I bought a 2001 Ranger via Craigslist in February 2023 to learn how to drive manual. The seller took 30 minutes of his time to teach me the basics. Thanks Andy.
Honestly, if you don't use it you lose it. When I bought my ND miata (right before the pandemic when prices were normal), my mom wanted to take it around the block. At that point, the last time she drove a manual was 1982 and that car would have been my grandpa's chevy c10, which is the car she learned to drive on. Needless to say my mom was very rusty.
@@andrewmaximo4485 The opposite is true, too. Now that the Ranger is my daily, I’ve started occasionally pressing phantom clutch pedals when I drive an automatic from time to time.
@Sunday_Woodward if I go back to auto it will be electric (although i hope they use manual gear boxes on ev's to extend range, i think toyotais toying around with that tech). But I got my eye on that new gr Carolla with the 300hp 3 cylinder and 6 speed. I don't want the auto Rev match and hope you can turn it off. ND miata's don't have auto rev matching but they have a slight delay on the brakes to assist with hill starts. BTW how do you like the ranger? I used to want a Tacoma, but I don't like the ride. It kind of made me car sick.
@@andrewmaximo4485 Bought the GR Corolla in December. It has auto-revmatch but it's not on by default. You have to turn it on every single time you start the car so it definitely doesn't shove itself in your face. The only thing that's a little frustrating is that the pedal spacing sucks for heel-toe downshifts. The rev hang is definitely real though, unfortunately. But as Roman said that's an emissions thing - regulators love taking away our toys.
I have a 1991 Toyota Previa 5 speed. Since it's a van, I've had people ask to borrow it to help move stuff. I tell them it's a manual. They ghost me. So nice to have a polite way of telling people: No one drives my car but me.
A manual transmission is the best anti theft device you can have on a car. I live right on the edge of Detroit. Someone literally tried to steal my car out of the driveway, and failed because they had no idea how to drive a stick.
Not to mention that you need to push the clutch in before you can start most manual transmission cars these days. That second brake pedal confuses many thieves. I knew how to drive a standard years before I was eligible for a driver's license.
LMAO yeah, I, too, left my car parked all night in some not so good parts of Detroit with the full confidence that it would still be there. Since it was the only manual transmission car.
I am 72 and gave up on manual transmission 20 years ago because couldn't stand them driving city traffic then driving manual transmission became impossible where I live in Seattle WAUSA
Multiple people have asked to borrow my truck and when I tell them it’s a manual they either back out or a couple of them asked me teach them. It made me feel even more useful
@@metallboy25 It's the opposite for me, I have decent savings despite having an average job, because of the fact that I buy old, but somewhat maintained cars. I'd be broke if I had to pay 400€ lease per month for a new car.
Also, new cars are getting more expensive while manual transmissions are being relegated to higher trim-level cars. He said this in the video, but it used to be the case that manuals were the lowest-spec, cheapest options on new vehicles. Now they're much more money. If you want to save money, you might be buying used anyway. If you're a manual-driving car enthusiast in addition to that, then you'll pick a manual used car.
9 months ago i couldn't drive manual. Always wanted to, but no one could teach me. Bought a manual, taught myself with ample help from TH-cam, and I'll never buy auto again.
@@ssssaintmarcusindeed. In Finland most cars were for the longest time mostly manual so everyone is taught to use it. I drove 17 years with manual until I bought my first automatic and have not really missed manual that much.
@@ssssaintmarcus I've never understood this argument. I'm a 6 year owner of an '05 STi and everyone always claims they have "heavy" clutches, and I've driven Hondas and other "economy" manual cars and while the clutch is noticeably lighter, I've never considered my "heavy" clutch to remotely be a burden. Heavy traffic, no traffic, stand-still Interstate delays, long drives, none of it has ever been an issue. Even in 2+ hour drives I don't bother touching cruise control. Either I'm just built different or people overly exaggerate the heavy clutch myth as an excuse to drive automatics 🤷
Could not disagree more - in Feb 2020, there were 3 base trim Fits with a stick in all of Massachusetts, and if I wanted a mid-trim Fit, I needed to go to Chicago. Sounds like you lucked out when you bought.
Me too!...Mine is a '22. I bought mine after my beloved Tacoma 5-spd was totalled by an AH in a collision. I bought a new Tacoma auto. and was disappointed from the start. Another good thing; my car starts with a key!
Learning to drive stick in my dad's 86 Pontiac Sunfire in an empty mall parking lot on a Sunday in Quebec will stay with me forever. Thanks for the video
Fond memories of my dad teaching me to stick as well. I learned to drive on an automatic but my first car was a stick. Lots of hills on back country roads made for great practice.
Here in Europe, we always had most cars with manual transmissions. Even 10 years ago if you asked 100 people what transmission they prefer, 90% would tell you that they prefer manual. Nowadays in my country (Czechia) it's about 50/50 and we're one of the few European countries where it's that high, most other western European countries it's more like 70% of people prefer and buy automatics. With emission standards being ridiculously strict for new cars and so many "smart" assistants, it's a matter of time before you can't buy a new car with manual at all, before they eventually replace cars with soul-less electric ipads on wheels. Sad times ahead for car enthusiasts.
Here in romania is the same. But with the roads we have i prefer a manual, because i have a lot more control over my car. I have driven an automatic once in my life, and i stomped on the break because i wanted to press the clutch :/
The most American reason to have an automatic: You can eat and drive at the same time. It's too much trouble to reach into that bag of McDonalds if you also have to mess with the stick shift. Just put it in Drive and go for those McNuggets!
It's probably less bad than you think, the automakers are finally discovering how to implement electric power steering properly and let some of road's feedback onto steering wheel. We might lose manual gearbox but steering an average car is likely gonna be more fun than just 10 years ago... well, except for extremely fast toaster on wheels also known as Tesla, no way in hell they're ever gonna learn.
@@BlackPill-pu4viI mean, I’m an American with a manual and I have no issues eating and driving; I just don’t eat while accelerating (which is smart anyways, keeps your eyes on the road).
I wanted a manual when I was 16, but my parents didn't understand why and forbid me from buying one because "you couldn't possibly learn to drive stick, it's your first car! why get a manual" even though I was the one paying for it. I'm 25 now and bought a stick with zero experience, I learned in 2 days. I feel like the only reason to buy a manual today is if you're an enthusiast, there's no cost savings and it makes driving more difficult, but I love every minute of it because it's something I dreamed of ever since I was a little kid (also 6:36 is the same shift knob and generation of civic I just bought)
Its only harder at first. Once you know the car you don’t even have to think about what you’re doing. Rev match downshifting is the best, good for the clutch, good for the soul!
Sold my automatic ford fusion and bought a manual ‘22 Miata brand new with my only knowledge being a motorcycle safety class and a handful of motorcycle rides years ago. It’s been a year and a half so far and going great :3
I'd just like to say I have a 2014 Mazda 3 manual with the 2.0 engine. I have 410,000 miles. The clutch is original and isn't slipping yet. I have not done any work on the engine. They're very well made. I've heard problems with other Mazda engines, but I know yours either has the 2.0 or 2.4, so you should be good with basic maintenance for a long time.
Most people who never drove manuals will never understand. If you want to feel your vehicle the most it’s thru a manual. Most people are just lazy and just to not think about driving. I’ve had a AMT for over a decade now solely due to them stopping to produce Standard transmissions on the vehicle I wanted. I get it though if only a small portion of us want them it doesn’t make business sense but it sux
Earlier this year I walked into my local VW dealership and asked to test drive the only 2024 6MT Jetta they had on the lot. Even in the GLI trim, at that time, they only had DSG's. I had been looking at this particular Jetta online for a few months and it had been sitting for a while. The saleslady was quite good, but very new. She didn't know how to drive it. They had to call some 16 year old with a zoomer perm who worked in the garage to bring it out to the front for me to drive. He seemed thrilled to give me the keys. The car had 32km on it (Canada) and I took it on my test drive. I had brought a friend with me and once all the employees were out of sight, he hopped in and drove the car to the mall and proceeded to teach me how to drive stick shift. I stalled upwards of ten times before I was able to even pull it onto the road, and he had me drive it back to the dealership. I bought the car, picked it up three days later with my buddy. He drove it home for me and from there, I taught myself to drive manual on my new car. No regrets. I understand they have cancelled the manual Jetta for 2025 in all trims except GLI, which is a shame. I am happy I finally scratched 'learn stick shift' off of the bucket list and I'm very happy with my new car.
Best possible way to learn stick is in somebody else's car 😂 If that's not an option, buy a used beater for cheap, slap a 30-day temp tag on it, and then sell it when you're done. Some people, like me, always check the "manual transmission" box when looking at used cars, and that's all we're looking at.
VW manual transmissions are in my opinion, the best for the price. I think BMW has a better MT, but i wouldn't spend an extra 20k just because of that. Great choice on the VW!
When told how to do it, maybe watch another drive and explain what he is doing for one run through the gears. Then get in while you drive, let him talk you through the gears once or twice. That is all you need once you have done it, then practice makes perfect. The more you drive it, the smoother you start and the smoother you shift.
Miata is always the answer. Most are still manuals. Yet not one mention of this car. They’re not only available as manuals, but are one of the best manuals on the market.
Unfortunately miatas take up such a small percentage of the car market compared to a gti/civic/impreza because they're just not that practical. Once the utilitarian-esque cars go (like hatchbacks, sedans) the death of the manual will increase substantially. I wouldn't replace my gti w a miata
I just bought a Nissan Versa manual transmission four days ago. It took me two months to find one. The reason they don't sell, is because the manufacturers don't make enough, and the dealerships refuse to stock them. Go back to the days of ordering the car you want, instead of having to settle for what the dealership wants you to buy, and they will still sell.
Same reason that most cars are bland colors like white, black, gray, or silver. These are colors that are acceptable to nearly everyone. More distinctive colors will thrill some and make others say "No way," which cuts the target audience down for any such car. My two newest cars are in the blah group in color, but at least they're manuals. Like most enthusiasts (I guess), I buy my cars used, and for both of them, 95% of the cars I found to potentially buy were manuals-- hardly an automatic among them, and that suited me fine.
My dad used to say shifting is half the fun of driving. Today, it seems like a lot of young people see driving as a chore. Some even out off learning to drive for as long as possible, where my generation saw learning to drive as exciting and freeing.
They still make horse carts for the 0.01% billionaires, so sure. Keep working hard 'and someday' you'll be granted an afternoon to drive that exclusive luxury car. Or until the repo man tows it away.
I had to drive something similar to this to haul water when I was a teenager. The truck was stuck in 4th gear, so it was forward-only in the highest gear. Fortunately it also had low range, it was a short drive, it had plenty of power, and I had a clear route to go forward-only. Needless to say I learned how to manipulate a clutch pretty well at a young age.
@@stongray4893 Nothing 99% people even do however... Let alone drive off pavement. I've realized I've pulled heavier things on worse roads in worse arctic conditions with my diesel yaris or Saab 900 using a tow hitch than most truck owners ever do.
Hopefully the 88 has a tougher transmission than my 95 had. It was good for light duty stuff, but was basically for a Ranger and the clutch took a massive beating if you went anywhere near the rated capacity (edit) of 3,500 pounds for that configuration.
Old guy story...in 1982 when I was a 19-year-old college student, I got a job with the Kent State U's transit system. Learned to drive GM Old and New Look buses. The Old Looks didn't have power steering. My arms and back would ache after a 4hr shift driving those pigs!!! Automatic of course. Had a chance for a side gig driving the 50 miles to Cleveland to pick up the Western Michigan U's football gear at the airport. When I showed up at the depot, I was assigned a manual transmission box truck. Hadn't driven a manual before and I wasn't about to admit it now. I needed the $3.75/hour the drive paid. I learned on the way. Haven't owned an automatic since.
Is a great story of getting things done and learning because of necessity. Kids today would give up and start talking about their fucking feelings or being a victim lol
I learned on Saturday afternoon on my finances little Simca which had a four speed column shifter in an upside down pattern.(French). My second drive was on my own taking it from Chicago to Detroit. Good way to learn.
I always imagined that one company that only makes manual cars is the best way to save manual transmissions. That way it would lower the R and D for each car. This is probably a pipe dream, but maybe a big automaker can make a secondary brand (like Scion) that only makes manuals. And then the dealership can teach people how to drive a stick shift.
Driving a manual transmission efficiently requires a knowledge of the road and driving conditions and their relation to an internal combustion engine's operating characteristics. This is beyond the abilities or interests of many drivers and so many people just want something with a 'go' and a 'stop' pedal that will get them from point A to point B in an affordable and convenient way. Automatic transmissions are boring and take most of the fun out of driving.
20 y/o here! I taught my self how to drive stick on my 88 corolla wagon 5mt (miss that car so much) and when it died i picked up a ‘10 ford focus 5mt. I don’t know anyone my age who knows how to drive stick which makes it easy to not let my friends borrow my car! I also sleep better at night knowing it is stick (street parking in major city) I think the best part about manuals is just the feeling of driving. It’s so pure, even on an econoshitbox, the feeling of nailing three downshifts in a row or just banging gears on an on ramp…never gets old. I hope some of my friends want to learn sometime i really would love to teach someone. Thanks for this sick video you guys are the best🩶
I learned about 20yrs ago on my grandmas 80's subaru wagon and then got my own 89 rx7 and the got my 2018 Jeep Wrangler and am still the only person in the family or my small group of friends that can drive a manual. I love being able to just not have to worry about getting stuck in feet of snow we get every winter and not need special winter tires.
My issue with automatics is that they are constantly shifting gears. If I wanna go a bit faster, I press down the gas pedal a bit and then I have to wait what feels like a year for it to downshift, even though I only wanted to go 5mph faster and it would have been easier for it to just apply the power in its current gear ratio. I don't need to drop a gear to accelerate by 5 mph. And then the same thing happens when starting from a stop. A manual has more pronounced gaps in power while I shift, but those gaps in power are entirely under my control and I don't ever accidentally lose power while the car just decides to downshift. I would consider buying a CVT if it was programmed to function like a CVT. But the issue with CVT's is that they don't take advantage of their continuous "gear ratio", because consumers aren't used to the different engine sound and will think their car is broken. So manufacturers have preset gear ratios programmed into the CVT to function like an automatic. So you get all of the downsides of the CVT without really any of the upsides.
@@whickervision742 I had no idea not all CVTs worked that way. I'll be honest, my only experience with a CVT is in my friend's Mitsubishi Lancer which he sold a year or 2 ago.
My Seat Exeo (Audi A4 B7 clone) was a diesel CVT auto. In Drive it just rode the torque with no fake gearing points and was great, no surging like a small petrol cvt, all still low down the rev range. In Sport mode it had 7 fake gearing points it would jump to and wasn't nearly as smooth but gave the illusion you were in control, especially with the flappy padals behind he steering wheel.
Great take! I 100% agree with everything you said. I've driven auto, dsg and of course manual and I prefer CVT over all the other auto boxes as there's no lag and hunting around shifts.
I'm older and always loved manual. I looked awhile for a Saturn Vue with a 4 cylinder, five speed no newer than an 04 and found one with 230,000 miles in really good condition. I really like it.
That was my first car! And I miss it. Wish I had kept it, especially when I found there was a supercharger kit to make it less of a dog. 228,000 miles when I traded it, and it was still getting every bit of 28MPG on the highway.
My father taught me the basics of a manual in his 79 Chevrolet C10 with a three on the tree! By the time I got my license, he had converted it to an automatic. At my first job, which was a repair shop the runabout was a Chevrolet Chevette with a 4 speed manual, and I hastily honed my skills with that. Eventually, I paid it forward by teaching a friend how to drive a manual because his Corolla quit and every car he could afford was a manual. A few years ago, I showed a 20-year-old at my old job how to drive a manual… It was interesting, but he was so tickled to death he managed to move my vehicle from one side of the parking lot to the other without stalling. For about the last year, I’ve been looking for a newer beater with a manual transmission and it’s getting hard finding a decent 20 year old car that hasn’t been abused to death.
Most of the young people I know who enjoy driving buy motorcycles instead of fun cars because while interesting cars have rapidly gotten more unattainable you can still have an unmatched visceral experience on a bike for basically nothing.
YEP! I wanted an E30 or E36 so bad in high school, about 10 years ago. Of course at least around here, that's when prices started to go bananas. $4000 for a rotten 325e. Trash! Saved my money, bought a BMW RnineT, never looked back. Takes up less space, less running cost, and can deliver an unmatched experience. Motorcycles really are the cheat code for driving fun these days.
Just realized this is true for myself too. Traded my old VW for a bike. Less maintenance, smaller, more fun, no real worries about rust and Id only drive my old car on nice days just like I ride my bike.
Excellent point! That was me twenty years ago. Always wanted a Ferrari. Like most, I couldn't afford one. So I bought a Ducati, the next closest thing. What an awesome machine. Still miss that bike. Also true that it is much easier to stay on top of maintenance. Everything is so much more accessible. Much less space needed to do the work and just fewer parts to maintain cosmetically.
A huge part of why cars aren't fun anymore is 'safety'; since motorcycles are inherently considered unsafe, they can still be made like they were 60 years ago, whereas cars can't be. Maybe one day, laws will change to allow a market of enthusiast cars to flourish.
TH-cam is what taught me to know the concept of manual transmission. A few months later I ask my friend who knows how to drive manual, and a day later I was driving manual for the first time on the road. Now I teach some of my friends how to drive manual. Story of my manual life (started age 18 now 19)
Generally, older folks are the ones that can buy brand new cars. And older folks generally value convenience over everything. So that's why manuals aren't purchased as much in my opinion. If 18 year olds could buy new cars (which will never happen) it might be different. It's a moot point with the phase out of ICEs sadly
I'm old and my new Type S Integra will probably for sale in ten years. It will be bone stock and owned by an old guy, i.e. dealer service. Don't give up hope!
Always thought it was strange seeing cars in the 90s and 2000s marketed at "young people". I cant imagine a era when young people could comfortably afford a brand new car.
It's plenty possible for younger decent earning people to buy new cars if they want to prioritize it on their finances. I bought a 2019 Miata new the week before I turned 26. I chose to prioritize it. I see 20-somethings spending $40k on used trucks they don't do truck things with, you can buy new sports cars for less.
@@thatoneotherotherguy I guess sports cars have just failed to be appealing. They are typically impractical vehciles that can't fit the lifestyle of many who can only have one car. Most people may only need a ride to work and back. But many need space for other things. Also insurance on a sporty car and small cars is expensive. Bought a Honda Fit and it was crazy how expensive it was comapred to the larger cars I owned in the past. All because it was statistically more likely to be in a wreck due to its foot print.
Thank you Roman! It took me awhile to finally get this one watched but I really appreciate you making it. The information is very comprehensive and the explanations being tied into practical current experiences in the current world. I've bought a few coffee mugs too so I support you guys.
I like the part about the overloading of electronics in modern cars. I don't to mess with a bunch of digital interfaces. I just want to start the car, get it in gear, and throw some gravel pulling out of the driveway. Oh yeah, and I want to hear some noise during the drive and feel the bumps too. I am DRIVING A CAR, not relaxing on an overstuffed sofa.
Got a bad flat tire on my Integra Type S last week. When the wrecker driver got in and looked at the pedals, I said, "You'll need the clutch" and his face went blank. I drove it on the sled for him.
Yikes. That's like hiring an electrician who doesn't know what a fuse box is. "Umm, why do you have 2 brake pedals? You got like, super brakes or something?" "Please step out of my car, sir."
Roman, you are the best automotive documentarian on the internet. The best to come out of PA bar none. Its really impressive how deep your writing and perspective interweave with your solid research. Please never stop.
It is funny how "here" in "Europe" automatic transmission is still think about more luxury option, than manual, which most of our cars have regardless of specs
Not anymore though. Due to emission norms more and more brands go into automatics (which can have a base/eco option that will give lower emission in tests) as default options. Especially with hybrid drivetrains. But yeah, incredibly funny that USA is the opposite world, where manual is a paid luxury extra.. while for decades automatic was the luxury option in Europe.
@@veevoir I mean yes, I never cars its fact that is less and less available (but not as much as in USA conterpart), but overall amount of manual cars is still prolly majority on the roads
My 1999 Toyota 4Runner just bit the dust, at 205K miles. It had a 5-speed manual, as well as 4WD and rear lockers, and she would go anywhere! With the MT, she was also fun to drive. As recently as 4 months ago I was driving her cross country. She was totally reliable! Then a few mechanical issues developed, and the rust became terminal. I LOVED that car, but sold her to an enthusiast in northern NH for $1K, which I feel was a good deal for both of us.
BTW, I paid $8600 for my Nevada owned 1999 MT 4Runner 15 years ago, with 89K miles, which was a bargain, due to the 2008 economic crash and an oil-price crisis. Today, a clean, rust free example, with the MT and twice that mileage is worth about $20K. The automatic version is worth much less… You’d be lucky to get $15K for a similarly good example with an automatic.
Got to rinse the car off every time you drive it in salt. It sucks, makes the driveway icy, time consuming and cold, but otherwise you're destroying your car. I found it easier to move where there is no snow or rust on cars.
1st. Congratulations on a great video. Been driving stick for 30 years; It should be mandatory nationwide to get the half assed drivers off the road or make them learn to drive: traffic congestion would improve as well as the environment.
Been daily driving a manual transmission in NJ/NYC for the last 17 years and make no plans on switching. In fact I have a deposit on a GR Corolla as i write this.
This is cool to hear. I live in the same area and I've been waiting to be able to afford a second car to finally buy a manual. Our area seems like hell for a manual daily.
really wish toyota dealers wouldn't have screwed up the hype of the GR corolla with all the mark ups etc. was gonna buy on but was completely turned off by the markup so I got a 6MT Tacoma. still happy but still can't believe it lol
@@steve4278 I never looked at the area as hell considering I’ve only ever had a manual transmission car, so I had no other choice. if I didn’t feel like shifting my own gears, I wasn’t leaving the driveway. Funny I actually enjoy driving a stick shift in traffic, it’s like having cruise control, hardly ever apply the brake pedal
Seeing my Element pop up in this video made me smile. Before the mods and the adventures. Before the hundreds if not thousands of memories and photos. I've put 68,000 miles, 48 states and 5 Canadian provinces since that video was filmed. Thanks for taking me back in time to when I had no idea where I was going with this car in terms of mods and adventures. I sincerely thank you.
@@RichardCarter-yq2mw Yes. And they are rare AF. I've only seen one in person and iirc it was FWD. Truth be told, the automatic is better. Better acceleration and better mpg. Also better off road. If I had to do it all over again, I'd get a 2011 EX 4wd.
I've never owned an Element but always liked them. I'd love to have a 4WD manual, earlier gen with the black plastic body panels... in that nice dark orange.
At 70 years old I've driven manuals all my life. Had a hard time finding one in 2018 when I bought my last new car, a Versa S. I like the reliability and longevity as well as gas mileage.
A little over 5 years ago I bought a new car. One of my main criteria was getting a manual. I talked to everybody I could about car choices, co-workers, customers, freinds and family. Even mechanics and, of course, car dealers. I got an acute impression of a few things. First, at least around where I live, over 80% of people just see a car as transportation. So getting a manual is just an added hassle. Also, from the dealer side of things, they almost never have any on the lot. And when they do, as mentioned, they are gone almost instantly. This I feel is an important point since I learned that the VAST majority of car buyers get what is on the lot. And most dealers don't order manuals to store on the lot. So it kinda makes the lack a sales self-fulfilling. I had to special order my Crosstrak from Japan. It took a few months to arrive, but it had everything I wanted and nothing else, and was cheaper. But all my freinds were surprised that was even an option. But this year, Subaru America stopped offering the stick for that model. I think it is the combination of lack of interest in dealers actually selling them and the lack of interest in the non-enthusiats buyers. And it is a damn shame since driving stick does make you a better driver since you HAVE to pay attention to what is upcoming. Maybe there is hope that the next generation will drive (heh) the manual back for a few more models. Or at the least, we could buy Canadian.
Fun fact, in the Uk f you learn in an automatic you can only buy and/or drive an automatic, as its on your license. Which means that most everyone learns in a manual car. Now, i live in America now, but i learned to drive in the uk n a manual car, but swappd to an auto over here. I went back to Scotland last year and rented a car with a manual transmission. My only difficulty was the swap from a hand break to the stupid auto/ button break…..i found it hellua confusing on a hill start. Couldnt find the bite as i let off the had break…it annoyed the piss out of me.
interestingly, auto only license holders often pay a lot more in insurance, probably because drivers who never learned to drive a manual don't have the same level of anticipation/forward planning as those in autos. The average auto driver goes the speed limit up to a roundabout, brakes, and only then looks for a gap. Manual drivers on the other hand plan well in advance of the give way line. There's also an adverse selection bias here, where people already predisposed to higher risk (physical disabilities, mental health, anxiety, etc) are far less likely to be capable of using a manual, so automatics only is the only license they can really get, thus you get a class of drivers (auto only license holders) who are a generally higher risk category. The advice is, even if you end up driving autos all your life, learn and pass your test with a manual.
When you go and test for a CDL , that applies too. Take the test in an automatic that is what your restriction will be, Class A or Class B. Most folks take the test on a 10 speed manual.
@@rocnnrollbusI have a friend with the auto only restriction. Drives a manual car and only wants a manual car, yet won’t touch a manual truck for anything. Lol
Here in Europe, automatics were not preferred in the past because the were heavy and inefficient. This counts a lot more for the smaller engines and higher fuel prices we normally had, compared to North America. Now the automatic is more refined and efficient, it makes more sense to have them here too. Especially looking at the environmental concerns like you mentioned. I have always driven (used) manual cars but now, at 52, I would probably not be surprised if one of my next cars would be automatic. Great video, Roman ❤
I've driven 2 automatics in my live. One was a mid 90's honda with a dreadful 3 speed sloshbox that had a mind of its own. It was clunky, it never shifted when you expect it, reversing out of parking spaces was a pain because the column shifter was finicky, and the car was thirsty despite having a small engine. I hated that transmission with a fiery passion. It completely ruined an otherwise decent car. The other was an around 2018 model. I can't remember the brand, but it had 6 gears with silky smooth, fairly predictable shifts. That car was pretty fuel efficient too despite its size. The industry really has eroded most of the advantages manual transmissions used to have, beyond just being more fun to drive. And that fun only applies on fairly open roads. I knew an Oslo boy who was a stereotypical BMW driver. He was a big fan of manuals, but he dailied an automatic entirely because that auto box was a godsend in slow moving, stop and go traffic, which his commute apparently tended to devolve into.
When i was 27, i went and got the cheapest manual that wasnt falling apart, and figured out manual on the drive home. And i loved every second of it. Surely i wont be the only one, but its a rare thing for sure.
In Europe we still love manual transmission. I have a vw passat b8 I make 1000km per week. And I love my manual car. I do all the maintenance myself. No need of transmission oil change. I also do a lot of engine braking on off ramps so my brake pads and disc's can last much longer than in a automatic car.
The northern-er you go, the more manuals you get. Here in euroland, manual cars from 2000-2010 command a steep premium over their automatic counterparts, to the point where there are specialized dealers who will swap the transmission for you. Or more likely, swap a newer engine and control unit over to an older model car. It is hard to pull your neighbor out of the snow with an auto. And they are not fun to take on ice tracks on lakes, so it just is what it is. I know it will reach us eventually, but what a bleak existence that will be.
Oh hey, it's @ManleyReviews ! Fancy meeting you here. I'm subscribed and love your channel. I should have known you were cool enough to drive manual. Now knowing that you're a cool car guy and a cool gamer, I'd love to see you do a video on manual transmissions in video games, or a deep dive on some of the older racing gems like the Gran Turismos and NFSs on PS1.
I'm the strange one in my friend group for knowing how to drive a stick and like doing so. I have found that many people, even more so younger people, don't care about driving. A car for most is just a tool to get to A to B. And they buy for convenience and affordability, not for style or fun. It's kind of sad.
I'm on of the few people in my friend group who drives at all! Here in Ireland getting a license has become financially restrictive so more young people simply don't bother. public transport is cheaper.
After being "bullied" by the enthusiast community for so long, I can totally understand why. I remember asking my classmate why he loved cars but hated being associated with enthusiasts, and I never understood his answer until far later when I began associating with car guys. If you don't have a cleanly modded car, you're doing it wrong. Spoilers on a Mustang? Wrong. Pinstripes on a Civic? Wrong you Ricer. Camber and rims? Absolutely wrong. I feel after the insanely expressive days of Fast n Furious, everything about cars has become bland and I blame everyone for it. Manufacturers, Dealers and Enthusiasts alike. Now I just wanna get from point A to B without triggering someone for liking the wrong thing...
I can understand the 'tool' standpoint. Where I live, there's more and more traffic, more and more multi-lane roads with numerous stoplights. Not conducive to enjoyement.
I bought a 2023 Kia Forte GT manual last year. The dealer I purchased it from told me (I’m unable to verify the accuracy of this) that Kia makes only 12,000 manual Fortes per year, and those are split between five regions in the United States. Assuming this is true, that means that each dealer gets maybe four or five manual cars per year. My salesman also told me their dealership never had any trouble selling a manual when they got one; in fact, mine had been on the lot only two days before I drove it home. The manual transmission option was the main reason I chose Kia over brands I know and like, such as Toyota. Currently, my driveway has nothing but manual transmission vehicles. I’ve got the aforementioned Forte GT, a Suzuki GS650G, and my work truck which is a Freightliner Cascadia with a 13 speed Eaton. The last automatic I had left along with the ex-wife and I’ve never been happier. 😅
My first car was a 70 1/2 split bumper Camaro with a 4-speed Muncie. I restored that car from the frame up. It took me over a year to get that car on the road. I worked at the local grocery store after school and rummaged through the junkyards to get the parts to get the car running. I'll never forget the first day i took that beast out on the road. Accelerating while slipping through the gears made me feel more powerful than any 16 year should should. At the time, it never dawned on me that what i did was something rare and beautiful. It was an experience that i could carry through the rest of my life and still serves me well to this very day.
I bought a Chevy Sonic in 2012 with the 1.4 turbo. My dealer spent maybe 3 hours teaching me how to drive before I left the lot and drove back an hour to go home
Driving a 2023 6MT Camaro. Paid less then MSRP because it was a manual. The person ordered a car basically the same exact build I wanted, then backed out because delivery was taking forever and he bought a Hell Cat instead. The dealer phoned me because I was already talking to them about my build I was thinking about, and cut me a deal because they were worried a manual would be a hard sell. Basically I got my 1LE package for free because my original build didn't have it, and I didn't want to pay more money.
The firsr time i got behind the wheel of a manual, it was when i was working for a car-rental company. My boss asked me to move some cars to another part of the lot and so i went to do it. I jumped behind the wheel, and lo and behold, it was a manual transmission! (97 Dodge Stratus, IIRC). While i understood the concept of how to drive a manual, i never had actually done it (all my family's cars were automatics) so let's just say that there was a VERY steep learning curve! 😂 I did manage to move that car, and later, as one of the few employees who was comfortable driving a stick, was asked to move other manual transmission cars to other branches, sometimes a long way away. Manual transmissions are fun to drive in normal circumstances, but absolutely suck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Having never driven manual growing up, I taught myself to drive manual with a Logitech G27 wheel, stick, and a variety of racing games. When I felt comfortable enough with it, I finally got a manual transmission car: a 1981 Porsche 911SC. I've had it for around 10 years now, and even though I don't find good opportunities to drive it often (rush hour commute in LA is a pain with stick) it's still a huge amount of fun to drive.
It's so sad that people are scared off by a stick when they're a youtube video away from being competent enough to drive home... Thank you for the video. :)
Ive watched all the videos but nobody has a car to let me practice in. I called driving schools, all autos, I even considered renting a car but you have to wait for a manual! If someone just let me press a clutch I would get it but it's definitely daunting to buy a car you aren't sure you can drive home!
@@teagancombest6049 Driving a stick is no more complicated than walking and chewing gum at the same time. A half hour in a parking lot is the most you need to master the basics. The first 2 or 3 times you accelerate from a stop you'll stall it, but after that you quickly learn how to release the clutch.
Yup, exactly how I learned. My dad initially taught me since I figured he grew up with stick. He did all he can to explain but all I got was "you just have to get a feel for the clutch" which is true. TH-cam helped me refine it.
Nothing like the level of mechanical engagement in driving a car with a manual transmission. You’re driving the car instead of the car driving you. Guess it’s the difference between those who enjoy the car as a machine and those to whom it’s just an appliance.
I’m 57, and drive a manual every day. As a teacher, my students are awestruck seeing a car with a stick shift. When I was in college, I sold my car to pay tuition. I had to pick up the buyer at the Greyhound station, and teach her how to drive a manual before her 500 mile trip home.
Wait until you show your students a 3-on-the-tree stick shift! No shift intuitive shift pattern on the knob. It will raise you to god status as you row that unmarked shifter.
bloke from the UK here, if you pass your driving test in the UK in a manual you can drive manual AND automatic, if you pass in an auto you are ONLY allowed to drive auto's. I'm a biker who as never been interested enough in cars to even bother passing the test, but that does NOT mean i can't drive em and manuals are so easy to use.
"Driving is terrible and no one should do it." This was what I thought of driving before I had a fun-to-drive manual. Now I frequently go on hours-long joyrides through twisty mountain roads.
@@ExeliusI think that’s because in majority manual areas someone won’t be good at driving manual so the only option for them to enjoy driving is an automatic. In the US basically anyone can drive an easy driving automatic car but the enthusiasts know that there’s a more immersive experience in driving a manual
Manuals are out and huge ass SUVs and Trucks are in! This is why I'm a train, bike, and motorcycle girl now. But for real though, I must admit something: I haven't been able to own a manual. The car I own is an automatic because I was in a bind and I didn't want to have my daily driver that's gonna be in traffic all the time be a manual. I ride motorcycles so I know how to shift but just didn't know if I had what it takes with clutching with my feet instead of left hand. Sort of a choice I regret but even if I wanted a manual, the only one I could get would be 10k more and would be a special order. The choices are getting very slim just in general for consumers in the new car market and it is kinda scary. Vehicles are state of change and I'm not sure if I really care for the future of automobiles at this point. There's gotta be a silver lining here somewhere, or at least I hope.
Traffic depends on the car. If you have a light clutch like most Hondas, easy as pie. My 6MT Miata has such a low first gear, it idles at 2 mph, which is actually really good for traffic.
Well, if it's any consolation, driving a manual car isn't that much harder than an automatic, or in your case, a manual bike. Just a different muscle memory that also isn't that hard to get. Along with what the other guy said. That stated, I'd go with used, since Rev hang is a real problem I've seen.
I drive my MR2 deep in Austin every day and I’d say the enjoyment I get out of it outweighs the annoyance of dancing the clutch in traffic. Everything I own is manual now and I can’t see myself getting anything else
That Europe map is cursed: -Bosnia ate half of Serbia -Serbia ate half of Croatia -Slovenia ate part of Croatia -Luxemburg is double its size -Moldavia got anorexia -Kosovo is a pancake -Lichtenstein is apparently moved between Austria and Czech Republic -There is state inside North Ireland (I guess a Republic of Sober Irishman) -RIP Andorra -RIP Kaliningrad -RIP Montenegro
Okay, so maybe I'm a control freak. When I drive a manual transmission car, I feel like I am controlling the car. When I drive an automatic transmission car, I feel like the car is doing its own thing. Be in control or just go along for the ride.
Your review of the 94 Viper is part of the reason I lived in my surf van for 3 years and starved to buy a gen 1 1993 Dodge Viper:) It is so badass I can not thank you enough. Everyday I drive my Viper down PCH from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach I get at least 6-8 people commenting. Thank you for the amazing vids :)
Another small factor that bugs me is the allocation system for a lot of new cars. You can't actually order a manual. Your dealer can make an "allocation request" but at the end of the day they get what they get. The amount of people in the 86 groups that got an auto because they didn't want to wait 6 months to a year to get a manual is crazy. Another example is the Elantra N which supposedly caps manual production at 20%.
the 86 is a very good example of this because, while toyota operates this way, subaru does *not* operate this way. subaru lets you spec and order a car. because of this, the manual take rate with the 86 is ~50% while the take rate with the brz is ~70% iirc. essentially identical cars but one of them is more likely to have three pedals because the manufacturer is selling to customers rather than dealerships.
Just traded in my old manual Corolla got one of the last manual K20 Civics ever made in the US yesterday. I feel so lucky! You wanna blame someone? Blame the parents who didn't teach their kids to drive manuals, or blame the people who collect them instead of driving them. It's not the kids fault when nobody taught them. Hell nobody at the dealership even knew how to drive my new car.
not true in the slightest. It's cause automatics are faster and more fuel efficient now. Stick shift is purely for car enthusiasts that actually care about driving involvement. A niche within a niche. Most "car guys" only care about highway pulls or just standing around a meets which an auto is better at. You will never shift faster than a DSG, PDK, or even a current gen Rav4.
I mean, it's also because manual transmissions are objectively worse and people buy cars not because they enjoy driving it, so things that make driving any more of a pain in the ass than it already is is naturally going to be phased out.
@@s_t_r_a_y_e_d uhuh. But something faster and more fuel efficient by tiny percentages isn't necessarily what everyone wants. Especially if you word it in a way that doesn't make you sound like you just sounded lol
@@Clangokkuner objectively worse... Than broken CVT belts in Subarus? Or ground up dual clutches in Hyundais, Fords and VWs? I'm missing something and whatever your weird take's gonna be, I'm not interested.
@@CatalystOfFiremanual transmissions aren’t convenient for the mass majority of people. People have crappy commutes filled with traffic and crazy drivers to and from work and school everyday, and work annoying stressful jobs, and have families that require a vehicle filled with safety features. They don’t have time to deal with shifting a stick that 95 percent of the time is never gonna touch a gear higher than third. You also can’t eat and drink while shifting. It’s seen as an annoyance and people don’t need an additional annoyance added to everything that they already deal with. And now with EVs on the horizon, they make manuals functionally and fundamentally obsolete. That’s why manuals are going away.
Been "rowin my own" since 1967 (except a breif 8 months in 1970). My wife too. Taught my two sons to drive in stick cars. Was fortunate to buy my 2019 VW Golf Alltrack with a stick. Taught a neighbor college student to drive in my stick car. Hope my golf lasts. Loved the video.
I have driven cars with manual transmission a total of about 400,000 miles. My current vehicle is a 2005 Pontiac Vibe with 5-speed. I bought the car new and it now has 200,000 miles on it.
I listened to this while getting ready for the day. So well done that I'm pondering seeking out a podcast to listen to every morning. Made my morning so much more enjoyable. Bravo Roman!!!
I live in the SF Bay Area. Dealers here want a $20-50k markup for a manual transmission GR Supra. Meanwhile they are discounting the automatics. It’s dire here.
Just brought home a 2024 Jetta. The #1 reason I bought my first new car, and my first VW. MANUAL. Teaching my 16 year old how to drive stick on a 2011 Patriot. MANUAL.
For many people, car is just transport tool. I drive manuals and only manuals for my whole life, until this year when I got my first EV. And yes, I sometimes miss shifting gears just for fun, heal and toe rev matching on the traffic light and going to the redline just to keep up with traffic (my last car was FIAT Grande Punto 1.2). Now, I would buy an automatic over manual every time, because without shifting gears, each drive becomes so much more relaxing.
Last year in July, I got my first manual, and it was frustrating at first learning how to drive it. I stalled out so many times, but I didn't give up, and now, a year of driving with a manual, I enjoy driving so much more. I'm never giving up this car, and I'm not going back to automatics.
I bought a brand new 2014 Focus ST when I was 29. Hadn't driven a manual since my mom's old Saturn when I was in high school. Figured it out all over again on the way home. Been driving stick since, and I'm really sorry to see how scarce they are getting. I'll keep my GTI until it dies.
I think also it's a contributing factory that most drivers in the U.S. are utility drivers; meaning that unlike car enthusiasts who love driving cars for its own sake, most drive them to get from point A to B. They view cars, and I include myself in this camp, as much of a necessary appliance as a fridge or AC unit. To those drivers, manuals were still compelling back in the 70s, 80s, and somewhat 90s because they were more fuel efficient, that is a utility that those drivers could see. However, as automatics got more efficient and hybrids came online that were more so, the advantage if it is still there isn't huge enough to be compelling to that utility driver. Also agree that it is a price thing as well. Most utility drivers do want cheap cars, but the manuals at used lots (at least in my area) are either more expensive than the cheap automatic options or the manual that is there is some dodgy model that they don't want to touch; like an older mid 2000s Kia or very high mileage Fords (and no, it doesn't matter how much folks in comments complain about "lAzY pEoPle", most regular folk do not want to fuck around with their cars like they are amateur mechanics). Even using FB Marketplace or Craigslist, the used auto here is a grand or more cheaper than the manual. Then yeah as you get to newer models the price gap gets bigger and again, for utility drivers who don't care about the driving experience, the higher price tag is not worth it.
Yeah, I think decades of technological development and changing regulatory and market pressures have led to something of a role reversal for manual vs automatic. Where the automatic was once an expensive and worse-performing option aimed at the niche of people who really wanted driving to be a less involved process, the manual is now an expensive and generally worse-performing option tailored to the niche of people who want to be more involved in the process of driving. To use another millennial trope, learning to drive manual comes across sort of like learning to write in cursive - why bother developing the skills necessary to operate an inkwell pen when ballpoints exist? Now, I think learning manual holds up way better than cursive does because it's good to understand what and why your engine and transmission are doing what they do, manual or automatic, and automatics aren't (yet) able to make more advanced decisions a manual driver can like pre-emptively reacting to road conditions ahead But then again, there are enthusiast automatics like a paddle-shifting DCT that can give you the practical benefits of both types, and so it comes back to the subjective nature of driving feel I guess the one area where manuals still have a clear practical edge over automatics is in maintenance, but with the difference in up-front price now favoring autos that pressure in favor of manual is also somewhat dulled...
It also has to be said that in a housing market that is out of reach to the vast majority of new buyers now, people are stuck renting apartments. Most of which do not allow maintenance. I couldn't even change my oil if I wanted to because I would be in violation of my lease agreement if I jacked my car up and changed the oil. Let alone any more involved maintenance that might require a day or two of work.
@@mikeydude750 Same situation. I can't be doing anything that required jacking the car up and even if I technically could I don't have the room to store all those tools in my apartment with all the other roomates stuff.
In the US, used manuals typically sell for a premium over autos if the model was offered with both. I have tried to buy new cars with manuals a couple of times in the past and it was usually the dealers who refused to order them that way. I remember looking for a VW Golf as a commuter car about 15 years ago. The closest dealer to me grumbled something like “oh, you’re one of those guys.” I asked him to explain and he said that he had 6-8 people a week coming in looking for sticks but they never sold so he didn’t order any that way. I called around and found a couple in stock at a dealer 30 miles away and I bought one the same day. His logic still dumbfounds me. My son is on his learners permit and I just took him out to teach him to drive my manual 1999 Boxster. He wants a manual for his first car… it won’t be a Porsche but I hope we can find a good example when we are ready to buy.
As an owner of a used VW model with a DSG and someone who loves manual cars I find that it is the best of both worlds oddly enough. It satisfies my love of gear shifting, my horrible clutch control, keeps you from red lining or misshifting and gives me the ability to change to pure auto when I need to concentrate more.
I remember being deployed to Ecuador and getting a few taxi rides on some small taxi buses. It was unbelievably cool how evern the average car was being controller by manual transmission, and the buses were too! Every driver I was with has no problem driving them. Manual transmission seems pretty common in countries OTHER than America sadly
Every time someone says something to the effect of “enthusiasts don’t buy new cars” I feel the need to remind them of the fact that new cars are more expensive than used cars. And used cars are really, really expensive for the average Joe. Like, if your household income is less than 100k you should not be even thinking of buying any brand new car.
When I watched your video about manual transmission, I see the lack of 2 major aspects. 1. Many people have chosen manual over automatic because of the economic reasons. Therefore, by the time goes by, in terms of fuel efficency, hybrid is getting on the 1st place, but also mentioned hybrid cars are almost impossible to be made in manual! ; 2. I live in a big city eastern/central europe, and form my point of view, in last 10-15 years, there is massive increase of numbers of cars in the city, wich causes extra traffic jam, where you travel approx. 6 miles per hour, start and stop, which is just very very uncomfortable in manual. If you go to work by car, every day, spending hours just on shifting between 1, 2 gear,, believe me, all you dream of, is an automatic car, just to chill and relax. Greetings, and thank you for your materials!
Good points. As much fun as manual transmissions are to drive on open roads (especially those with some curves and corners), they are nightmares in stop and go traffic. I've been stuck in holiday rush hour L.A. traffic once in a stick shift - it was physically and mentally brutal. Basically feathering the clutch constantly while keeping it half-way in first gear. 😢
@@brushstroke3733 Just once? I used to live in the Los Angeles area, so I encountered that kind of driving pretty regularly (there could be massive traffic jams even on weekends) but it was never really an issue. I would still rather have a manual even in those conditions. You get used to it like anything else... just as some people bristle at the idea of having to shift at all until they get used to it, some who don't drive in traffic that often in a manual might have the same reaction. I did newspaper delivery late at night for a lot of years too, and that's dozens of miles of stop and go every night... and I always did that in a manual trans car too. I found the frustration of automatics to be much more annoying than the extra effort required to drive a manual. Now, I have never driven an auto with a manual mode (paddle shifters on the wheel or similar), but to me, if you're going to go that far, might as well just get the real thing.
@@tid418 Just once in that car as I did not live in L.A. but was going through to L.V. The clutch in my VW Sciracco had a long travel distance and was fairly substantial to push. Driving with that clutch about halfway between engaged and disengaged for over three hours really wore on my left calf! Total drive was 10 hours when it is only six hours in normal traffic. It was the day before Thanksgiving I think.
I LOVED driving manual transmission. Did so for over a decade in my younger years. Gave it up for auto because wife needed to share the car. I don’t miss driving manual in bumper to bumper traffic shifting between gears 1 and 2 either. My left calf muscle hurt so bad after years of commuting. I have learned to appreciate automatics. Maybe when I can have a manual for pure leisure, it will be worth it.
I agree with you on every point. I've owned a Toyota P/U since 1992. It's a 5-speed manual. I recently acquired a 1991 BMW 318i with a similar 5-speed manual transmission. Both of these cars are fun and exciting to drive even if they're not the most powerful of vehicles. New cars with "new tech" and automatic or CVT transmissions are soulless. Thanks for the video.
i have a manual wrx and my girlfriend has a DSG jetta GLI. i’m satisfied with both transmissions. i am sad that less cars are coming with manuals but i can live in the world of dual clutches. what really makes me upset is the disappearance of the manual handbrake. i honestly think that hurts me more.
A manual handbrake, a manual trans, and an actual metal key that goes into an ignition switch are not negotiable for me. Any car I buy must have these, and every control on the car must be able to be operated by feel (so the eyes can remain on the road where they belong). In other words, no touchscreens for the operation of any of the systems on the car! For the stereo head unit (radio) I can make an exception, as long as it is a standard size that can easily be swapped out when it fails. When, not if. There's a big thing now about not texting and driving... and that is good advice. Using a tablet bolted to or built into your car's dashboard is not any better, yet every car from 2015 on seems to have one.
I saw the writing on the wall. Traded my automatic 2022 civic for a new manual Mazda3 yesterday, after not daily driving a manual for 3 years. You always end up getting that itch that's gotta be scratched.
I had a Fiesta ST. It was one of the most fun cars I've ever owned. I did something really, really stupid, and sold it for a used Range Rover Evoque two years in. I got rid of the RR last October, and one of the cars I tested was a new Civic Type R. I was prepared to fall in love, and 60 seconds into the test drive, I decided I was done with manuals. I really shocked myself that day.
I am old school driver, and when you mentioned wanting a manual but knowing your spouse can't drive one being a factor in a purchase, I knew exactly what you were talking about. I think manuals will remain but only as a niche market offering. They'll be offered at a premium and in the near future only rich a$$holes will drive them. And they will not drive them very well.
Bought my manual 22 Ford bronco base at 20 years old and it was my first manual car! For me the easiest and cheapest way to get good experience using a manual was riding a motorcycle as they are still relatively affordable especially for younger people like me.
Great vid. Your comment about those with means really strikes a chord: I just spent an hour or so last weekend teaching a buddy to drive my manual Fit, precisely because he was a point where his income and resources allowed him to consider a fun car. The wrinkle is that, as you noted, people of that age probably grew up loving cars from prior eras (e.g. 90s JDM icons, or muscle cars) - so that enthusiasm might not translate to new car sales.
I bought a 2001 Ranger via Craigslist in February 2023 to learn how to drive manual. The seller took 30 minutes of his time to teach me the basics. Thanks Andy.
Honestly, if you don't use it you lose it. When I bought my ND miata (right before the pandemic when prices were normal), my mom wanted to take it around the block. At that point, the last time she drove a manual was 1982 and that car would have been my grandpa's chevy c10, which is the car she learned to drive on. Needless to say my mom was very rusty.
@@andrewmaximo4485
The opposite is true, too. Now that the Ranger is my daily, I’ve started occasionally pressing phantom clutch pedals when I drive an automatic from time to time.
@Sunday_Woodward if I go back to auto it will be electric (although i hope they use manual gear boxes on ev's to extend range, i think toyotais toying around with that tech). But I got my eye on that new gr Carolla with the 300hp 3 cylinder and 6 speed. I don't want the auto Rev match and hope you can turn it off. ND miata's don't have auto rev matching but they have a slight delay on the brakes to assist with hill starts. BTW how do you like the ranger? I used to want a Tacoma, but I don't like the ride. It kind of made me car sick.
@@andrewmaximo4485 Bought the GR Corolla in December. It has auto-revmatch but it's not on by default. You have to turn it on every single time you start the car so it definitely doesn't shove itself in your face. The only thing that's a little frustrating is that the pedal spacing sucks for heel-toe downshifts.
The rev hang is definitely real though, unfortunately. But as Roman said that's an emissions thing - regulators love taking away our toys.
I learned how to drive manual on customers vehicles when I worked at Safelite XD
I have a 1991 Toyota Previa 5 speed. Since it's a van, I've had people ask to borrow it to help move stuff. I tell them it's a manual.
They ghost me.
So nice to have a polite way of telling people: No one drives my car but me.
I've dreamed of making my 2006 sienna manual. That would be so killer
There is always the direct way of telling it !
My ex wife drives a 5 speed manual Kia Soul. Manual transmission is an anti-theft device. Kia Boiz can't drive em!
That's why I bought my truck. No one can borrow it. I have a gooseneck connection, plenty of power and 4x4 and it's all mine.
Is it 4 wheel drive too?
A manual transmission is the best anti theft device you can have on a car. I live right on the edge of Detroit. Someone literally tried to steal my car out of the driveway, and failed because they had no idea how to drive a stick.
An old, double clutch pickup would really confuse them!
My manual Subaru got stolen recently :(
Not to mention that you need to push the clutch in before you can start most manual transmission cars these days. That second brake pedal confuses many thieves. I knew how to drive a standard years before I was eligible for a driver's license.
Any yokel can bangshift their way to the chop shop
LMAO yeah, I, too, left my car parked all night in some not so good parts of Detroit with the full confidence that it would still be there. Since it was the only manual transmission car.
I'm 60 now. I'll NEVER give up my manual. Only fun left in driving today.
They are so easy, nobody knows how to properly use them though
I am 72 and gave up on manual transmission 20 years ago because couldn't stand them driving city traffic then driving manual transmission became impossible where I live in Seattle WAUSA
Multiple people have asked to borrow my truck and when I tell them it’s a manual they either back out or a couple of them asked me teach them. It made me feel even more useful
Trucks are usually pretty forgiving for the learner with sturdier clutches than cars, start teaching them.
Meh, I don't have the time to replace my clutch. 😊
"Enthusiasts don't buy new." That right there explains the death of the manual.
That just shows that most enthusiasts are broke. Im one of them 🥲
I do.
@@metallboy25 It's the opposite for me, I have decent savings despite having an average job,
because of the fact that I buy old, but somewhat maintained cars.
I'd be broke if I had to pay 400€ lease per month for a new car.
Also, new cars are getting more expensive while manual transmissions are being relegated to higher trim-level cars. He said this in the video, but it used to be the case that manuals were the lowest-spec, cheapest options on new vehicles. Now they're much more money. If you want to save money, you might be buying used anyway. If you're a manual-driving car enthusiast in addition to that, then you'll pick a manual used car.
New cars are trash. Electronic steering by wire ruined it for me
9 months ago i couldn't drive manual. Always wanted to, but no one could teach me. Bought a manual, taught myself with ample help from TH-cam, and I'll never buy auto again.
Til you have a 100+ mile a day driving need with a heavy clutch…I get it but auto is very easy. Put it in drive and go
@@ssssaintmarcusindeed. In Finland most cars were for the longest time mostly manual so everyone is taught to use it. I drove 17 years with manual until I bought my first automatic and have not really missed manual that much.
@@ssssaintmarcus I've never understood this argument. I'm a 6 year owner of an '05 STi and everyone always claims they have "heavy" clutches, and I've driven Hondas and other "economy" manual cars and while the clutch is noticeably lighter, I've never considered my "heavy" clutch to remotely be a burden. Heavy traffic, no traffic, stand-still Interstate delays, long drives, none of it has ever been an issue. Even in 2+ hour drives I don't bother touching cruise control. Either I'm just built different or people overly exaggerate the heavy clutch myth as an excuse to drive automatics 🤷
@@xXMasadaXx it's because they skip leg day
@@GRORGvideotyou always want what you can't have
TBH, my Honda Fit was way easier to buy because of its manual transmission.
Got one myself. Best Car ever made. I also am doing stupid stuff to mine to make it go zoom zoom faster and it's a go-kart
Could not disagree more - in Feb 2020, there were 3 base trim Fits with a stick in all of Massachusetts, and if I wanted a mid-trim Fit, I needed to go to Chicago. Sounds like you lucked out when you bought.
My last car was a 2010 Fit with the 5spd. Such a fun little car with the stick shift.
Currently hunting for a manual fit to replace my 89 wagovan.
I have a 2018 Fit Sport in championship white with the VTEC engine and the 6-speed. Love that little hatchback.
I bought a 2023 Crosstrek manual after hearing that they were being discontinued. Absolutely love driving a manual.
Me too!...Mine is a '22. I bought mine after my beloved Tacoma 5-spd was totalled by an AH in a collision. I bought a new Tacoma auto. and was disappointed from the start. Another good thing; my car starts with a key!
Having control of when you can change gear is extremely helpful. Getting them revs high if you need to pick up speed quickly for 1 example
Learning to drive stick in my dad's 86 Pontiac Sunfire in an empty mall parking lot on a Sunday in Quebec will stay with me forever. Thanks for the video
Fond memories of my dad teaching me to stick as well. I learned to drive on an automatic but my first car was a stick. Lots of hills on back country roads made for great practice.
'81 Toyota pickup for me. First donuts I ever did were in my backyard with that truck. Great times
@@SpacemanXC YO.
80's Toyota trucks were the best. They looked so cool.
"YOUR GONNA BURN OUT MUH CLUTCH"
Pontiac Sunfire/ Chevy Cavalier & Quebec go hand in hand for some reason.
Here in Europe, we always had most cars with manual transmissions. Even 10 years ago if you asked 100 people what transmission they prefer, 90% would tell you that they prefer manual. Nowadays in my country (Czechia) it's about 50/50 and we're one of the few European countries where it's that high, most other western European countries it's more like 70% of people prefer and buy automatics. With emission standards being ridiculously strict for new cars and so many "smart" assistants, it's a matter of time before you can't buy a new car with manual at all, before they eventually replace cars with soul-less electric ipads on wheels. Sad times ahead for car enthusiasts.
Zdravím dalšího RCR fanouška👋
Here in romania is the same. But with the roads we have i prefer a manual, because i have a lot more control over my car. I have driven an automatic once in my life, and i stomped on the break because i wanted to press the clutch :/
The most American reason to have an automatic: You can eat and drive at the same time.
It's too much trouble to reach into that bag of McDonalds if you also have to mess with the stick shift. Just put it in Drive and go for those McNuggets!
It's probably less bad than you think, the automakers are finally discovering how to implement electric power steering properly and let some of road's feedback onto steering wheel. We might lose manual gearbox but steering an average car is likely gonna be more fun than just 10 years ago... well, except for extremely fast toaster on wheels also known as Tesla, no way in hell they're ever gonna learn.
@@BlackPill-pu4viI mean, I’m an American with a manual and I have no issues eating and driving; I just don’t eat while accelerating (which is smart anyways, keeps your eyes on the road).
I wanted a manual when I was 16, but my parents didn't understand why and forbid me from buying one because "you couldn't possibly learn to drive stick, it's your first car! why get a manual" even though I was the one paying for it. I'm 25 now and bought a stick with zero experience, I learned in 2 days. I feel like the only reason to buy a manual today is if you're an enthusiast, there's no cost savings and it makes driving more difficult, but I love every minute of it because it's something I dreamed of ever since I was a little kid (also 6:36 is the same shift knob and generation of civic I just bought)
Good for you. "You can't" is a terrible thing to say to a kid. I fixed that one when I became a parent.
Longevity and reliability are valuable regardless of cost savings.
Its only harder at first. Once you know the car you don’t even have to think about what you’re doing. Rev match downshifting is the best, good for the clutch, good for the soul!
@@LeDankthis. I'd take a manual in a civic anyday over a cvt
My first car was a stick Mazda 3. I did not know how to drive it. My dad drove it home and i learned on the roads by my house that evening
Sold my automatic ford fusion and bought a manual ‘22 Miata brand new with my only knowledge being a motorcycle safety class and a handful of motorcycle rides years ago. It’s been a year and a half so far and going great :3
I'd just like to say I have a 2014 Mazda 3 manual with the 2.0 engine. I have 410,000 miles. The clutch is original and isn't slipping yet. I have not done any work on the engine. They're very well made. I've heard problems with other Mazda engines, but I know yours either has the 2.0 or 2.4, so you should be good with basic maintenance for a long time.
Most people who never drove manuals will never understand. If you want to feel your vehicle the most it’s thru a manual. Most people are just lazy and just to not think about driving. I’ve had a AMT for over a decade now solely due to them stopping to produce Standard transmissions on the vehicle I wanted. I get it though if only a small portion of us want them it doesn’t make business sense but it sux
Earlier this year I walked into my local VW dealership and asked to test drive the only 2024 6MT Jetta they had on the lot. Even in the GLI trim, at that time, they only had DSG's. I had been looking at this particular Jetta online for a few months and it had been sitting for a while. The saleslady was quite good, but very new. She didn't know how to drive it. They had to call some 16 year old with a zoomer perm who worked in the garage to bring it out to the front for me to drive.
He seemed thrilled to give me the keys. The car had 32km on it (Canada) and I took it on my test drive. I had brought a friend with me and once all the employees were out of sight, he hopped in and drove the car to the mall and proceeded to teach me how to drive stick shift. I stalled upwards of ten times before I was able to even pull it onto the road, and he had me drive it back to the dealership. I bought the car, picked it up three days later with my buddy. He drove it home for me and from there, I taught myself to drive manual on my new car.
No regrets. I understand they have cancelled the manual Jetta for 2025 in all trims except GLI, which is a shame. I am happy I finally scratched 'learn stick shift' off of the bucket list and I'm very happy with my new car.
Lol, problems of 1st world coutry
you screwed up the phrase, @@drayke8886
Best possible way to learn stick is in somebody else's car 😂
If that's not an option, buy a used beater for cheap, slap a 30-day temp tag on it, and then sell it when you're done. Some people, like me, always check the "manual transmission" box when looking at used cars, and that's all we're looking at.
VW manual transmissions are in my opinion, the best for the price. I think BMW has a better MT, but i wouldn't spend an extra 20k just because of that. Great choice on the VW!
When told how to do it, maybe watch another drive and explain what he is doing for one run through the gears. Then get in while you drive, let him talk you through the gears once or twice. That is all you need once you have done it, then practice makes perfect. The more you drive it, the smoother you start and the smoother you shift.
I love driving a standard transmission. The connection you have with the car is what makes it worth driving. Great video
Miata is always the answer. Most are still manuals. Yet not one mention of this car. They’re not only available as manuals, but are one of the best manuals on the market.
I'm almost insulted when people think my Miata is automatic. No offense to auto Miata owners though, they're still fun.
Might wanna keep it that way. Some secrets are best kept.
I test drove a BRZ and its FRS twin before buying my Miata. Another very nice manual transmission.
@@haydn-db8zthe 2nd gen tC manuals are very fun to drive as well. I was shocked that Carvana had one
Unfortunately miatas take up such a small percentage of the car market compared to a gti/civic/impreza because they're just not that practical. Once the utilitarian-esque cars go (like hatchbacks, sedans) the death of the manual will increase substantially. I wouldn't replace my gti w a miata
I just bought a Nissan Versa manual transmission four days ago. It took me two months to find one. The reason they don't sell, is because the manufacturers don't make enough, and the dealerships refuse to stock them. Go back to the days of ordering the car you want, instead of having to settle for what the dealership wants you to buy, and they will still sell.
Same reason that most cars are bland colors like white, black, gray, or silver. These are colors that are acceptable to nearly everyone. More distinctive colors will thrill some and make others say "No way," which cuts the target audience down for any such car.
My two newest cars are in the blah group in color, but at least they're manuals. Like most enthusiasts (I guess), I buy my cars used, and for both of them, 95% of the cars I found to potentially buy were manuals-- hardly an automatic among them, and that suited me fine.
My dad used to say shifting is half the fun of driving. Today, it seems like a lot of young people see driving as a chore. Some even out off learning to drive for as long as possible, where my generation saw learning to drive as exciting and freeing.
Manual transmissions will always be my favourite. I’m sad to see them slowly going extinct.
I think the new crop of hypercars and sports cars will help bring it back. The Pagani Utopia. New Lotus. T50, etc
They still make horse carts for the 0.01% billionaires, so sure. Keep working hard 'and someday' you'll be granted an afternoon to drive that exclusive luxury car. Or until the repo man tows it away.
Fun fact: Toyota recently filed a patent for a 2-speed manual for their EVs. 😮
@@shauny2285 nice, they’re going to use both speeds?
I’m 17 and gonna buy and fix my uncle’s 1988 F-150.
My dad owned as many Standards as he did automatics, and he taught me well, now it’s my turn.
The manual on the tenth gen kinda sucks though. But they r good trucks. The manual can only tow like 1500 pound
I had to drive something similar to this to haul water when I was a teenager. The truck was stuck in 4th gear, so it was forward-only in the highest gear. Fortunately it also had low range, it was a short drive, it had plenty of power, and I had a clear route to go forward-only. Needless to say I learned how to manipulate a clutch pretty well at a young age.
@@stongray4893 Nothing 99% people even do however... Let alone drive off pavement. I've realized I've pulled heavier things on worse roads in worse arctic conditions with my diesel yaris or Saab 900 using a tow hitch than most truck owners ever do.
@@stongray4893 You are clueless. That transmission is great
Hopefully the 88 has a tougher transmission than my 95 had. It was good for light duty stuff, but was basically for a Ranger and the clutch took a massive beating if you went anywhere near the rated capacity (edit) of 3,500 pounds for that configuration.
Old guy story...in 1982 when I was a 19-year-old college student, I got a job with the Kent State U's transit system. Learned to drive GM Old and New Look buses. The Old Looks didn't have power steering. My arms and back would ache after a 4hr shift driving those pigs!!! Automatic of course. Had a chance for a side gig driving the 50 miles to Cleveland to pick up the Western Michigan U's football gear at the airport. When I showed up at the depot, I was assigned a manual transmission box truck. Hadn't driven a manual before and I wasn't about to admit it now. I needed the $3.75/hour the drive paid. I learned on the way. Haven't owned an automatic since.
When I used to work summers for my grandpa, I learned those farm trucks will start off fine in second gear. Don't believe I ever used first.
Awesome story! Thx for sharing - sincerely, another old guy.
Is a great story of getting things done and learning because of necessity.
Kids today would give up and start talking about their fucking feelings or being a victim lol
I learned on Saturday afternoon on my finances little Simca which had a four speed column shifter in an upside down pattern.(French). My second drive was on my own taking it from Chicago to Detroit. Good way to learn.
How the times have changed... $3.75 an hour?!? 😮
I always imagined that one company that only makes manual cars is the best way to save manual transmissions.
That way it would lower the R and D for each car. This is probably a pipe dream, but maybe a big automaker can make a secondary brand (like Scion) that only makes manuals.
And then the dealership can teach people how to drive a stick shift.
Driving a manual transmission efficiently requires a knowledge of the road and driving conditions and their relation to an internal combustion engine's operating characteristics. This is beyond the abilities or interests of many drivers and so many people just want something with a 'go' and a 'stop' pedal that will get them from point A to point B in an affordable and convenient way.
Automatic transmissions are boring and take most of the fun out of driving.
20 y/o here! I taught my self how to drive stick on my 88 corolla wagon 5mt (miss that car so much) and when it died i picked up a ‘10 ford focus 5mt. I don’t know anyone my age who knows how to drive stick which makes it easy to not let my friends borrow my car! I also sleep better at night knowing it is stick (street parking in major city) I think the best part about manuals is just the feeling of driving. It’s so pure, even on an econoshitbox, the feeling of nailing three downshifts in a row or just banging gears on an on ramp…never gets old. I hope some of my friends want to learn sometime i really would love to teach someone. Thanks for this sick video you guys are the best🩶
I learned about 20yrs ago on my grandmas 80's subaru wagon and then got my own 89 rx7 and the got my 2018 Jeep Wrangler and am still the only person in the family or my small group of friends that can drive a manual. I love being able to just not have to worry about getting stuck in feet of snow we get every winter and not need special winter tires.
Aww that's such a nice sentiment buddy, I think the hope of teaching someone how to drive stick is a great life goal.
My issue with automatics is that they are constantly shifting gears. If I wanna go a bit faster, I press down the gas pedal a bit and then I have to wait what feels like a year for it to downshift, even though I only wanted to go 5mph faster and it would have been easier for it to just apply the power in its current gear ratio. I don't need to drop a gear to accelerate by 5 mph. And then the same thing happens when starting from a stop.
A manual has more pronounced gaps in power while I shift, but those gaps in power are entirely under my control and I don't ever accidentally lose power while the car just decides to downshift.
I would consider buying a CVT if it was programmed to function like a CVT. But the issue with CVT's is that they don't take advantage of their continuous "gear ratio", because consumers aren't used to the different engine sound and will think their car is broken. So manufacturers have preset gear ratios programmed into the CVT to function like an automatic. So you get all of the downsides of the CVT without really any of the upsides.
Not every CVT is programmed that way. Suggest you do a test drive, and while doing so, also understand the modes (eco, sport, etc).
@@whickervision742 I had no idea not all CVTs worked that way. I'll be honest, my only experience with a CVT is in my friend's Mitsubishi Lancer which he sold a year or 2 ago.
My Seat Exeo (Audi A4 B7 clone) was a diesel CVT auto. In Drive it just rode the torque with no fake gearing points and was great, no surging like a small petrol cvt, all still low down the rev range. In Sport mode it had 7 fake gearing points it would jump to and wasn't nearly as smooth but gave the illusion you were in control, especially with the flappy padals behind he steering wheel.
The issue I have with automatics is that the gas pedal does nothing, nothing, nothing, drop a gear and take off and there is no in-between
Great take! I 100% agree with everything you said. I've driven auto, dsg and of course manual and I prefer CVT over all the other auto boxes as there's no lag and hunting around shifts.
I like how Roman has become such a solid research guy. His deep-dive pieces really give the channel some weight. Nice work!
Thank you!
I'm older and always loved manual. I looked awhile for a Saturn Vue with a 4 cylinder, five speed no newer than an 04 and found one with 230,000 miles in really good condition. I really like it.
That was my first car! And I miss it. Wish I had kept it, especially when I found there was a supercharger kit to make it less of a dog. 228,000 miles when I traded it, and it was still getting every bit of 28MPG on the highway.
My father taught me the basics of a manual in his 79 Chevrolet C10 with a three on the tree! By the time I got my license, he had converted it to an automatic. At my first job, which was a repair shop the runabout was a Chevrolet Chevette with a 4 speed manual, and I hastily honed my skills with that.
Eventually, I paid it forward by teaching a friend how to drive a manual because his Corolla quit and every car he could afford was a manual.
A few years ago, I showed a 20-year-old at my old job how to drive a manual… It was interesting, but he was so tickled to death he managed to move my vehicle from one side of the parking lot to the other without stalling.
For about the last year, I’ve been looking for a newer beater with a manual transmission and it’s getting hard finding a decent 20 year old car that hasn’t been abused to death.
Most of the young people I know who enjoy driving buy motorcycles instead of fun cars because while interesting cars have rapidly gotten more unattainable you can still have an unmatched visceral experience on a bike for basically nothing.
YEP!
I wanted an E30 or E36 so bad in high school, about 10 years ago. Of course at least around here, that's when prices started to go bananas. $4000 for a rotten 325e. Trash!
Saved my money, bought a BMW RnineT, never looked back.
Takes up less space, less running cost, and can deliver an unmatched experience. Motorcycles really are the cheat code for driving fun these days.
Just realized this is true for myself too. Traded my old VW for a bike. Less maintenance, smaller, more fun, no real worries about rust and Id only drive my old car on nice days just like I ride my bike.
Excellent point! That was me twenty years ago. Always wanted a Ferrari. Like most, I couldn't afford one. So I bought a Ducati, the next closest thing. What an awesome machine. Still miss that bike. Also true that it is much easier to stay on top of maintenance. Everything is so much more accessible. Much less space needed to do the work and just fewer parts to maintain cosmetically.
A huge part of why cars aren't fun anymore is 'safety'; since motorcycles are inherently considered unsafe, they can still be made like they were 60 years ago, whereas cars can't be. Maybe one day, laws will change to allow a market of enthusiast cars to flourish.
Did this until I had kids and almost wrecked going well over 100mph. Now im back to cars lol
TH-cam is what taught me to know the concept of manual transmission. A few months later I ask my friend who knows how to drive manual, and a day later I was driving manual for the first time on the road. Now I teach some of my friends how to drive manual. Story of my manual life (started age 18 now 19)
@@-vstraus- easy enough isn’t it. The hard part is trying to drive an automatic after being use to a manual.
@@shokdj1 *presses non-existent clutch in a stop*
@@-vstraus- or the brakes instead of the clutch 😂
@@shokdj1 😂😭
Generally, older folks are the ones that can buy brand new cars. And older folks generally value convenience over everything. So that's why manuals aren't purchased as much in my opinion. If 18 year olds could buy new cars (which will never happen) it might be different. It's a moot point with the phase out of ICEs sadly
I'm old and my new Type S Integra will probably for sale in ten years. It will be bone stock and owned by an old guy, i.e. dealer service. Don't give up hope!
Always thought it was strange seeing cars in the 90s and 2000s marketed at "young people".
I cant imagine a era when young people could comfortably afford a brand new car.
This is really being driven by the millennials imo, paddle shifting has always been cool to them, it goes back to 90s F1 for the older ones.
It's plenty possible for younger decent earning people to buy new cars if they want to prioritize it on their finances. I bought a 2019 Miata new the week before I turned 26. I chose to prioritize it. I see 20-somethings spending $40k on used trucks they don't do truck things with, you can buy new sports cars for less.
@@thatoneotherotherguy I guess sports cars have just failed to be appealing. They are typically impractical vehciles that can't fit the lifestyle of many who can only have one car. Most people may only need a ride to work and back. But many need space for other things.
Also insurance on a sporty car and small cars is expensive.
Bought a Honda Fit and it was crazy how expensive it was comapred to the larger cars I owned in the past. All because it was statistically more likely to be in a wreck due to its foot print.
Thank you Roman! It took me awhile to finally get this one watched but I really appreciate you making it. The information is very comprehensive and the explanations being tied into practical current experiences in the current world. I've bought a few coffee mugs too so I support you guys.
I like the part about the overloading of electronics in modern cars. I don't to mess with a bunch of digital interfaces. I just want to start the car, get it in gear, and throw some gravel pulling out of the driveway. Oh yeah, and I want to hear some noise during the drive and feel the bumps too. I am DRIVING A CAR, not relaxing on an overstuffed sofa.
Got a bad flat tire on my Integra Type S last week. When the wrecker driver got in and looked at the pedals, I said, "You'll need the clutch" and his face went blank. I drove it on the sled for him.
My shifting leg is fine but my shoulders ache after a 'spirited drive', I'm 60
Hell yeah, Space Ghost!
That sounds bad. I know most new car sales staff can't even drive manuals. How embarassing!
That's crazy.
How does the company define "operate"?
Yikes. That's like hiring an electrician who doesn't know what a fuse box is.
"Umm, why do you have 2 brake pedals? You got like, super brakes or something?"
"Please step out of my car, sir."
Roman, you are the best automotive documentarian on the internet. The best to come out of PA bar none. Its really impressive how deep your writing and perspective interweave with your solid research. Please never stop.
Thank you so much!
It is funny how "here" in "Europe" automatic transmission is still think about more luxury option, than manual, which most of our cars have regardless of specs
Not anymore though. Due to emission norms more and more brands go into automatics (which can have a base/eco option that will give lower emission in tests) as default options. Especially with hybrid drivetrains.
But yeah, incredibly funny that USA is the opposite world, where manual is a paid luxury extra.. while for decades automatic was the luxury option in Europe.
@@veevoir Yeah there are now cars being sold in Europe by European manufacturers that don't even offer manual transmission options anymore
@@veevoir I mean yes, I never cars its fact that is less and less available (but not as much as in USA conterpart), but overall amount of manual cars is still prolly majority on the roads
funnily enough bmw and vw stop offering their manual super sport offering to european a while back now lol
The auto creep is happening here in Europe too unfortunately.
My 1999 Toyota 4Runner just bit the dust, at 205K miles. It had a 5-speed manual, as well as 4WD and rear lockers, and she would go anywhere! With the MT, she was also fun to drive. As recently as 4 months ago I was driving her cross country. She was totally reliable! Then a few mechanical issues developed, and the rust became terminal. I LOVED that car, but sold her to an enthusiast in northern NH for $1K, which I feel was a good deal for both of us.
BTW, I paid $8600 for my Nevada owned 1999 MT 4Runner 15 years ago, with 89K miles, which was a bargain, due to the 2008 economic crash and an oil-price crisis. Today, a clean, rust free example, with the MT and twice that mileage is worth about $20K. The automatic version is worth much less… You’d be lucky to get $15K for a similarly good example with an automatic.
Got to rinse the car off every time you drive it in salt. It sucks, makes the driveway icy, time consuming and cold, but otherwise you're destroying your car. I found it easier to move where there is no snow or rust on cars.
1st. Congratulations on a great video. Been driving stick for 30 years; It should be mandatory nationwide to get the half assed drivers off the road or make them learn to drive: traffic congestion would improve as well as the environment.
Been daily driving a manual transmission in NJ/NYC for the last 17 years and make no plans on switching. In fact I have a deposit on a GR Corolla as i write this.
This is cool to hear. I live in the same area and I've been waiting to be able to afford a second car to finally buy a manual. Our area seems like hell for a manual daily.
really wish toyota dealers wouldn't have screwed up the hype of the GR corolla with all the mark ups etc. was gonna buy on but was completely turned off by the markup so I got a 6MT Tacoma. still happy but still can't believe it lol
@@steve4278 I never looked at the area as hell considering I’ve only ever had a manual transmission car, so I had no other choice. if I didn’t feel like shifting my own gears, I wasn’t leaving the driveway. Funny I actually enjoy driving a stick shift in traffic, it’s like having cruise control, hardly ever apply the brake pedal
"There's nothing like enjoying a manual transmission car in NYC" - DJ Premier (e34 525i)
I live in NYC and rock a stick too.
Seeing my Element pop up in this video made me smile. Before the mods and the adventures. Before the hundreds if not thousands of memories and photos. I've put 68,000 miles, 48 states and 5 Canadian provinces since that video was filmed. Thanks for taking me back in time to when I had no idea where I was going with this car in terms of mods and adventures. I sincerely thank you.
I couldn't get standard for my 2010 orange element . 2009 I think was the last year standard was available.
@@RichardCarter-yq2mw Yes. And they are rare AF. I've only seen one in person and iirc it was FWD. Truth be told, the automatic is better. Better acceleration and better mpg. Also better off road. If I had to do it all over again, I'd get a 2011 EX 4wd.
I've never owned an Element but always liked them. I'd love to have a 4WD manual, earlier gen with the black plastic body panels... in that nice dark orange.
The orange Element looks very nice and clean. I hope she lasts another 468,000 miles.
At 70 years old I've driven manuals all my life. Had a hard time finding one in 2018 when I bought my last new car, a Versa S. I like the reliability and longevity as well as gas mileage.
i got 140,000 miles on my manual versa, most reliable car ive owned
Motorcyclist here. We still get manual as standard. Although Honda did just announce an auto shifter. And electric bikes don't have gears.
A little over 5 years ago I bought a new car. One of my main criteria was getting a manual. I talked to everybody I could about car choices, co-workers, customers, freinds and family. Even mechanics and, of course, car dealers. I got an acute impression of a few things. First, at least around where I live, over 80% of people just see a car as transportation. So getting a manual is just an added hassle. Also, from the dealer side of things, they almost never have any on the lot. And when they do, as mentioned, they are gone almost instantly. This I feel is an important point since I learned that the VAST majority of car buyers get what is on the lot. And most dealers don't order manuals to store on the lot. So it kinda makes the lack a sales self-fulfilling.
I had to special order my Crosstrak from Japan. It took a few months to arrive, but it had everything I wanted and nothing else, and was cheaper. But all my freinds were surprised that was even an option. But this year, Subaru America stopped offering the stick for that model. I think it is the combination of lack of interest in dealers actually selling them and the lack of interest in the non-enthusiats buyers. And it is a damn shame since driving stick does make you a better driver since you HAVE to pay attention to what is upcoming.
Maybe there is hope that the next generation will drive (heh) the manual back for a few more models. Or at the least, we could buy Canadian.
Fun fact, in the Uk f you learn in an automatic you can only buy and/or drive an automatic, as its on your license. Which means that most everyone learns in a manual car. Now, i live in America now, but i learned to drive in the uk n a manual car, but swappd to an auto over here. I went back to Scotland last year and rented a car with a manual transmission. My only difficulty was the swap from a hand break to the stupid auto/ button break…..i found it hellua confusing on a hill start. Couldnt find the bite as i let off the had break…it annoyed the piss out of me.
interestingly, auto only license holders often pay a lot more in insurance, probably because drivers who never learned to drive a manual don't have the same level of anticipation/forward planning as those in autos. The average auto driver goes the speed limit up to a roundabout, brakes, and only then looks for a gap. Manual drivers on the other hand plan well in advance of the give way line.
There's also an adverse selection bias here, where people already predisposed to higher risk (physical disabilities, mental health, anxiety, etc) are far less likely to be capable of using a manual, so automatics only is the only license they can really get, thus you get a class of drivers (auto only license holders) who are a generally higher risk category.
The advice is, even if you end up driving autos all your life, learn and pass your test with a manual.
When you go and test for a CDL , that applies too. Take the test in an automatic that is what your restriction will be, Class A or Class B. Most folks take the test on a 10 speed manual.
@@rocnnrollbusI have a friend with the auto only restriction. Drives a manual car and only wants a manual car, yet won’t touch a manual truck for anything. Lol
It's the same in Ireland. It's much better to learn manual,even if you ultimately intend to drive automatic.
Its already over 10% learning in autos. Sadly they will be extinct in the UK expect for classics in a generation or two.
Here in Europe, automatics were not preferred in the past because the were heavy and inefficient. This counts a lot more for the smaller engines and higher fuel prices we normally had, compared to North America.
Now the automatic is more refined and efficient, it makes more sense to have them here too. Especially looking at the environmental concerns like you mentioned. I have always driven (used) manual cars but now, at 52, I would probably not be surprised if one of my next cars would be automatic. Great video, Roman ❤
Dsg and cvt are far worse than the old hydramatic . So much about "refined". I can't remember the name of the latest ford pos automatic .
@@cristig243emotion doesn't counter cold hard facts.
I want to buy the car once, not every month . If I never hear about mechanical problems, that's what I want . Something like Mercedes Cobra .
The pos Toy needs to go from A to B without technical problems .
I've driven 2 automatics in my live. One was a mid 90's honda with a dreadful 3 speed sloshbox that had a mind of its own. It was clunky, it never shifted when you expect it, reversing out of parking spaces was a pain because the column shifter was finicky, and the car was thirsty despite having a small engine. I hated that transmission with a fiery passion. It completely ruined an otherwise decent car.
The other was an around 2018 model. I can't remember the brand, but it had 6 gears with silky smooth, fairly predictable shifts. That car was pretty fuel efficient too despite its size.
The industry really has eroded most of the advantages manual transmissions used to have, beyond just being more fun to drive. And that fun only applies on fairly open roads. I knew an Oslo boy who was a stereotypical BMW driver. He was a big fan of manuals, but he dailied an automatic entirely because that auto box was a godsend in slow moving, stop and go traffic, which his commute apparently tended to devolve into.
When i was 27, i went and got the cheapest manual that wasnt falling apart, and figured out manual on the drive home.
And i loved every second of it. Surely i wont be the only one, but its a rare thing for sure.
I get a little annoyed in heavy traffic, sure. But I completely forget about that annoyance when it's the weekend and I get out and hit the mountains.
Roman,old guy here ive driven every manual including semis...your insights and commentary are stellar!!the best ive heard!
In Europe we still love manual transmission. I have a vw passat b8 I make 1000km per week. And I love my manual car. I do all the maintenance myself. No need of transmission oil change. I also do a lot of engine braking on off ramps so my brake pads and disc's can last much longer than in a automatic car.
The northern-er you go, the more manuals you get. Here in euroland, manual cars from 2000-2010 command a steep premium over their automatic counterparts, to the point where there are specialized dealers who will swap the transmission for you. Or more likely, swap a newer engine and control unit over to an older model car. It is hard to pull your neighbor out of the snow with an auto. And they are not fun to take on ice tracks on lakes, so it just is what it is. I know it will reach us eventually, but what a bleak existence that will be.
It's like driving with quick time events and it's the greatest thing ever.
Damn! Ive never heard it put so well, this is so accurate 😂
yo, I'm using this reasoning from now on
Oh hey, it's @ManleyReviews ! Fancy meeting you here. I'm subscribed and love your channel. I should have known you were cool enough to drive manual.
Now knowing that you're a cool car guy and a cool gamer, I'd love to see you do a video on manual transmissions in video games, or a deep dive on some of the older racing gems like the Gran Turismos and NFSs on PS1.
I'm the strange one in my friend group for knowing how to drive a stick and like doing so.
I have found that many people, even more so younger people, don't care about driving. A car for most is just a tool to get to A to B. And they buy for convenience and affordability, not for style or fun. It's kind of sad.
Why is that sad?
I'm on of the few people in my friend group who drives at all! Here in Ireland getting a license has become financially restrictive so more young people simply don't bother. public transport is cheaper.
After being "bullied" by the enthusiast community for so long, I can totally understand why.
I remember asking my classmate why he loved cars but hated being associated with enthusiasts, and I never understood his answer until far later when I began associating with car guys.
If you don't have a cleanly modded car, you're doing it wrong. Spoilers on a Mustang? Wrong. Pinstripes on a Civic? Wrong you Ricer. Camber and rims? Absolutely wrong.
I feel after the insanely expressive days of Fast n Furious, everything about cars has become bland and I blame everyone for it. Manufacturers, Dealers and Enthusiasts alike. Now I just wanna get from point A to B without triggering someone for liking the wrong thing...
I can understand the 'tool' standpoint. Where I live, there's more and more traffic, more and more multi-lane roads with numerous stoplights. Not conducive to enjoyement.
Younger generations without souls will lead to civilizations without souls. Actually, civilizations without souls can't exist.
I bought a 2023 Kia Forte GT manual last year. The dealer I purchased it from told me (I’m unable to verify the accuracy of this) that Kia makes only 12,000 manual Fortes per year, and those are split between five regions in the United States. Assuming this is true, that means that each dealer gets maybe four or five manual cars per year. My salesman also told me their dealership never had any trouble selling a manual when they got one; in fact, mine had been on the lot only two days before I drove it home. The manual transmission option was the main reason I chose Kia over brands I know and like, such as Toyota.
Currently, my driveway has nothing but manual transmission vehicles. I’ve got the aforementioned Forte GT, a Suzuki GS650G, and my work truck which is a Freightliner Cascadia with a 13 speed Eaton. The last automatic I had left along with the ex-wife and I’ve never been happier. 😅
My first car was a 70 1/2 split bumper Camaro with a 4-speed Muncie. I restored that car from the frame up. It took me over a year to get that car on the road. I worked at the local grocery store after school and rummaged through the junkyards to get the parts to get the car running.
I'll never forget the first day i took that beast out on the road. Accelerating while slipping through the gears made me feel more powerful than any 16 year should should. At the time, it never dawned on me that what i did was something rare and beautiful. It was an experience that i could carry through the rest of my life and still serves me well to this very day.
I think a lot of manual cara are dying out in the states, but it’s very much alive out side of it.
I bought a Chevy Sonic in 2012 with the 1.4 turbo. My dealer spent maybe 3 hours teaching me how to drive before I left the lot and drove back an hour to go home
Driving a 2023 6MT Camaro. Paid less then MSRP because it was a manual. The person ordered a car basically the same exact build I wanted, then backed out because delivery was taking forever and he bought a Hell Cat instead. The dealer phoned me because I was already talking to them about my build I was thinking about, and cut me a deal because they were worried a manual would be a hard sell. Basically I got my 1LE package for free because my original build didn't have it, and I didn't want to pay more money.
That's how I got my 17 SS 1LE back then, somebody ended up just bailing on it.
The firsr time i got behind the wheel of a manual, it was when i was working for a car-rental company. My boss asked me to move some cars to another part of the lot and so i went to do it. I jumped behind the wheel, and lo and behold, it was a manual transmission! (97 Dodge Stratus, IIRC). While i understood the concept of how to drive a manual, i never had actually done it (all my family's cars were automatics) so let's just say that there was a VERY steep learning curve! 😂
I did manage to move that car, and later, as one of the few employees who was comfortable driving a stick, was asked to move other manual transmission cars to other branches, sometimes a long way away.
Manual transmissions are fun to drive in normal circumstances, but absolutely suck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
Having never driven manual growing up, I taught myself to drive manual with a Logitech G27 wheel, stick, and a variety of racing games. When I felt comfortable enough with it, I finally got a manual transmission car: a 1981 Porsche 911SC. I've had it for around 10 years now, and even though I don't find good opportunities to drive it often (rush hour commute in LA is a pain with stick) it's still a huge amount of fun to drive.
It's so sad that people are scared off by a stick when they're a youtube video away from being competent enough to drive home...
Thank you for the video. :)
Ive watched all the videos but nobody has a car to let me practice in. I called driving schools, all autos, I even considered renting a car but you have to wait for a manual! If someone just let me press a clutch I would get it but it's definitely daunting to buy a car you aren't sure you can drive home!
@@teagancombest6049 Driving a stick is no more complicated than walking and chewing gum at the same time. A half hour in a parking lot is the most you need to master the basics. The first 2 or 3 times you accelerate from a stop you'll stall it, but after that you quickly learn how to release the clutch.
@@PRH123 okay can I drive your manual car?
Yup, exactly how I learned. My dad initially taught me since I figured he grew up with stick. He did all he can to explain but all I got was "you just have to get a feel for the clutch" which is true. TH-cam helped me refine it.
Nothing like the level of mechanical engagement in driving a car with a manual transmission. You’re driving the car instead of the car driving you. Guess it’s the difference between those who enjoy the car as a machine and those to whom it’s just an appliance.
You said it perfectly.
I’m 57, and drive a manual every day. As a teacher, my students are awestruck seeing a car with a stick shift.
When I was in college, I sold my car to pay tuition. I had to pick up the buyer at the Greyhound station, and teach her how to drive a manual before her 500 mile trip home.
Wait until you show your students a 3-on-the-tree stick shift! No shift intuitive shift pattern on the knob. It will raise you to god status as you row that unmarked shifter.
I'm 56, a teacher, and drove manuals exclusively for 17 years until I married someone who had not driven a manual since her Renault Fuego in 1980.
@@JRZ67 If you have two cars, yours can be a manual. :-)
@@BlackPill-pu4vi haha ya bolt action
im 29 and drive a manual every day
bloke from the UK here, if you pass your driving test in the UK in a manual you can drive manual AND automatic, if you pass in an auto you are ONLY allowed to drive auto's. I'm a biker who as never been interested enough in cars to even bother passing the test, but that does NOT mean i can't drive em and manuals are so easy to use.
"Driving is terrible and no one should do it."
This was what I thought of driving before I had a fun-to-drive manual. Now I frequently go on hours-long joyrides through twisty mountain roads.
Funny thing is that is what most people outside USA think when switching from manual to auto
@@ExeliusI think that’s because in majority manual areas someone won’t be good at driving manual so the only option for them to enjoy driving is an automatic. In the US basically anyone can drive an easy driving automatic car but the enthusiasts know that there’s a more immersive experience in driving a manual
Manuals are out and huge ass SUVs and Trucks are in! This is why I'm a train, bike, and motorcycle girl now.
But for real though, I must admit something: I haven't been able to own a manual. The car I own is an automatic because I was in a bind and I didn't want to have my daily driver that's gonna be in traffic all the time be a manual. I ride motorcycles so I know how to shift but just didn't know if I had what it takes with clutching with my feet instead of left hand. Sort of a choice I regret but even if I wanted a manual, the only one I could get would be 10k more and would be a special order. The choices are getting very slim just in general for consumers in the new car market and it is kinda scary. Vehicles are state of change and I'm not sure if I really care for the future of automobiles at this point. There's gotta be a silver lining here somewhere, or at least I hope.
Traffic depends on the car. If you have a light clutch like most Hondas, easy as pie. My 6MT Miata has such a low first gear, it idles at 2 mph, which is actually really good for traffic.
Well, if it's any consolation, driving a manual car isn't that much harder than an automatic, or in your case, a manual bike. Just a different muscle memory that also isn't that hard to get. Along with what the other guy said. That stated, I'd go with used, since Rev hang is a real problem I've seen.
I drive my MR2 deep in Austin every day and I’d say the enjoyment I get out of it outweighs the annoyance of dancing the clutch in traffic. Everything I own is manual now and I can’t see myself getting anything else
That Europe map is cursed:
-Bosnia ate half of Serbia
-Serbia ate half of Croatia
-Slovenia ate part of Croatia
-Luxemburg is double its size
-Moldavia got anorexia
-Kosovo is a pancake
-Lichtenstein is apparently moved between Austria and Czech Republic
-There is state inside North Ireland (I guess a Republic of Sober Irishman)
-RIP Andorra
-RIP Kaliningrad
-RIP Montenegro
And yet none of that area of the world matters.
Okay, so maybe I'm a control freak. When I drive a manual transmission car, I feel like I am controlling the car. When I drive an automatic transmission car, I feel like the car is doing its own thing. Be in control or just go along for the ride.
Your review of the 94 Viper is part of the reason I lived in my surf van for 3 years and starved to buy a gen 1 1993 Dodge Viper:) It is so badass I can not thank you enough. Everyday I drive my Viper down PCH from Huntington Beach to Newport Beach I get at least 6-8 people commenting. Thank you for the amazing vids :)
Another small factor that bugs me is the allocation system for a lot of new cars. You can't actually order a manual. Your dealer can make an "allocation request" but at the end of the day they get what they get. The amount of people in the 86 groups that got an auto because they didn't want to wait 6 months to a year to get a manual is crazy. Another example is the Elantra N which supposedly caps manual production at 20%.
the 86 is a very good example of this because, while toyota operates this way, subaru does *not* operate this way. subaru lets you spec and order a car. because of this, the manual take rate with the 86 is ~50% while the take rate with the brz is ~70% iirc. essentially identical cars but one of them is more likely to have three pedals because the manufacturer is selling to customers rather than dealerships.
common subaru W
Just traded in my old manual Corolla got one of the last manual K20 Civics ever made in the US yesterday. I feel so lucky!
You wanna blame someone? Blame the parents who didn't teach their kids to drive manuals, or blame the people who collect them instead of driving them. It's not the kids fault when nobody taught them. Hell nobody at the dealership even knew how to drive my new car.
not true in the slightest. It's cause automatics are faster and more fuel efficient now. Stick shift is purely for car enthusiasts that actually care about driving involvement. A niche within a niche. Most "car guys" only care about highway pulls or just standing around a meets which an auto is better at.
You will never shift faster than a DSG, PDK, or even a current gen Rav4.
I mean, it's also because manual transmissions are objectively worse and people buy cars not because they enjoy driving it, so things that make driving any more of a pain in the ass than it already is is naturally going to be phased out.
@@s_t_r_a_y_e_d uhuh. But something faster and more fuel efficient by tiny percentages isn't necessarily what everyone wants. Especially if you word it in a way that doesn't make you sound like you just sounded lol
@@Clangokkuner objectively worse... Than broken CVT belts in Subarus? Or ground up dual clutches in Hyundais, Fords and VWs?
I'm missing something and whatever your weird take's gonna be, I'm not interested.
@@CatalystOfFiremanual transmissions aren’t convenient for the mass majority of people. People have crappy commutes filled with traffic and crazy drivers to and from work and school everyday, and work annoying stressful jobs, and have families that require a vehicle filled with safety features.
They don’t have time to deal with shifting a stick that 95 percent of the time is never gonna touch a gear higher than third. You also can’t eat and drink while shifting. It’s seen as an annoyance and people don’t need an additional annoyance added to everything that they already deal with.
And now with EVs on the horizon, they make manuals functionally and fundamentally obsolete.
That’s why manuals are going away.
I learned to drive stick on a C5 Corvette…I’ve never looked back or missed having an auto since then
Been "rowin my own" since 1967 (except a breif 8 months in 1970). My wife too. Taught my two sons to drive in stick cars. Was fortunate to buy my 2019 VW Golf Alltrack with a stick. Taught a neighbor college student to drive in my stick car. Hope my golf lasts. Loved the video.
I have driven cars with manual transmission a total of about 400,000 miles. My current vehicle is a 2005 Pontiac Vibe with 5-speed. I bought the car new and it now has 200,000 miles on it.
I listened to this while getting ready for the day. So well done that I'm pondering seeking out a podcast to listen to every morning. Made my morning so much more enjoyable. Bravo Roman!!!
Man this is so sad. Every single vehicle I have ever owned has had a manual transmission.
I live in the SF Bay Area. Dealers here want a $20-50k markup for a manual transmission GR Supra. Meanwhile they are discounting the automatics. It’s dire here.
That sure does not sound like a lack of demand!
Excellent report! I have always owned/driven manual transmission vehicles only, and at 73, I don’t plan to change.
I'm 36 and i learned how to drive manual back when i was 14, my dad taught me in his 86v Nissan pickup on country roads.
Just brought home a 2024 Jetta. The #1 reason I bought my first new car, and my first VW. MANUAL. Teaching my 16 year old how to drive stick on a 2011 Patriot. MANUAL.
Okay. Not sure what you're trying to prove. It doesn't make you more or less as a human.
Manual is totally useless these days lmao
What trim line did you get? I wanted a basemodel one because it was the only one in my price range but there was absolutely none.
@@vhateverlie Base model. In Canada that's the Trendline.
@@theothertonydutch Actually it does. scientifically proven.
For many people, car is just transport tool.
I drive manuals and only manuals for my whole life, until this year when I got my first EV.
And yes, I sometimes miss shifting gears just for fun, heal and toe rev matching on the traffic light and going to the redline just to keep up with traffic (my last car was FIAT Grande Punto 1.2).
Now, I would buy an automatic over manual every time, because without shifting gears, each drive becomes so much more relaxing.
Man i never knew Roman would call this generation a skill issue
I would have used stronger language.
Last year in July, I got my first manual, and it was frustrating at first learning how to drive it. I stalled out so many times, but I didn't give up, and now, a year of driving with a manual, I enjoy driving so much more. I'm never giving up this car, and I'm not going back to automatics.
I bought a brand new 2014 Focus ST when I was 29. Hadn't driven a manual since my mom's old Saturn when I was in high school. Figured it out all over again on the way home. Been driving stick since, and I'm really sorry to see how scarce they are getting. I'll keep my GTI until it dies.
finally, some good content on the internet again! thanks roman!
I think also it's a contributing factory that most drivers in the U.S. are utility drivers; meaning that unlike car enthusiasts who love driving cars for its own sake, most drive them to get from point A to B. They view cars, and I include myself in this camp, as much of a necessary appliance as a fridge or AC unit. To those drivers, manuals were still compelling back in the 70s, 80s, and somewhat 90s because they were more fuel efficient, that is a utility that those drivers could see. However, as automatics got more efficient and hybrids came online that were more so, the advantage if it is still there isn't huge enough to be compelling to that utility driver.
Also agree that it is a price thing as well. Most utility drivers do want cheap cars, but the manuals at used lots (at least in my area) are either more expensive than the cheap automatic options or the manual that is there is some dodgy model that they don't want to touch; like an older mid 2000s Kia or very high mileage Fords (and no, it doesn't matter how much folks in comments complain about "lAzY pEoPle", most regular folk do not want to fuck around with their cars like they are amateur mechanics). Even using FB Marketplace or Craigslist, the used auto here is a grand or more cheaper than the manual. Then yeah as you get to newer models the price gap gets bigger and again, for utility drivers who don't care about the driving experience, the higher price tag is not worth it.
Yeah, I think decades of technological development and changing regulatory and market pressures have led to something of a role reversal for manual vs automatic. Where the automatic was once an expensive and worse-performing option aimed at the niche of people who really wanted driving to be a less involved process, the manual is now an expensive and generally worse-performing option tailored to the niche of people who want to be more involved in the process of driving.
To use another millennial trope, learning to drive manual comes across sort of like learning to write in cursive - why bother developing the skills necessary to operate an inkwell pen when ballpoints exist?
Now, I think learning manual holds up way better than cursive does because it's good to understand what and why your engine and transmission are doing what they do, manual or automatic, and automatics aren't (yet) able to make more advanced decisions a manual driver can like pre-emptively reacting to road conditions ahead
But then again, there are enthusiast automatics like a paddle-shifting DCT that can give you the practical benefits of both types, and so it comes back to the subjective nature of driving feel
I guess the one area where manuals still have a clear practical edge over automatics is in maintenance, but with the difference in up-front price now favoring autos that pressure in favor of manual is also somewhat dulled...
It also has to be said that in a housing market that is out of reach to the vast majority of new buyers now, people are stuck renting apartments. Most of which do not allow maintenance. I couldn't even change my oil if I wanted to because I would be in violation of my lease agreement if I jacked my car up and changed the oil. Let alone any more involved maintenance that might require a day or two of work.
@@mikeydude750 Same situation. I can't be doing anything that required jacking the car up and even if I technically could I don't have the room to store all those tools in my apartment with all the other roomates stuff.
In the US, used manuals typically sell for a premium over autos if the model was offered with both.
I have tried to buy new cars with manuals a couple of times in the past and it was usually the dealers who refused to order them that way.
I remember looking for a VW Golf as a commuter car about 15 years ago. The closest dealer to me grumbled something like “oh, you’re one of those guys.” I asked him to explain and he said that he had 6-8 people a week coming in looking for sticks but they never sold so he didn’t order any that way. I called around and found a couple in stock at a dealer 30 miles away and I bought one the same day. His logic still dumbfounds me.
My son is on his learners permit and I just took him out to teach him to drive my manual 1999 Boxster. He wants a manual for his first car… it won’t be a Porsche but I hope we can find a good example when we are ready to buy.
As an owner of a used VW model with a DSG and someone who loves manual cars I find that it is the best of both worlds oddly enough. It satisfies my love of gear shifting, my horrible clutch control, keeps you from red lining or misshifting and gives me the ability to change to pure auto when I need to concentrate more.
I remember being deployed to Ecuador and getting a few taxi rides on some small taxi buses. It was unbelievably cool how evern the average car was being controller by manual transmission, and the buses were too! Every driver I was with has no problem driving them. Manual transmission seems pretty common in countries OTHER than America sadly
Every time someone says something to the effect of “enthusiasts don’t buy new cars” I feel the need to remind them of the fact that new cars are more expensive than used cars. And used cars are really, really expensive for the average Joe. Like, if your household income is less than 100k you should not be even thinking of buying any brand new car.
Hence why so many younger people will only buy new cars and a house when they are near retirement age
When I watched your video about manual transmission, I see the lack of 2 major aspects. 1. Many people have chosen manual over automatic because of the economic reasons. Therefore, by the time goes by, in terms of fuel efficency, hybrid is getting on the 1st place, but also mentioned hybrid cars are almost impossible to be made in manual! ; 2. I live in a big city eastern/central europe, and form my point of view, in last 10-15 years, there is massive increase of numbers of cars in the city, wich causes extra traffic jam, where you travel approx. 6 miles per hour, start and stop, which is just very very uncomfortable in manual. If you go to work by car, every day, spending hours just on shifting between 1, 2 gear,, believe me, all you dream of, is an automatic car, just to chill and relax. Greetings, and thank you for your materials!
Good points. As much fun as manual transmissions are to drive on open roads (especially those with some curves and corners), they are nightmares in stop and go traffic. I've been stuck in holiday rush hour L.A. traffic once in a stick shift - it was physically and mentally brutal. Basically feathering the clutch constantly while keeping it half-way in first gear. 😢
@@brushstroke3733 Just once? I used to live in the Los Angeles area, so I encountered that kind of driving pretty regularly (there could be massive traffic jams even on weekends) but it was never really an issue. I would still rather have a manual even in those conditions. You get used to it like anything else... just as some people bristle at the idea of having to shift at all until they get used to it, some who don't drive in traffic that often in a manual might have the same reaction.
I did newspaper delivery late at night for a lot of years too, and that's dozens of miles of stop and go every night... and I always did that in a manual trans car too. I found the frustration of automatics to be much more annoying than the extra effort required to drive a manual. Now, I have never driven an auto with a manual mode (paddle shifters on the wheel or similar), but to me, if you're going to go that far, might as well just get the real thing.
@@tid418 Just once in that car as I did not live in L.A. but was going through to L.V. The clutch in my VW Sciracco had a long travel distance and was fairly substantial to push. Driving with that clutch about halfway between engaged and disengaged for over three hours really wore on my left calf! Total drive was 10 hours when it is only six hours in normal traffic. It was the day before Thanksgiving I think.
I LOVED driving manual transmission. Did so for over a decade in my younger years. Gave it up for auto because wife needed to share the car. I don’t miss driving manual in bumper to bumper traffic shifting between gears 1 and 2 either. My left calf muscle hurt so bad after years of commuting. I have learned to appreciate automatics. Maybe when I can have a manual for pure leisure, it will be worth it.
How many kids are growing up on farms these days? A lot of us had to learn stick because we started on a tractor.
spot-on! BTW "Salt Box" is a thing...in snowy climates. Also I think salt blocks we give to horses to lick, are created using a box
I agree with you on every point. I've owned a Toyota P/U since 1992. It's a 5-speed manual. I recently acquired a 1991 BMW 318i with a similar 5-speed manual transmission. Both of these cars are fun and exciting to drive even if they're not the most powerful of vehicles. New cars with "new tech" and automatic or CVT transmissions are soulless. Thanks for the video.
i have a manual wrx and my girlfriend has a DSG jetta GLI. i’m satisfied with both transmissions. i am sad that less cars are coming with manuals but i can live in the world of dual clutches. what really makes me upset is the disappearance of the manual handbrake. i honestly think that hurts me more.
A manual handbrake, a manual trans, and an actual metal key that goes into an ignition switch are not negotiable for me. Any car I buy must have these, and every control on the car must be able to be operated by feel (so the eyes can remain on the road where they belong). In other words, no touchscreens for the operation of any of the systems on the car!
For the stereo head unit (radio) I can make an exception, as long as it is a standard size that can easily be swapped out when it fails. When, not if.
There's a big thing now about not texting and driving... and that is good advice. Using a tablet bolted to or built into your car's dashboard is not any better, yet every car from 2015 on seems to have one.
I saw the writing on the wall. Traded my automatic 2022 civic for a new manual Mazda3 yesterday, after not daily driving a manual for 3 years. You always end up getting that itch that's gotta be scratched.
That's why I got a MT Civic Hybrid. It's not driving Nirvana, but the transmission makes 85 hp car "not boring". Plus you can touch 50 mpg sometimes.
@@Lazuriteplays slow cars are always more fun anyway 😅. You get to push it to the limits without getting tickets
@@LazuriteplaysI had no idea they were making Civics as slow as the old Geo’s 😂 my 2024 Civic Sport Hatch had like 158 hp
I had a Fiesta ST. It was one of the most fun cars I've ever owned. I did something really, really stupid, and sold it for a used Range Rover Evoque two years in. I got rid of the RR last October, and one of the cars I tested was a new Civic Type R. I was prepared to fall in love, and 60 seconds into the test drive, I decided I was done with manuals. I really shocked myself that day.
I am old school driver, and when you mentioned wanting a manual but knowing your spouse can't drive one being a factor in a purchase, I knew exactly what you were talking about. I think manuals will remain but only as a niche market offering. They'll be offered at a premium and in the near future only rich a$$holes will drive them. And they will not drive them very well.
Bought my manual 22 Ford bronco base at 20 years old and it was my first manual car! For me the easiest and cheapest way to get good experience using a manual was riding a motorcycle as they are still relatively affordable especially for younger people like me.
Great vid. Your comment about those with means really strikes a chord: I just spent an hour or so last weekend teaching a buddy to drive my manual Fit, precisely because he was a point where his income and resources allowed him to consider a fun car.
The wrinkle is that, as you noted, people of that age probably grew up loving cars from prior eras (e.g. 90s JDM icons, or muscle cars) - so that enthusiasm might not translate to new car sales.
Me: buys an ND2 Club brand new to support Mazda.
Roman: doesn’t mention the MX-5 community even once.