% of Manual vs. Auto Transmissions - New Autos

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I was reading the latest AARP monthly mag (yes, I am that old!). Not sure if they are using good data or just making up numbers.

But they claim that only 4% of new cars sold today have a manual transmission. If accurate, MT are not long for this world in every day drivers.
 
If this is for the US market specifically, then the % of manuals has been very low for years. And yes, it is slowly going down.
 
Yep, and in many cases you can only get the manual in the base model. Diehard manual users will go for that but the usual everyday driver wants the latest gadgets. So it's the auto/cvt/dct etc.
 
My wife grew up in Brooklyn and her first car was a Toyota Starlet with a stick. She has had nothing but sticks ever since. She owns a 2015 Audi A4 quattro and had a hard time finding one new with a stick in the color she wanted.

With how lousy many automatics have gotten aiming to provide utmost fuel economy at the expense of the driving experience, you'd think more people would want a stick in the few vehicles that still offer them. No one complained about automatic transmissions in new vehicles 20 years ago.
 
A carjacker got himself arrested after he threw out the driver at gunpoint, jumped into the car and could not get it moving because it has a manual transmission. That gave the cops time to nail him.

YouTube has a lot of these stories about carjackers that can't operate a car with a manual transmission.
 
Ford dropped the stick in the F-150 line for the 2016 model year I THINK.
The article I read said the demand for F-150 manuals dropped below the 5% mark.

I do not know about the F-250, 350.
 
Jeep Wranglers likely have the highest percentage. Jeep's new JL Wrangler, which will be introduced this fall, will have a new 6 speed manual, as well, which I'll be ordering. Test mules have been spotted with them.

My 08 Wrangler was ordered with a manual transmission and took almost 9 months to be delivered because of higher than expected demand for manual transmissions. If it were an auto, it would have been delivered in half that time, or better.

I don't think they'll die off too soon in certain vehicles where there is demand. On the other hand, many, if not most, new vehicles today don't even offer them.
 
Originally Posted By: IndyFan
I don't think they'll die off too soon in certain vehicles where there is demand. On the other hand, many, if not most, new vehicles today don't even offer them.


I agree with this. While we will see manuals die off in most mainstream cars, there will always be demand in certain niche markets. Vehicles like the Wrangler, Mazda MX-5, base Tacoma, HD pickups, etc.

Mazda actually does pretty well with manual availability. While I had to drive to Fairfax to get the car I wanted at the best price, it was fairly easy to find multiple cars within driving distance.
 
My Mazda was easy to get as it was in stock but it was the last one. I hear on the Mazda 6 they are dropping the manual in the base but not the touring. I figure cause the base is so gutted no one wants it. If they offered the grand touring in a manual I'd be in the dealer today trading up.
 
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Originally Posted By: PimTac
Yep, and in many cases you can only get the manual in the base model. Diehard manual users will go for that but the usual everyday driver wants the latest gadgets. So it's the auto/cvt/dct etc.


Honda Civic Si (coupe and sedan) are stick only with all the bells and whistles. There are surely more from others.

Your point is valid however.
 
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Originally Posted By: Kira
Ford dropped the stick in the F-150 line for the 2016 model year I THINK.
The article I read said the demand for F-150 manuals dropped below the 5% mark.

I do not know about the F-250, 350.


Ford hasn't had manual tranny in a domestic market truck for a very long time.

I think 2003 was the last year for stick F-150 and 2007 was the last year for F-250 and up.
 
Fuel and emissions requirements are also partially responsible. I remember reading that a few of the newer muscle cars have gear lockout on the manual trans, so it will only allow you to shift into a gear at certain times.. basically ruining the manual transmission. Combine that with dual mass flywheels and manuals don't sound as fun.
 
Originally Posted By: Canadastang
Originally Posted By: Kira
Ford dropped the stick in the F-150 line for the 2016 model year I THINK.
The article I read said the demand for F-150 manuals dropped below the 5% mark.

I do not know about the F-250, 350.


Ford hasn't had manual tranny in a domestic market truck for a very long time.

I think 2003 was the last year for stick F-150 and 2007 was the last year for F-250 and up.
+

For the F150 I believe it was 2008. My friend has a 2007 F150 4.2 RWD and a 5 Speed.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
When I wear out my f250 I doubt I will be able to replace it with a stickshift.


The only full-size pickup currently available with a stick is the Ram 2500/3500. Its been that way for a number of years now, and rumors abound that it will eventually disappear from the option list on the Ram, too.

Automatics are objectively better-performing than manuals in almost every way now. Better overall fuel efficiency since the computer can fully coordinate the engine and transmission parameters together. Ditto emissions. They've always been better for towing heavy loads, other than the purpose-built manual gearboxes like those found in 3/4 and 1-ton Rams. And even then, lifetime cost of the manual is often higher because of clutch replacements. In cars, they've been faster down the dragstrip since the early 1960s, and that advantage has only widened (compare ET's of a manual Hellcat vs the automatic, nevermind the Demon that integrates a trans brake and sophisticated launch controls into the automatic version). Manuals have continued to hold the advantage on road courses, but given that F1 and Indy cars have been paddle-shifted automatics rather than real manual transmissions for years, and fast paddle-shifted automatics and dual-dry-clutch automatics are showing up in production cars, that advantage is pretty much gone, too.

All that said, I love driving a manual. Which is why I made sure to get one in my Challenger while I still can.
 
It all comes down to what customers want. That's it. If people want it, the car companies will make it.

Mini still sells a large percentage of manuals.

BMW recently sent out a survey to M owners asking if they would buy another car if manual was not offered, and if it is offered, if people would pay a premium to get one.

I for one would.

Long live the manual!
 
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Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
It all comes down to what customers want. That's it. If people want it, the car companies will make it.

Mini still sells a large percentage of manuals.

BMW recently sent out a survey to M owners asking if they would buy another car if manual was not offered, and if it is offered, if people would pay a premium to get one.

I for one would.

Long live the manual!


Bingo. BMW's way of getting more money out of brand loyal enthusiasts.
 
Here in Spain about 75% of new cars sold are Manual.
No intention of ever buying an automatic personally...
Oh, and here if you pass you driving test with an auto, you can only legally drive an automatic.
 
I believe that more people complained about automatics 20 years ago, however they didn't have the forums and social media to make it so evident to others.

Most people don't want the added effort of driving a manual. If my back flares up, driving a manual would be quite difficult especially if the clutch is heavy. That being said, the Civic Type R is attractive as are BMW manuals. If I stick to the 911 dream, you can't really beat their autos for performance and economy...

Originally Posted By: skyactiv

With how lousy many automatics have gotten aiming to provide utmost fuel economy at the expense of the driving experience, you'd think more people would want a stick in the few vehicles that still offer them. No one complained about automatic transmissions in new vehicles 20 years ago.
 
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