Drove a 6spd manual yesterday...don't miss it

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Back in a MT after a brief 4 year affair with a CVT nissan

Love it! And its not even a very good one at that.

Easy to driv ein stop and go, Just put in in first, engage the clutch then idle along.

It wont stall. It will even pull up a very steep hill with no gas.

I will say the nissan cvt trans never gave a hint of blowing up, though I did do an early fluid pan drain.
 
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Grew up driving manuals. Kids first cars were manuals. At my age now I don't want to be rowing gears in Houston traffic.
 
I like manual transmissions; I think they're more fun to drive than automatics. I don't currently own one but I hope to own one again some day. I've driven several cars and trucks with manual, but only ever owned one: 2004 Honda CR-V. I actually bought it specifically BECAUSE it was manual, even though it was in bad shape and I really shouldn't have bought it. I thought I'd never find another one in manual, so I should jump on that one. Turns out they're more common than I thought and I could've (and should've) held out for one in better shape. I liked the car, and I feel that that's mostly because it was manual. I think it would've been terribly boring to drive if it was automatic. If I was in the market for a car, and there was a model that would fit my needs and was available in manual, I would definitely buy it in manual.

When it comes to performance/"fun to drive" cars, a lot of people try to make the argument: "Manuals are more fun...but the automatic is faster!" Which is an invalid argument, IMO. If you prefer an automatic, and think an automatic if more fun to drive, then by all means get the automatic. But if you think manual is more fun to drive, get the manual! It doesn't matter if the automatic is faster. Because what's the whole PURPOSE of going fast?.....because it's FUN! The whole purpose of those cars is to be fun to drive, so if you're buying one, your #1 priority should be the "fun to drive" factor, not the fastest acceleration.
 
Funny that you guys mention traffic and manuals. You have never driven in Los Angelas traffic on a friday afternoon in n old Peterbilt with a 5 speed main and a 3 speed auxiliary, no power steering or AC! A car is a piece of cake!
 
I've always had a manual around. With a "big boy" commute these days, I'm glad I'm using an auto for it.

I feel more in control of the vehicle when I'm doing the shifting. But for daily driving, eh, I just want to get where I'm going.
 
Originally Posted by Chris142
Originally Posted by BMWTurboDzl
Sometimes I wish I could rev-match and heel/toe, but it's hard enough to resell a coupe in today's market I could only imagine how difficult it would be to resell a couple that had a 6mt.

Come here. I will teach you!

My f250 and my Jeep are manuals. I can't drive an automatic to save my life lol. My wife makes fun of me in the mountains in her FJ. I downshift the automatic for hills and can't figure out how to get the stupid shifter back into D at the bottom.

When I taught our cousin how to drive I taught her in my Jeep she prefers that over the automatic. She says it gives here more control over an automatic. She just turned 14.


Oh no, I can or at least could do those things.
smile.gif
 
Depends which manual it is. If it's a bulky shifting device, get the auto. But if it's shifts easily (Honda, BMW, Mazda etc) then a manual is preferred.
As noted here: four cylinder cars do better with manuals than autos, although the newer 8 and 10 speeds ( if they're good) can help.
 
Originally Posted by panthermike
For me it depends on the car you're driving. I've driven Corolla manuals, etc. Very boring but a fun car such as my old ZL1 was a blast with a 6 speed! I don't currently own a manual but would absolutely if it were a leisure vehicle(commuting in PHX is rough with a manual).


In my opinion, the weaker the engine, the more the experience is improved with a manual.
 
I have a 6-spd manual focus, but that's only because the 6-speed DCT in them is garbage. The 5-spd in the evo is fun, but nowadays I wouldn't want to daily that car, especially now that it has a heavy duty pressure plate.
Otherwise I generally wish I got an auto.
 
Originally Posted by panthermike
For me it depends on the car you're driving. I've driven Corolla manuals, etc. Very boring but a fun car such as my old ZL1 was a blast with a 6 speed! I don't currently own a manual but would absolutely if it were a leisure vehicle(commuting in PHX is rough with a manual).



Good point. It really depends on the vehicle. A manual trans can add to the fun factor of a sports car or something like a Jeep with no doors, but in a 100hp econobox where you need to downshift constantly with the engine screaming just to maintain speed up a hill it's not as fun.
 
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I've continuously owned and driven one since 1976. There'll probably come a day when I won't own one, and will I miss it. What's amazing is how many people are out there that have no clue how to drive one.


Its not amazing at all that most drivers do not know how do drive a manual tranny. The vast, vast majority of vehicles on the road today are automatics, no need at all for the average driver to know how to drive a manual tranny. I started driving in the middle part of the 1970's, even then by me (Long Island-NY) a good 80% or 90% of the later model vehicles on the road were automatics. I did spend some time in Northern Pennsylvania back then, and there were more manual trannies there than in NY.

That being said, I drive a 4 cylinder Subaru outback with paddle shifters (6 forward gears) which I've tried out a few times. I can not imagine rowing all of those gears and working the clutch up and down all day long around the crowded urban area that I do most of my driving in.
 
I have owned many vechicles over the years mostly MT. I like manuals and prefer them. The driving experience is just not the same with a AT and paddle shifters.
 
Originally Posted by SeaJay
Originally Posted by demarpaint
I've continuously owned and driven one since 1976. There'll probably come a day when I won't own one, and will I miss it. What's amazing is how many people are out there that have no clue how to drive one.


Its not amazing at all that most drivers do not know how do drive a manual tranny. The vast, vast majority of vehicles on the road today are automatics, no need at all for the average driver to know how to drive a manual tranny. I started driving in the middle part of the 1970's, even then by me (Long Island-NY) a good 80% or 90% of the later model vehicles on the road were automatics. I did spend some time in Northern Pennsylvania back then, and there were more manual trannies there than in NY.

That being said, I drive a 4 cylinder Subaru outback with paddle shifters (6 forward gears) which I've tried out a few times. I can not imagine rowing all of those gears and working the clutch up and down all day long around the crowded urban area that I do most of my driving in.

We started driving around the same time, and on Long Island. At the time most of my friends drove a stick, they were in back then, at least to the people I was with. I guess I'm discounting today's generation, and the fact that the stick is slowly becoming phased out. I'm glad I didn't miss out on it though, and I'm happy my son learned how to drive one. It came in handy during several of his deployments.
 
About five years ago I had to drive my brother in-laws manual pickup, I think it was a Toyota and I couldn't believe how bad I did, I killed it a couple times and then after that I was revving it to high so I wouldn't kill it and every time I shifted it jerked like crazy. In my defense it had been at least 15 years since I drove a manual but I grew up driving tractors and manual pickups but one obviously needs practice to be smooth.
 
I love the MT, but my area isnt heavy traffic like some. It can be a pita and I fear for clutch life driving in insane traffic.

That being said they dont make the car I want with a MT... so autobox it is.

Subaru if you are listening bring back the forester turbo MT or a wrx hatch mt.

I might be in the market for hyundai's elantra GT NLine... in a couple years.

But in OHIO I prefer a little more ground clearance for parking stops and winter roads.

My ideal daily driver would be a subaru crosstrek sized/height with MT and about 200-250hp.
 
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