Are manual cars still a thing? Is there even a future for the old gear stick?

[Geoff.D]

Wrong. I just changed my Everest from a 6 speed manual (at 20,000km) to a 10 speed auto. At least 0.5L/100km better fuel economy and the engine still has not run in properly yet (only 4,000km). Will get better after 10,000km on the clock.

With automatics you can have so many more gears and, if you drive correctly, your fuel economy will get much better. In the old days an automatic car had 3 forward gears and sometimes a 4th gear (called overdrive) was available using torque converters. These were competing against 4 speed manuals. Now you have 10 speed gearboxes with electronic clutch systems and even VST's. Engine management can also work out how you drive and tweak gear changes accordingly.

Run by sw code developed in Indian or Chinese code sweatshops.
The same sort of sw that flies planes into the ground.
Agree on the gears available.

 

[Geoff.D]

Warranty?

The placebo the manufacturer uses to blind customers to the realities of owning modern appliances and devices.

 

[rietrot]

I prefer manual. Even on a long daily commute it isn't a problem if you know how to drive.

I drove in a friend's Fortuner recently. ( as a passenger, diesel one, not sure exact model)
The automatic gearbox is a piece of shít.
At 120 with cruise control on it shifts gears all the time. Really annoying.

 

[supersunbird]

Plenty cheap autos.
Suzuki swift, Toyota Yaris, Datsun Go, Renault Kwid, Suzuki Espresso

Is the manual versions at same spec of those cars cheaper or not? Let me go take a gander on the websites of those... what do you you know, they are cheaper!

 

[supersunbird]

I prefer manual. Even on a long daily commute it isn't a problem if you know how to drive.

I drove in a friend's Fortuner recently. ( as a passenger, diesel one, not sure exact model)
The automatic gearbox is a piece of shít.
At 120 with cruise control on it shifts gears all the time. Really annoying.

What about 30 minutes to an hour in slow crawling traffic. each and every day? (which is not the same as a long commute)

 

[rietrot]

What about 30 minutes to an hour in slow crawling traffic. each and every day? (which is not the same as a long commute)

A manual car can still do a slow crawl very easily. It's stop/start traffic that gives you a bit of a leg workout.

 

[WaxLyrical]

Fast and Furious would be shyte with auto.

 

[Willie Trombone]

Wrong. I just changed my Everest from a 6 speed manual (at 20,000km) to a 10 speed auto. At least 0.5L/100km better fuel economy and the engine still has not run in properly yet (only 4,000km). Will get better after 10,000km on the clock.

With automatics you can have so many more gears and, if you drive correctly, your fuel economy will get much better. In the old days an automatic car had 3 forward gears and sometimes a 4th gear (called overdrive) was available using torque converters. These were competing against 4 speed manuals. Now you have 10 speed gearboxes with electronic clutch systems and even VST's. Engine management can also work out how you drive and tweak gear changes accordingly.

That's a long post to compare apples with pears. What model did you have before and was the gearbox the only difference?
Which two are you comparing?

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[Quey_Quick]

Fast and Furious would be shyte with auto.

But their manuals are a bit different.

 

[supersunbird]

A manual car can still do a slow crawl very easily. It's stop/start traffic that gives you a bit of a leg workout.

Slow crawl is inherently the stop start type, it's never a smooth crawl.

 

[supersunbird]

Wrong. I just changed my Everest from a 6 speed manual (at 20,000km) to a 10 speed auto. At least 0.5L/100km better fuel economy and the engine still has not run in properly yet (only 4,000km). Will get better after 10,000km on the clock.

With automatics you can have so many more gears and, if you drive correctly, your fuel economy will get much better. In the old days an automatic car had 3 forward gears and sometimes a 4th gear (called overdrive) was available using torque converters. These were competing against 4 speed manuals. Now you have 10 speed gearboxes with electronic clutch systems and even VST's. Engine management can also work out how you drive and tweak gear changes accordingly.

Well, they are still generally more expensive to buy, so one has to consider that price difference and the fuel savings saving of the automatic, to calculate the distances travelled over what period,for break-even to be achieved (same has to be done when going the diesel vs petrol thing, diesel can cost more and it can easily take 5+ years for the average person to start seeing fuel savings).

 

[Crowley]

I prefer manual. Even on a long daily commute it isn't a problem if you know how to drive.

I drove in a friend's Fortuner recently. ( as a passenger, diesel one, not sure exact model)
The automatic gearbox is a piece of shít.
At 120 with cruise control on it shifts gears all the time. Really annoying.

Maybe we should stop blaming Fortuner drivers for being assholes and rather blame their cars. I still don't see a excuse for BMW drivers though.

 

[Geoff.D]

I prefer manual. Even on a long daily commute it isn't a problem if you know how to drive.

I drove in a friend's Fortuner recently. ( as a passenger, diesel one, not sure exact model)
The automatic gearbox is a piece of shít.
At 120 with cruise control on it shifts gears all the time. Really annoying.

Now drive that thing at 140 and you will see a difference. The age old problem with ALL cars manual or otherwise. The manufacturers have all failed to optimise performance at a speed of 100 - 120 km/hr. Instead the sweet spot is 130 - 150 km/hr.
Couple that with a crappy 4, 5 or 6- speed and you end up with this infuriating hunting issue.
It does not really matter what make of car it is either.
The fancier cars use sw to disguise the basic problem a little better.
Now, the truth will come out if you analyse the available gear ratios in that car @Dairyfarmer has got.

 

[krycor]

Now drive that thing at 140 and you will see a difference. The age old problem with ALL cars manual or otherwise. The manufacturers have all failed to optimise performance at a speed of 100 - 120 km/hr. Instead the sweet spot is 130 - 150 km/hr.
Couple that with a crappy 4, 5 or 6- speed and you end up with this infuriating hunting issue.
It does not really matter what make of car it is either.
The fancier cars usecsw to disguise the basic problem a little better.
Now, the truth will come out if you analyse the available gear ratios in that car @Dairyfarmer has got.

Not sure on that.. but then I drive manual so wouldn’t know.

Personally I dislike the fact that we lower the bar on many aspects on life as I suspect it allows entry to people who aren’t as competent. So eg with manual cars you needed to learn to be able to multi process information from dash, hearing/feeling your motor, operating your limbs independently of each other, and multitasking in general etc.

Can you really say young automatic drivers have these skills? With electric cars & semi-autonomous (and fully) coming to the fore, can you imagine what it will do to the general competence?

Now yes.. I’m not saying if you not a driver you not competent. What I am saying is that this, in combination with many other such easing/removing of skill requirements like university & technical/trade school to diy (home ec / woodwork) at school, etc I dunno.. it seems to me that the younger kids are getting into adulthood with lesser experiences which could explain their entitlement.

 

[Gtx Gaming]

Getting a CVT few days time, just can't drive and enjoy my garage pie with a manual

 

[$m@Rt@$$]

I don't think so. It's a dying breed. My bakkie and speedboat is automatic. Although I do enjoy driving a manual from time to time I would probably never own one again.

 

[Claymore]

Auto is less fuel efficient and more expensive to maintain.

Um. My last car was an auto, and had zero gearbox maintenance at all. The previous car had several clutch changes at R10K each. My current car is a DCT, and apparently the only maintenance is gearbox oil change every 50000km or so - but it sounds like an expensive oil change, with 6 litres of fancy oil.

 

[Claymore]

Personally I dislike the fact that we lower the bar on many aspects on life as I suspect it allows entry to people who aren’t as competent. So eg with manual cars you needed to learn to be able to multi process information from dash, hearing/feeling your motor, operating your limbs independently of each other, and multitasking in general etc.

Can you really say young automatic drivers have these skills? With electric cars & semi-autonomous (and fully) coming to the fore, can you imagine what it will do to the general competence?

Does it matter? For most people, driving is not their life. Why complicate an irrelevant aspect of life just so that they have to have those skills? For most people, driving is just the most convenient way of getting from place to place, and the easier it is, the better.

 

[Pegasus]

View attachment 863897

 

[ToxicBunny]

Now drive that thing at 140 and you will see a difference. The age old problem with ALL cars manual or otherwise. The manufacturers have all failed to optimise performance at a speed of 100 - 120 km/hr. Instead the sweet spot is 130 - 150 km/hr.
Couple that with a crappy 4, 5 or 6- speed and you end up with this infuriating hunting issue.
It does not really matter what make of car it is either.
The fancier cars use sw to disguise the basic problem a little better.
Now, the truth will come out if you analyse the available gear ratios in that car @Dairyfarmer has got.

What hunting issue?

My 320D cruises at 120 in a single gear very happily and very very efficiently.... Yes I get more "fun" out of the car in the 150 range but it doesn't feel underpowered or sluggish or hunting gears at 100 or 120.