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Are Drivers Returning to Manual Transmissions ? ?


According to a new study, the short answer is yes. But the long answer is still no.


By Sam Smith Wed 3:28 AM
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According to a recent USA Today story, manual transmissions are experiencing a surge in popularity. The piece cites an uptick in stick-shift "take rates," the industry term for the percentage of new-car buyers who select a given vehicle option during purchase. It implies that buyers are returning to manual gearboxes out of choice, a conscious movement back to an earlier, more primitive technology. Autoblog even went so far as to say that car buyers are "falling back in love" with manual transmissions.

It's a nice thought, and I wish it were true. But it doesn't follow what's actually happening. More bluntly: If this is anything other than a statistical blip, I'll eat my hat.

... in the first quarter of this year, manuals were in 6.5% of new vehicles sold, and that's getting close to double each of the past five years. It's also highest since 7.2% in 2006, according to Edmunds.com.

That high "take rate," as the industry calls it, is even more impressive because just 19% of the 2,360 different models on sale offer manuals, Edmunds.com reports. Five years ago, 29% of the 2,391 available styles did — yet only 2.9% were sold with stick shifts that year, the lowest "take rate" in a decade.


The story also lists historic manual take rates, though it doesn't specify the market in question. (I'm assuming it's America.)
Edmunds.com calculated the "take rate" of manuals for Drive On. The 2012 calculation is for the first quarter of the year. The others are full-year:

2012 - 6.5%, 2011 - 3.8%, 2010 - 3.9%, 2009 - 4.4%, 2008 - 3.7%, 2007 - 2.9%, 2006 - 7.2%, 2005 - 6.7%, 2004 - 5.5%, 2004 - 5.5%, 2003 - 8.2%, 2002 - 8.5%.




So we have one year's worth of numbers that indicate a small percentage of people have moved back toward manual transmissions. We even have a bit of context: The story compares shrinking manuals on offer (fewer cars are available with manuals now than a few years ago) and tries to convince you, via a few bullet-pointed arguments -- topics such as price, performance, driver habit -- that this is something people are doing consciously.


Perhaps. But I doubt it. To paraphrase an old saw, there are lies, damn lies and journalist interpretations of sales figures for mass-produced automobiles. It would be stupid to pretend the 2012 number wasn't real, but it's also foolish to read too much into it. Manual-transmission sales have been falling for years, and a slight rise in that fall shouldn't be news.


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Remember, too, the source. We're talking sales numbers here, not an opinion poll. Car-sales figures have as much to do with dealer incentives and speculatory stock*, fuel prices, the political climate and customer misinformation (most people still believe that manual transmissions offer better fuel economy, for example, even though they usually don't) as anything else. And it's not as if three percentage points of our car-buying nation suddenly did an about-face and said, "What was I thinking? This stuff is great!" There are just too many factors at work to draw broad positive conclusions.



*Remember, a large percentage of this country's automobiles aren't ordered to spec from the factory. Most are simply built by a dealer on an order sheet and then picked out by a customer. Dealership buyers and factory allocators -- i.e., market-specific brand executives -- have more say than the average customer in which options hit lots.

It's common knowledge that the manual transmission will eventually die off; engineers have managed to make modern automatics both more efficient and more reliable than their three-pedal counterparts. Fewer vehicles are offered with a manual every year, and manufacturers almost universally say that decision is driven by customer choice; people don't buy three-pedal cars, so carmakers don't make them. Even in Europe, where manual transmissions are both more common and more loved, the numbers are shrinking.


Most analysts believe that manuals will eventually exist only on the minority fringes -- like horseback riding or steam locomotives, they will evolve from necessity to luxury. It sucks, especially if you like shifting for yourself, but it's probably true. Don't let the numbers fool you.


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Manual Transmission Vehicles: The Ultimate List

Save the Manuals? There's Still a Wide Range of Offerings for the Shift-for-Yourself Crowd



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For purists, even the best automated manual transmission simply isn't good enough. They howl and proclaim there aren't any shift-for-yourself vehicles available anymore, but that's simply not true. What we have here is a comprehensive rundown of manual transmissions available in the U.S., focusing on 2011 vehicles--and there are a lot of them.

From front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive, flat-four to V-12, manual transmissions are all over the market, especially if you're willing to special order a car. A diesel, gas, or (one) hybrid powertrain can be had for those who insist on rowing their own gears.








Go to the right automaker and a vehicle equipped with a manual transmission becomes more than just an entry-level loss-leader on compact cars. Whatever your reason, manual transmission vehicles are alive and well in the U.S. -- at least for now. While their numbers continue to dwindle as single and dual clutch boxes and 8- and 9-speed autos take over, as this collection on the following pages shows, a wealth of manual transmission-equipped vehicles are still out there if you know where to look.

2011 ACURA TL
Pair a slick-shifting Honda manual transmission with the premium appeal of an Acura and you have the 305-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Acura TL. The 2012 TL's revised styling can't come soon enough, however.
Engine: 305-hp 3.7L V-6; Gears: 6; Drivetrain: AWD; Estimated Base Price: $43,445








2011 ACURA TSX
Currently Acura's entry-level car, the manual transmission is available in four-cylinder sedan form. It's a package we tested and thoroughly enjoyed on a 2010 model.
Engine: 201-hp 2.4L I-4; Gears: 6; Drivetrain: FWD; Estimated Base Price: $30,470

2011 ASTON MARTIN DB9
A manual transmission DB9 is one of many options for Aston Martin enthusiasts who won't drive with an automatic transmission. Choose wisely...
Engine: 470-hp 5.9L V-12; Gears: 6; Drivetrain: RWD; Estimated Base Price: $185,000








2011 ASTON MARTIN DBS
Stunning looks meet a manual transmission and a V-12 engine. What more could you want from an Aston?
Engine: 510-hp 5.9L V-12; Gears: 6; Drivetrain: RWD; Estimated Base Price: $270,000

2011 ASTON MARTIN V8 VANTAGE
Get the most out of Aston Martin's 420-horsepower 4.7-liter V-8 with the addition of a six-speed manual transmission. And it's far less expensive than the V12 Vantage.
Engine: 420-hp 4.7L V-8; Gears: 6; Drivetrain: RWD; Estimated Base Price: $125,000








2011 ASTON MARTIN V12 VANTAGE
It's the combination of the V-12 engine, and a six-speed manual transmission, that really makes this Aston Martin come alive, impressing on the track and the boulevard.
Engine: 510-hp 5.9L V-12; Gears: 6; Drivetrain: RWD; Estimated Base Price: $180,000

2011 AUDI A3
Audi's entry-level car, the A3 has received a boost lately from its TDI diesel variant. If you want a manual transmission on your A3, however, you'll have to go with the 200-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
Engine: 200-hp 2.0L turbo I-4; Gears: 6; Drivetrain: FWD; Estimated Base Price: $27,270

2011 AUDI A4
Audi's popular A4 sedan has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine full of torque. The available six-speed manual transmission is offered only with all-wheeldrive and in four-door form.
Engine: 211-hp 2.0L turbo I-4; Gears: 6; Drivetrain: AWD; Estimated Base Price: $32,850








2011 AUDI A5
Unlike some luxury cars offering a manual transmission, Audi's A5 can be had as a base model or fully loaded. Power comes from a 211-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 258 pound-feet of torque.
Engine: 211-hp 2.0L turbo I-4; Gears: 6; Drivetrain: AWD; Estimated Base Price: $36,500


Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/features/consumer/1101_manual_transmission_vehicles_the_ultimate_list/viewall.html#ixzz1tvHnf4x6
^^^Click above for many, many more rides with Manual Transmission....Go Shift LOL ^^^

Quite a few people (like my cousin) are turning to manual because it makes the car cheaper in some cases. Others like the control. Me personally I can drive them but for general driving purposes automatic is fine with me. Plus with a lot of cars getting paddle shifters or manumatic trannys people get the manual experience without the work involved.

:rolleyes: Thanks Mike for all your posts & contributions to the MCF 4-Sure...
p.s. Love your transition `Sig 4-Real :thumbsup:
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Peace/Out from `Space

But I have a 5-speed :(

I just prefer the feeling of a manual, although it is nice not to worry about it in the Monte sometimes.

6 Speed Manual all the way for sure!!

Manual FOR SURE! thats why the 85 will be getting one :)

6speed manual, the numbers would be way way way higher if they offered every vehicle in manual like they do with crap-o-matics

6 speed! My next car is going to be a stick. I'm bored with automatics. They're only nice in heavy traffic and steep hills. Manuals are fun and feels like you're actually driving which is nice.

I drove a manual for years and after a while you dont even think about it. Paddle shifters are cool but they hardly compare to real shifting.