why no manual transmission?

Can't speak for the US. In the UK, manual gearboxes are still in the majority, AFAIK.

OTOH, automatics have been improving their efficiency, to where some figures suggest that Mr/Mrs/Ms Average could get better MPG out of a modern automatic, the sloppy way he/she/she drives.

And some cars (eg Prius) don't actually come in manual versions, owing to their weird engine configurations.

A well-researched story in the Atlanta Constitution Journal a couple of months ago agrees with your theory. Not enough people want manuals.

June 10, 2006SECTION: AJCCARS; Pg. 1N. When I bought my car in 03, I had to loudly insist that I would not accept an automatic. It was still difficult to get them to believe me.

Only around 5% of the new cars sold in the US have manual trannys. That makes the costs of certifying the vehicles for CAFE and the NHTSA, comparably high for the manufactures. Manual are therefore centered in the cars sold at the bottom of the market where people who can not afford automatics are centered.

mike

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I see Corvettes, Mustang GT's, Ferraris and Porsche turbos with automatic transmissions. IMO, kind of like ketchup on a filet mignon.

Wow .. that low? I wouldn't have guessed.

Hmmm .. I would have said "enthusiasts" instead of people looking for cheaper cars.

I have been told (by fans of automatic transmissions) that they are almost as efficient as a good driver with a manual transmission. Is that the case?

Should I just give up looking for manual transmission and surrender to automatics? I just like having control over when the car shifts.

Esmail

I just tried to find the article on-line, but couldn't .. plus I guess I'll have to pay for it :-)

Hmm .. just curious, what did you get?

I was trying to get a Subaru Legacy wagon earlier this year, and I wanted the manual (which is the standard on the car) .. they were in really short supply. At the end I couldn't get the one I wanted, plus the dealership was so bad I decided not to buy one.

Now I'm thinking the RAV4 to replace my 91 Toyota Corolla Wagon .. and am discovering that manual isn't even an option.

Esmail

Sorry, I can't do better than give the reference to the newspaper article. I remembered reading it and when I searched today found it in their archives. As I remember, spokesmen from NADA and Wards bascially said that only two types wanted manuals. Those who liked to drive with a sporty feel and those who wanted the lower initial purchase cost of the car as well as wanted to save gas money because manuals typically had a slight advantage with MPG.

Of course, they also mentioned that autos are getting pretty close and sometimes better at MPG compared to manuals.

I got a camry. Made in Japan. I don't think they make any manual camrys in the US, at least that's what the salesman told me....but who knows where he got his information, if anywhere.

Anyway, if he was trying to convince me to give up on the manual, telling me it was made in Japan only made me insist even more....Sure enough, it arrived with the Japan "J" VIN.

Yeah! I hear ya!

Although I think the AT on a Ferrari is an automatically clutched 6 speed...

The last 5-speed Camry I recall seeing on the lot was a 2000...

But did you look at the Content sticker?

We had a Camry come in with a "J" vin, and it was the EXACT same content as the Kentucky built cars! 75% North American content, 25% Japan.

Usually, this means the body is made from US parts, and the engine and transmission are made in Japan.

I posed this question last year, when I was working for the dealer.

Without that 3rd pedal on the floor, it's an automatic to me!

============================ With an manual you control gear shifts with the clutch. With an automatic you control gear shifts with the throttle.

How do you feather an automatic on loose surfaces?

If they make it, it's out there - make sure it's available equipment in the brochure. Try calling around to different dealerships or if they're willing, have them do a locate for you.

-Dave

I've gotta remember that - excellent analogy!

-Dave

What a load of crap.

So would I. The troll "Mike Hunt" is wrong, as usual.

I don't doubt that's the case.

That's the real point of a manual. You have more control, and it's more fun. As a bonus, they are somewhat more efficient.

For US cars it's even worse. The last manual we had was a 95 S-10. Sloppy ratios and the automatic actually got better mileage and performance out of the 4-cylinder. The last one before that was the 3 speed in my dad's Chevy II. Dad hated it, but the only other option at that point was the 2-speed Powerslide, which was worse. . . . . We liked the 72 Carina, and we had Dad's 77 4-speed TE31 until shortly before he died.

Charles of Schaumburg

I control the shift on my 3-OD on the AE102. When you get to 15, if you let up just a bit, she'll drop right into second. Then at 30, she'll go into

3d. At 45, once she warms up, she'll drop into overdrive. But if you need to punch it hard, she'll drop down to the next lower gear. You learn to feel the engine/gear works by the seat of your pants, as it were.

Unless, of course, you have a load of crap in them. I have a suspicion that would get in the way.

Charles of Schaumburg.

We prefer to think of it a "Formula One Technology available for the Average Person..."

C'mon, you worked the Car biz, Ray! It's all in the, 'terminology'...

On my way to Leominster today I *PASSED* a Ferrari convertible!!