Why do people still drive manual cars?

They are fun to drive and it's nice to control just when to hit the next gear and use the clutch to hold in neutral between gears.

It's sad that so many car models are getting rid of the manual option.

I don't think Lexus has any manual cars.

Next thing you know you won't even have to steer most cars.

No fun.

Have driven nothing but manuals. Enjoy them, it gives me a great feel for the car and I feel more connected with its inner workings.

Def far more fuel efficient, I can even coast on down hills and when approaching red lights.

In the rare instances of a dead battery, faulty starter, alternator, I can easily get it push started with a helpful passenger.

Its a bit more work than an automatic in city driving, but overall its a fun drive.

Oh, and women seem to be impressed!

You are too sheltered. In many countries, it is hard to find an automatic.

Why do people run or walk? Do they realize cars, segways, escalators, etc exist? I’m I missing something?

I'm holding out for a stick shift Tesla.

Real manual transmissions are a dying breed. It’s too bad, because it is much more fun to drive. I get it that newer twin clutch and even standard automatics are faster, but it’s missing that connection to the car. My kids will definitely learn to drive in a car with a manual transmission.

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developing_country

Tommy2Nuttz wrote:

Def far more fuel efficient, I can even coast on down hills and when approaching red lights.

In neutral, fuel is injected into the engine to keep the engine idling. If you stay in gear, fuel is cut off entirely when engine braking because the wheels are connected to, and spin the engine. So, you'll save gas (using none) staying in gear on downhills and approaching red lights as long as the engine braking isn't slowing you down more than you want it to. You can lessen the engine braking effect by shifting to a higher gear if you are wanting to "coast" down a more gradual hill and probably still save gas over using neutral.

Driving a car with a manual transmission mainly appears to enthusiasts these days, those who want to drive for fun. I like the manual on my old Subaru, but also like letting the car control the engine speed in my Prius.

Pros:

-Safer in snow/ice since you control which gear and how many rpms

-More fun to drive

-Faster acceleration which means safer to enter highway on-ramps or pass other vehicles

-Safer for other drivers on the road. People in automatics text, hold their phone, eat, fiddle with their stereo, etc while driving. These things are harder/impractical to do when your left hand is on the wheel and your right hand is on the stick.

-Better gas mileage if driven correctly (coasting down hills etc).

-Tires, brakes pads, discs, calipers, etc last longer. Automatics always go forward so you constantly have to brake. With manual, you can coast or only use enough gas as necessary to get to the next stop light, turn, etc.

-If your battery is dead you can start the car with a push start. No need for a jump from another vehicle.

-Knowing how to drive stick makes you understand how gears work and makes you a better driver. For example, when someone cuts you off, you lose momentum and have to go from 3rd or 4th gear back to 2nd gear. This wastes gas and puts wear n tear on your tires, brakes, etc. As a manual driver, you understand this and are less likely to do this to someone else. However the driver in the automatic who cut you off will continue to do this to other people because they don't understand.

-Manual cars cost less than automatic counterparts. Also transmission repairs are much cheaper. People are less likely to buy manual, so you can get a great deal. But this is also why they are so rare now.

Cons:

-Stop n go traffic sucks.

-Starting on steep hills sucks.

mmassa wrote:

Do they not know that automatic cars exist? What am I missing?

You're missing a lot of the fun of driving. I wouldn't buy anything else. A bonus now is that your car is much less likely to get stolen now as most car thieves can't drive manuals.

If you have to ask, you've never driven one.

new investor wrote:

-Tires, brakes pads, discs, calipers, etc last longer. Automatics always go forward so you constantly have to brake. With manual, you can coast or only use enough gas as necessary to get to the next stop light, turn, etc.

Cons:

-Stop n go traffic sucks.

The thing with the brakes is so true. I guess if you're really conscientious, you could shift to neutral at every stoplight with an auto, but when I do that, I sometimes forget and the rev up the engine before remember to put it back in drive.

I hear you on the stop and go. I commuted in a stick for a number of years and it occasionally sucked. I miss the manual though.

Bio Dome wrote:

new investor wrote:

-Tires, brakes pads, discs, calipers, etc last longer. Automatics always go forward so you constantly have to brake. With manual, you can coast or only use enough gas as necessary to get to the next stop light, turn, etc.

Cons:

-Stop n go traffic sucks.

The thing with the brakes is so true. I guess if you're really conscientious, you could shift to neutral at every stoplight with an auto, but when I do that, I sometimes forget and the rev up the engine before remember to put it back in drive.

I hear you on the stop and go. I commuted in a stick for a number of years and it occasionally sucked. I miss the manual though.

Yup, another con with stop n go traffic is that your left hamstring could get get sore if it's a really long commute. Or with heavier cars like BMWs, the clutch is very stiff so your leg will definitely get tired.

Also, remember when the electronics failed in those newer autos and people went 100mph+ on the highway and couldn't turn off their engine? They pushed the on/off button and nothing happened. That would never happen in a manual.

I recently bought a manual after having learned to drive on one. I love it. It's definitely a pain in the rear in traffic, but otherwise it is great. They are harder and harder to find. I'm a 46 year old professional and I had to resort to driving a GTI to get a reasonably priced manual. It's a great car, but I certainly get grief from my friends for having a car that is often referred to as a "hot hatch" at this stage in my life.

As one poster pointed out, it deters texting and driving which is why my kids will learn to drive a manual and will have one as their first car. Plus, it just makes you a better driver since you pay more attention to light cycles, distances to other cars, grad of the road, etc. when driving a manual than an automatic. Added bonus is that none of their friends will be able to drive it, which I like.

The acceleration and gas mileage benefits are pretty marginal these days with the extraordinarily advanced autos, but there is something undeniably fun about downshifting into a turn, hearing he engine rev, and punching it out the other side of the apex of the turn.

actually blows my mind how some people dont roller blade everywhere. It’s 2018 people

Consistently getting 60 mpg on trips is a plus.

Manual driving is great. You have way more control over the car, and this better control is advantageous on snow/ice, while accelerating on a freeway, while descending down a hill. An automatic can always shift the best gear for the situation it is in, but it can't *anticipate* what is upcoming down the road like a human manual driver can.

Yes, some females are impressed by it, even if you are driving a cheap econobox. "please teach me" etc.

I want to move to a super high MPG/mpge platform like Prius or Bolt, but I would miss the manual tranny and this keep me current ride.

Almost no transmission problems.

Because how else am I supposed to allow the turbo to spool up fully while waiting for a green light?