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Whither the manual

Lotheron

Lotheron

Platinum Member
This thread is a continuance of the discussion in the Sonata thread about the realization that there is an apparent demise of the manual transmission option. This is even being recognized by Jalopnik this week.

To quote one of the comments:

The manual transmission is truly a line in the sand. Changing gears is the most human experience of driving. Cutting out the increased sensory awareness and analog control of a manual shift severs connections and isolates me from my environment. No amount of behind the scenes algorithms can allow me to express myself as clearly as a mechanical linkage, or deliver the same tactile delights of a physical relationship with a machine. Silicon control is glass between a hoon and an internal-combustion heart, and a much smaller sandbox for my dreams to play in.
So I will baby the clutch in gridlocked traffic.
I will exude confidence at the steepest of hills.
I will heel-toe on the way to the grocery store.
Races lost and won will rest on me, not the transmission.
I will patiently, enthusiastically teach the sense of purpose and detailed involvement to souls lost in beige.

And I will never give up on the manual transmission, because it takes the most or the least Jalop car and lays bare the full delights of the automobile.p
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http://jalopnik.com/5506296/whither-the-manual

I know this has been a few years in the making, but it's a sad sad era if we truly are losing one of the most intimate connections one can have with a driving experience imho. I'm not saying that manual should be the only option in these cars, but to have the manual option stripped away completely from a "performance" package makes me sad.
 
I feel like I got on the whole manual train too late. It sucks that I finally got into manual gearboxes and the entire industry seems to want to get away from them.

Even in traffic, I really don't mind it. Sure it can be annoying at times, but honestly...in the back of my mind, I love every moment of it.
 
I'm sympathetic, but loss of a manual option in what is basically a tarted-up family sedan isn't terribly tragic to me. I think as long as the manual option remains in most sports cars and sports sedans, the cars most enthusiasts drive (or wish to drive), things are fine.
 
amdhunter said:
I feel like I got on the whole manual train too late. It sucks that I finally got into manual gearboxes and the entire industry seems to want to get away from them.

Even in traffic, I really don't mind it. Sure it can be annoying at times, but honestly...in the back of my mind, I love every moment of it.
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Manuals in gridlock traffic are loathsome over time. I once drove delivery in a manual pickup with an extremely heavy clutch, and after 150-200 miles/day in basically constant gridlock (Wash. DC metro area), my left leg was throbbing every night. I was incredibly thankful when the company finally got new vans with autos.
 
Mursilis said:
I'm sympathetic, but loss of a manual option in what is basically a tarted-up family sedan isn't terribly tragic to me. I think as long as the manual option remains in most sports cars and sports sedans, the cars most enthusiasts drive (or wish to drive), things are fine.
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I agree about the family sedan to some degree. I'm just more sad of it being the direction the industry as a whole is going. That being said, I still think there should be a manual option in the Sonata.
 
Lotheron said:
I agree about the family sedan to some degree. I'm just more sad of it being the direction the industry as a whole is going. That being said, I still think there should be a manual option in the Sonata.
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For the 10% of drivers who drive manual, of the 10% who want the Turbo, of the small percent who want a family sedan from Hyundai that looks like that?

They made the correct financial call, because let's face it, people like you'd probably buy a Genesis instead.
 
Lotheron said:
I agree about the family sedan to some degree. I'm just more sad of it being the direction the industry as a whole is going. That being said, I still think there should be a manual option in the Sonata.
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I've heard of the hardcore swapping out auto transmissions for manuals, so I suppose there's that option, but the costs would probably be ridiculous.
 
Mursilis said:
I'm sympathetic, but loss of a manual option in what is basically a tarted-up family sedan isn't terribly tragic to me. I think as long as the manual option remains in most sports cars and sports sedans, the cars most enthusiasts drive (or wish to drive), things are fine.
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family sedan?
i just hope the minivan still has a manual when i'm in the market for one.
 
I drive manual and enjoy it (speed6). What confuses me is that so many of these multi-clutch / 'auto sticks' use paddles or slap shifters. Some of those multiclutch 'manumatics' or whatever would be pretty nice if they still had the 6 speed grid. Maybe with '7th' as lazy man (auto) mode and '8th' as park. Most humans can't shift in hundredths of a second but I personally still want to be able to choose gears. Also I hate the slush from torque converters. I want a solid drive line.
 
imagoon said:
I drive manual and enjoy it (speed6). What confuses me is that so many of these multi-clutch / 'auto sticks' use paddles or slap shifters. Some of those multiclutch 'manumatics' or whatever would be pretty nice if they still had the 6 speed grid. Maybe with '7th' as lazy man (auto) mode and '8th' as park. Most humans can't shift in hundredths of a second but I personally still want to be able to choose gears. Also I hate the slush from torque converters. I want a solid drive line.
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You're looking at a lot more than you spent on your Mazda.
 
MJinZ said:
This thread is about a Hyundai 4 door... 🙄
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You're thinking about the other thread. This thread is a new thread about the diminishing availability of a manual transmission amongst all cars. There is even something to be said about the elimination of the manual option for Ferraris and Lambos.
 
MJinZ said:
This thread is about a Hyundai 4 door... 🙄
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Try reading the article. Only mention of a Hyundai in this thread is mention of a "Sonata thread."

And your comment: "You're looking at a lot more than you spent on your Mazda." Still makes no sense.
 
Lotheron said:
You're thinking about the other thread. This thread is a new thread about the diminishing availability of a manual transmission amongst all cars. There is even something to be said about the elimination of the manual option for Ferraris and Lambos.
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Oh, oops. But manuals and DCTs are fairly common in the high-end, so it's really not an issue if you have the money for a BMW M or Mercedes AMG.
 
You can have my manual when you pry it out of my cold dead hand. If they stop making them in the US I'll order one from europe where car designs are not dictated my moronic minivan driving breeders and emasculated pussies.
 
There is a market share argument, and then there is a mind share argument. Sure, market share of manuals is small, however, the people who buy manuals are enthusiasts, who are often the people that others turn to for advice about what car to buy. If companies ignore this enthusiast segment, then enthusiasts will also ignore them, and will not recommend them to friends, etc. Also, magazine car reviewers are enthusiasts too, so if they drive a MT Sonata Turbo around the track, and have a blast, they write a nice review, people go buy a Sonata, maybe it's not even a manual or a turbo, but they read that Sonata was a blast to drive and they assume there is some of that in every Sonata. Whereas if the same reviewer only drove the auto version he may say it's got a bit more pep for the freeway passing, but nothing special, which would not have the same sort of effect. Companies make halo cars for this reason, so that some of the performance image rubs off on other products, well MT is a halo transmission.
 
imagoon said:
I drive manual and enjoy it (speed6).
Click to expand...

Hey, someone else with a Mazdaspeed 6 around here! :thumbsup:

senseamp said:
Companies make halo cars for this reason, so that some of the performance image rubs off on other products, well MT is a halo transmission.
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That's pretty insightful.

Who knows when or what I'll replace my Mazdaspeed 6 with, but I know it will have a manual transmission.
 
MJinZ said:
You're looking at a lot more than you spent on your Mazda.
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I don't think so. It's a computer controlled transmission. The thing could be controlled from an iPhone app if you wanted to without much reworking. Why not make it a gated shifter where you can skip gears?
 
Zap said:
Hey, someone else with a Mazdaspeed 6 around here! :thumbsup:



That's pretty insightful.

Who knows when or what I'll replace my Mazdaspeed 6 with, but I know it will have a manual transmission.
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Same, although I have a mazda 6s MT. Maybe we all have Gen1 Mazda 6's because the availability of a sedan with a stick is minimal 🙁
 
Funny, all my cars have always been manuals, and I was thinking about getting something with SMG/DCT whatever they are called now just for something new/different.

Obviously it would be a true manual at heart, just with solenoids on the clutch and shift forks, and not a fake "simulated manual" with a torque converter and planetary gears.
 
if the sonata turbo offered a manual it would get way worse epa gas milage than the auto because the epa test has the shift points definied. you can shift whenever as a manufacturer in an auto.

that is why the sonata turbo looks like a gas sipper because they program the auto to shift before the turbo spools. the manual version would require it to shift at predetermined rpm levels.


also manual is more or less dead in the family sedan space. i mean really how many people who buy midsize family cars would miss it is probably small enough now, it would not be worth it for the manufactuerer to even stock the combo.

i personally do not drive a manual and hope to buy a 2nd car someday just to get pretty good at it, but i can see that its dying. most people just plain dont care especially in their primary car , and especially if they live in a city.

my friend though (who had a mazdaspeed6, which is funny since 2 other people in this thread mentioned that car) just traded for a hyunda sonata gls 2011 model. he's in CA and they had 1 manual car... in the entire state which is now his.

the dealres know that no one wants these cars except for the rare guy like my friend. and hyundai knows it. i would not be surprised if they just kill the manual model completely in the future.
 
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