Why isn’t your daily driver a stick shift?

[mrcvs]

Odds are, it isn’t.

 

Many (most?) antique automobiles are not automatic.  Many of these are stick shift.

 

If your antique automobile is a stick shift, then you can certainly handle it, especially since modern vehicles don’t require double clutching.

 

I have always driven a stick shift, but I’m obviously in the minority here.  
 

This came about because I was at the Jeep dealership last week and discovered they only had one stick shift on the entire lot—and it wasn’t even a Jeep!

 

No wonder why a stick shift has become a millennial anti theft device.

[58L-Y8]

Currently manual shift vehicles are ~2% of total sales.  Even if you want a manual shift, they're unavailable in the majority of what is on offer. Personally, I drove 5-speeds for 22 years but try to find one now, new or used.

[Mark Wetherbee]

I loved having manual transmission cars and/or trucks, but the last couple vehicles have been automatic transmission only because you just can’t get one without special ordering it even IF it’s available in the vehicle you want…

[Zimm63]

I drove various manuals as daily drivers for years.  That changed when I got an assigned vehicle with my last job, which required a 100 mile daily round trip through heavy traffic.  

 

Kicking a clutch through a 5 mile back up is a pain.  

[Dr B]

I guess I'm beating the odds.

 

My daily driver is a stick. It has been since I was 16 years old.  I don't need a new car, mine current daily driver is a 2011, but when I do, I still want it to be a stick shift. As noted above, those are getting harder and harder to find. If something happens to my car tomorrow, I am not sure what I would get.

 

Also agree with above, heavy stop and go traffic is a PITA with a stick!

 

Robert

Edited Wednesday at 01:52 PM by Dr B (see edit history)

[Brass is Best]

My truck is automatic, but my car isn't. 

[KURTRUK]

Emissions are harder to control on a manual transmissions. FED doesn't like that.

Automatic transmissions now have so many "gears" to keep them in near-perfect speed-to-gear ratios resulting in better mileage. Topped by the unreliable CVTs.

Much more stop-and-go traffic during commutes.  Agree, it's a pain after a few miles.

Too hard to shift while holding a Starbucks and a phone. But I've seen it done. Even harder if you smoke.

[Steve_Mack_CT]

Last DD I had with a stick was 20 years ago, an F-150 I bought new I believe in 2001.  It had crank windows & rubber floormats and while it had AC I preferred the sliding rear window.

 

After biz required a car more or less I got back into a pick up a couple years back but went auto on it.

[58L-Y8]

My current Packard, a 1953 Clipper Deluxe is an Ultramatic but it will be for sale in order for me to acquire my next Packard which will be a manual shift with overdrive, preferably a 1946-'47 Clipper Deluxe or Super.  Not a daily driver, of course but much more fun to drive!

[ABear]

28 minutes ago, KURTRUK said:

Emissions are harder to control on a manual transmissions. FED doesn't like that.

Automatic transmissions now have so many "gears" to keep them in near-perfect speed-to-gear ratios resulting in better mileage. Topped by the unreliable CVTs.

Much more stop-and-go traffic during commutes.  Agree, it's a pain after a few miles.

Too hard to shift while holding a Starbucks and a phone. But I've seen it done. Even harder if you smoke.

Mileage and efficiency also comes into play.

 

The transmissions in modern vehicles built after the 1990s have vastly improved in efficiency to the point that there is no difference in fuel economy or power loss between the two.

 

Manual transmissions used to be the "go to" to get the best fuel economy, best power transfer, best hauling/towing ratings.

 

Since the 1990s most manufacturers had started to derate vehicles with manual transmissions for heavy duty towing and hauling purposes and gave automatic transmission equipped vehicles a higher hauling and towing rating.

 

There was also a large shift in buyers buying automatics over manual leaving manufacturers and dealers with a lot more unsold manual vehicles on the lots for long amounts of time. As it has been said, "time is money" and ultimately the buyers of all vehicles end up paying the price for unsold inventory in the form of higher sales prices for all vehicles.

 

Dropping manuals for most vehicles made for a cost saving strategy for manufacturers, dealers and ultimately the buyers since the manufacturers could now concentrate improving automatics cost and performance through more R&D money being spent on one transmission type.

[60FlatTop]

Most of my standard shift vehicles have been V or straight 8's. I got out of the habit of using 1st gear.

 

I still have no problem hopping into a diesel flatbed hauler and slinging through the gears but not so often anymore.

 

Thinking about standard shift, my Silverado has crank windows and they are becoming a rarity as well.

[Bloo]

Mainly sticks here, at least for daily drivers. There are a couple of automatic cars laying around the yard collecting dust. One of them will get a little use once it snows and the other cars get put inside.

 

[Tom C]

I only have automatics now, one with stick mode. I miss the stick and the crank windows !

[MotiveLensPhoto]

My 2021 Enclave has paddle shifters, but I just don't really like using them.

[Dr B]

1 hour ago, ABear said:

Dropping manuals for most vehicles made for a cost saving strategy

I recall reading an article about when GM was designing the new C8 Corvette, they were unable to find a supplier who was willing to spend the time and money to design a standard transmission for the Corvette because the market would be too small.

 

Robert

Edited Wednesday at 04:07 PM by Dr B (see edit history)

[76 Caddy]

I had an '88 S-10 with a 5 speed as a daily driver for a number of years but really don't like straight drives.  The Terrain we had had a manual mode (never used) and the XT5 has paddle shift (never used).  If I have to do the driving, I want an automatic.

 

Tim 

[plymouthcranbrook]

My last daily with a stick was a 1992 Chevy Cavalier that lasted till 2012 before the tin worm finished eating.  I then took over our 2001 Astro when my wife got a new vehicle. Now I only have one vehicle with a manual(1952 Plymouth) and due to foot issues it doesn’t get driven anywhere near as much as I would want. 

[mrcvs]

2 hours ago, Dr B said:

I guess I'm beating the odds.

 

My daily driver is a stick. It has been since I was 16 years old.  I don't need a new car, mine current daily driver is a 2011, but when I do, I still want it to be a stick shift. As noted above, those are getting harder and harder to find. If something happens to my car tomorrow, I am not sure what I would get.

 

Also agree with above, heavy stop and go traffic is a PITA with a stick!

 

Robert

Mine is a stick with crank windows.  If I’m in a bind, and need a replacement with little notice, I have a plan.  Drive a rental car until another stick shift Jeep Wrangler with crank windows can be located.

[John Byrd]

To answer the question as MRCVS posted it, my daily driver is a 50 cc motor scooter if it's at all possible to ride it and they are not available with a manual tranny. On Saturdays and occasionally during the week, I drive a Sunbeam Tiger (4 speed manual) or once in a while, our 63 Mini, also a 4 speed manual. The streets over here are mostly up and down hill, so with a bad leg and back, it's not as much fun as it used to be, but taking off from a light or stop sign gives me an excuse to burn a bit of rubber claiming difficulty, lol. Our daily's that we used when hauling stuff, people, or trips out of town tho' are automatics, sigh...

[John348]

A daily driver to me is dependability, go from A to B with maximum comfort, requiring minimum effort to drive. I live in the greater NYC metro area most of the year, too much traffic to be using a clutch around here for me, it would almost become like work

[TAKerry]

My son is 30 and when he bought his GTO he searched for a manual. Being exposed to the car culture of 30yr olds I have found that group prefers stick shifts. So yes, young people do know how to drive them.

Myself, I spent more than my share of seat time rowing through the gears in a dump truck. I have no desire to have a manual as a daily driver. I prefer the set it and forget it method! My 77 trans am is automatic and I am perfectly happy with that. The 79 I am working is a 4 speed and ironically the only reason I took that project on was because it was a 4 speed. But only because a manual version is more valuable than the auto counterpart.

I will ad, like John I want my vehicle to be max on the comfort scale. For many years all I could afford was a stripped down vehicle. Today I am not ashamed at all to have power everything and a nice cold A/C. 

 

Edited Wednesday at 05:02 PM by TAKerry (see edit history)

[John348]

Daily transportation to me is just another appliance, no difference than refrigerator, washing machine, or a lawn mower. I use it and maintain it (if I can) and dispose of it when it is not cost effective

Edited Wednesday at 05:04 PM by John348 (see edit history)

[ericmac]

My daily driver is an automatic only because my wife can't (won't) drive a stick and has no interest in learning how. If the decision was 100% mine we would own nothing but manual shift cars. I have picked my battle thus only the antique cars and manual shift as my wife chooses not to drive them.

[1912Staver]

My daily is a 5 speed manual. I dread the thought of having to replace it. A very simple hatch back that has plenty of zip and very light on fuel. Extremely straight forward to work on and maintain. Other than normal maintenance and consumables , brakes , tires, cam belts { very easy to change the belt yourself } exactly two other problems . A failed clutch slave { I did a bit of of a parking lot repair and nursed it home under its own power}, and a failed crank position sensor , also still drivable enough to get it home. Just under 200,000 miles. But it is now 15 years  old and isn't going to last forever. Nothing even close to it on the market these days. 

[CChinn]

I have always enjoyed driving a manual shift. Had 2 stick shift DDs in SF Bay Area, San Diego,  Seattle area and Wash DC (Mazda RX7 and Chevy S-10). Now have 5 vehicles 3 automatic transmission (2015 SUV, 87 560SL & ‘53 Packard Clipper) But Still prefer to drive my stick shift cars (‘40 Chevy, & ‘38 Cadillac) although when driving them in

parades, the stop and go and potential for overheating can get tiresome. I don’t live in big cities anymore so otherwise not much stop and go traffic to bother me or my old cars😀

[Twisted Shifter]

8 year old kids prefer automatic transmissions, too:

 

8-year-old girl drove mom's SUV on Target run: Dash Cam Video

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/8-year-old-girl-drove-mom-s-suv-on-target-run-we-did-let-her-finish-her-frappuccino/ar-AA1qG8uN?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=7d60750fd9764d2288296e35bccc945d&ei=87

 

You might want to keep your keys in your pocket now.

 

 

[Lee H]

Take a moment and join the TMGPS!

 

[zepher]

My DD was a stick shift car for decades.

I finally broke down and bought an automatic car because traffic in Los Angeles is horrible and it was a miserable commute in a stick.

Then, I went and bought a '78 Corvette Silver Anniversary with the L82 / 4 speed and I was right back in a stick shift car again.

When I got married I bought an automatic as the wife didn't want to shift gears.

I sold my last stick shift, DD a few years ago and now have all automatics in my modern cars.

 

A friend really wanted a new car but didn't want a CVT trans so he ordered a manual trans car.

It took 8 months for it come in after he ordered it and he was forced to put down a sizable deposit because the dealer said they would have trouble selling it if he backed out of the deal.

[Brass is Best]

5 hours ago, KURTRUK said:

Emissions are harder to control on a manual transmissions. FED doesn't like that.

Automatic transmissions now have so many "gears" to keep them in near-perfect speed-to-gear ratios resulting in better mileage. Topped by the unreliable CVTs.

Much more stop-and-go traffic during commutes.  Agree, it's a pain after a few miles.

Too hard to shift while holding a Starbucks and a phone. But I've seen it done. Even harder if you smoke.

I was once passed by a gentleman eating a chicken dinner from KFC on his lap. I remember he had a fork in one hand and a drumstick in the other. Steering with his knee in heavy traffic in in excess of 70 mph. 

[Gearheadengineer]

In most of the spring, summer, and fall, my daily commute vehicle has a 27 speed transmission. 😄

 

[West Peterson]

7 hours ago, mrcvs said:

If your antique automobile is a stick shift, then you can certainly handle it, especially since modern vehicles don’t require double clutching.

 

 

Other than some trucks, you will not find any instruction manual stating that double-clutching is required in the old cars. Double-clutching allows you to wind-up the engine with quicker and smoother shifting. If you drive the car the way it would have been driven it back in the day ... shifting earlier and slowly ... double clutching is not required. If you continue to have problems shifting without double-clutching, some adjustment needed.

[Reynard]

My boss had a 40 minute commute to work. He used the freeway time to open and read his mail every morning, holding the pages against the steering wheel.

[erichill]

My son has a 2016 Honda Accord 6 cylinder with manual six speed and its a hoot to drive. Has variable valve timing system in it and when it kicks in you really feel it.

[Crusty Trucker]

I really enjoyed my 5-speed Mitsubishi 3000 GT back in the '90's. Fast and flashy when new, but has never been popular or expensive in the resale market.

 

 

 

[alsancle]

I came very close to buying one of the last Ram 2500 Diesel sticks back in 2018.  I'm glad I didn't.  I drove my kids Jeep with a 6 speed for two weeks last month and it got tedious after a while.

[JV Puleo]

To answer the original question...because they simply aren't available. I would much prefer a standard transmission but I drive a 34 year old Chevy blazer...when the constraints are that you need some sort of small truck and have very little to spend on it you have to take what you can get. Beggars can't be choosers.

Edited Wednesday at 11:59 PM by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Hemi Joel]

I would very much prefer to drive a stick shift as my daily. But being in the roofing business, I need to drive a late model pickup. And Hemi powered 1/2 ton pickups have not been available for over a decade. So I have no choice other than the slippy, stinky, slimy, slushy, sloppy fluid coupling. 

[Oz Dodge 4]

My daily driver is a Nissan Patrol, and that is a stick 5 on the floor overdrive, and the reason I have that is to do four wheel driving trips into our outback where "automatics" are an absolute "liability"! A lot of drivers use them, and a lot spend a small fortune having a recovery vehicle go out and extract them, sometimes for the transmission, and sometimes because of the computer. My patrol has manual stick gearshift, manual Diesel injection, manual lever controlled range and manual 4WD. I am also  very glad to say most of my family also drive manuals, although the missus has an I30 Hyundai with an auto, but that's only because of availability, she couldn't find a manual replacement when she needed one after her previous "manual" got stollen! Obviously, villains still drive stick shifts.

[joe_padavano]

My daily is a 1969 Cutlass wagon with three-on-the-tree.

 

 

[Gearheadengineer]

20 minutes ago, joe_padavano said:

My daily is a 1969 Cutlass wagon with three-on-the-tree.

Love it! That is awesome