The decline of manual values
Discussion
Read this 'manual cars could be extinct in 5 years' article
Obviously it's for new cars and older manual cars will still exist, but the decline in the number of people who are taking a manual test is going to lead to a reduction in the number of people who can legally drive a manual.
This will lead to a reduction in demand over time, which could lead to a drop in prices.
Obviously it's for new cars and older manual cars will still exist, but the decline in the number of people who are taking a manual test is going to lead to a reduction in the number of people who can legally drive a manual.
This will lead to a reduction in demand over time, which could lead to a drop in prices.
Nomme de Plum said:
This seems rather UK centric. Stick shift in the USA has largely been ignored for a long time. Even in the 90s when I lived there.
Autos are now much more efficient and people generally accept they are more convenient.
More Euro-centric, I think; generally speaking other European countries have always had pretty similar car buying habits to us. I'm not sure which, if any of them, have automatic-only driving licences like the UK though. Autos are now much more efficient and people generally accept they are more convenient.
Nomme de Plum said:
This seems rather UK centric. Stick shift in the USA has largely been ignored for a long time. Even in the 90s when I lived there.
Except in sports/exotic cars, where the US buys loads more manuals than the EU - BMW used to offer manual M cars when we had auto-only.Krikkit said:
Nomme de Plum said:
This seems rather UK centric. Stick shift in the USA has largely been ignored for a long time. Even in the 90s when I lived there.
Except in sports/exotic cars, where the US buys loads more manuals than the EU - BMW used to offer manual M cars when we had auto-only.It's actually less than 2% of all new cars sold in the USA which are manual.
In Europe it is 32%
Edited by Nomme de Plum on Tuesday 7th May 17:26
Edited by Nomme de Plum on Tuesday 7th May 17:28
Many "fast " cars are auto only these days. With high power, high torque engines the driveline computer does a very good job of suppressing damage to clutch and gears caused by a human driver. It lets the manufacturer to scale back some of the engineering where components are less likely to be over-stressed. Computerised torque management is a big thing.
Baldchap said:
Most car users drive because they have to, not because they want to.
Autos these days are faster, more efficient and less effort than doing it yourself. If your car is simply a tool, the choice is obvious.
This is the correct answer. Autos these days are faster, more efficient and less effort than doing it yourself. If your car is simply a tool, the choice is obvious.
I think in years to come we'll adopt the US driving test system. Everyone will take their test in an auto and get a full licence to drive auto and manual. If you need to drive a manual and have never learnt, you'll just get a friend or someone to teach you at the time. They've done that forever in the USA and it hasn't led to carnage. Not many will ever drive a manual, but those that do have never passed a test for a manual. They just learnt when they needed to.
A manual gearbox definitely doesn't seem as popular now as they used to be, although autos are now so much better than they used to be as well though I think.
When I think back to the ZF6 Autos I've had in comparison to the ZF8 auto or the Merc 9 speed auto, the more modern autos are head and shoulders better I reckon. I'm even a fan of the DCT in the F82 M4, whereas years ago I wouldn't have entertained a DCT in a car like that to be honest.
I do still have 2 cars with a 3 pedal manual though, so I'm still very much a fan of the old school way of doing it too.
When I think back to the ZF6 Autos I've had in comparison to the ZF8 auto or the Merc 9 speed auto, the more modern autos are head and shoulders better I reckon. I'm even a fan of the DCT in the F82 M4, whereas years ago I wouldn't have entertained a DCT in a car like that to be honest.
I do still have 2 cars with a 3 pedal manual though, so I'm still very much a fan of the old school way of doing it too.
I've always owned manuals because I like the involvement they offer, however it is inevitable that they will cease to be offered in new cars within the next few years. My plan is to replace my existing MX-5 NC2 with a tidy MX-5 ND2 or ND3 in the next 3 years and keep it for as long as I can. I've fine having an auto in a daily driver hatchback, saloon, or SUV but in a car like an MX-5 I would always want a manual.
Panamax said:
Many "fast " cars are auto only these days. With high power, high torque engines the driveline computer does a very good job of suppressing damage to clutch and gears caused by a human driver. It lets the manufacturer to scale back some of the engineering where components are less likely to be over-stressed. Computerised torque management is a big thing.
Is that Audi's with the high torque 3.0 diesel lump are laggy, lazy piles of s
te to drive?Probably be another 30yrs for vans to ditch manual.
Vans seem to be so far behind cars in tech. I couldn’t believe when one of our vans was off the road and a hire van got dropped off, was a new vauxhall vivaro and didn’t have ac, parking sensors and just a big standard display for the radio Even the transits come in pauper spec for most of them, no electric mirrors etc, which between those 2 vans mentioned I’m not sure any car doesn’t have those things now.
I remember I got a new caddy off work in 2015 and it had windy windows! When the kids seen it they wondered how you opened the windows!
Vans seem to be so far behind cars in tech. I couldn’t believe when one of our vans was off the road and a hire van got dropped off, was a new vauxhall vivaro and didn’t have ac, parking sensors and just a big standard display for the radio Even the transits come in pauper spec for most of them, no electric mirrors etc, which between those 2 vans mentioned I’m not sure any car doesn’t have those things now.
I remember I got a new caddy off work in 2015 and it had windy windows! When the kids seen it they wondered how you opened the windows!
lord trumpton said:
Im looking for a car at the moment and its got to be an auto
The only time Id want a manual is when buying say a modern classic like an e46 M3 for example where the auto alternative was ste.
Modern autos and dual clutch boxes are bang on. CVT are dreadful
Except the Toyota / Lexus eCVT which is seamless.The only time Id want a manual is when buying say a modern classic like an e46 M3 for example where the auto alternative was s
te.Modern autos and dual clutch boxes are bang on. CVT are dreadful
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