2018 was the last year you could buy a full-sized pickup truck with a manual transmission

[slowmover]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Is this a HD truck-specific comment? Because it's demonstrably false in a car.

Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown: Nissan Micra 1.6L

The truck is 9,000-lbs. And I can upshift at 1,300 if I choose. Slow? Ha! Glacial.

The approach is to stop acceleration about 10-12/mph below target. Sort of drift upwards with terrain.

In town it’s related to gear choice. Not easy to stop that mass. So sometimes a lower gear (it’s happy all day fuelwise at 17-1900. Even though it can lug along at 1,100).

The only thing that works is to glide. And autos are better at that. Same with this Peterbilt I’m in. Also an auto.

.

[litesong]

Originally Posted by JSH

Considering in 2018 only 3 percent of vehicles sold in the USA had a manual transmission this isn't surprising.

In 2011, I wanted an Eco-Cruze with 6sp. manual tranny. But the Chevy dealers wouldn't come down in price, plus they didn't have any! Went to Hyundai dealers for a cheaper manual tranny Elantra. Couldn't find one locally. Two years passed, & I got an Elantra at a lucky good price, altho it was an automatic. Liked the Elantra. Three years later I got a manual Elantra...... $8500 less than the Eco-Cruze. Them's that wait a while...... "MAY" get what they want. Anyhow, we have two Elantras now(same color THAT I LIKE!), an auto & a manual. I love them both, but my wife only likes the....... MANUAL TRANNY. Three of our four cars have manual trannies. Will four cars last, till we find another manual tranny that we don't have to pay an arm & a leg for?

[litesong]

Originally Posted by slowmover

And I can upshift at 1,300 ..... it can lug along at 1,100).

Our auto Elantra shifts into high gear with low acceleration at 43MPH, at ~1400rpms. Using CC on flat ground, I can slowly reduce speed to 36MPH & it stll holds high gear at 1200rpms. I took the auto tranny information to heart, after purchase of a manual Elantra. Yep, 6th gear at LESS than 35MPG..... since the manual is geared lower than the automatic.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by litesong

In 2011, I wanted an Eco-Cruze with 6sp. manual tranny. But the Chevy dealers wouldn't come down in price, plus they didn't have any! Went to Hyundai dealers for a cheaper manual tranny Elantra. Couldn't find one locally. Two years passed, & I got an Elantra at a lucky good price, altho it was an automatic. Liked the Elantra. Three years later I got a manual Elantra...... $8500 less than the Eco-Cruze. Them's that wait a while...... "MAY" get what they want. Anyhow, we have two Elantras now(same color THAT I LIKE!), an auto & a manual. I love them both, but my wife only likes the....... MANUAL TRANNY. Three of our four cars have manual trannies. Will four cars last, till we find another manual tranny that we don't have to pay an arm & a leg for?

So you expected to get a deal on a special order Eco-Cruze? Dealers don't stock manuals because they don't sell.

My wife and I wanted a manual when we purchased our Jetta Wagen TDI last year. The dealer had 63 of them on the lot. Only 1 was a manual at it had 130K miles on the odometer. There wasn't another manual advertised in a 150 mile radius.

We ended up with a nice 2014, certified pre-owned, fully loaded, with 33K miles for $13,000.

Such is life.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by litesong

Will four cars last, till we find another manual tranny that we don't have to pay an arm & a leg for?

As long as you get a contact south of the border, or in Europe, you'll be able to get a manual transmission at your doorsteps to adapt into roughly any US-spec car for a while

[litesong]

Originally Posted by JSH

So you expected to get a deal on a special order Eco-Cruze? Dealers don't stock manuals because they don't sell.
.....we purchased our Jetta Wagen TDI ..... a nice 2014, certified pre-owned, fully loaded, with 33K miles for $13,000.

The Eco-Cruze was never advertised as & the dealer never said it was special order. Waiting, I eventually got an ever sweet Elantra, brand new(6 miles) with 100,000 mile warranty(40,000 miles still remaining), hot off the trailer, for LESS than $13,000.
& I didn't tie myself to AND reward a liable auto manufacturer for their long-term criminal avoidance of major pollution penalties.

[litesong]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

As long as you get a contact south of the border, or in Europe, you'll be able to get a manual transmission at your doorsteps to adapt into roughly any US-spec car for a while

. As stated above, "minus an arm & a leg", I'm sure. Might as well get a good deal on an automatic & get ready to pay my mechanic when the tranny fails. At least, get a Hyundai (or Kia) with the hundred grand warranty....... Oh, I did that already.
Someday, maybe I'll get a Mecum or Barrett/Jackson 1960's car & retro it with big shiny alloys, raised white letter tires & a 5speed tranny. Lots of sparkly metal flake, too. My long time mechanic will do all that "special stuff".

[redpoint5]

I've never had an automatic transmission fail, even after a couple hundred thousand miles. I have 2 friends that go through at least 1 automatic transmission no matter what brand car they drive (Ford Ranger, Lexus ES, Acura MDX, Mazda)...

It's the driver, not the technology. They use the skinny pedal as an on/off switch rather than a method of maintaining speed.

[MetroMPG]

You could also argue it's the technology ( or the implementation):

- e.g. Nissan is infamous for CVT failures
- Honda is well known for slushbox failures in its V6 drivetrains
- Ford's dual clutch autoboxes in the Focus & Fiesta are known to be problematic

Edit... but there's no doubt a certain kind of driver is more likely to expose those transmissions' Achilles heels.

[litesong]

Originally Posted by redpoint5

....I have 2 friends that go through at least 1 automatic transmission no matter what brand car they drive (Ford Ranger, Lexus ES, Acura MDX, Mazda)... It's the driver, not the technology.

One of the easiest ways that auto trannies are destroyed: While backing up in reverse & NOT coming to a full stop (still moving backward), then prematurely shifting into first & applying throttle.
Of course, the very complicated 9 & 10 speed trannies that Chrysler & Ford have produced, have given auto trannies bad rep. Altho I loved the CVT in my Dodge Caliber, all the hoopla against CVTs got me to sell the Caliber before the CVT had problems..... having to replace the gasket between the engine & CVT tranny didn't help either.