Regret not buying manual?

[pick333]

It's odd that during a time when performance cars are as popular as ever, the sale of manuals has dropped to about 4%. The first time I made the mistake of not buying a manual shift was a brand new 1967 Pontiac Firebird. Ten months after purchase, I traded it in for a new 1968 GTO (the one with the hood mounted tachometer.)

I am more convinced than ever that, despite the great improvements in automatic transmissions and the option to shift with levers near the steering wheel, there is no substitute for a foot/clutch/gear shift at the rpm level of your choice.

For me, the most fun comes in the form of 2-doors, rear wheel drive, and manual transmission. In other words, you are driving the car rather than the car taking you for a ride.

How many of you regret, as I do (once again), not going manual?

[Esteban]

I regret not buying a manual, but I had no choice. I severely broke my left ankle hiking in Mt. Baldy in 2008. No more clutch for me. At the time I was driving an 06 Mustang Gt with a 5-speed manual transmission. Most of my cars before then were manual.

After that I traded my Mustang for a 2008 135i with the steptronic transmission. Great car, great transmission, but I missed my manual. In 2010 I traded that for a 2011 135i with the dual clutch transmission. Fastest auto transmission I've ever driven. Love this car... my favorite car... but I will always be a manual transmission guy.

[Converted1]

I don't care about other people's reasons for not buying MT, but I severely dislike the fact that it now drives what gets on the floor and secondary market for the BMW brand.

Good luck finding a dealer with a rwd/mt coupe in stock. 90% of what they stock and sell is at/xdrive (exception being m cars). Pathetic for a brand like BMW. I don't mind ordering the car I want but I would like to test drive the basic configuration before.

[Esteban]

Originally Posted by Converted1

I don't mind ordering the car I want but I would like to test drive the basic configuration before.

That's easy. Test drive the car you want in an automatic. If you like it with the automatic, you'll love it with a manual. That's as long as the automaker is still making it with a manual.

[mtowle182]

not really. when i'm in traffic going to school or in the backed up parking garage I thoroughly enjoy sitting there and just being able to sip on my coffee and not have to do much else

[Yeineken]

Originally Posted by mtowle182

not really. when i'm in traffic going to school or in the backed up parking garage I thoroughly enjoy sitting there and just being able to sip on my coffee and not have to do much else

Agreed. I wish I cook do a manual. But in the DC area and getting stuck in traffic on the beltway is when I'm glad I have the DCT.

[Enovoc]

My previous cars were manual. Decided to try out a DCT 135i. I love it and havent regretted the decision since.

[NVHoo]

What I like most about manuals is the incredible acceleration you get in first gear that throws you back in your seat. The "launch" on an automatic is not even close.

What I like about autos is they are faster in virtually every speed test as compared to a manual, and easier to drive in traffic. When I'm pushing the car on twisty-turneys of a country road in sport mode, 99% of the time the car is in the gear I'd pick manually and I can concentrate more on my driving. I could drive the car in the manual mode but I only feel the circumstances require me to do so about 1% of the time.

Although we all like to think we could have been getting the checkered flag at Le Mans if we had only been "discovered", 99.99% of drivers don't take the training nor the needed track time to drive a manual properly. How many posters here use "heel and toe"?

A man's got to realize his limitations and I think I'm better when aggressively driving the car with both hands on the wheel and not thinking about shift points.

For those reasons, manual trannies will continue to be a shrinking segment of the sports car population.

[mr.fabulous]

I know I would...

[bmw1racer]

Originally Posted by NVHoo

99.99% of drivers don't take the training nor the needed track time to drive a manual properly.

That's a gross exaggeration.

[KNTDRV]

I've driven "manuals"(the one's with 3-pedals) since 1975 and never owned an "automatic".
If only I could have ordered my 2015 RAM 1500 Hemi with a "stick"......

[darkrom]

Originally Posted by bmw1racer

That's a gross exaggeration.

Is it? The only people I know who can drive a manual are car enthusiasts. Do you think most soccer moms driving minivans and SUVs know how to bang through the gears? There are a lot of enthusiasts out there, probably more than ever, but the majority of people drive cars that make no sense to have a manual, and they would view it as extra work, not extra control or fun. I love my MT, but I've got back problems and wish there was some magical way to switch between clutch and shifter and a DCT with the flip of a button. Stuck in traffic on a bad pain day, DCT all the way. No or less pain and wide open roads, 6MT 100%.

[drunkenup]

Yup, that's exactly what happened with my previous 335i coupe.. and is why I am in a MT 135i.

[davis449]

I learned to drive in a manual and never wanted anything else ever again in my life...alas, when your parents are providing the transportation, you take what's given, shut up and be grateful you have something to drive at all. When I went to buy my first car out of college, I chose to go 6MT. I loved it and never will regret it. But after one drive in an R32, I was hooked on DCT. Never thought anything would take me away from a MT, especially not in the quick fashion it did. Next car was a DSG. At Porsche school, the PDK proved to be so much more useful on a track than the manual and, dare I say, more fun. I think that's what really convinced me I would never go back to MT (in new cars). When I wanted a new car, 135i had DCT, and there was no question I would rather have this car in DCT than manual. I still get an itch in my left foot, but it's never enough to make me go out and buy one. Hell, with how good the new ZF8's are, I'd just ass soon go back to a regular torque converter auto now.

For argument's sake though, let say I've been thinking about an e36 M3 for a while to own as a fun car. Now that car, I would NEVER drive with an auto trans.

[Xyloft]

Originally Posted by EvenEsteban

That's easy. Test drive the car you want in an automatic. If you like it with the automatic, you'll love it with a manual. That's as long as the automaker is still making it with a manual.

meh. i disagree. I have driven a few cars where i hated the car as an automatic, but they were awesome as a manual. if you only get to test the auto, you may be depriving yourself of some enjoyable cars.

I'm pretty frustrated with the lack of manuals out there. or that many cars do not even have manuals an an option anymore. (Mercedes AMG, i'm looking at you).

BMW and Subaru seem to keep offering manuals in most vehicles, but even BMW is starting to skip offering a manual (M235 Xdrive, for example).

[MightyMouseTech]

Sad state of affairs North America is getting into with manuals.

Here at Acura, there is no longer a single vehicle sold with an available manual shifter. They are all 8 or 9 speed automatics now.

Sad, sad, sad.....

And it is all the automatic drivers that make driving in heavy traffic such a PITA with a manual. They creep up, stop, creep up, stop, creep up, stop. Driving in England really brought this home to me. Most cars are real manual trannies there. Rush hour traffic is beautiful, either full stop, or creeping along in first gear at a nice steady speed.

So you can blame the lack of manuals on the lack of manuals.

[five_timer]

Originally Posted by NVHoo

Although we all like to think we could have been getting the checkered flag at Le Mans if we had only been "discovered", 99.99% of drivers don't take the training nor the needed track time to drive a manual properly. How many posters here use "heel and toe"?

Actually, there's a surprising number of forum members who use heel and toe. However, I don't track my car, I don't need to heel and toe, I just like having the car be in the gear I want. Not all MT drivers are boy racers.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by five_timer

Actually, there's a surprising number of forum members who use heel and toe. However, I don't track my car, I don't need to heel and toe, I just like having the car be in the gear I want. Not all MT drivers are boy racers.

It has nothing to do with being a boyracer. It is the proper way to downshift.

[five_timer]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

And it is all the automatic drivers that make driving in heavy traffic such a PITA with a manual. They creep up, stop, creep up, stop, creep up, stop. Driving in England really brought this home to me. Most cars are real manual trannies there. Rush hour traffic is beautiful, either full stop, or creeping along in first gear at a nice steady speed.

This is absolutely true; I try to keep it in gear at a crawl, but everyone else is lunging and stopping repeatedly.

[kprocivic]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

It has nothing to do with being a boyracer. It is the proper way to downshift.

subjective.

it's a good technique, not the end all though.

[five_timer]

Originally Posted by MightyMouseTech

It has nothing to do with being a boyracer. It is the proper way to downshift.

We've discussed this before - I don't need to be told what's proper. It's absolutely not necessary for driving on public roads. You're welcome to do it yourself.

[MightyMouseTech]

Originally Posted by five_timer

We've discussed this before - I don't need to be told what's proper. It's absolutely not necessary for driving on public roads. You're welcome to do it yourself.

Depends how much you like your clutch and syncros then I guess.