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Is being able to drive manual a lost art?

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Saved $3k on my used focus thanks to the manual trans. Plus I trust it a lot more than the DCT that comes in the automatic versions.

Traffic. Driving my old 89 5.0l mustang with its aftermarket heavy duty cable operated clutch in traffic SUCKED. Driving any normal modern car with a hydraulic clutch in traffic is a breeze.
 
I've purchased four (4) new vehicles since 1994 ... all manual trans. Two trucks and two cars. When researching my wife's last car learned that less than 10% of new car sales at that time were manuals. Sad ...
 
IronWing said:
I drive one footed when driving an auto. When I used to drive a stick and had to switch to an auto, I had a tendency to stomp on the clutch when coming to a stop. My passengers didn't seem to care for that. 😀
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I believe you mean stomp on the brake. And I only know that because I've done it multiple times as well, usually when I was transitioning from going forward to reverse.
 
2010 Camaro here, manual trans. Cannot imagine driving anything else at this point, traffic or no. Driving an automagic just feels wrong at this point.
 
Couple older 6 speed manual BMWs here ... a cheapo 04 330xi and a nicer 05 M3. I used to get nervous that it would suck in traffic but now that I'm used to it, it really doesn't matter, I actually prefer it. Plus my commute is nice these days. I won't be buying another car until I can get a viable electric, which is the point at which I'll be happy to move away from the manual gearbox in my daily driver (330xi) for the sake of efficiency and the environment.

s0me0nesmind1 said:
TBH, manual or automatic, I will never understand someone that buys something expensive ($10k+) that depreciates from the moment you buy it (by a significant amount).

Maybe I'm just weird, I'd rather spend $20 on a damn good beer that I can consume and enjoy over a $30,000 car that depreciates to peanuts ($2-5k in 6 years)
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My "fun" car has increased in value by at least $5k since I bought it. I'd probably break even if I sold it after the money I've spent in maintenance, mods and insurance. Doesn't matter though .. I wouldn't care if it depreciated to $1, I'd drive it, enjoy it, maintain it and keep the car forever. An old classic car is something I can continue to enjoy with my future children. Teach them mechanical skills fixing and maintaining it, teach them how to drive a proper responsive manual gearbox safely which will help them operate a normal everyday vehicle safely, take them to high performance driving events ... all awesome things you can't do with a beer 😉
 
My first car was 2003 Mazda 6i manual. A peppy ass fun car to drive. It's got a good spirit.

I drove this for next 7 years. I finally realized:

1. While it's definitely fun, driving manual is annoying as hell
2. Clutch wearing out and making creeky noise repeatedly was very very annoying. Not sure if it was the crappy mechanic.
3. I no longer care about performance fun driving. Just get me to point A and B. I actually value quiet & gentle ride more now.
 
My daily driver has been manual for 25+ years. Bumper to bumper NY\NYC traffic. Hills.
I actually prefer manuals in traffic.
It's all second nature to me now. I don't even think about it anymore..
I don't care about "lightning shifts". I don't care about minor differences in MPG. I don't care if the auto is X amount quicker in 0-60. I don't buy manuals because of cost.
Wife gets the automatics.
Automatics, DCT F'em.

For a street car, I'll take a lowly manual crap box over another high powered automatic..
 
Insomniator said:
Thats not to mean there is anything wrong with an automatic car... they obviously have their place. I'm just really confused when people say 'the new automatics are better than manuals' when referring to driving a sports car.
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It might almost be that *GASP* different people find different things fun. I can drive a manual just fine but I've never found the appeal. Maybe I just learned to drive in too much traffic or too many hills but there is not much fun there for me. I'll take my TT with paddle shifters and it's liquid smooth DSG shifting over a manual any day.
 
My 64 Chevy Van had a 2 speed automatic called Powerglide. What was cool about the Powerglide is you could jump start the engine like a manual.

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Driving a stick isn't hard...there's a slight learning curve...and one of the most important things to learn is to take your foot off the clutch...except when you're shifting. Clutch plates and throw-out bearings aren't particularly expensive...but if you can't do it yourself, labor is a bitch.

The only time I use a clutch is starting out from a stop. this includes everything from 3 to 15 speed trannies.
When driving an automatic... I left foot brake.
 
Shit - I'd love an M4 manual. I don't mind driving a stick at all. I never got the whole traffic argument, I never felt bothered by it at all.
 
Thebobo said:
Try doing bong hits with a manual in traffic.
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Bong hits with a manual can be problematic 🙂 but they are still fun to drive.

Have had manual Falcon, Comet, Mustang, Corolla, several BMW five series and now a Toyota pickup. FWD and a manual is a nice combination for rough mountainous driving. Being able to comfortably run downhill without riding the brake is nice.
 
I have been driving nothing but manual the last....25yrs, I would suggest you not to do it. Now sure about the new one but bimmer stall very easily, their clutch is like an on/off switch. With an M4, you will likely burn your clutch a lot, stall a lot and have very bad gas mileage.
 
it's not a problem but it takes some practice before you get it.

Until recently, everyone in Europe used a manual, traffic or not, and the non-expensive cars are still manuals, so I wouldn't sweat that part too much, unless you're doing bumper-to-bumper stop and go uphill traffic every day (on flat ground it's really not a bore as you don't have to give gas or use the handbrake (for very steep hills)).
 
In 30 years, being able to Drive at all will be the lost art. Who here laments the lost art of riding a Horse or driving a Horse drawn Carriage?
 
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