Second Thoughts on Manual Transmission

[coolrain]

It’s already been said but I’m in the camp with other’s that deal with traffic... I already have a manual sport car it will be nice “to be a passenger” as someone said and enjoy the commute and trails with the tech designed for the auto

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[The_Phew]

I highly doubt there is ever going to be another new mass-produced 4x4 with a manual transmission available after the Bronco. There will surely be several generations of better/improved automatic 4x4s before we are all forced to drive EVs.

Would you rather have the last manual 4x4, or just another auto 4x4 among many?

Think of all the cars in history where the manual transmission examples are valuable collectors' items, but the auto versions are forgotten. E46 M3, Porsche 993, 3rd-gen 4Runner, Acura NSX, etc. I'm not saying to buy a 7MT Bronco and lock it away as an investment, but drive it and get the satisfaction of knowing you experienced the pinnacle of a particular technology before it was lost to the sands of time.

 

[BeerForMyHorses]

You conveniently left out the manual is slower too

Wouldn't be fun if you got a manual, your buddy got the auto 4 and constantly beat you from every stoplight


Like I said before, I drive manual, always have. But it's just not better anymore.
You can prefer a manual, you can enjoy a manual, but you're now taking a performance and efficiency penalty along with the extra fun

I could churn my own butter too, but really what's the point

Sheesh I didn't realize I was buying a drag racer...

Since when do I care about driving the fastest, most fuel efficient car? If I did, I would NOT be buying a bronco.

I'm sticking with the manual because it's F-U-N, fun! Here's an analogous question you can think about: why do people have hobbies that cost money? By your logic, they shouldn't (I'm sure some people churn their own butter but I digress...)

But I guess I'm supposed to be upset my mpg is only 22 instead of 23, and the other bronco at the stoplight beat me to the next red light?? Good thing I'm cruising and was never trying to win anyway!

 

[Hoofnmouth]

(JFK VOICE)
"We do these things not because they are easy, but because they are Hahd!"
I will be offroading all over the continent in my Bronco, and the extra challenge of the manual makes "making it there" that much more rewarding for me.
I tend to get more satisfaction from accomplishing things that not everyone else can. A couple of months ago, I was being told I was nuts by fellow offroad enthusiasts, for riding my heavy, underpowered, carbureted dual sport motorcycle over Imogene Pass. It was a challenge, and I often thought about turning back, but now the photos taken at the top are a reminder of one of my proudest moments as a motorcyclist. Sure, doing it on a fuel injected, 250lb KTM with twice the power would have been easier, but anyone can do that, right?
The fun is in the challenge.
Wheeling with 3 pedals is where the fun is for me.
One-pedal trail assist? No thanks.
I can appreciate the technology, but I will think less of the people who can't "get there" without it.
Grumpy old man here....

I did the same thing on a xr650r everyone had ktms or (cant take much) good for you?
We now return to regular programming.

 

[Bmadda]

Definitely agree, if I planned on hardcore wheeling I’d probably opt for the auto, but I don’t really plan on that and a 7sp MT just so awesome, gotta have it

Dude..."hardcore wheeling" is a blast w/a manual trans. I loved wheeling my yj. It's something you gotta try to get why it's fun, and unlike street driving it's way different than w/auto trans. There's alot of technique you can use w/manual trans that auto just plain can't do.

 

[Odd-6]

Having the 2.7 in my current F150 w/ 3.73 gearing and 33's it's fairly sluggish passing at highway speeds. Sport mode around town is quite fun.

I plan on the sasquatch package and a bigger motor will just make the driving experience more fun. If they had the MT available with this I would test drive it to see if it's as good as the old days driving stick, or just stick with the AT and its new goodies.

Around here it's hard to sell an old TJ with the 4 bagger where the 4.0L is the desired motor.

 

[BearWithMe]

Time to give it up

I've been manual my whole life but it's just silly to keep it up at this point

Manuals used to be faster, more efficient, cheaper
Not really the case anymore

I'm not doing extra work shifting in order to have a slower and less efficient car. At this point buying the manual is just being a grumpy old person who complains about the music kids listen to these days

You don't get it. No one is buying a manual in this day and age to go faster, be more efficient, or to save a few coins. You buy a manual for the driving experience, for having a closer connection with the operation of your vehicle.

 

[SliderJack]

Yeah, but an auto trans could live the life of the vehicle.

A clutch is a consumable item. Flushing an auto trans fluid or replacing the filter is not the same.

So what, 60, 70K miles per clutch and pressure plate? So you need to figure in that expense. And yeah, could probably do it myself. I just did a clutch on my son's WRX which meant pulling the motor. Still, cost and time involved... I'd guess an easy 1500 to have it done.

 

[Washoe]

I loved driving my 1994 Ranger 4x4 with the 5 speed and my 72 Bronco with the AX-15 conversion but I'm starting to think that with the manual in the new Bronco I will be missing out on some cool new 4x4 technology like trail turn assist and one pedal driving. The 2.7 with auto is starting to pull at me. Thoughts...

My question is this: In 1970-to roughly 2015, US autos, were, well for the most part awful. That has changed, why the love for a manual in a new car, with new tech, and more.?

 

[Cookieck]

Yeah, but an auto trans could live the life of the vehicle.

A clutch is a consumable item. Flushing an auto trans fluid or replacing the filter is not the same.

So what, 60, 70K miles per clutch and pressure plate? So you need to figure in that expense. And yeah, could probably do it myself. I just did a clutch on my son's WRX which meant pulling the motor. Still, cost and time involved... I'd guess an easy 1500 to have it done.

How long a manual lasts tends to have more to do with the driver. An auto doesn’t have that benefit(or downside depending on driver). And manual can last life of the vehicle too. In fact never had to actually rebuild any manual, outside maybe replacing the clutch/pressure plate(only had 3 replaced) everything else has been left untouched in all my vehicles. And that’s on 5 different manual cars and 5 motorcycles(bit different than cars but still manual transmissions).

The only auto trans vehicle I’ve owned is also the only one that’s given me transmission problems, and has been rebuilt twice. One of my dads old vehicles had 3 transmission rebuilds. And known plenty of friends/family who had to get transmission rebuilds or just had major transmission issues(all autos). Have had a vehicle up to 90k miles with original clutch, and it only got replaced because the engine had to get pulled for a warranty issue and dealer said they’d replace it for parts cost only, no labor, so it didn’t actually need it replaced.

 

[MaverickMan]

I will accept that the folks with disabilities and injuries need an auto thats fine. But the traffic folks dont really have an argument. So in traffic i you auto you just hold the brake pedal down contantly waiting. In a a manual you automatically go neutral every time you slow down right. Seems tiring to keep holding that brake all the time. Also if you are bored in traffic do some burnouts, super easy in a manual. As for efficency and faster shifting. At 20mpg or so I dont care that beats the pants off any previous bronco. So your faster shifting, im glad the auto does because its got more gears to go through. Im not buying a bronco to use a dragstrip terror. If i was i would be doing a whole lot more than an automatic upgrade to be faster than the other guy. 2 grand for an auto or a turbo swap? Which is faster?
How about reliability? Well yes autos are getting better, but they still have one big achilles heel. Fluid! If you scratch the bottom of it or catch a line on a stick, you are done. Stranded in the wilds, if you try to drive a lil further, $3000 bill atleast. I have driven a manual home from the trail before with no clutch pedal. Sucks but it get you home. Now every time I have had an issue with an auto. Tow truck is the only way home, last time it was a stinkin chevy. Cant go through that again.
Also autos are terrible in mountains, snow(which i dont have here), and sloppy mud.

I just like shifting.

 

[Ajusaf]

I will accept that the folks with disabilities and injuries need an auto thats fine. But the traffic folks dont really have an argument. So in traffic i you auto you just hold the brake pedal down contantly waiting. In a a manual you automatically go neutral every time you slow down right. Seems tiring to keep holding that brake all the time. Also if you are bored in traffic do some burnouts, super easy in a manual. As for efficency and faster shifting. At 20mpg or so I dont care that beats the pants off any previous bronco. So your faster shifting, im glad the auto does because its got more gears to go through. Im not buying a bronco to use a dragstrip terror. If i was i would be doing a whole lot more than an automatic upgrade to be faster than the other guy. 2 grand for an auto or a turbo swap? Which is faster?
How about reliability? Well yes autos are getting better, but they still have one big achilles heel. Fluid! If you scratch the bottom of it or catch a line on a stick, you are done. Stranded in the wilds, if you try to drive a lil further, $3000 bill atleast. I have driven a manual home from the trail before with no clutch pedal. Sucks but it get you home. Now every time I have had an issue with an auto. Tow truck is the only way home, last time it was a stinkin chevy. Cant go through that again.
Also autos are terrible in mountains, snow(which i dont have here), and sloppy mud.

I just like shifting.

At a stop light that's fine, the crap is having to shift 5-6 times then hit another light and repeat over and over, forget it I'm done lol.

Now if you're good with your hands and timing, you learn to shift without using the clutch, but I wouldn't recommend it. Also what I do is I shift less by skipping a gear, but that would require you to get the rpm a little high so you're not underpowered when you skip.

As far as dead batterygoes, manual has gotten me out of that issue a few times and luckily I was down hill for the most part, but two times I had to push that baby to get enough speed to jump start her.

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