cbrookre
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 8, 2014
- Threads
- 36
- Messages
- 2,221
- Reaction score
- 823
- Location
- Ridgefield, WA
- First Name
- Chris
- Vehicle(s)
- 2015 Mustang GT Convertible 50th app
OK, first of all hearing that you have a German Shepherd separates you from the rest of the non-GS millenial crowd. You clearly are a solid, respectable man.As a millennial I am going to offer a slightly different perspective here. I have owned 11 cars since I turned 16 (currently 33) and 9 of the 11 were manual. I tried a DSG in my first GTI because it was faster and got bored. It was gone in a year. Now I have an Edge Sport because I am a new father and my wife has a Focus RS so we needed something a bit bigger for our son and German Shepherd. Speaking of my wife I taught her how to drive stick when we were dating. Since I taught her she has bought four new cars. 3 of 4 were manual and the auto she had only lasted 10 months before we traded it in. I also taught my best friend on my 13 5.0. He now owns a Boss 302.
My father owned a manual transmission car from the day I was born to now. I grew up watching him shift his Saleen and later his SHO which would become mine. My and my sister's first new cars were both manual. My 25 year old sister still dailys a manual. My wife on the other hand, her dad never owned a manual. She drove a Buick when I met her. I had to coax her to try my Civic Si at the time. But when she finally mastered it she fell in love.
My point is my dad exposed me to manual transmissions. He taught me. He drove cars that made me fall in love with manual and shared them with me. There was never a car in my dad's garage that he wouldn't let me drive. My friends growing up? Their parents drove minivans, camry's and grand prixs. Which later turned to Explorers and Highlanders. Those same friends drive automatics now. Audi A8, Lexus ES350, Toyota Highlander. Is that their fault they don't know how to drive manual or care much about driving? Maybe. Or maybe the blame is shared with their parents.
Second, you are obviously an enthusiast that was inspired by, well, someone other than your immediate, same aged, general peer group that cares WAY more about what is the next jazzy 5 inch screened object than what gets them from point A to point B. Clearly there are enthusiasts still within he younger crowd, but predominantly the millenials think of the car somewhat akin to a refrigerator or toaster. Has to have four tires, windows that roll up and down, not bother me with maintenance or anything, look non-offensive and be easily replaceable. And if someone can convince them that the Earth is somehow saved by them driving that vs. the other thing, then all the better.
Sponsored