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Thread: Manual Tranmissions

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
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    NE Iowa
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    Manual Tranmissions

    As nearly as I can tell, the only option left for a pickup truck with a manual transmission is a V6 Toyota Tacoma.

    This makes me feel like a real anachronism. I strongly favor manuals in my trucks. I'm looking at replacing a 2008 Tacoma potentially, and if I'm reading the cards right, I'd better do it this year, or there may be no choices at all.

    Anybody else feel this way? Did everybody but me actually decide trucks need automatic transmissions, so the market completely disappeared?

  2. #2
    I used to favor a manual transmission but I came to realize that the automatic transmissions are pretty good. A lot better than they were when I was starting out.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2019
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    Outside the US manual transmissions are still common. Inside the US, a very small percentage of people can actually drive one. For instance, if I rent a car in Germany it's significantly more expensive if it's an auto. When was the last time you saw a manual available for rent in the US? It's a market issue solely.

    I'm unhappy with this, because I prefer a manual as well.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
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    I won't buy another manual truck or car anymore, because the people who pull up inches behind me at a stop on a hill don't seem to understand why that's a problem.

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    It’s too hard to text and shift with a manual. 🙄

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Stan Calow View Post
    I won't buy another manual truck or car anymore, because the people who pull up inches behind me at a stop on a hill don't seem to understand why that's a problem.
    When I had a car with the emergency brake as a pull up handle between the seats, I could handle that situation. Pull up the brake, let go of the foot brake (move that foot to the accelerator) and as you let out the clutch, drop the emergency brake handle. But for vehicles where the emergency brake is a foot push, that won't work.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Day View Post
    It’s too hard to text and shift with a manual. 


    We're in the same boat as Steve. Both my wife and I are 4Runner die-hards but that option disappeared a long time ago. Whenever we travel to Europe, we always book a vehicle with a standard transmission. When we get to the rental counter, the clerk always asks us if we really wanted that, since we're American. LOL

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  8. #8
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Henderson View Post
    When I had a car with the emergency brake as a pull up handle between the seats, I could handle that situation. Pull up the brake, let go of the foot brake (move that foot to the accelerator) and as you let out the clutch, drop the emergency brake handle. But for vehicles where the emergency brake is a foot push, that won't work.

    Mike
    I haven't seen one of those on a manual transmission. Thankfully, because that'd just be stupid for the exact reason you mentioned
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
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    I drove some 1946 "buses" for the Minnesota State Fair in 1999. They were essentially a truck chassis with a three or four speed non-synchro transmission. They had a great big parking brake lever you could grab with your right hand. I would set the brake at every stop. If the stop was uphill I would release the clutch at the same time as releasing the hand brake. You had to double clutch going from first to second. I had had been working on that bus operation for a decade in 1999 and the mechanic didn't realize I had never driven the 1946 "buses" yet and had to teach me. I had only driven the newer automatics or acted as conductor instead of driver.

    They were really easy to drive once you spent an hour or two taking practice laps. They were easier then a car with a manual transmission. A lot of people refused to drive them.

  10. #10
    According to 'MotorBiscuit' only 3 trucks (available in the US I'm assuming) are available with a stick:
    Jeep Gladiator
    Nissan Frontier
    Toyota Tacoma
    --none of which are 'big' trucks...
    ========================================
    ELEVEN - rotary cutter tool machines
    FOUR - CO2 lasers
    THREE- make that FOUR now - fiber lasers
    ONE - vinyl cutter
    CASmate, Corel, Gravostyle


  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by mike stenson View Post
    I haven't seen one of those on a manual transmission. Thankfully, because that'd just be stupid for the exact reason you mentioned
    Not a truck but the VW Bug worked that way. I had a Chevy car that was set up the same way with the emergency brake between the two front seats (long time ago but that's what I remember).

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  12. #12
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Henderson View Post
    Not a truck but the VW Bug worked that way. I had a Chevy car that was set up the same way with the emergency brake between the two front seats (long time ago but that's what I remember).

    Mike
    Weird, then again the last bug I drove was air-cooled, and was post 1960. So really old Type1... never driven one, just later ones and Type2's

    Literally every automatic I've owned, has been my wife's. I'm not looking forward go being forced to drive one due to unavailability of manuals.
    ~mike

    happy in my mud hut

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by mike stenson View Post
    ...Literally every automatic I've owned, has been my wife's. I'm not looking forward go being forced to drive one due to unavailability of manuals.
    My wife's 2014 Mini Cooper is manual (we both steadfastly refused to get automatic in that platform) but apparently, even Mini is phasing the standard transmission out.

    Erik
    Ex-SCM and Felder rep

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
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    The other thing that’s disappearing from pick-ups is the regular cab - one with only two doors and one row of seating.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2013
    Location
    Wayland, MA
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    3,651
    I gladly switched to automatics in my trucks years ago, the American manual transmissions were just unpleasant to use, I think my current F350 has like an 8 or 10 speed automatic. It shifts smoothly and adjusts well to load and road conditions. My car is still a manual (a Mini Cooper at this point). The Mini and BMW I had before it had a nice feature that if it senses the car will roll backwards it applies the brakes for the second or two between taking your foot off the brake and engaging the clutch. Unless you dawdle there is no roll back on a hill. (Worked fine driving in San Francisco).

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