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[gadgtfreek]

My solution was easy, put everyone on ignore that has an auto and can't help but bring up a manual. Little man syndrome.

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[Bikeman315]

My solution was easy, put everyone on ignore that has an auto and can't help but bring up a manual. Little man syndrome.

You obviously have it.

 

[Zelek]

I had trouble picking between choice 3 and 4 because they're literally the same thing.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Yeah, when I purchased my last automatic, there was a selection at the bottom of the contract:

[ ] YES [ ] NO Take away Norm's manual vehicles?

I of course checked yes.

Nothing new there . . .

Buyer take rates have been trying to do that to me over in the family sedan segment for the last 40 years.


Norm

 

[Bikeman315]

Nothing new there . . .

Buyer take rates have been trying to do that to me over in the family sedan segment for the last 40 years.


Norm

Better hurry up Norm, there’s still time.

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/3-r...manual-shifter-new-crosstrek-and-impreza-soon

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Better hurry up Norm, there’s still time.

https://www.torquenews.com/1084/3-r...manual-shifter-new-crosstrek-and-impreza-soon

Yeah, I was planning on a GT500, but went with an Impreza to get that 3rd pedal.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Nothing new there . . .

Buyer take rates have been trying to do that to me over in the family sedan segment for the last 40 years.

I'm kidding of course










I actually checked no

 

[Sivi70980]

Better of with a Miata. About as fast around a track, and much less expensive







Better build quality too

Only problem is it’s a Miata lol

 

[Bikeman315]

Back in the good old days (20’s, 30’s, & 40’s) no one bought a manual transmission for the driving pleasure. They had no choice. Then in 1948 everything changed. Given a choice, people wanted the ease of driving an automatic instead of the chore of doing it manually. Except for the Norm’s of the world who turned a chore into a pleasure. God bless you Norm.

 

[Norm Peterson]

It's the automakers as much as the buyers, Norm. They're the one's who've been pushing automatics as an upscale option. They're they one's who put manuals in base trims, and locked out the nicer features to automatic equipped cars. It's the same thing as with CUV's. The manufacturers pushed them as "safer" and "more practicle" than a sedan. The reality is that they are "more profitable". Don't place full blame on the average buyer because of what they were being sold. They go to lots, and buy what's there. Automatics can carry a premium, so that's what's been filling the lots for decades. It's not a new thing, and you know that very well.

It wasn't always that way. The two Nissan Maximas (Nissan's flagship sedan) we owned certainly were full-featured at least for their time. As was the Mazda 626, and both of the Subarus. All were (are, in the WRX case) top-level trims in their respective model lines.

The average buyer is an easy mark for any decent salesman, who's in any deal for as much as he can get out of it. "For only a few $ more a month, you can have . . ." and people fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. All starry-eyed over "upscale", perceived luxury, and "features".

What is new is that performance car sales have been shifting (see what I did there) toward automatics. It's not about "mass appeal" in this segment. The type of person who buys a sports car over a family car isn't the same buyer. They're looking for speed, a thrill wrapped up in sheet metal. Manual transmissions used to be the most performant option. That's simply no longer the case, in spite of any objections you may personally have.

You said it yourself . . . mainstream appeal - including that of enthusiasts that has gone over to the momentary excitement of straight line acceleration over driver satisfaction in his own part in it all even more than it used to.

The CUV buyers of the world didn't kill the manual.

They're certainly playing their part in it, though.


On late edit Mik, you did notice where my name hit the poll option, right?


Norm

 

[MaskedRacerX]

Better of with a Miata. About as fast around a track, and much less expensive

Better build quality too

I had an S2000 Loved it at the time, my cars tend to be a snapshot of "I'm into this now", the S2K was fun for a specific use case, craptacular for others, and I was finding myself in those "others" more often than not, moved on.

Heck, I had back-to-back manuals over decades, a few were by choice (offered M and A), others were model/variants only offered in manual. They were fun, glad I got to experience them, tracked a few of them quite a number times (around the SE: Roebling, Sebring, Road ATL, CMP, [the former] Moroso).

I totally get people preferring them.

I just kind of don't care anymore, the focus for my vehicle ownership is totally about things other than the transmission. Like our new Wrangler 4xe, it's an auto, because I don't care about that, I care that's it's fun, can easily handle the places we go offroad, the top comes off (and mostly stays off), it's has a great audio system, it can drive through 25+" of water, and with the 4xe, we've done the last 300 miles with about a gallon of gas used (while capable of a sub-6 second 0-60), creeping around the beach, boards in the back, making almost no sound, it's fucking magic.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Back in the good old days (20’s, 30’s, & 40’s) no one bought a manual transmission for the driving pleasure. They had no choice. Then in 1948 everything changed. Given a choice, people wanted the ease of driving an automatic instead of the chore of doing it manually. Except for the Norm’s of the world who turned a chore into a pleasure. God bless you Norm.

Thanks, Bike.

Guess I just slipped in under the wire (b. November 1947).


Norm

 

[331GT]

^ because most auto drivers are women.
Jk....

damn, tag team over here bringing the heat

 

[13GetThere]

1985 I wanted a new Z28. I was getting tired of driving trucks. Went to Chevy dealer and talked to a salesman (I was still kinda dumb about car salesmen). He showed me a black with gold trim Z28 with the 305 V-8 and tuned port injection, and a 4 speed automatic. I asked if I could get a 4-speed manual. He said I could, but I would have to get a 4 barrel carburater because the TPI made too much torque for the manual to handle. I ended up buying the automatic with the TPI. I thought that auto transmission technology had advanced passed the manual transmission enough to be able to handle more power than the manual. I liked the car, it was fun to drive, had a slut magnet ability to it, and I won the few late night street races I had in it. I cried a little the day I sold it in 1990.

Automatic transmissions are more expensive than manuals and usually add 1 to 2 thousand dollars to the sticker. Salesmen usually get a percentage of the sale for their commission, and every cent counts to them. They are going to lead you to the higher dollar (for them) car that they can.
I was trying to get the best performance I could afford and the auto seemed like a good buy. It was, but when I was searching for a new 2014 Mustang GT Brembo pkg. with the manual transmission, I ended up with a new 2013 Mustang GT Brembo pkg. with an automatic. I teared up a little when I started to leave that one on the dealer's lot just before I got into my new 2019 Mustang GT PP2.

 

[EmCel]

damn, tag team over here bringing the heat

It's all fun and love. I like both.

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