Curious Why it Seems so Many People Want a Manual Trans?

[TMP]

Ya…..to all the ones moaning about the “computer“ shifting for you……yep it sure does and does a real good job of it……but if you want to shift it just put it into manual mode and use the +- button to pick and choose what gear and when you want it to be in. Modern auto boxes are the best of both world…….me thinks all these “die hards” just like hanging on to a “stick” and “jerking“ it back and forth!

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[mtap]

So i can teach my daughter how to drive one…

 

[Razorbak86]

Some people enjoy the engagement of the act, coordination, thinking, it is just more fun. Like some folks (not pointing fingers) who question why a manual...those folks like watching porn, while manual drivers like being being actors in it.

Let’s see your filmography. I’ll wait…

 

[Tricky Dick]

It looks like the major points have been covered. Never met an auto that behaved anything close to how I want it to.

 

[MacMarauder]

Automatics are more efficient, manual is more fun to drive.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

So i can teach my daughter how to drive one…

This, exactly.
She has shown an interest on learning to drive a manual (she has her permit) , man, I dropped Sasquatch so freaking fast when she started talking about it! Lol!
Added benefit of her idiot schoolmates and other asstd teen boys sniffing around most likely will not be able to drive it. Lol
Once that was decided, I was able to talk myself a the way down to a baseBase, which MAYBE, I can gift her later on.
The crawler gear intrigues me. I did a tyranny swap on my offroad rig to get a granny gear, so I'm excited to try this one out.

If ManSquatch had been available, that's where I'd be.
That's also why I'll be PISSED if my rig doesn't show up until February or some shit.

 

[rugbysecondrow]

It is fun, especially since mine will be paired with a 2door. It feels more like "driving" than "riding" for me. An active part of the experience vs. a more passive actor. As somebody with ADD and a former smoker, I like having something to do with my hand while driving. Purposeful fidgeting.

I like the granny gear, but that is a bonus rather than a deciding factor. I did not base this decision on off-road performance. For my limited fire road/logging trail/ beach driving plans, the manual will accomplish all of that just fine.

Factor in the manual was less expensive to buy and likely a reduced cost of ownership, the Manual Trans fit my needs really well and made sense.

YMMV though. I don't hate on the auto option.

Edit: I drove the manual a couple months ago and it solidified my decision.

 

[john houseman]

Use to be automatic vs manual was about 50-50. Before that it was very rare to find an automatic that didn't cost you a fortune. Just like AC in the early years, the option cost almost as much as the car. Automatics are much better now, cheaper and more efficient. It's rare these days to find a manual offered. If I have an automatic now, it's because that vehicle wasn't offered with a manual. I don't live in a big city, with bumper to bumper traffic jams - I can see the advantages there. Small town, country roads and highways. A manual is more engaging and fun, makes you feel like a part of the vehicle - kind of like road feel, through a steering wheel in a sports car. Plus, I don't want to be a part of their extinction. What if you grew up with a dog for a pet, then suddenly there are no more dogs. That's how I feel about manual transmissions.

I also drive Semi's and Farm equipment regularly. Shifting gears is second nature, don't really even think about it anymore - it just happens.

 

[RagnarKon]

Because I enjoy driving manual.

The end.

 

[jmhutner]

Curious why a manual is so important. I know, some people like stick shift trans, but why in a Bronco? Do you get a stick in all of your other cars and trucks? Not trying to start a stick vs auto debate (but a good discussion is fine), but I've seen so many comments about a manual I'm wonder what folks reasoning is.

Part of my question is that for almost ever there has been a perception that a manual is better off road. However, this perception is almost entirely folks who have little off road experience. Experience shows that an auto has many advantages over a stick off road. So, what the heck, why do so many folks want a stick Bronco?

In my 40s now and have had a manual in every car that I've had since I was 16. Got an AMG Mercedes and sold it in 14 months to go back to a manual Mustang GT. I hate driving automatics. Don't know what to do with my left foot. Feel a total lack of engagement. Can't stand having to put the car into P to turn it off. My bet is that most of the people selecting automatics have either given up on fun or never knew how to drive a manual in the first place.

 

[Chuck_Ruck]

Not true. 8 years in the industry and I still choose an automatic.

Agree to disagree, third pedal requires a third leg. That being said, after a week of shooting, I dont feel like driving anyway.

 

[MaverickMan]

They are more reliable when things go south on you. And I have tons of wheeling experience 15+ years and always feel nervous wheeling with an auto. A manual wont piss 12 qts of hydraulic fluid on the trail and tell me to walk. Worst case the shifter breaks off and I pull the linkage apart to jam a manual into a gear and just limp home. I drove out of trails with no clutch pedal and with no shifter and with no oil in the case. Autos cant do that.

 

[chobit]

This is purely my own preference. My Bronco is going to be the 10-speed. I haven't owned any recent Ford products to know how this 10-speed compares to the 8-speed on my 2018 JLU which is excellent. Unlike the old auto-box, the 8-speed on the Jeep downshift for you during braking which provides some engine braking or keep you in a lower gear as your approach a turn. The Bronco is going to be my daily drive and for road trips, so I don't mind keeping things simple with adaptive cruise. With that said, that's also the reason why I purchased a Miata with a stick. For a little car that is agile and quick in the corner with a high rev engine of 7500 rpm redline to match, I want to have more control on what gear I am in at the exact moment, so that I have more control of the car driving dynamic (power band, weight shift, etc). Since I rev-match and heel-toe pretty much 100% with my driving on a stick, I think a manual truck just doesn't match my driving style.

 

[rkj__]

It “seems like so many people want a manual,” but really, very few do buy one.

 

[AZshot]

I like deciding how high I rev in each gear. I can rev 1-3 harder, then start short shifting once in front of the traffic flow.
I don't have to use the throttle to determine if/when to downshift.
Manuals last longer.
Manuals get better mileage (yes, they do still - for me)
Manuals don't have a computer hunting for gears and trying to figure out what to do for unusual conditions.
Manuals can be bump started.
Manuals don't have a GOAT mode telling the transmission what to do - I tell it.

and on and on....

It's like what my friend, a former F-4 and F-16 fighter pilot said when I asked why he didn't keep flying, buy a Cessna, after he retired. Answer, "once you've controlled a fighter plane, everything else would be too boring to mess with."

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