What's with the manual trans hype?

[derpydestiny]

And the problem with paddle shifters is muscle memory and the left foot. I was driving my wife’s car, with all her family, and had it in manual mode for the fun of it. But absent a clutch, they add a big wide brake pedal. It’s amazing how much stuff comes loose in the cockpit when you push the brake firmly to the floor. I still haven‘t lived that down. Won’t drive a manual shifter without a clutch again.

LMAO! That's happened to me once with my wife. I understand the pain

One extra bit, if you hate the manual there's always going to be the V6/auto combo out there but who knows how long Ford will offer a manual for if the take rate is too low. At that point you can market it as a unicorn and up/down grade as you see fit.

That's my worry for any new car with a manual. Just like the Accord. Manual just disappeared with no warning.

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[Ride Em Bronco]

And when I do have to drive an auto I find myself moving the auto shift knob/paddles into whatever drive modes - and thinking this really sucks.

 

[Pork-n-Bean]

Manuals are more fun. It makes you "feel like" you are driving. Plus my wife can't drive a manual so I won't have to worry about her taking my Bronco!

 

[BearWithMe]

I've had the following offroad rigs:
79 CJ5 -- 3 spd manual
82 CJ7 -- 5 spd manual
92 YJ -- 5 spd manual
95 XJ -- 5 spd manual
02 TJ -- 5 spd manual
79 F150 -- 4 spd manual
11 Ram 1500 -- 5 spd automatic
16 Tacoma -- 6 spd Automatic.
06 KJ -- 5 spd Automatic
95 Xplorer -- 5 spd automatic

Almost never have I been driving automatic and wished I had a manual. But there's been many times, especially when rock crawling with some of my more built rigs that I've wished I was driving an auto over the stick.

What am I missing here? Modern automatics are so much easier to drive on and off road.

You're right, an auto is easier offroad, and if I was driving solely offroad I'd go with an auto.

But I don't.

Even with a vehicle like the Bronco, I'm going to spend most of my miles on road, mostly open road, and I want to have some fun rowing through the gears.

 

[BroncoDude]

Manual Tranny = Rice Trolley

You graduate from Versace Junior College? The Real Ben Wallace

 

[mC.242]

Sounds like you are just looking for some external validation for your choice of transmissions. It's not hype, just a choice. You do you.

 

[Ohlongjohnson]

I have a manual Subaru now and will have another manual in the Bronco. Girlfriend drives an auto bmw x3 but prefers to drive manual. I'm sure she'll be driving the Bronco a lot lol.
I drive to work in the snow no matter how bad the conditions. (highway maintenance foreman in CO) When it snows, I'm running a crew to clear the roads. A manual definitely feels a lot better to drive in slick conditions.
Just got rid of my lifted beater 2001 Pathfinder Sport (manual) I used it to get to work in really heavy snows. Now it's time for another high clearance vehicle.
I've had 2 - 1st gen exploders. 1 an auto xlt and one manual xl. I, by far, preferred the manual off road. Sure, it's more "work" (if you can call it that...) but it's way more fun.
The ultra low crawler gear in the manual is gonna be great! Pair it with at least a rear locking diff = damn near perfect.

 

[GeneralBoisvert]

Previously owned:
Manual Acura RSX
Manual BMW E90 325
Manual BMW 335
DCT BMW M3
Manual BMW M3

Just for reference. All those vehicles were about the driving experience And were performance cars. For me the Bronco is about cruising.

If you just like a manual over auto, the specific experience it brings, go for it. Manual transmission bring a difference experience to the driving. I’m not sure a Bronco or an SUV with a manual is the right combo for me, but I can definitely see the desire for most, especially bringing that same feeling they use to experience with their previous Bronco. But owning several manuals/autos in the past, you are equally in control with an auto in manual mode as you are with a manual

Also, there is a lot of insecurity in this board. “Soccer mom 4-door”, “mall crawler”, “manuals are manly”. If you feel you need a manual to feel more manly, man I feel sorry for you. But if you want it because you enjoy the driving experience, go for it.

 

[The_Phew]

For me, MT is solely about tactility; I just love to engage with machinery that has tactile mechanisms to actuate. It's the same reason I prefer bolt/pump action rifles/shotguns over semi-autos, tiller outboards over remote steering on a boat, or mechanical keyboards vs. membrane keyboards. I probably fidget with the 'Magslider lid' on my coffee tumbler 1000 times a day, because it's just a pleasing mechanism to actuate.

I imagine many MT enthusiasts are just fidgeters like me.

Also, I haven't driven an auto yet that correctly anticipates 'intent'. My biggest automatic pet peeve is how they all downshift when you increase the speed on the cruise control; just because I want to go faster on the interstate doesn't mean I want to downshift 3 gears and announce to the world that I'm accelerating. With an MT, I'll set the cruise up 10 mph and just let it leisurely accelerate up to speed in 6th gear.

 

[dck82]

Every car I’ve owned except for my current was a manual. I just got sick of of sitting in traffic with one for an hour. I almost considered getting one again by thinking maybe I could just put it in the crawler gear and coast down the road at 1-2 mph.

 

[Mountain Goat]

I know it's an old thread, but I see it's active at the moment, so if I may:

Manual transmission hype?

Manual transmissions are not new. Not everyone buys into the hype of letting the machine decide when to shift for you. In fact all the hype around automatic transmissions has almost killed off one of the last few mechanical connections between driver and vehicle. It shouldn't be strange that an enthusiast-oriented vehicle attracts enthusiast drivers who crave a connection with their vehicle.

 

[Ddtcm81]

They hype on the M/T is also because the 10 speed is junk.

 

[Saddle Tramp]

I've had the following offroad rigs:
79 CJ5 -- 3 spd manual
82 CJ7 -- 5 spd manual
92 YJ -- 5 spd manual
95 XJ -- 5 spd manual
02 TJ -- 5 spd manual
79 F150 -- 4 spd manual
11 Ram 1500 -- 5 spd automatic
16 Tacoma -- 6 spd Automatic.
06 KJ -- 5 spd Automatic
95 Xplorer -- 5 spd automatic

Almost never have I been driving automatic and wished I had a manual. But there's been many times, especially when rock crawling with some of my more built rigs that I've wished I was driving an auto over the stick.

What am I missing here? Modern automatics are so much easier to drive on and off road.

AMEN, You are absolutely correct!

 

[DeltaBravo]

Options?

 

[Saddle Tramp]

They hype on the M/T is also because the 10 speed is junk.

Have the 10 speed in 2019 Ranger, 40000 mi best, smoothest auto I have ever driven, like it as much as the 2.3 4cyl engine, the Bronco will not be underpowered with the 2.3, I have the 2.7 for my Bronco build, but will probably change to 2.3

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