I think manuals will always be around. For the vast majority of folks a car is a tool or rather an appliance. Seems that most folks want their appliances to do the work of shifting. These people are not car enthusiasts by any means. Heck they even long for the day when they don't have to drive & can get a self driving appliance. I'm glad I'll be dead by the time that shirt happens.

My preference is for a manual, but my left knee's preference is for a DSG. Maybe when I get my new bionic left knee I'll be kicking a clutch again.

 

Who knows what the future will hold?
When I first learned how to drive, it was with a manual transmission by design. My dads logic was, that if I learned how to drive a manual transmission, I could always drive an automatic. But conversely, if I only learned how to drive an automatic, I couldn't necessarily jump in a manual transmission vehicle and drive it.

It's been a long time since I've owned a manual transmission vehicle, but I loved them. Once you get experienced with them, it becomes second nature. I loved driving a manual.
But then I got old and lazy.

I would say the manual transmission will never die. But....
Maybe it's greatest challenge is that the younger generation is just not learning to drive them. It's hard to desire or want something you've never really been exposed to. When I was a little kid, MOST of my family drove vehicles that were stick shift. I witnessed that as being "driving". It was rarer, when my Grandparents bought an Auto. Most everyone else had a manual.
By the time I was old enough to actually drive, my parents still owned manual transmission vehicles, I really had no choice but to learn how to drive a manual.

I doubt manual transmission will ever TOTALLY disappear. They are still the tool of choice in many specific applications.
But I think we've already witnessed a dramatic shift. For common consumer, everyday vehicles, the auto transmission is now the overwhelming choice in terms of availability offered by manufacturers and also from the standpoint of what most people seek.

This kind of snowballs the whole reality. Less manufacturing and offering of manual transmissions/less people/families owning manual transmission/less young people learning to drive a manual transmission. Repeat the cycle...

I miss my clutch and shift days. A manual transmission is IMO often more fun to drive. More engaging. But I knew that, because I experienced that, and witnessed that from an early age. Don't know if the majority of young people today, know that.

 

There has DEFINITELY been a shift in perceptions! A lot of young people today aren't really even interested in learning to drive, let alone shifting!! My nephew employs an "auto technician" who doesn't even OWN a car!! He uses UBER to get around; says that it saved him from paying $12K a year in auto insurance!

 

my older kid wants to get into an MT when he gets his license. seems normal to me in a car guy dad fam.

 

Well, I just bought a MT for the first time so that's one more stick driver in the world for what it's worth.
Honestly though, I have no dogmatic feelings about manual cars somehow being "better" for you. Cars are tools and making a tool more easy to use is simple progress. There were probably people bemoaning the laziness and decadence of power steering and power windows, too.
We all have different things we care to invest time/thought/money/effort into. e.g. Most of you probably use membrane keyboards and cheap TN monitors without a second thought about it but I consider you in the same manner you consider automatic drivers.

 

so you spent too much money on your pc monitors and keyboards leaving you with only a budget to afford a MT fit, huh?

considering this is your first MT car and thinking cars are just tools you dont fit our profile for being a MT enthusiast. car guys buy MT cars for its driving dynamics and fun factor, we usually also own AT cars we use as tools.

 

Biggest hassle with a stick is driving in stop & go traffic. When I get stuck on the freeway, I wish I had an auto trans. I've driven sticks almost all my life; learned how to drive with a 3 speed column shift. One thing is that sticks used to get the best MPG and now it's usually the auto trans that gets better MPG. I think the best of both worlds is the dual clutch automatic, if they could get it to work right.

 

"best of both worlds".. no. dual clutch is definitely the king of AT at the moment but it is nowhere near fun like MT. i speak from ownership experience.

 

Personally I have to own a manual car, just makes the car so much more fun

 

now there is an MT enthusiast.

 

I owned 2 autoboxes and 4 proper cars in my life.

Most recent rides:
early-2012 Fiat 500 Pop, 5spd
2013 Fiat 500 Abarth, 5spd
2017 Hond Fit EX, 6spd

 

Has anyone ever seen a site dedicated to the subject of manual transmission cars currently out there in the world. Would be great if it showed the history of what has been offered. Added points for the different phrases used by different cultures would be awesome too!

You know like;

• 3 on the tree
• 4 on the floor
• 5 in the basket

 

Great. An insufferable buckling spring snob.

Bold prediction:
Manuals on regular passenger cars will disappear completely within the lifespan of the Millennial generation. I also predict it will happen before autonomous vehicles become even halfway mainstream. (side prediction: autonomous vehicles will not be adopted as quickly as people think).

As CAFE (or other government) mandates concerning emissions and consumption become stricter, automakers won't have a choice but to eliminate manuals from the lineup. CVTs, for example, get better fuel economy.

For years automakers have been implementing technologies that reduce reliability, power, and/or driveability for the sake of fuel economy because they must either meet CAFE, consumer demand, or marketing goals for fuel economy. CVTs are an easily seen example of this.

Also, electric cars will never have manual transmissions. The nature of electric motors obviate them.

Autonomous vehicles by their nature can't use a manual transmission.

The manual's death will be at the hands of energy costs, regulations, and the electrification of vehicles.

Now, I'll say that I PERSONALLY love a good manual transmission. I thoroughly enjoy rowing my own gears, feeling connected to the vehicle, and having more control. I've owned nothing but manuals until fairly recently, including a couple wonderful-feeling transmissions in Miatas. I enjoy driving, and view cars as more than an appliance. I also acknowledge this is the minority view and is becoming moreso.

 

I agree with some of your post, but me thinks thou doth forget thee a continent called Europe... as well as Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America. EVs may sound the death knell of manual transmissions, but we're a long what off from global acceptance there while a large % of the earth still rows through their own gears.

Many of you correctly stated MT preference has more to do with connected driving than it does some manner of snobbery or douchebaggery. I also prefer using a hammer and nail or a nail gun as opposed to trusting the house will nail itself together.

But that's just me...

 

You do make a very good point referencing 2nd and 3rd world countries. I was indeed thinking with a 1st world mindset.

If anything, my points I think stand, with the possible exception of timeline.

To your point about Europe: I think Europe will electrify well before the US does. More than one major European city (run by fools) has declared it will be all-electric by such and such a date. I have no doubt that the declared dates will not be met, but the mindset is there.

 

Yeah... I don't know whether or not Europe will be able to electrify prior to North America. The EU is behind the US and China in lithium production. Certain countries, like NL, will have little trouble. But that country manufactures/sells more bicycles than automobiles. Germany is, pretty much, being forced into electrification. The rest of Europe, including France, is a toss-up prior to 2040/50... I think. There must be a mind shift that means trusting companies and governments to do what's best for all. That doesn't exist, today, in Europe.

Timeline is the real sticking point... we'll see.

 

I'm hoping that mindset never exists anywhere. Any even halfhearted student of history knows that is an impossibility.

 

And that's the triple truth, Ruth.

 

And this is why I bought the CVT Fit over the manual for my commuter car. Going into researching a new commuter car, I had in my mind to buy a manual Fit as my #1 priority was getting the best gas mileage. Boy was I surprised that the CVT actually beat out the trusty stick shift. Add to that the wonky gearing of the Fit's MT and it was a no brainer to get the CVT.

To replace the Fit, I'm looking at getting the MT Civic. Not because the MT gets better mileage or is faster (because neither is true according to Car and Driver reviews), but because I can get it without Honda Sensing. If I want to avoid those automated driving aids, I'll be switching back to manuals for future commuter cars.

 

My first car was a 1960 Austin Cooper 997
I've owned VW bugs and 1964 90"Wb Chevy Van, etc.
And bikes from Hodaka to Nortons
I can't imagine driving anything but an MT
But hey, I'm open to options