Stick It - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

MTI · #1 03-03-2010, 12:03 PM

Manual Shifting, A Dying Breed

Now we come to the year 2010. The ability to drive a car equipped with a manual transmission is becoming a dying art. The sales numbers tell the story: In 1985, according to Ward's Communications, 22.4% of all vehicles sold in the United States came with a manual transmission. By 2007, the number had plummeted to 7.7%.

I knew the handwriting was on the wall when years ago I read that a Tiptronic equipped Porsche was faster than the manual version of the same car. I still give my right arm a workout with the dog-legged Getrag trans in the 16 valve.

LUVMBDiesels · #2 03-03-2010, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTI

Manual Shifting, A Dying Breed

Now we come to the year 2010. The ability to drive a car equipped with a manual transmission is becoming a dying art. The sales numbers tell the story: In 1985, according to Ward's Communications, 22.4% of all vehicles sold in the United States came with a manual transmission. By 2007, the number had plummeted to 7.7%.

I knew the handwriting was on the wall when years ago I read that a Tiptronic equipped Porsche was faster than the manual version of the same car. I still give my right arm a workout with the dog-legged Getrag trans in the 16 valve.

As cars got more powerful there is less need to row through gears - esp. since modern automatics have up to seven gears themselves. Add in 'Big Gulps', cell phones, makeup, etc and people do not WANT to shift.

I learned how to do it on a 1974 MGB with the funky British pattern - no come to think of it I learned on a 'three on the tree' 1960 Falcon!

The only manual I have now is the Jeep, a Jeep with an auto is a crime against nature!

All Mini's should also come with a four speed and all BMW's should have a five speed at minimum - of course if my Bimmer had a stick the wife would not be "able" to drive it -- hey! is that a bad thing?

raymr · #3 03-03-2010, 02:31 PM

Everyone in our family drives stick. With the kids it was a painful learning process, but they now say it was definitely worth it.

okyoureabeast · #4 03-03-2010, 02:43 PM

I wish my car had a manual transmission

aklim · #5 03-03-2010, 02:55 PM

I tried a stick once and thankfully, I sold it and didn't lose money. I haven't found a need for the stick drive except for autocrossing. City driving, they are a royal PITA. The only thing I can think of where it helps is if you want to have a sports car and want to fit the traditional image of a sports car to make the boys happy

MTI · #6 03-03-2010, 03:21 PM

It's a good thing when the driver suffers from a chronic case of leaving the headlights on when parked.

TylerH860 · #7 03-03-2010, 03:25 PM

I was able to get my girlfriend working a stick shift in under a week. She's now tooling around happily in my Miata.

I learned mostly on dirt bikes, so switching to a car wasn't much of a challenge.

aklim · #8 03-03-2010, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTI

It's a good thing when the driver suffers from a chronic case of leaving the headlights on when parked.

How does it help? I have seen stick shift cars with headlights on as auto cars.

Hatterasguy · #9 03-03-2010, 03:54 PM

Its the only way to go on a sports car!

TMAllison · #10 03-03-2010, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTI

It's a good thing when the driver suffers from a chronic case of leaving the headlights on when parked.

More helpful if you live at the top of the hill, rather than the bottom....

aklim · #11 03-03-2010, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Its the only way to go on a sports car!

It was when the autos first came out and were weak. I think that today, they have made them stronger and can be made to hold more power. I know that for drag racing, autos are hard to beat when you want consistent shifting.

SwampYankee · #12 03-03-2010, 04:01 PM

My BIL doesn't know how to drive a standard. They should revoke his manhood license.

I've been working with the Mrs. with my Jeep before I sell it, well until her recent ankle surgery, just so she'd know how to drive one. Frankly, for a DD and plowing snow I'm tired of driving a standard. Some day I'll probably have a play car with one, though.

My father made damn sure my brother, sister and I all learned how to drive a stick in a '66 Corvette 327/375 and made us take our driver's test in it. Looking back, it was probably cheating since it's nearly impossible to stall it.

catmandoo62 · #13 03-03-2010, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aklim

. The only thing I can think of where it helps is if you want to have a sports car and want to fit the traditional image of a sports car to make the boys happy

well if you have a tdi vw the manual is good for about 5 more mpg's, plus the autos in the jetta's and bugs are junk to the tune of 2-3 grand to replce.whereas a clutch is pretty cheap.and the same pretty much goes for any vehicle these days.auto eats it's pigs and you'll drop 2-3 grand to replace it.clutch takes a crap maybe 1000 and thats pushing it.i just replaced the original dual mass clutch on my 2000 tdi jetta at 375,000 miles.if it would have had an auto i'd probably be on my 3rd or 4th trans.

Skippy · #14 03-03-2010, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okyoureabeast

I wish my car had a manual transmission

My 300D is getting one as we speak.

The only situation in which I think an automatic is superior is in drag racing, where every run is as close as possible to the same. In anything involving changing driving conditions, the stick is better.

I've also noticed that all the cases in which an old person has rammed a building or a group of people because they couldn't tell the gas from the brake, they were driving an automatic. Maybe we should require stick shift for all 60+ drivers. (I suppose an exemption for amputees and paraplegics would be in order.)

aklim · #15 03-03-2010, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catmandoo62

well if you have a tdi vw the manual is good for about 5 more mpg's,

plus the autos in the jetta's and bugs are junk to the tune of 2-3 grand to replce.whereas a clutch is pretty cheap.and the same pretty much goes for any vehicle these days.auto eats it's pigs and you'll drop 2-3 grand to replace it.clutch takes a crap maybe 1000 and thats pushing it.i just replaced the original dual mass clutch on my 2000 tdi jetta at 375,000 miles.if it would have had an auto i'd probably be on my 3rd or 4th trans.

I suppose in the smaller cars it might be worth a little in the mpg department. Do you think that holds true in the larger cars though? I am not totally sure but it seems to me like the difference diminishes as the displacement increases.

Maybe the VW auto for that car is junk but 722.6 in the MB seems pretty decent. I am at 280K and all of my money spent on it seems to be in the fluid changes every 60K. Pan is relatively clean from what I can see.