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The 93 Miata's stock shifter had a polyurethane base that was literally drowned in gear oil, so it was always completely lubricated (no grease, no bare spots). Shifting was like stirring hot, melted butter.
Sounds supreme and tasty. And also how a shifting experience ought to be. I know that my '99 Sephia's shifter was more like rowing a tire iron through wet gravel. Same with the '01 Sportage 4X4's 5-speed setup. I learned how to negotiate their patterns early-on, though, and got very comfortable in shifting both of those rigs.
IIRC the tranny's Kia used at that time were German-made Getrag's. And I remember reading recently that Getrag went bankrupt. Has the German government gone the bailout route with them?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I think that Honda and their new CRX under construction, with what IIRC they're including a 6-speed manual tranny in, will sell like hotcakes in the States.
Combining handling similar to the old late 80's CRX's and a smooth-through-the-gates shifter, together with those sporty looks, should help Honda sell shiploads of them.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
When it snows, thankfully we have a Subaru.
You could keep the Protege as a winter beater, and just leave snow tires on it year-round.
Ended up being an alternator going out. I remember that occasion quite well because I actually accepted a ride from a teacher in an old beat up station wagon. I was in a lab coat and my blue school scrubs, the guy must've felt like this guy won't hurt me, he's in a medical uniform!
I ended up taking his ride, then enlisting the help of a mechanic in the nearest little town to fix my Sportage 4X4. Couldn't get the part that day (the alternator was $300, too!) so I rented a white 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer sedan from Enterprise in Lebanon, MO. Automatic tranny, I took enough of a hankering to this white '04 Lancer sedan that it stayed pleasantly in my memory banks for a future reference I didn't know would become a future reference at the time.
I ended up learning from that experience that I liked the Mitsubishi Lancer. And now I have my own Lancer, a GTS model, circa 2008. The whole thing was sorta like turnin' oranges in to orange juice then.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
But yes, now that they have promised a 6-speed 3-pedal model, I have high hopes that the CRZ will be my next new car. I will be sooo disappointed if they do something to screw up this model, or if God forbid they change their minds on the stick shift at the last minute.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
But without a hybrid drivetrain it will be.
I would like to see the CRZ SI trim with 6-speed come in around $20K. :-)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
...the (sequential) gearbox's speed and precision make a surprisingly engaging paddle shift experience, a relief since Ferrari will not offer a conventional manual transmission. For one thing, only about 10 percent of buyers have opted for manuals in recent years.
I also note that the new lightweight version of the Porsche Boxster, the Boxster Spyder will not have a permanent top, air conditioning or even cup holders but will offer a two-pedal, twin clutch PDK at least as an option. link
The days of three pedals in sports cars may be numbered.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I do like messing with the overdrive button on my Quest.
My two examples: The Altima sedan seems to only have an auto now. Did it have a 6 mt at one point, or am I confused.
What was truly shocking, however, was when I looked at the Passat. No manual on a Passat. What is the world coming to...(I know, I know, an all auto world. At that point I'm going to have to make a manual I own last the rest of my life...)
Even Honda is scaling back. They used to allow you to get the top line fit with navi and a manual, but this year that's no longer an option.
I special ordered my 2008 Accord exl 5 mt navi. There wasn't a single one in the country like it when I had them build one for me, literally.
For 2010, I think you can still get an Accord that was, but again it would probably take a special order. But will it be available for 2011 and beyond?
If VW can ditch manuals is Honda next? What about BMW?
Passat coupe (better known as CC) is still available with the manual, it is just the sedan that goes without.
It IS discouraging that Nissan dropped the stick from the Altima, and that my local dealer is now offering his last new '09 Accord, a manual-shift EX cloth, for $19K, all reasonable offers accepted. If I had any use for a car that big, I would have been there weeks ago when that offer was first made. It's about $5000 off MSRP from what I remember. If he still has it after Christmas, he will probably go even lower before New Years, in which case I may just HAVE to do it! ;-)
I think it will be very soon now that manuals disappear from the midsize sedans. It seems like they may have a slightly longer future in the midsize coupes.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
nippononly--if you haven't driven the Accord's new manual you might want to give it a try just for fun.
But that dealer, after that experience, is not likely to order another mt Accord sedan soon. Bummer.
I was thinking the other day that manuals are so much simpler mechanically and in terms of the electronics than an auto. I imagine the R & D costs for a new manual are just a tenth of what they are for a new auto. And yet, if the auto outsells the manual by 20-1 (which is about where were are now--c. 5% manuals), then the R & D costs per unit built might actually be higher than for an auto. That's perhaps when it begins to cease being worth it for some manufacturers anyway...
When I bought my TSX (manual, no nav) a couple of years ago, the TL/S was still offered with a manual, but the only way to get it was to go with the "S" package.
So that's no longer available? Too bad. Maybe the manual didn't want to be seen in a car with a beak.
You can also get an STI, Legacy GT, or base Outback with a 6 speed manual.
They may be the best at offering manuals across all models (Tribeca excepted).
Even then there is a catch - no manual Forester turbo or even non-turbo/Limited model, and no manual Outback 6 cylinder.
http://www.vw.com/passat/completespecs/en/us/#engineering
But as we have all mentioned, if you opt for the "4-door coupe" version, the CC, you can get a stick.
Every year my local Honda dealer has one or two leftover Accord manuals and it hasn't stopped him yet, so I'm hopeful he will continue to keep one or two in stock.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
"stir your own!" Love it. Somehow I don't think I've ever heard that.
The new 2011 Hyundai Sonata can also be had with a 6 MT. I wonder what they are like? I'm curious enough I might just test drive one when they come out, even though I'm pretty sure I'm a completely loyal Honda man. The new Sonata looks a bit like the VW CC.
I'm glad you can get a 6MT on the Cube, but the weird part is it's geared so short that the CVT does SEVERAL POINTS better than the manual for fuel economy. How stupid is that.
More and more now, even on economy cars, manufacturers are gearing the manuals for "sport" instead of gas savings, which should be their primary mission in an econobox IMO.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Bummer Nissan didn't execute it well.
Reading this made me think, well, at least if you get a Honda Accord, you can still special order a manual trans even on the top of the line 4 cylinder--the EXL Navi.
That's the car I own--a 2008 Accord EXL Navi 5 MT. I love the car so much I have even thought about special ordering another so I'd have two of the same great car. One benefit is that I wouldn't have to learn all new controls--which would be good because they are kinda complicated with the navi. Went to check the Honda web site, however, and low and behold, for 2010 they have phased out all manuals for the Accord except for two models--the entry level LX and the cloth EX. No manual for a leather Accord. And no manual for a Navi Accord. Not even if you special order I guess.
I'm seriously bummed. I love our Navi. Love it. And I love our 5 speed manual, smoothest and most fun to drive I've ever had. And I love Honda and the Accord.
But for my next car I may have to look elsewhere. The death of the manual continues...
Hey, but maybe I'll be able to convince my wife to get a bmw....not likely....
Go to Katskins for leather, and get a Garmin, I guess. They have a 5" screen out for $349 with text-to-speech, bluetooth, traffic, etd. Model Nuvi 1490T.
Mainly I'm still just bummed. I love the voice activation and all of the other things you can get with the integrated navi.
But probably Honda knows more than Edmunds about this.
But maybe it still can be special ordered? Any Honda dealers out there know?
Calling Isell?!
As a proud owner of an 06 Accord EX-L w/navi I4 manual... that is very sad.
I love the car. What kind of mpg do you get?
Mileage has been nothing less than outstanding. I have somewhere around 76k miles and I've never had a tank of gas go below 28 mpg (the old EPA city estimate). I've only had 9 tanks that were below 30. Two tanks were above 40, the highest being 41.7.
Smooth transmission, the OEM Bridgestone's still have tread left, and I still have wear left on the brake pads. There isn't much to complain about with this car. Although it looks like it may be my last Accord if I can't get a MT in the future.
It was the best of times, It was the worst of time, I guess.
How's a 6mt feel in a Camry? Wow. I'm stunned. Wonder how long that will last.
The 08 is a little porkier.
I actually like the style of the 06 a bit better. I think the led tail lights are cool. Very sleek, minimalist design.
The 08 is kind of a hodge podge. The side view is the best, I think, and look rather like a beemer in a good way. The front view certainly has a big grill, but is just ok. The rear view seems a bit bloated and not particularly interesting. Overall, love my 08, but the design is just not as fully cohesive and together as it is in your 06.
Love the nav though. We use it more than we thought we would. Does your have voice recognition too "find nearest restaurant," etc.
Awesome miles on your sons car. Driven properly I think manuals tend to last longer than autos.
Yeah, if Honda stops making manuals I may shift too, so to speak. Don't need a car right away, but I'm already thinking about the Mini Clubman, Hyundai Sonata, and Acura TSX. But maybe the Accord will still have some manuals....
The '07, which is like 700lbs heavier and has 20 more hp than the '93, gets about the same mileage, usually in the low 30s 80/20 hwy/city.
I have about 32k on the OEM Bridgestones. If I still have the car when they wear out, I am getting 17s (probably OEM from craigslist/eBay) and a more performance oriented tire...maybe save the 16's (or get 15" steelies) for snows. That probably won't help mileage, but might cut down on my whining about the car. I also got the Acura TL rear sway bar, although I might have to wait until spring to install it.
I have no idea why they got rid of the LED taillights after just two years. I think they look great.
No question about manuals lasting longer than automatics and being much cheaper to maintain. I didn't replace the clutch in my 95 until somewhere around 220K... and after my son had it.
Compare that to every automatic transmission vehicle my folks owned requiring a new transmission at some point in the first 100k miles (except the '76 Nova, TH350 with that 250 ci straight 6 got along fine).
How's it feel - very smooth clutch (even better than the 2007), smooth shifting (again, better than 2007), but the throws are a little long. The only real negative is the rev hang that all new manuals seem to have due to emissions. Honda manuals have the same complaints about rev hang. You get used to it though - still better than an automatic!
How long will that last? I don't know how long they will keep offering the manuals. I thought they would drop them in 2007, but I was surprised. I would expect with the next full redesign comes out that it will be only autos, and I would expect the same with the Accord, etc.
paisan owns a 2005 Legacy GT wagon manual, also a rare bird. That was the ONLY year for a turbo wagon with a MT.