The reason they sell trucks as automatics... well, there are several.
1: It's much easier to sell automatics to yuppies. A lot fo sales now are not to construction workers and the like, but are in places like Los Angeles where the average person never even sees snow or much rain, let alone actually uses their truck off-road(as opposed to say, Missouri, where 20-30% of large trucks are manuals and 80%+ are 4x4, from what my cousins say.) They buy purely because of the bling and status factor.
2: Automatics generate more profit to the dealers down the line. Sad to say, but it's a world that's run by money and greed.
The Ford and GMC work trucks, the ones with the typical contractor beds and such on them, all can be had exactly how you want them. The F250 is essentially a F150 with a bit heavier components and a DIY ordering scheme(the GMC trucks as well). Order manual, order 4x4, and order a bed. But finding a 4x4 with manual on the lot... very rare if you're within 50 miles of a major city.
Dodge, though, has a nice smaller V8 with a short bed, 4x4, and manual. It's about the size of a typical extended cab small pickup or midsize SUV. Looks like it would be not so bad to drive around town. Now, if you can find a 2007 somehow, they are giving $5000 in rebates as well, so $20K is possible. That buys a lot of gas.
My mistake on the "Austin" spelling, but I knew the companies were unrelated. My point should have been better articulated that the service manager seems to have an aversion to British cars. (And he happens to be of British decent).
But back to the DB9, reliable or not, I'm pleased that at least one luxury GT maker still offers a manual transmission. Jaguar doesn't, Mercedes/AMG doesn't, Bentley doesn't, even BMW doesn't in their bloated M6. Maybe under new ownership, Aston Martin can exorcise itself of the reliability gremlims.
Around here you see a goodly percentage of trucks pulling trailers - lots of horses around, lots of commercial building going on here so contractors are all over, plus there are lots of landscape companies towing their equipment. Seems like every tenth truck is pulling something.
Most people prefer to pull trailers with an automatic. I think I mentioned a while back that my buddy with the F150 got into sailing a few years ago and really wishes he had an automatic for pulling his 20' boat up and down the ramp.
I thought about an XTerra even if I am not a big fan of Nissan. I guess I am still bitter about them leaving the sporting market all together after the 300ZX. Left us holding the bag so to speak. But they have a 5000 pound tow capacity and the recommended trailer for that capacity is 3000 pounds dry or less. I guess they only want you to pull 60 percent for some reason. Still if I was going to get something that could only pull 5000 pounds max the Taco would have been the ticket.
Well, that makes sense, I guess, but most engineers put those silly low ratings because they want a good safety margin. The reality is that there is no difference between manual and automatic towing limits in terms of mechanical failure.(and even then, you can push it 20% or more before something actually fails)
That is to say that the manufacturers put lower limits on the manuals because they can't predict how people will use the transmission/or in most cases, not use it correctly.
As for the trailer, figure 1/4 of its weight in extras. So 5000lbs is likely a closer weigh-it-on-a-scale-ready-to-go weight.(you have to figure water, fuel/tanks, A/C, fridge, linens, supplies, spare tire, and so on... the listed weight is a bare-bones no options off the assmebly line weight for most trailer makers.
Oh - if you don't mind asking - what model of trailer?
No problem, ask anytime. My wife liked the Sonoma 19FQ and the 22CK. One is 3975 dry GVR 7200 and the other is 4350 dry GVR 7200. I like the Skyline Weekender 190W at at 3250 dry and a 6150 GVR. Skyline also makes a Malibu 21 at about the same weight. We did see a new Ultralite by Trail lite called the TLX 210QB that is pretty nice. I didn't realize they had trailers in the 21 foot range that only weighed 2566 dry and had a GVR of 5881. But we only started looking and I am sure we will see even more we like by November when I want to buy. But the more I see of the ultralites the more interested I get.
You know I was talking to several others about their trucks and why they had automatics and your answer was the same one they gave. As little work as it might be they said they wanted to use their trucks for recreation so they didn't want to work to get there. Or if they were working already they didn't want to work more while driving. The one exception was the guy with the F-250 4X4 stick. I don't know more than 10 guys with big trucks so it may still be 10 to 1. He simply said, "I like sticks." He is also a mechanic for the county fire department.
I did stop by to see an old friend that is a fleet manager for a Ford dealership in San Bernardino. He had some base 3/4 ton work trucks with manuals. Some had a bed and some didn't. Most had a bench seat and they came in white, light blue, and light green.
i also think honda/acura has one of the smoothest manual transmission. i used to have a 5spd civic and now have the 6spd acura. found it easy to use. as long as there is manual transmission available my vehicles will have it.
I'd likely agree with that sentiment. Haven't driven an M6, but the 650i I drove, even with a 6-speed, was only a small improvement in the fun to drive department from the "sterile" Mercedes SL. These 4,000+ lb 2+2 GT's do nothing for me. Especially since my kids still fit in the back of a 911.
Was the DB9 a coupe or convertible? The one at my dealers was a automatic transmissioned coupe and, oddly, he said that they only offered a manual transmission in the convertible. Maybe that was for the 2006 model year only.
No his was a Coupe and a manual. The manual was a recent addition to the DB9 but I think it was available in 2006. I would have to ask my client he would know. Before he buys a car he always does a ton of research towards the history of the particular model and brand.
Thank you. It wouldn't have bothered me if the truck was a manual but finding one is just so much harder. I will freely admit that my friend with the F-250 manual spent a lot more time trying to find a dealer that would even order his than I did. But he wanted one in Fire Engine red, crew cab,4x4 long bed manual. He added a fifth wheel and travels back east on vacation every year.
I have some things to do before this coming spring but once that happens I plan on seeing the sights this country has to offer while I am still healthy enough to do it.
I have some things to do before this coming spring but once that happens I plan on seeing the sights this country has to offer while I am still healthy enough to do it.
Fun. My wife and I nearly found ourselves the lucky owners of a '86 RV for $5k. We would have taken it but I am not mechanically inclined and while the interior was great I was too unsure of the mechanics to feel safe putting my family in the middle of nowhere in it.
Just to keep this relevant to the thread, it was NOT a manual. In fact I'm willing to bet that there are no manual RVs out there!
I would imagine you are correct. But that is part of the point isn't it? Americans don't seem to think of driving a manual as recreation in general. I don't believe it is the manufacturers that are driving this trend, no pun intended. It seems they are simply responding to the consumer. That seems to be the case with Honda in the CR-V and Toyota in the Rav4. Almost everyone seems ot realize that the demand for a vehicle in automatic is much higher than for a manual. I believe the mantra for the American consumer is make it easy to use and quick to learn. While there are several people left that may consider a car something more than a tool it doesn't look like more than 10 percent will consider a manual part of the recreation.
By the way, my son got a great deal on an older RV and he loves it. But then he is a mechanic. However he is stationed in Iraq right now so the RV sits a bit more than he planned. I think there is a partial picture of it on My carspace site next to his 4Runner rock crawler.
I took my new 6i Grand Touring manual up to Bodega Bay. Came back through Sonoma and Napa to Sacramento. If you've taken that route, you know there are lots of hills and climbs, some pretty steep. The 6i manual performed magnificent--over 30 mpg with an engine not broken in; climbed the hills like a champ with no stress. Not once did I feel that the trip would have been better with a V6. But my point is, I read the moslty mediocre reviews about the 6i auto, and that's why I ordered the manual. So far, I am super pleased with my decision.
You might also look at the Airstream models. They have a 22 ft Safari Sport model that's 3400lbs/4000GVR. Aluminum is a lot less weight than fiberboard. And it has serious bling factor to it and potential resale value.
The 19 international is smaller but is 3500lbs. I like the fact that it has a bed/shower that's closed off from the rest of the trailer. Tons of light - very bright. the 23ft+ models, though in the 4500-5000lb range, are astounding. Just doesn't feel like a travel trailer. More like a miniature luxury condo.
http://www.hilotrailer.com/models/2708T.htm This one I remember looking at myself a long time ago. The slide slides in and the roof drops for travel. The advantage is a silly low weight as the entire top is fiberglass. 4379/6500lbs, almost 28 ft long, and has a separate bedroom plus a side-out couch area that rocks.
The bathroom is a bit hokey, but it's functional enough. (the main problem with it, IMO, is no cabinet space up top, obviously)
Not half the quality of the Airstream, but loads of space for the weight.
". . .seeing the sights this country has to offer while I am still healthy enough to do it."
A very worthy objective. Enjoy.
I owned a sailboat capable of going from Victoria, BC, to Wrangell, AK, (and back) thirty years or so ago, while forgoing much else, and have never been sorry. Now that I could more comfortably afford such a thing, I'm less physically able.
While I am an active advocate of manual transmissions (for those who are new here), most people pulling trailers with anything other than Class 8 tractors & nearly everyone doing moderately serious 4WD stuff (including me, with our Pathfinder) finds an automatic superior.
Part of it was the lack of availability. He really likes rare items and is a serious collector of some rather interesting things.
He collects steam engines/turbines and telescopes from the 19th up to the early 20th century. He has a collection of very rare watches some of which were custom made for just him so he has the only copy.
...the manual transmission is going to go away eventually.
See, told ya
I'm pretty sure you have a sense of humor on this... What I have a hard time with is the constant belief that as goes the American transmission preference, so goes the world.
The rest of the world prefers manuals. Therefore, as long as we are importing cars from non-US manufacturers, there will always be a manual option. I think you are right that the number of manuals in this country won't grow and certainly the manual is no threat to the number of auto-transmissions.
The thing is just because something is available in europe does not mean it will be here. Look at all the engine choices they get that we don't.
That is a valid point. The only thing I would say is that the main reason for the engine differences are around our EPA emissions regs, not customer demand. The rest of the world's preference for stick is certainly related to cost. Same reason that cheap, base models over here retain stick. That also suggests a place for stick shifts in perpetuity. The automatic transmission is never going to be cheaper to produce than a stick.
The reason that I think a European preference for sticks will mean that they are always available in the US is that since they are already producing stick versions, there is no real incentive for at least the Euro manufacturers to stop shipping them. While we don't find many sticks on car lots, equally there is not a huge glut of unsold sticks sitting in airport parking pots.
Finally it seems that both Ford and GM are bringing their Euro models over here to try to re-ignite the US car market. Who knows, maybe they'll bring some more stick shifts with them? :shades:
I'm sure that Euros will eventually come to prefer DSG type trannies since they can be made to give better mileage than their three pedal counterparts. No doubt the manual clutch will be continue to be found in low-end A and B class cars for cost reasons but we don't get many of those here.
I think the DSG (and CVT for that matter) more likely replaces the current torque-converter automatic transmission. Also DSG technology is currently licensed only to VW. That will keep uptake slow just because of lack of availability.
Other companies can easily work out a similar technology that is not exactly the same and get by the patent.
In theory. BMW thought they had it but have ended up pulling their version from the M cars where they were applying.
The DSG technology is by no means proven out. There are questions on reliability (more moving parts than any existing transmission), unexpected gear shifts force the double clutch to have to bypass the alternate gear and make a shift within the same clutch box are slow and they are heavy. Finally, I still see no compelling arguement that the DSG type transmission replaces the manual. I think replacing the automatic transmission is more likely with a DSG.
"Finally, I still see no compelling arguement that the DSG type transmission replaces the manual. I think replacing the automatic transmission is more likely with a DSG."
I couldn't agree more, I've been saying that for several years now. After all, a DSG is an automatic transmission. ;-)
It doesn't matter what anyone thinks it "replaces", the real point is that it (as well as the CVT) will increase the number of buyers who will prefer an automatic (probably, in particular, in Europe).
I don't know if I read it here or another forum, but it was mentioned that cell phones were causing fewer people to buy manual transmissions.
I found that interesting, because my recent observation of semi-truck drivers was that lots of them are on a cell phone (hand held), and I am seeing this in the city, not only on highways. As you may know, most of these trucks have anywhere from 9 to 18 gears, and they are unsychronized!!
Truckers must get bored of driving and need to make it more challenging I suppose. They still juggle their CBs too.
So - you have a voice activated nav system and you're talking on the phone. Presto - you just managed to change your destination when the car nav overhears your cell conversation.
Things will get real interesting when the car itself is equipped to respond to voice commands and you say something like "shift gears" or "let's back up a minute" to the person on the other end of your cell phone conversation.
It doesn't matter what anyone thinks it "replaces"
I respectfully disagree completely. If the DSG/CVT replaces the auto transmission, for instance Nissan still has a manual Altima and the CVT Altima, but no torque-converter Altima, manuals stay in the same level of demand. It is only the auto buyer who makes a small adjustment in their purchase. Essentially what I am saying is that the CVT or DSG is irrelevant to the future of manuals and actually makes that torque-converter transmission the one to go by the wayside.
If the DSG/CVT replaces the manual it would suggest that the only transmission option would be auto-box, CVT or DSG.
That is a very different 'Future of the Manual Transmission'.
True, but you do realize truck drivers don't have to use the clutch except in first and reverse? Now imagine the joy a truck driver would feel if they didn't have to reach over and shift at all or could simply push a button on their wheel?
Also while the Altima may now have both a CVT and a manual the Maxima and the Murano have only the CVT. The CVT has the potential of unlimited gear ratios and if they are mass produced to the point of the Converter automatic they should be less expensive to make. I believe there are less parts in a CVT. The advantages in fuel mileage almost disappear between a manual and CVT and from what I have hearing for such industry insiders as ZF transmissions the US and Asia are both moving or have moved away from the manual and their biggest manual market is Europe and third world countries. I have to agree with habitat in that more than likely the niche market will always hold a place for manuals I am not sure the entry level vehicles produced in Asia will always support that concept. It should also be obvious that Americans do not care what Europe drives or thinks. All you have to do is look at the percentage of Manuals we have or even small diesels and you can see how the American consumer feels.
It should also be obvious that Americans do not care what Europe drives or thinks
Tell that to Saturn and Ford NA. Saturn is in the process of becoming the US outlet for Opel and Ford NA is trying to figure out how to get all the Ford Europe vehicles approved for passenger safety and emissions over here. Looks like the Americans will be driving what Europe drives...
". . .imagine the joy a truck driver would feel if they didn't have to reach over and shift. . ."
Don't have to imagine & haven't for decades. Allison (GM) has been making heavy-duty automatic transmissions for buses (mostly) & class 8 trucks (some, but probably increasing) since the '70's, if not the '60's.
And yet, to the surprise of some people (I'm guessing you're one), lots of trucking companies & owner-operators continue to spec trucks with manual transmissions.
GM has been importing Opel as long as I have been driving. And Ford has been bringing their cars from Europe almost as long. In all that time the number of manuals have not increased and in fact is standing at less than 10 percent of the American market. If both the Americans and the Asians are pulling away from the manual market it hardly follows that we will turn to Europe for our manuals.
For some reason cars change quite a bit on their trip over the big water and manuals and diesels and small displacement engines become Gas powered 1.8 and 2.0s with an automatic option. At least at a ratio of more than 9 to one.
But all we can do is wait and see. As someone just posted manuals will still be available in the used market for some time. It is just that at less 10 percent there will never be very many of them.
True, I believe OCTD dropped all of their manual busses years ago. I stopped driving truck a long time ago but many government agencies were changing to Allisons in their fleets for some time.
But even today when I am on the road I only use the clutch for downshifts once I am out of first in my car. Gas engines are a bit harder to downshift without a clutch. Plus with all the sound suppression on new cars you can't hear what the engine is doing to tell just when to push the stick into gear.
I should say that up until last weekend that was the case. I sold my last manual when I picked up the GMC 2500.
GM has been importing Opel as long as I have been driving. And Ford has been bringing their cars from Europe almost as long.
Up until the Aura/Vectra and Astra I don't know of any Opels GM has used in the US. That may just be my own ignorance. Same for Ford. Again, may just be my ignorance.
Well, GM sold Opels as Opels for a lot of years (up until 1976, when they started branding Isuzus as opels). I don't recall them actually selling an Opel in the US as a GM model. Closest thing might have been the Catera, a thinly desquised Opel something.
As to trucks, I drive a Ryder truck on many weekends (equipment truck for my sons marching bands). These are 24' full size diesels (not sure which class, but the are big honkers, same cab height as a semi).
They range from 1995 model internationals to new Freightliners (air brakes, the works)
All but one have been auto trannies. Not the best shifting bunch (althought the new ones drive like a Buick for the most part).
They used to have some sticks. I got one lat year, and it was the worst thing I ever drove. Even had to return it.
CLutch was shot, and the tranny was like rowing a broom stick in a bucket of rocks and oatmeal. Couldn't even tell what gear, if any, you were in.
Obviously led a hard life (about 175K on it) with people that couldn't drive stick. A new clutch might have helped.
Still, I notice that the same type of truck that are regular commercial are usually manuals. Probably cheaper to buy, and lower running maitenance costs.
Comments
1: It's much easier to sell automatics to yuppies. A lot fo sales now are not to construction workers and the like, but are in places like Los Angeles where the average person never even sees snow or much rain, let alone actually uses their truck off-road(as opposed to say, Missouri, where 20-30% of large trucks are manuals and 80%+ are 4x4, from what my cousins say.) They buy purely because of the bling and status factor.
2: Automatics generate more profit to the dealers down the line. Sad to say, but it's a world that's run by money and greed.
The Ford and GMC work trucks, the ones with the typical contractor beds and such on them, all can be had exactly how you want them. The F250 is essentially a F150 with a bit heavier components and a DIY ordering scheme(the GMC trucks as well). Order manual, order 4x4, and order a bed. But finding a 4x4 with manual on the lot... very rare if you're within 50 miles of a major city.
Dodge, though, has a nice smaller V8 with a short bed, 4x4, and manual. It's about the size of a typical extended cab small pickup or midsize SUV. Looks like it would be not so bad to drive around town. Now, if you can find a 2007 somehow, they are giving $5000 in rebates as well, so $20K is possible. That buys a lot of gas.
Of course, my vote goes to the XTerra.
But back to the DB9, reliable or not, I'm pleased that at least one luxury GT maker still offers a manual transmission. Jaguar doesn't, Mercedes/AMG doesn't, Bentley doesn't, even BMW doesn't in their bloated M6. Maybe under new ownership, Aston Martin can exorcise itself of the reliability gremlims.
Most people prefer to pull trailers with an automatic. I think I mentioned a while back that my buddy with the F150 got into sailing a few years ago and really wishes he had an automatic for pulling his 20' boat up and down the ramp.
That is to say that the manufacturers put lower limits on the manuals because they can't predict how people will use the transmission/or in most cases, not use it correctly.
As for the trailer, figure 1/4 of its weight in extras. So 5000lbs is likely a closer weigh-it-on-a-scale-ready-to-go weight.(you have to figure water, fuel/tanks, A/C, fridge, linens, supplies, spare tire, and so on... the listed weight is a bare-bones no options off the assmebly line weight for most trailer makers.
Oh - if you don't mind asking - what model of trailer?
Or maybe there is just one...it is what most buyers want to buy.
I did stop by to see an old friend that is a fleet manager for a Ford dealership in San Bernardino. He had some base 3/4 ton work trucks with manuals. Some had a bed and some didn't. Most had a bench seat and they came in white, light blue, and light green.
It sounds like you're going to get some fun out of it.
I'd likely agree with that sentiment. Haven't driven an M6, but the 650i I drove, even with a 6-speed, was only a small improvement in the fun to drive department from the "sterile" Mercedes SL. These 4,000+ lb 2+2 GT's do nothing for me. Especially since my kids still fit in the back of a 911.
Was the DB9 a coupe or convertible? The one at my dealers was a automatic transmissioned coupe and, oddly, he said that they only offered a manual transmission in the convertible. Maybe that was for the 2006 model year only.
I have some things to do before this coming spring but once that happens I plan on seeing the sights this country has to offer while I am still healthy enough to do it.
Fun. My wife and I nearly found ourselves the lucky owners of a '86 RV for $5k. We would have taken it but I am not mechanically inclined and while the interior was great I was too unsure of the mechanics to feel safe putting my family in the middle of nowhere in it.
Just to keep this relevant to the thread, it was NOT a manual. In fact I'm willing to bet that there are no manual RVs out there!
By the way, my son got a great deal on an older RV and he loves it. But then he is a mechanic. However he is stationed in Iraq right now so the RV sits a bit more than he planned. I think there is a partial picture of it on My carspace site next to his 4Runner rock crawler.
Though I'm sure the rental company didn't offer it, try a 6s if you really want an automatic.
The 19 international is smaller but is 3500lbs. I like the fact that it has a bed/shower that's closed off from the rest of the trailer. Tons of light - very bright. the 23ft+ models, though in the 4500-5000lb range, are astounding. Just doesn't feel like a travel trailer. More like a miniature luxury condo.
http://www.lightweight-rv-news.com/
All the info you need.
http://www.hilotrailer.com/models/2708T.htm
This one I remember looking at myself a long time ago.
The slide slides in and the roof drops for travel. The advantage is a silly low weight as the entire top is fiberglass. 4379/6500lbs, almost 28 ft long, and has a separate bedroom plus a side-out couch area that rocks.
The bathroom is a bit hokey, but it's functional enough.
(the main problem with it, IMO, is no cabinet space up top, obviously)
Not half the quality of the Airstream, but loads of space for the weight.
A very worthy objective. Enjoy.
I owned a sailboat capable of going from Victoria, BC, to Wrangell, AK, (and back) thirty years or so ago, while forgoing much else, and have never been sorry. Now that I could more comfortably afford such a thing, I'm less physically able.
While I am an active advocate of manual transmissions (for those who are new here), most people pulling trailers with anything other than Class 8 tractors & nearly everyone doing moderately serious 4WD stuff (including me, with our Pathfinder) finds an automatic superior.
He collects steam engines/turbines and telescopes from the 19th up to the early 20th century. He has a collection of very rare watches some of which were custom made for just him so he has the only copy.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Talk Back Tuesday: Fate of the Manual Transmission... (Karl on Cars)
...the manual transmission is going to go away eventually.
See, told ya :P
See, told ya
I'm pretty sure you have a sense of humor on this...
What I have a hard time with is the constant belief that as goes the American transmission preference, so goes the world.
The rest of the world prefers manuals. Therefore, as long as we are importing cars from non-US manufacturers, there will always be a manual option.
I think you are right that the number of manuals in this country won't grow and certainly the manual is no threat to the number of auto-transmissions.
The thing is just because something is available in europe does not mean it will be here. Look at all the engine choices they get that we don't.
That is a valid point. The only thing I would say is that the main reason for the engine differences are around our EPA emissions regs, not customer demand.
The rest of the world's preference for stick is certainly related to cost. Same reason that cheap, base models over here retain stick. That also suggests a place for stick shifts in perpetuity. The automatic transmission is never going to be cheaper to produce than a stick.
The reason that I think a European preference for sticks will mean that they are always available in the US is that since they are already producing stick versions, there is no real incentive for at least the Euro manufacturers to stop shipping them.
While we don't find many sticks on car lots, equally there is not a huge glut of unsold sticks sitting in airport parking pots.
Finally it seems that both Ford and GM are bringing their Euro models over here to try to re-ignite the US car market. Who knows, maybe they'll bring some more stick shifts with them? :shades:
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Also DSG technology is currently licensed only to VW. That will keep uptake slow just because of lack of availability.
That'll come as news to Borg Warner which builds the gearboxes for VW and Audi. Just about every major manufacturer is working on a twin-clutch box.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
It's not news for Borg Warner.
Volvo is working on one for Ford right now.
In theory. BMW thought they had it but have ended up pulling their version from the M cars where they were applying.
The DSG technology is by no means proven out. There are questions on reliability (more moving parts than any existing transmission), unexpected gear shifts force the double clutch to have to bypass the alternate gear and make a shift within the same clutch box are slow and they are heavy.
Finally, I still see no compelling arguement that the DSG type transmission replaces the manual. I think replacing the automatic transmission is more likely with a DSG.
I couldn't agree more, I've been saying that for several years now. After all, a DSG is an automatic transmission. ;-)
Best Regards,
Shipo
I found that interesting, because my recent observation of semi-truck drivers was that lots of them are on a cell phone (hand held), and I am seeing this in the city, not only on highways. As you may know, most of these trucks have anywhere from 9 to 18 gears, and they are unsychronized!!
So - you have a voice activated nav system and you're talking on the phone. Presto - you just managed to change your destination when the car nav overhears your cell conversation.
Things will get real interesting when the car itself is equipped to respond to voice commands and you say something like "shift gears" or "let's back up a minute" to the person on the other end of your cell phone conversation.
I respectfully disagree completely.
If the DSG/CVT replaces the auto transmission, for instance Nissan still has a manual Altima and the CVT Altima, but no torque-converter Altima, manuals stay in the same level of demand. It is only the auto buyer who makes a small adjustment in their purchase. Essentially what I am saying is that the CVT or DSG is irrelevant to the future of manuals and actually makes that torque-converter transmission the one to go by the wayside.
If the DSG/CVT replaces the manual it would suggest that the only transmission option would be auto-box, CVT or DSG.
That is a very different 'Future of the Manual Transmission'.
Also while the Altima may now have both a CVT and a manual the Maxima and the Murano have only the CVT. The CVT has the potential of unlimited gear ratios and if they are mass produced to the point of the Converter automatic they should be less expensive to make. I believe there are less parts in a CVT. The advantages in fuel mileage almost disappear between a manual and CVT and from what I have hearing for such industry insiders as ZF transmissions the US and Asia are both moving or have moved away from the manual and their biggest manual market is Europe and third world countries. I have to agree with habitat in that more than likely the niche market will always hold a place for manuals I am not sure the entry level vehicles produced in Asia will always support that concept. It should also be obvious that Americans do not care what Europe drives or thinks. All you have to do is look at the percentage of Manuals we have or even small diesels and you can see how the American consumer feels.
Tell that to Saturn and Ford NA. Saturn is in the process of becoming the US outlet for Opel and Ford NA is trying to figure out how to get all the Ford Europe vehicles approved for passenger safety and emissions over here.
Looks like the Americans will be driving what Europe drives...
Don't have to imagine & haven't for decades. Allison (GM) has been making heavy-duty automatic transmissions for buses (mostly) & class 8 trucks (some, but probably increasing) since the '70's, if not the '60's.
And yet, to the surprise of some people (I'm guessing you're one), lots of trucking companies & owner-operators continue to spec trucks with manual transmissions.
Go figure.
For some reason cars change quite a bit on their trip over the big water and manuals and diesels and small displacement engines become Gas powered 1.8 and 2.0s with an automatic option. At least at a ratio of more than 9 to one.
But all we can do is wait and see. As someone just posted manuals will still be available in the used market for some time. It is just that at less 10 percent there will never be very many of them.
But even today when I am on the road I only use the clutch for downshifts once I am out of first in my car. Gas engines are a bit harder to downshift without a clutch. Plus with all the sound suppression on new cars you can't hear what the engine is doing to tell just when to push the stick into gear.
I should say that up until last weekend that was the case. I sold my last manual when I picked up the GMC 2500.
The fall in the US dollar is another complication. Attention Euro Fanboys: Better Buy Now! (Karl on Cars)
Up until the Aura/Vectra and Astra I don't know of any Opels GM has used in the US. That may just be my own ignorance.
Same for Ford. Again, may just be my ignorance.
As to trucks, I drive a Ryder truck on many weekends (equipment truck for my sons marching bands). These are 24' full size diesels (not sure which class, but the are big honkers, same cab height as a semi).
They range from 1995 model internationals to new Freightliners (air brakes, the works)
All but one have been auto trannies. Not the best shifting bunch (althought the new ones drive like a Buick for the most part).
They used to have some sticks. I got one lat year, and it was the worst thing I ever drove. Even had to return it.
CLutch was shot, and the tranny was like rowing a broom stick in a bucket of rocks and oatmeal. Couldn't even tell what gear, if any, you were in.
Obviously led a hard life (about 175K on it) with people that couldn't drive stick. A new clutch might have helped.
Still, I notice that the same type of truck that are regular commercial are usually manuals. Probably cheaper to buy, and lower running maitenance costs.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.