a bad idea. don`t get me wrong, it would have been all right if every car worked that way. but they are not.. so mixing self drivers with human driven machines seems like a dumb idea

Funny talking about self drive cars, i was watching a video on gsmarena about tesla self drive cars..

http://www.gsmarena.com/watch_the_te...blog-21739.php