CNBC Says only racing enthusiasts buy manuals, let’s correct them

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

Um, I'm a racing enthusiast. And a driving enthusiast. My wife is neither, but we were a 2 MT family until she decided she decided her next rig needed to be a minivan (and she was disappointed by the transmission options).

Gridlock sucks no matter what your transmission. And ATs suck no matter what traffic conditions are.

The real problem on the manufacturing end is that every meathead too dumb to wrap his brain around a manual can't buy one, while as much as I enjoy driving, I can buy an automatic. That's simple enough math for any factory.

Hate to break it to you but factories don't care about the 1% that want a manual.

[redpoint5]

I don't find gridlock traffic to be very burdensome in a manual. Drive at the average speed of traffic and you rarely have to shift. Way less stressful and more fuel efficient too.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by jcp123

Of course it isn’t only laziness, but 99% of the market is also not physically hindered as you are. When a manual is a genuine hardship, of course I won’t judge someone for choosing an automatic.

Last time I drove was in March 2019 because my father wanted to take a break during a trip, and it was a car with manual transmission. He often complains about a lack of precision from the clutch pedal, but I'm sure my knees would've sense if there was an actual lack of precision. I don't really refuse to drive manuals at any cost, I would just prefer to arrange for another clutch input interface.

On a sidenote, I have already seen some cars adapted for paraplegic drivers with manual transmission and a single control for the 3 pedals (press down for clutch, pull for brakes and twist the grip for throttle). For me the least concerning is the throttle, but even in an automatic a hard braking might be too much for my knees at the moment. In a recent MRI scan, a few cysts appeared on both knees.

But 99% of the American population isn’t physically hindered, so I really do think it is a symptom of the generally lazy attitude towards driving in this country.

Well, there is some cultural influence. I remember when I was 14, talking to other boys at school, and we were talking about learning to drive. I didn't have any driving experience with automatics at that time, but the richest boy of the class questioned me if I drove only automatics or if I "really" knew how to drive, and another boy said automatics were "gay", to which I pointed out the prevalence of automatics in American cars with oversized engines (often also seen as a manly feature) as a counterpoint to his claim against automatics. Americans in general tended to not be so fond on manuals even before automatics became mainstream, no wonder so many landyachts had low-end torque to spare allowing to take-off on top gear.

People don’t take it that seriously, so they like the appliance factor of an automatic. If folks took it as seriously as gun owners here do about procedural safety, or artisans do about crafting good products, I would bet we would still have a 10-25% market share of manuals here.

Japan takes everything seriously, and AFAIK the pick rate for automatics is even higher than in the United States.

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by JSH

Hate to break it to you but factories don't care about the 1% that want a manual.

That was actually my point. And that tiny percentage is perfectly capable of driving ATs, while most AT drivers can't operate an MT.

[JSH]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

That was actually my point. And that tiny percentage is perfectly capable of driving ATs, while most AT drivers can't operate an MT.

I read that paragraph wrong the first time

[Fat Charlie]

I talk in circles sometimes. I assumed it was me.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

most AT drivers can't operate an MT

Most likely an overwhelming majority of AT could actually learn how to drive MT if they wanted to, or if they have been born in a country where only disabled drivers are entitled to take a driving test with AT.

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Most likely an overwhelming majority of AT could actually learn how to drive MT if they wanted to, or if they have been born in a country where only disabled drivers are entitled to take a driving test with AT.

Modern MTs are brain dead simple my Cobalt you push the clutch shift and release, don’t even need to push the gas pedal or regulate The clutch
just slop it around can’t stall or buck.

My belief has always been instead of taxing the $hit out of hybrids
Tax 4wd and auto transmissions and overly gigantic bromobiles with a luxury tax
Since politicians seem to be worried about ma roads fund them off gross offenders and leave folks an out by not adding additional taxes to small simple Or manual 2wd vehicles .

Could use it as a small motivation to both consumers, business to do things beneficial to traffic congestion as opposed to doing exactly the opposite.

Considering infrastructure funding would require about $10,000 a vehicle to fund anyway the current system of registration isn’t going to be effective at addressing the problem.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

My belief has always been instead of taxing the $hit out of hybrids
Tax 4wd and auto transmissions and overly gigantic bromobiles with a luxury tax
Since politicians seem to be worried about ma roads fund them off gross offenders and leave folks an out by not adding additional taxes to small simple Or manual 2wd vehicles.

I'm always willing to engage in OT subjects. My idea is just increase gasoline tax. The method of taxation is already in place, and it closes the most loopholes because it's nearest to directly addressing the behavior we're trying to reduce; fuel consumption. That eliminates the need to dream up a never ending list of things to tax, and creative loopholes that avoid them, as well as the administrative overhead.

If taxes were high enough, people would be motivated to carpool.

[freebeard]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

I refuse to have a google account and can’t comment but if you do be sure to show that not just elite race drivers want a manual and that cost of ownership is a huge reason

I'm always willing to engage in OT subjects.

I was going to look for an appropriate thread, but I'll put this here. Scott Adams just said he wants to re-invent housing. This is a subject I stopped beating myself up over in 1980. He wants to build instrumented houses and monitor the usage in a developmental feedback loop. I just want someone to run some numbers to compare my design against some baseline.

But I'm not going to sign up for Twitter just to talk to Scott Adams. If anyone has and wants to query him for a viable email address I'd appreciate it. The email address on his cartoons is unresponsive. I signed up for Blight Authority and regretted it. The only forum I've signed up for since EcoModder and it turned into a spamhole.

I put this teaser up a while back.



I can start a thread in Saving At Home for something to which to point to.