Read an article today that said the manual trans is "on it's deathbed". What do you think of that? Would you buy another Fit with a M/T? I think most of the folks on this site are auto tranners (just made up that word).

I have a 5 M/T. Love driving it, but there are days when I wish I had an auto tranny, just cuz of the traffic.

OK, lemme know yer thoughts, all y'all (hey I'm south Arizona).

My Texas family sez that "y'all" is just one person and more than one is "all y'all".

 

I think this one really depends on the targeted demographic as well as the country its for sale in.

Here in Aus, Auto's are unquestionably more popular as the mainstream choice. For the majority of motorist that require a car to get from A to B its the logical choice. What has been happening though is that Dual-clutch transmissions are slowly becoming mainstream. DCT's has the ability to shift lightning quick as well as operating completely in automatic mode thus giving the benefits of both worlds depending on what mood your in. The only downside I see at the moment is reliability, I have yet to hear glowing reviews of any brand's DCT being rock solid in terms of reliability.

I am personally interested in how the DCT will go in the 2015 hybrid fit. I'm pretty sure it's the first time a Japanese manufacturer will have gone mainstream with that type of gearbox. Mitsubishi has been using them on the latest gen Evo X's/Ralliarts but they are plagued with problems.

Anyhow, once the new Fit lands here. I'll have my eyes on the 6M/T for sure.

 

M/T is definitely losing it's popularity and the the car makers are limiting them due to lower demand. I personally like the M/T mainly because of "driver engagement". The DCT may be faster and more convenient, but I still prefer M/T even if it is 1/2 sec slower. The only exception is in really heavy traffic.

 

The thing is, with the Auto on the Fit you get the paddle shifters, which gives you almost the best of both worlds. It's kinda fun to "help" the car drive sometimes by using the paddle shifters. It feels good doing more than just steering and accelerating lol!

I have a ton of fun finding the power band with the paddles on my way back from school.

Not to say that I don't like manuals, I love manuals, just don't got one. I'm happy with the auto.

 

How quick are the paddles to respond? I've driven other Auto's in the past with gear shifting capabilities but wasn't impressed with the response time. I.e would actually take a while after the paddle/gear shift is depressed before it would actually shift.

 

No, its not dead.

In vehicles where an MT is an option, sales are up or on par with recent trends.

 

That's good to hear because I was reading otherwise. In Canuckistan, it's impossible to rent a manual transmission vehicle. Maybe if you rented a Porsche or something like that but if not, impossible from Enterprise or Hertz or whatever.

I read on edmunds that there are now only a few BMW models that offer MT. I know that some friends of mine that used to live in Europe close to the alps consider an auto tranny car as totally useless. With all the hills and awkward tight turns and cliffs they say that pretty much everyone there has a MT and an auto is actually near impossible to find!

I'm a strong believer of the manual transmission. Cheaper, lighter, one less fluid to worry about, cheaper to repair or change, fun, control the list goes on. I believe that no "true driver" could ever be satisfied by an auto tranny, which seems to be the real simple, get me from A to B system.

One problem is that since MT drivers are becoming a rare breed, one could consider that a MT car could have less resale value because it might be harder to find a potential buyer since most people drive auto.

 

I think with CAFE MPG requirements for fleet averages we'll all be driving hybrids or diesels with CVT transmissions in 10 years. Of course that won't prevent you from driving an older MT car.

 

I love M/T and truly dread the day when I can't get another!

 

Go to Ireland and tell me how many A/Ts you find...

I can't do a 5-3 or 4-2 downshift with paddles

When and if they no longer offer M/T i'll just buy an older car. When and if they no longer offer gasoline engines I will do the same. No different than grandpa who still thinks a 4 barrel carb is better than EFI right

Yeah i'll be "that guy".

 

Everyone can drive an auto, even if they're not all that willing to do so. Not everyone can drive a manual, even if they think they can. So dealerships order fewer (if any) manuals because they have a smaller possible market. And factories produce fewer, and spend less money developing new ones for new models.

There will always be a market for manuals, even if fewer brands decide to chase that market. But markets work both ways- when I was car shopping I had a Versa shaped blind spot because they only had a manual in their POS. I didn't do much studying, just saw that reasonable features (like a Fit Base has) were only bundled with a CVT. Buh bye.

 

There's like a 0.2 second delay. It's an econobox, not a Porsche crushing gearbox lol.

There's a delay but it's not so slow.

 

i love my fit. wish it was a m/t

 

One problem is that since MT drivers are becoming a rare breed, one could consider that a MT car could have less resale value because it might be harder to find a potential buyer since most people drive auto.[/QUOTE]


This probably is true. I bought my Base Fit 5 M/T Jan 17, used with 4000 miles on it. The car had been sitting on the dealers' lot for over 4 months. The dealer kept lowering the price on it. Salesman told me that most folks buy auto tranny; lots of younger people never learned how to drive a stick. The guy at my tire place told me having a stick could be a theft deterant, cuz the thieves can't drive sticks.

 

Teach you friends and kids to drive stick shift!

 

The manual is dead/dying for regular, every-day appliance cars. Cars like your average family midsize sedans from Honda/Toyota etc. The take rate is so low it only makes sense to not make them. Be glad you can still get a MT Honda Accord, I expect them to axe this car soon.

However for enthusiast cars the MT is alive and well. You just have to know where to look. Off the top of my head, here's a few MT-only cars:

Acura ILX 2.4L
Honda Civic Si
Ford Focus ST

Other cars the MT take rate is high. Scion FRS/Subaru BRZ is about 60% MT take rate, similar for VW GTI.

If you subscribe to Road & Track there is an article on this exact topic in Mar/Apr issue.

 

Not dead yet in USA.

 

Yeah I've had the thought that if tomorrow I total my Fit and get it replaced, I'm going with a Fiesta ST. ONLY because it can only be bought with a 6MT. Its a pity no one likes manuals, at least in the states anyway...

 

I don't think that the M/T is dead just yet. If I was shopping for a new FWD hatchback car, I probably would not buy another Fit M/T. Instead, I'd get the Focus ST.

 

2015 Fit has a 6sp M/T. About frikkin time! The engine only revs at like 3500 on the highway!