An interesting article on MSN.com titled "Are stick shifts on the way out".

http://autos.msn.com/volvo/article.a...tentid=4022668

My feeling is, to paraphrase Mark Twain, "The death of the manual transmission is greatly exaggerated." This kind of thought seems to go in cycles. Some years the automakers are convinced that manual transmissions are dead, and some years manual transmissions are rediscovered. Still only 11.1% of all cars sold today have a manual transmission. Down from 19% just a few years ago.

What do you think?

 

I think manual transmissions will become a part of the performance car genre only. I also think that they will cost more in every case, which is already happening to a certain extent. As for me, I like the added feel and control of a manny tranny .

 

I think they'll always be made to a certain extent, maybe only for sportier cars.

 

Oooohhh, I hope not!!

 

On the contrary, I've been impressed with the increased number of cars that do offer a 5 speed or a 6 speed. The mfrs often offer the manual b/c of the 'performance image' but at least that keeps it 'out there' as an option.

It's interesting that the need to compete with the Luxury European marques have forced this issue a bit. The Cadillac entry level model (CVT?) has a 6 speed....maybe others? The Mazda MX-8 is another, along with some of the Mopar new models....

 

Btw, if someone is in the market for a great older manual tranny car, take a look at this thread elsewhere on s2ki.com

 

I'm sure the use of cell phones in cars has decreased interest in manual shifters

 

I feel the decline in sales of manual transmission cars is directly related to all the SUVs on the road now. Since there don't seem to be alot of manual Exploders/Expeditions/H2s/glorified station wagons.....whatever, and there are soooo many now.

Besides we wouldn't want them to concentrate on driving now would we???? There are WAY too many more important things to do while hurdling a 2-3 ton missile down the road.

 

Jerry, the items that you mention are true. There are more models with sticks, BUT the reality is, try to buy one.

Try to buy a six TL, try to buy a six speed CTS-V, hell try to buy a six speed Vette.
Yes they are in the brochures, but when you go out to get one no dealers have them. Why, you might ask, because they represent on 11% of autos purchased.

When I bought my CL-S 6 sp, there were two in the region, Silver and Silver.
I prefer driving a stick, but for everyday in-traffic driving the convenience of an auto is what the very large majority of car owners want. And producers will make what people buy.

I think that sticks will be a performance car option only, and judging by the Corvette a lot of people will opt for the slush box.

 

The whole distinction between manual and automatic is being blurred with modern tech. I think what's going to die are the clutch pedal and the stick-shifter knob (as we know it), not the clutched transmission per se...

F1-style "paddle" transmissions -- servo-shifted, servo-clutched -- have been rapidly becoming available on high-end sports cars, as you guys know. I believe these are the future, and there is no turning back. With a computer controlling the shifting forks and the clutch, the user-interface for selecting gears is now wide-open territory. It can be automatic-style, or manual-style. The fact is, the levers, pedals, paddles (whatever) that we're used to can be (and are being) changed.

I'll note for the record that I don't think we're there yet! Soon, but not yet. These trannies are heavier and more complex (today) than the relatively-simple shifted trannies that we're used to. That said...

I think what's most portentous here is that in order to make the most efficient paddle tranny (I've read this, not studied it, so take it with a grain of salt), it is best to re-organize the gears and shafts in such a way that make it incompatible with a manual H-pattern-type shifter. This means that manufacturers won't be able to just build a single tranny to use with either manual and electronic controls. You could build a by-wire simulation of an H-pattern shifter but I think that'd be quaint and people would choose paddles or something like the "slap"-style tiptronics (forward up, backward down) that I've used.