[Frank Lee]

Because effort and overall efficiency.

I prefer manual transmissions but that doesn't mean I want to shift 11 times to get to cruising speed. Even with five-speeds I skip-shift.

More gears = more gear meshes = more parasitic transmission losses. And weight. And expense.

I'd likely feel differently about it in the mountains, or if I was Type A behind the wheel and wanted maximum accelerative or pulling/towing effort from every start, but here in the flatlands a three-speed manual with direct drive third and a tall final drive would be the most efficient set-up.

Ironic this trend is happening now, when ICEs should have broader, flatter torque curves than ever before thanks in large part to variable valve timing.

P.S. Had opportunity to compare and contrast '13 and '94 F150s with a/ts; there's so much shifting going on in the '13 I have to look at the indicator lights to see what gear it's in and what it's doing.