Lost art in USA

[Bcozzi71]

http://autos.aol.com/article/stick-s...togenlfpge0006

[Julianachos]

Can't agree more.

[Night Wolf]

damn you trip-tronic!

[deevergote]

Isn't it tiptronic? (Which is really just the system used in VW based cars... it's like saying saying the variable valve timing in a Nissan is VTEC.)


Anyway, I think that article is also excluding automated manuals, such as the ones found in the GTR, EvoX, and many Porsches and BMWs. Clutchless manuals are going to be the new thing. Sadly, the clutch pedal is part of the fun!

In the 80s, Japanese and German cars were simplistic machines. Brought over here with non-American ideals... and manual transmissions are more popular in other countries. US cars were struggling to keep up with the fuel economy of those cars, so they released their own manuals... usually only in smaller economy vehicles, or rebadged imports.
In the 90s, there was a decline. All but the cheapest American cars, or the sports cars, came automatic. If you were buying a GM car, you'd need a Cavalier, Corvette, or Camarobird to get a manual. You wouldn't find it in a Caprice or Impala, Grand Prix, Grand Am (earlier ones perhaps), etc... Chrysler products, you would need to buy a Neon (or Shadow before that), or a Viper... or a Stealth, but that was a Mitsubishi. Ford had a few... Escort, Probe, Mustang... Ford has always been the one to stay truest to their roots, I feel.
At the same time, the imports became more "American". They understood their market, and made automatics. They still made manuals, but the miserly efficiency and reliability nuts weren't their sole market anymore.


However, NOW... I feel there are more options being made available for manual transmissions than ever before. Every major branch of every US automaker has manual transmissions available on multiple platforms. The fact that I can go buy a CTS or a 300C with a manual transmission is impressive.

[quaidum]

i cant stand automatics the constant wanting to be in the highest gear drives me crazy
if they ever do away with manuals i don't know what i would do i would probably never get rid of the cb's

[kantkillkeenan]

Actually i read somewhere that people that drive Manual are better drivers because they are more aware of thier surroundings. Personally i own a 5 spd cb7 and a auto Subbie...I almost fall alseep sometimes driving the subbie..lol

[MikeW]

US cars were struggling to keep up with the fuel economy of those cars, so they released their own manuals... usually only in smaller economy vehicles, or rebadged imports.

If you were buying a GM car, you'd need a Cavalier, Corvette, or Camarobird to get a manual. ...Chrysler...Ford

The fact that I can go buy a CTS or a 300C with a manual transmission is impressive.

Im speaking mainly on GMs behalf, obviously, but the only cars they offer, right now, in MT, are the Aveo, Cobalt/G5/Ion, Hummer, Camaro and Corvette. I cant remember if the SS-HHR or Redline Vue came in MT or not, but i wanna say no.

Chrysler and Ford are about the same. Base model, "econo-cars" come standard MT, the same for their lines of "SuperCars"; Mustangs, 300C, etc.

You can get a CTS or 300C in MT, but it's gonna cost you. Unless ive just fallen behind on Chrysler, i didnt think you could get a 300 in a MT unless it were the SRT version.

i cant stand automatics the constant wanting to be in the highest gear drives me crazy

WOT, y0!

[MikeW]

Manual transmissions arent going away forever. They just arent coming standard in the class of cars they used to. 20 years ago, you could get an Accord in a MT. Nowadays, i dont think so.

The car companies are still going to produce them, but they'll be in either their lower class, base model economy cars, like the Versa, Aveo, Fiesta, etc. or theyre going to be in your higher-powered sports cars; Mustangs, Camaros, Corvettes, etc.

Is it a dying art? I think so. Kids have so much other shit to do these days keeping them distracted(cell phones, computers, etc) that driving a stick isnt something they care, or want to learn, unless they're genuinely into cars.

Not to mention, most kids(that i knew anyway) grew up with a family sedan or van/wagon and they couldn't drive stick in said vehicle. Thusly, their parents didnt drive it, so they weren't submitted to such driving aspects.

[Night Wolf]

Isn't it tiptronic? (Which is really just the system used in VW based cars... it's like saying saying the variable valve timing in a Nissan is VTEC.)

IDK I heard some one call the AT shifters with the (+/ -) space triptronic

[texasvtak]

IDK I heard some one call the AT shifters with the (+/ -) space triptronic

A lot of people say a lot of things.

Anyway, Im never giving up my manual. My next car (soonish, actually ) will absolutely have a stick shift.

[deevergote]

IDK I heard some one call the AT shifters with the (+/ -) space triptronic

It's kinda like referring to a tissue as a Kleenex, or petroleum jelly as Vaseline.


Taken from Wikipedia:


Tradenames

* Acura: Sequential SportShift
* Alfa Romeo: Sportronic, Q-Tronic
* Alpina:Switchtronic,
* Aston Martin: Touchtronic
* Audi: tiptronic
* BMW: Steptronic
* Chevrolet: TAPshift
* Chrysler / Dodge / Jeep: AutoStick
* Ford (Australia): Sequential Sports Shift
* Ford (USA): SelectShift
* Holden: Active Select
* Honda: iShift, S-matic, MultiMatic, SportShift
* Hyundai: Shiftronic, HIVEC H-Matic
* Infiniti: Manual Shift Mode
* Jaguar: Bosch Mechatronic
* Kia: Sportmatic
* Lancia: Comfortronic
* Land Rover: CommandShift
* Lexus: E-Shift
* Lincoln: SelectShift
* Mazda: ActiveMatic
* Mercedes-Benz: TouchShift
* MG-Rover: Steptronic
* Mitsubishi: INVECS, INVECS II, INVECS III, Sportronic, tiptronic, Allshift
* Nissan: Xtronic
* Opel / Vauxhall: ActiveSelect, tiptronic
* Peugeot: 2Tronic
* Pontiac: Driver Shift Control (DSC)
* Porsche: Tiptronic, Tiptronic S
* Saab: Sentronic
* Saturn: TAPshift
* SEAT: tiptronic
* Škoda Auto: tiptronic
* Subaru: Sportshift (system developed and name used under license from Prodrive Ltd.)
* Smart: Softip
* Toyota:
* Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: tiptronic
* Volkswagen Passenger Cars: tiptronic
* Volvo: Geartronic

Tiptronic

Tiptronic is a registered trademark, owned by German sports car maker Porsche, who license it for use by other manufacturers, such as Land Rover and the Volkswagen Group (Audi, SEAT, Škoda and Volkswagen). When used by Porsche, the word Tiptronic is always (and only) spelled with a leading upper-case capital 'T'; however, under the terms of the Porsche license, all licensee users must spell tiptronic with a leading lower-case 't'.

Many people (erroneously) use the term 'tiptronic' to refer generically to any type of torque converter automatic transmission that incorporates a manual upshift/downshift feature.

[almostJDM]

I cant stand autos, i about fell asleep driving my dads 02 Accord SE coupe, thanks god for rumble strips lol, every car i own or will own must have a manual, but i will own an auto also, that is if who ever i marry wants one haha, but when i have kids i will teach them do drive a manual transmission

[Accrdwgnguy]

I do hope that manual trans make a comeback here, but its unlikely. Lazy americans. 75% of cars sold in Europe are manual trans.

Personally I will always drive manual trans. My Accord and my truck are both stick, and my 83 Malibu wagon is going to be converted at some point.

[brownhornet]

In my opinion, if you can't drive stick, then you can't drive. I mean really, an automatic is just a big go kart. The only reason the average 8 yr can't drive, is the fact that they can't reach the pedals and see over the dash at the same time.