Maybe so, but that really makes it sound like the MT has nothing going for it, when it used to be that manual was better mileage that the old autos, and still can get close if you practice and adjust to maximize economy. And still the offset in fuel costs for that efficiency difference will take at least 10 years or 100K miles or more of driving to even make up for the initial $800-$1,000 difference in price between a MT and AT. AND the repairs on a MT are A LOT less expensive - all that automation makes a lot more to go wonky over time and more trouble to fix in terms of complication and parts. PLUS there is an additional benefit of being able to pop start a car with a clutch if your battery quits on you unexpectedly, which is a feature that I have relied on more than once in my time in a stick shift, even just as recently as last year.

That is just the practical stuff - it says nothing about the fact that driving is just so much more FUN in a MT, particularly if you have a good car. These days it even functions as an extra layer of security against car-jacking or theft since none of the young'uns these days know how to drive stick - someone found themselves forced out of their car at gunpoint at a stop light only to watch the would be thieves sit there for a minute or two before jumping out again and running away when they discovered they had no idea what that third pedal was for.

There was even a study which suggested that people who drive MT are better drivers who suffer less from distracted driving type collisions perhaps because they are more engaged in the task at hand - you can't text and shift at the same time.

Personally, the whole thing with the frugality is reason enough for me. I love my MT - and nobody ever asks to borrow my car =)

I was looking for a stick when I got my 2017 Fit. The dealer only ordered 2 for the year and when I got mine in December he still had 2, or should I say one after I got mine. This year he has no sticks in stock, they are special order only. I may get poorer mileage in mine (over 32 mpg) but at least I can spin the tires when taking off from a dead stop. Love the illusion of speed and power the stick provides me even if its for only a brief second or two, lol.

If people insist on poking this 3 year old dead Zombie of a thread?

I'm going to say, wanting or obtaining a manual transmission is just up to the individual.
Even if a manual transmission arguably might not get as good MPG as a modern CVT, that's IMO really not what it is about.

What I miss in NOT having a manual transmission, is the driving connection to the vehicle and the road itself. Once you get use to a manual, and further more specifically the manual transmission of whatever vehicle you are driving, nothing I think enhances the driving experience more.

I've gotten old and lazy, so I end up with Automatics and CVT's. But if I wanted a manual transmission? I'd seek it out. Special order or not.

Side Comment:
My 2016 EX has a CVT transmission. So far? It's pretty good for an automatic. Seems to have good torque with early acceleration.

I couldn't get a 2020 EX in an manual so I got a 2018. I've always driven manuals. Control is better for me. In 1990s Hondas, automatics were for sure problematics.

Ditto! I started driving in the mid 70s... in 1984 was the first time I could buy a car I wanted and not a POS that I could afford.. been gearboxes ever since.. there was a nine year period where I needed a large 4 door car for the family, and that saw 2 Crown Vics.. and I seriously thought about a 5 gear swap in one of them... regret not doing so..

I too found the Honda 6MT not quite as fun as other cars. Same issues. However I absolutely love the "snick"/ "snick" in the shifter. Second best shifting car I've owned.

Bought a toy.. 06 Miata 6MT and it's identical to the Fit other than the shifter sucks... but the extra ponies make up the short gears.. (stroker)

Manuals are simple. I've only replaced 1 clutch in my life (probably getting ready for number 2 in the Miata, but mainly because I don't think the clutch is strong enough).

In my family.. here's the automatic's reliability:

95 Windstar, transmission at 140k
02 Crown Vic, transmission at 75k and 150k
06 Exploder, transmission at 140k and 160k

Asian cars since (have a Toyota, Honda and Mazda).

Same but the only difference was I had to get used to top gear being in the reverse position.