Question Of The Day: What Makes You Drive A Manual
In my column on manual transmissions, I touched on how the only way to ensure the survival of the manual gearbox is to keep buying them. But a significant number of commenters expressed the sentiment that rowing your own was no longer worthwhile.
On the one hand, I get it. Today’s automatics have never been better, to say nothing of dual-clutch transmissions. There are a number of cars (any of the SRT Hellcats, for example) where an automatic makes more sense than a manual. But I also know that there are plenty of reasons to buy the stick.
I am always fascinated by the reasons people give for purchasing one. There are enthusiasts who cite the engagement and connection with the car, but for every individual who wants the purity of a manual, there is someone who has little to no interest in cars, but has always driven a stick and won’t give it up, or someone who think that it’s a good way to keep themselves from getting bored while driving.
Me? As much as I take the enthusiast line on manuals. I also find the act of pressing the clutch pedal and changing gears to be an incredibly relaxing repetitive motion. There’s something calming about the repetitive, rhythmic motion that I don’t ever want to give up.
How about you, B&B?
More by Derek Kreindler
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Funny you should ask. I just traded in a 2010 Challenger R/T 6MT for a 2015 with the 8-speed. I had a motorcycle before I had the manual-transmission car. It gave me a bit of a different perspective... after that, manual vs. automatic seems like arguing flavors of carbonated sugar water and ignoring that there are far more interesting beverages like beer, wine, and whiskey.
D-Rock, I don’t think many people have experienced a good manual transmission. Fact is, most manual transmissions use a dual-mass flywheel, CDV (clutch delay valve on BMW’s), sloppy shifter linkage, and strange rubbery donuts connected to the driveshaft. The next article should focus on what manufacturer installs a “great” manual transmission.
I got a manual Mustang GT after my wife made fun of me for driving a DSG GTI for a few years! :)
_Loving_ all these comments ! . Speeder or slushbox , whatever floats yer boat is the correct answer . Typ III VW's were the shiznit in their day ~ the round body holes that rusted out were there to install the rear torsion bars . My self , I liked the Fastbacks best and yes , I have owned them all . That $22,000 '72 is very nice indeed but the minor restyle in '71 ruined the looks for me , forever . besides being 3 X what it's worth . RE : bump starting ~ some still do this but even back in the day , so few realized it's important to _not_ use first or reverse gear . My ex psycho-b*tch G.F.'s '82 Ford Escort Coup occasionally didn't want to start , one time she called me to give her a bump start and her eldest Son and I went , she insisted on sitting in it as we pushed , when I hollered " let 'er rip ! " she began cranking it with the key instead of bump starting it , luckily for us it roared into life as her Son and I looked at each other , I told him ' let it go , you know how she gets ' .... That Diesel tractor prolly could have been bump started ~ the higher the compression ratio the more important it is to use the higher gears as you only need to rotate the engine a tiny bit to jar it into life . -Nate