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

pinball wizard

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I'm always in Jeff Cooper's Condition 2 and often Condition 1 when driving, so am fully aware of my surroundings. I have never had an accident with another vehicle and only once did I have a single vehicle accident while on a private road. I got my license 35 years ago.
Good old Jeff. Who the hell is he? Your driving instructor from 35 years ago?
 

Quey_Quick

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Either way, the jab misses the mark, cause I have even less idea which letter or epithet goes with which generation than I do about section 13 and Jeffie Whatshisface.

Those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, GenZs are the ones looting and rioting up a storm, Milenials are the ones at home shouting at their Baby Boomer parents to stay at home because Covid.

Also Jeffie Whatshisface is some gun dude, so if you not into guns you wont know him, even me I dont know him.
 

Quey_Quick

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Those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, GenZs are the ones looting and rioting up a storm, Milenials are the ones at home shouting at their Baby Boomer parents to stay at home because Covid.

Also Jeffie Whatshisface is some gun dude, so if you not into guns you wont know him, even me I dont know him.

So the snowflake generation are not the Milenials but the GenZs.
 

pinball wizard

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Those born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, GenZs are the ones looting and rioting up a storm, Milenials are the ones at home shouting at their Baby Boomer parents to stay at home because Covid.
Best I can figure is I'm not included in any of the groups you mention. That's a wait off my mind. I'll rest easy today.
 

SlinkyMike

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I can't really see the joy in driving a manual in most cars tbh, with the clear exceptions of an actual old school sports car. I wouldn't want a 911 with auto for instance. That would be silly, but equally silly is some dude in a dropped Polo trying to tell me about his visceral driving experience with a manual.

Manuals are utter peasantry in traffic, be honest now. Besides modern autos pack plenty of punch and you can even flick them up and down if you want a-la TT/Steptronic.

There are some cars that should just never be auto, 'tis true but they are a tiny minority. The real issue is usually machismo and frankly I'm all for a harmless pissing match by the Weber ;)
 

Rhein

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I've spent some time pondering about my preference. I really don't care. If it is automatic then I don't change gears and if it a manual then I change gears.
Having said that, if i spent most of my time in dense traffic I would give the nod for an Auto.

Here's what I regard as deal breakers or not negotiables:
1. There is no way that I would consider a car that has an unswitchoffable stop start system.
2. After a bank breaking experience of a cambelt snapping, I would never have a cam belt driven vehicle. Especially if the water pump and tensioner also has to be replaced. Not just because of the costs of repair but also it is such an expensive maintenance item.
 

Geoff.D

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Both items are, unfortunately, increasingly difficult to avoid, these days.
As I have stated before, our "preferences" as customers are being whittled away to the point where we are fast getting back to the original limitation.

"You can have any colour you like so long as it is black".
 

Splinter

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Both items are, unfortunately, increasingly difficult to avoid, these says.
As I have stated before, our "preferences" as customers are being whittled away to the point where we are fast getting back to the original limitation.

"You can have any colour you like so long as it is black".

How would you know? Have you done any research, or just shooting from the hip as usual?
 
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