Texas Proud
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
- Joined
- May 16, 2005
- Messages
- 17,316
I spent a lot of time convincing buyers of big trucks to spec automatic transmissions over manuals. The auto is way ahead in performance and productivity. In cars I expect auto makers will need to charge a premium for a manual transmission at some point and that will determine the future availability of manuals. I never heard anyone say they love to use a clutch before so I think an automated clutch/manual shift would be fun to drive. The tiptronic gearbox works this way.
I think that it will be awhile before a manual cost more than an auto.... an auto cost more to make no matter what...
Now, I have seen where you do not get the savings for manual, but most of the time they are $1,000 to $1,500 cheaper...
I hate the 'auto-manual'.... it is not the same... doing the clutch and the gears at the same time if the fun.... just clicking a stick is not... and, you are sequential with a tiptronic.... IOW, you have to go from 6 to 5 to 4 to 3 to 2 to 1..... with a manual I can go from 6 to nothing and then put it back in whatever gear I need when I need power again... I coast a lot...