The Manual Transmission Is Dying

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Carmax has released nationwide car sales data showing manual transmission sales going back to 1995

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Only 3.7 percent of the sales of CarMax vehicles nationwide are from stick shift cars. In 1995, 26.8 percent of the company’s sales were for manual vehicles. That accounts for a drop of 86.2 percent.

The states with the highest share of purchases of manual transmission cars are New Mexico, Idaho, and Rhode Island, with more than 5 percent each. On the opposite side, the states where stick shift cars are the least popular are Illinois and Mississippi, with little over 2 percent each.

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Finally, when it comes to cities that have the greatest purchase rates of stick-shift cars, the champion is El Paso, Texas. Slightly more than 6 percent of CarMax customers pick cars with manual transmissions there, with Dothan, Alabama a close second.

The city with the smallest share of manual transmission cars? Birmingham, Alabama, with less than 2 percent.
 
I told my little nephew he can drive my car. Got in it and realized it was stick and was terrified. Taught him how to drive and straight up told me he hated that it was stick shift. Freaking kids.
 
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stilletto said:
BMW's still giving the US an option for it. Kudos to them.

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They’re cutting them as well. There are articles going back a year saying they’re removing manual gearboxes from the 2 series and others to cut r&d costs.
 
webby said:
They’re cutting them as well. There are articles going back a year saying they’re removing manual gearboxes from the 2 series and others to cut r&d costs.
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I read this a couple months ago.

“The BMW M2 Competition still has the manual for a reason, because in the U.S. we have more than a 50 percent take rate on manual transmissions for the M2. Buyers vote with their wallets for manual transmissions. Now, being an engineer, I would say from a rational standpoint that even though the manual gearbox is lighter than an automated gearbox, it uses more fuel and is slower, so it doesn’t really make sense . . . But from the emotional standpoint, a lot of customers say, ‘I don’t care, I want to have one.’ As long as we have these take rates on M2, and also the M3 and M4, we’re going to offer manuals, because we listen to our customers. Even though as an engineer I’d say we don’t necessarily need one. If demand is so high, then why not fulfill it?”

https://www.google.com/amp/s/jalopn...mericans-are-buying-enough-man-1827934751/amp

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I hope they don't cut them. I guess time will tell. They have to appease the stock holders ultimately. If R&D expenses are way above the return....
 
I hate seeing the writing on the wall that the Manual Transmission will soon go the way of the dodo; but, I still love driving one. I know that DSG transmissions offer the convenience of an automatic and better performance stats than a manual but I haven't really gotten used to driving one (I don't own a DSG car but I have the sequential shift feature with paddles on the wheel in my Pilot and have played with it a bit, still not sure if I like the feel). I know that when I look into a sporty car and see an automatic, the purist in me looks down upon the car as it isn't what I'd want even though the same car with a DSG will perform better.
 
bauer311 said:
These days anyways. Most kids don't even know how to start them. Damn shame
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ron v said:
I told my little nephew he can drive my car. Got in it and realized it was stick and was terrified. Taught him how to drive and straight up told me he hated that it was stick shift. Freaking kids.
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Personally I've driven manual vehicles for years. I remember when I first started driving I used my dad's truck ('89 Ford F150 with a 5-speed manual). I used it to mow lawns around the neighborhood/other communities. It took some time to learn but my dad was a good teacher and I picked it up.

Found a picture on the good 'ol interwebz of a similar interior. He did not have an XLT Lariat. His was a base model (custom I believe they called it).

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I didn't owned a manual vehicle until 2007 when I bought my '07 Subaru WRX. It was quite the experience driving it home from the dealership in rush hour traffic.. but I made it home. :) I traded the '07 WRX in for the '15 WRX and now I have the '07 STi (with the automatic '15 Accord).

I've owned a manual vehicle for 11 (almost 12) years. Only with a short gap (November 2017 - August 2018) where I didn't own one.

I have asked my wife (not that I wanted to) if she wanted to learn how to drive a manual transmission vehicle multiple times over the years and she always says no that's okay. It's "too complicated". I said it's not that difficult once you get the hang of it. I said are you sure and she says "no I'm sure I don't want to learn". I'm like okay and just dropped it :rolleyes:
 
I'm so jaded when it comes to DSG's. I refuse to give up the Manual, but every car I want comes with a DSG. You just can't outdo them at the track.

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After moving to the location for my office, I find myself driving the automatic Tacoma more than the Si. I end up sitting in traffic, primarily traffic lights and stop signs. Even though the clutch on the Si is light as a feather, after 45 minutes going 8 miles, all the time riding on the clutch in some way because you're crawling, the left leg starts to hurt. The Tacoma was my weekend warrior but with worse traffic, those car roles are shifting towards the auto.

I love that I have what will be quickly an outdated legacy - a naturally aspirated i4 with manual transmission in my Si. At this point it is going back a generation or more in drivetrain technology but it delivers the most smiles per mile of any car I've driven. The Tacoma however is a close second because I've opened up the supercharger and that whine is an addiction. That's satisfying for about 4-5 seconds getting on the freeway only though. Other than that, it's pretty drab to drive and becomes a means to get from point A to point B.
 
I love my manual, but I would also love a car with a great dual clutch transmission. I mean great that it shifts quick and not lazy on downshifts.

My old subaru had paddle shifters and rev matched on downshifts, I loved that but it was still slow at shifting, it was just a 'normal' auto transmission.
 
My civic is the automatic 5 speed that I bought in in 27 years. I only got it because it gets better gas mileage. I miss the stick. I'm also shopping for a new Goldwing with DCT. An automatic on a motorcycle.
 
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