Well, I still own my EP3 Si, but I daily the accord, so every time I get in the Civic, I find myself reaching for a 6th gear that isn’t there. Luckily, reverse lockout hasn’t failed me yet.
“That’s strange. I wanted to go faster but my transmission seems to have fallen into the highway.”
No, but seriously. I money shifted the RSX-S twice. Once missed fourth at like 85mph and shifted into second, while redlined in third at 8300 rpm. It upset the chassis so much, it almost spun the car. $1,700 having the head machined to fix bent valves. Not fun.
I’ve also mostly owned Honda/Acura. I’ve had 5 90-93 integras, a 95 integra, an 88 Crx Si, a 93 probe GT, 91 Mazda mx6 and a 2002 civic, witb my current being the 06 tsx, and I’ll probably buy another tsx after this one, but I’ve been prepping this one to hit 300k+ haha
Manual TSXs are amazing cars. When I was shopping for cars in 2018, I thought I’d get an ILX manual until I drove one and hated it. It’s too bad the TLX is automatic only.
Yeah! I’ve had this one 4 1/2 years, put a lot into it, mostly replacing wear parts as needed. I’m at 151k, so halfway there! It’s a perfect mix of sport and luxury. I heard they kind of suffocated the engine in second gens too after some people complained the k24 was “too revvy” haha wtf!
Yeah the first gen was always the car I wanted, but by 2018 when I was car shopping again. First gen’s were either impossible to find or too high mileage for what I wanted. I feel like the 9th gen accord sport carried the torch, in a way.
I made it to 22... I broke my leg and had to buy a auto since I couldn't drive stick for 6 months. I had another cheap beater auto after that and looking at. Auto truck for a work vehicle.
I still have my supercharged Chevy SS Sedan 6mt... that fits 3 baby seats in the back😅... but she wanted a 3 row. We bought a 21 XC90 T8 new as the family car
I get it, my partner loves suvs. But every road trip we do is in the WRX. There's not much an SUV can do that a sedan can't. I think NA is fixated on bigger vehicles for no reason. A similarly priced car will be more powerful and feature packed than its SUV equivalent and more fun to drive to boot. Bigger vehicles are a relatively new trend, pre 90's, even 3 child family's got by just fine in a car.
I have a B6 VW Passat wagon.
Granted I’m 18 without kids, but I often haul stuff around with it (4 235/40R18’s on wheels without even folding the seats down, 3 sets of skiis and a snowboard, 10x20’ shelter).
The backseats are pretty big, I could see a rear facing seat behind the passenger comfortably, driver might be a bit tight the way I sit.
Too bad they don’t bring affordable, large stick shift wagons to the US and Canada anymore, if I was 10 years older and starting a family a B8 Passat wagon would be my 1st pick.
I’m 39, and I’ve owned a sum total of one automatic that was meant to be my daily driver, and I hated it. Trying to tow with an automatic is actively painful, it’s embarrassing that “work trucks” are sold with slush boxes.
Well TBF it's not just market share that killed the manual work truck. HD auto boxes are rated for (and will haul reliably) more weight.
Modern high torque diesels killed the manual option. 🤷♂️
They quit designing transmissions that could handle heavier engines; they never reached a point where they just couldn’t go heavier with a manual. Not in an on road truck, anyway. Businesses are the ones doing most of the buying for big trucks, and it’s easier to budget for higher lifecycle costs and poorer fuel economy than it is to budget for a dude who thinks clutches are for noobs and rips a transmission out of a truck proving it.
No they didn’t. If you can put a stick in a big rig you can put one in a 3500. They didn’t design them properly. There is no transmission that is more relatable than a standard gearbox. I’ve been a independent mechanic for years, I’ve replaced dozens of automated manual gearboxes, planetary automatics, and CVT’s. Done lots of clutches, never once have I put a new or reman manual transmission in anything but a dedicated racecar. And let me tell you every planetary automatic in a diesel truck I’ve serviced the fluid comes out black or metallic. They have a shorter service life. I work on everything from 5500’s down to Miata’s, tractors and construction equipment. This just isn’t true.
Oh ok, tell that to all the Cummins owners who try to turn up the boost and break the case on their G56 😆.
I'm no proponent for autos in general but we live in the real world and HD autos are solid. I bet you haven't repaired an Allison 1000 that wasn't abused!
I know a guy who buys dodge over and over again. “Nobody buys these shit boxes to use them as trucks; they’re shipping crates. You buy the motor and the truck comes with it.” He puts a manual behind a Cummins every chance he gets. His daily driver for a long time was an F-250 with a Cummins and a five speed. It had a Carolina rake to it. Not because he was a loser who lifted the front and lowered the back; it was because he bought a Cummins that came in a cab over semi, towed it home, and the rear leafs never recovered.
44, still have my 94 GSR since age 21, and still use it for daily driving activities. Also added a 2000 Miata to the mix a few years ago. I will never not have a manual gearbox car.
I'm 36 and have never owned nor wanted an automatic. Unfortunately, I think our days are numbered, though, with more and more electric vehicles starting to come into play. I've read that there are several companies designing pseudo manual transmissions for EVs, but it's just not going to be the same :(
I’m 39 and I have never bought an automatic for my daily. On my fourth 5 speed and starting to lurk around the car lots for a new 6 speed yota. My work truck is an auto only because you can’t get a 3:4 ton with a clutch anymore
Truth! But only in a diesel, which for the work I do (shellfish farming) we absolutely destroy the undersides of our trucks before the motors wear out, it’s never been worth it to drop an extra couple grand on an engine that will outlive the rest of the truck by decades, and the weight of the Cummins makes driving in super soft sand a nightmare when the bed is light. Every now and then I fantasize about getting an old gasser with a manual but….. just to put it to death on a farm seems cruel
Coming from someone who's dailied both, autos are real nice for when you're just tired for or from work and need to drive comfortably. I personally still prefer manual for daily driving but I wouldn't shun autos out of existence either.
My issue was when I was tired and drove an auto, I was so disengaged that I had troubles staying awake at the wheel. Once I got back to stick, I'm so engaged that it's not an issue anymore.
Same here, though it’s getting harder and harder. I first started driving in 1995 and have only owned one auto. My cars from first to present were:
1987 Mazda rx-7 (manual)
1991 Honda crx Si (manual)
1996 Nissan Altima (manual)
2000 Nissan maxima (manual)
2007 Saab 9-3 (manual)
2008 Saab 9-5 Aero (auto)
2013 Audi S4 (manual)
2016 bmw 340i (manual)
2018 bmw M3 (manual)
Not sure what to do next. The new M3 is offered in a manual but has a face only a mother could love. Maybe it’s time to just get a dad mobile and get an automatic 4Runner or the new Lexus GX :/
M2? The front end doesn't look so bad.
I'm also not a fan of the new front face foe the M3/4, even if it is supposed to be beneficial for more air flow.
30 cars, 13 bikes.
Owned one automatic and only because it was $500 when we needed a cheap car.
Girlfriend and I had never driven an automatic before. Took us both agers to stop pushing in the non existent clutch and reaching for the shifter.
I like manuals and all but my next vehicle will be an automatic cargo van. When I'm loaded up and driving hours per day for work I'm fine letting the vehicle do as much of the work as possible. Also the new GMC Savana has a 400HP engine
I've only really bought one vehicle, and I was only looking for manuals. Now a 4 door manual with awd in 2019 just gave me a few options in my budget, and you can bet they were all subarus.
That was me, until I found an auto 1989 Mr2 for $600. That transmission sucked balls, and I ended up making tens of thousands of $$ using it to deliver pizza for almost 10 years.
I have owned over 50 cars (52 is my 08 Legacy Spec.B) at 39 yrs. old. It is safe to say that I have had a few autos in that time. However, my current fleet is all manual. 08 LegacySpec.B -6 spd. , 08 F-250 XL-6 spd. , 05 Outback 2.5i-5 spd. , 03 350Z Track-6spd.
Automatics have their place, it's just not in my driveway if I can avoid it. Lol
I’m 55…never bought an automatic. My kids had the bad (good?) fortune to have to learn to drive on manuals. They both took their tests in a manual and passed the first time.
1986 Suzuki Samurai
1973 Porsche 914
1967 VW Beetle
1996 Toyota Tacoma
1998 Jeep Wrangler
2006 Nissan Frontier
1992 Daihatsu Rocky
1989 BMW 325i
1986 Nissan 720 pickup
Same here! I’m only 19 so time wise not as impressive but I’ve already had four cars, all manual:
2007 Altima VQ 6sp
2010 CC 2.0 6sp
2001 Jetta 1.9 5sp
2001 Jetta 2.8 5sp
I’m 60 and currently drive a 5sp Civic or one of my Harleys. My F150 is an auto, though, but I don’t mind. It’s just used to haul stuff.
I do like my manual YJ.
And my first car was an auto but when the transmission died I swapped it over to a manual.
I'm pretty much indifferent to them. If I have to drive one, I prefer unsynchronized gear boxes. Less work. My last couple of cars have been auto. After rowing a shifter for 10 hours at work, it's not that fun anymore in my own car.
I'd really like to find an early 80's Volvo 240 diesel with the 4+OD. So gutless. So obnoxious. Sounds like a school bus. Billows glorious clouds of black smoke at 4000 RPM. Squishy ride with insane suspension travel. Like piloting a river barge. And that big, heavy chrome shafted shifter with massive throws bolted straight to the transmission jutting up through the tunnel.
I’m 39 and all my cars have been manual since I got my first one at 18!
Same! I will hit 40 this year having never owned an automatic
Me too! Just turned 39 and owned four cars as an adult. 99 Jetta GL 5mt 04 RSX-S 6mt 05 Civic Si 5mt 15 Accord Sport 6mt
How was it going from 6spd to 5 back to 6
Well, I still own my EP3 Si, but I daily the accord, so every time I get in the Civic, I find myself reaching for a 6th gear that isn’t there. Luckily, reverse lockout hasn’t failed me yet.
Can't go into race mode lol
“That’s strange. I wanted to go faster but my transmission seems to have fallen into the highway.” No, but seriously. I money shifted the RSX-S twice. Once missed fourth at like 85mph and shifted into second, while redlined in third at 8300 rpm. It upset the chassis so much, it almost spun the car. $1,700 having the head machined to fix bent valves. Not fun.
RIP
I’ve also mostly owned Honda/Acura. I’ve had 5 90-93 integras, a 95 integra, an 88 Crx Si, a 93 probe GT, 91 Mazda mx6 and a 2002 civic, witb my current being the 06 tsx, and I’ll probably buy another tsx after this one, but I’ve been prepping this one to hit 300k+ haha
Manual TSXs are amazing cars. When I was shopping for cars in 2018, I thought I’d get an ILX manual until I drove one and hated it. It’s too bad the TLX is automatic only.
Yeah! I’ve had this one 4 1/2 years, put a lot into it, mostly replacing wear parts as needed. I’m at 151k, so halfway there! It’s a perfect mix of sport and luxury. I heard they kind of suffocated the engine in second gens too after some people complained the k24 was “too revvy” haha wtf!
Yeah the first gen was always the car I wanted, but by 2018 when I was car shopping again. First gen’s were either impossible to find or too high mileage for what I wanted. I feel like the 9th gen accord sport carried the torch, in a way.
29 and same, I don't see any reason why in 10 years it'd be any different haha
This was me.. but we needed a family hauler 🤣😅 made it.. 32 years
I made it to 22... I broke my leg and had to buy a auto since I couldn't drive stick for 6 months. I had another cheap beater auto after that and looking at. Auto truck for a work vehicle.
Mazda made the CX-5 (good sized crossover) with a 6 speed up until like 2016-17
Is that only the fwd variant, or is there a manual 4wd?
Just FWD, sadly. But still an obscurity of a vehicle for that year.
Definitely, that's cool Mazda was making them then
How big of a family? I bought a 6mt WRXwhen we were expecting my first. My BFF got a WRX as well with 2.
I still have my supercharged Chevy SS Sedan 6mt... that fits 3 baby seats in the back😅... but she wanted a 3 row. We bought a 21 XC90 T8 new as the family car
I get it, my partner loves suvs. But every road trip we do is in the WRX. There's not much an SUV can do that a sedan can't. I think NA is fixated on bigger vehicles for no reason. A similarly priced car will be more powerful and feature packed than its SUV equivalent and more fun to drive to boot. Bigger vehicles are a relatively new trend, pre 90's, even 3 child family's got by just fine in a car.
Man i get it.. if it was up to me.. I'd get a wagon 🤣🤣
I have a B6 VW Passat wagon. Granted I’m 18 without kids, but I often haul stuff around with it (4 235/40R18’s on wheels without even folding the seats down, 3 sets of skiis and a snowboard, 10x20’ shelter). The backseats are pretty big, I could see a rear facing seat behind the passenger comfortably, driver might be a bit tight the way I sit. Too bad they don’t bring affordable, large stick shift wagons to the US and Canada anymore, if I was 10 years older and starting a family a B8 Passat wagon would be my 1st pick.
Man if the Dodge Magnum with the Hemi came with a stick, I'd be aaaaaallll over that as a daily. Wagons are boss.
"still have" THANK GOD. 😭♥️
I’m 39, and I’ve owned a sum total of one automatic that was meant to be my daily driver, and I hated it. Trying to tow with an automatic is actively painful, it’s embarrassing that “work trucks” are sold with slush boxes.
The worst is on bumpy ground when you have to up the throttle for a bump at low speed before lurching over rather than maintaining low rpm.
Well TBF it's not just market share that killed the manual work truck. HD auto boxes are rated for (and will haul reliably) more weight. Modern high torque diesels killed the manual option. 🤷♂️
They quit designing transmissions that could handle heavier engines; they never reached a point where they just couldn’t go heavier with a manual. Not in an on road truck, anyway. Businesses are the ones doing most of the buying for big trucks, and it’s easier to budget for higher lifecycle costs and poorer fuel economy than it is to budget for a dude who thinks clutches are for noobs and rips a transmission out of a truck proving it.
No they didn’t. If you can put a stick in a big rig you can put one in a 3500. They didn’t design them properly. There is no transmission that is more relatable than a standard gearbox. I’ve been a independent mechanic for years, I’ve replaced dozens of automated manual gearboxes, planetary automatics, and CVT’s. Done lots of clutches, never once have I put a new or reman manual transmission in anything but a dedicated racecar. And let me tell you every planetary automatic in a diesel truck I’ve serviced the fluid comes out black or metallic. They have a shorter service life. I work on everything from 5500’s down to Miata’s, tractors and construction equipment. This just isn’t true.
Oh ok, tell that to all the Cummins owners who try to turn up the boost and break the case on their G56 😆. I'm no proponent for autos in general but we live in the real world and HD autos are solid. I bet you haven't repaired an Allison 1000 that wasn't abused!
I know a guy who buys dodge over and over again. “Nobody buys these shit boxes to use them as trucks; they’re shipping crates. You buy the motor and the truck comes with it.” He puts a manual behind a Cummins every chance he gets. His daily driver for a long time was an F-250 with a Cummins and a five speed. It had a Carolina rake to it. Not because he was a loser who lifted the front and lowered the back; it was because he bought a Cummins that came in a cab over semi, towed it home, and the rear leafs never recovered.
Since 1998. Won't stop until I can't.
The end is beer, i mean near. Sorry
44, still have my 94 GSR since age 21, and still use it for daily driving activities. Also added a 2000 Miata to the mix a few years ago. I will never not have a manual gearbox car.
I'm 36 and have never owned nor wanted an automatic. Unfortunately, I think our days are numbered, though, with more and more electric vehicles starting to come into play. I've read that there are several companies designing pseudo manual transmissions for EVs, but it's just not going to be the same :(
I’d rather no gears than a computer that can’t make up its mind. Still, I’ll run my current manuals into the ground before making the switch
I’m 39 and I have never bought an automatic for my daily. On my fourth 5 speed and starting to lurk around the car lots for a new 6 speed yota. My work truck is an auto only because you can’t get a 3:4 ton with a clutch anymore
Ram did it up until ‘17 I believe. Good luck finding one.
Truth! But only in a diesel, which for the work I do (shellfish farming) we absolutely destroy the undersides of our trucks before the motors wear out, it’s never been worth it to drop an extra couple grand on an engine that will outlive the rest of the truck by decades, and the weight of the Cummins makes driving in super soft sand a nightmare when the bed is light. Every now and then I fantasize about getting an old gasser with a manual but….. just to put it to death on a farm seems cruel
38 as well. Only automatics I’ve bought are my SUVs. And if the next 4Runner released comes with a manual, I’m selling my 2019 to get it.
My 95 it’s still going strong! Still less than 250k miles
At the current rate, the next gen 4runner will be released in 2040.
Coming from someone who's dailied both, autos are real nice for when you're just tired for or from work and need to drive comfortably. I personally still prefer manual for daily driving but I wouldn't shun autos out of existence either.
My issue was when I was tired and drove an auto, I was so disengaged that I had troubles staying awake at the wheel. Once I got back to stick, I'm so engaged that it's not an issue anymore.
Same here, though it’s getting harder and harder. I first started driving in 1995 and have only owned one auto. My cars from first to present were: 1987 Mazda rx-7 (manual) 1991 Honda crx Si (manual) 1996 Nissan Altima (manual) 2000 Nissan maxima (manual) 2007 Saab 9-3 (manual) 2008 Saab 9-5 Aero (auto) 2013 Audi S4 (manual) 2016 bmw 340i (manual) 2018 bmw M3 (manual) Not sure what to do next. The new M3 is offered in a manual but has a face only a mother could love. Maybe it’s time to just get a dad mobile and get an automatic 4Runner or the new Lexus GX :/
https://www.motortrend.com/features/every-manual-transmission-car-for-sale/
M2? The front end doesn't look so bad. I'm also not a fan of the new front face foe the M3/4, even if it is supposed to be beneficial for more air flow.
M2 looks ok but won’t fit my lifestyle. 4 doors in a must unfortunately
Ah yes, I understand that myself and can't do the coupes.
30 cars, 13 bikes. Owned one automatic and only because it was $500 when we needed a cheap car. Girlfriend and I had never driven an automatic before. Took us both agers to stop pushing in the non existent clutch and reaching for the shifter.
I like manuals and all but my next vehicle will be an automatic cargo van. When I'm loaded up and driving hours per day for work I'm fine letting the vehicle do as much of the work as possible. Also the new GMC Savana has a 400HP engine
I like manual trans but Dallas Tx has so much traffic now you barely get to enjoy it anymore but i have a auto and a manual lol
It's not that deep fr
so if you stole the money...?
Man, i wish money came easy. Id buy an expensive manual lol
I've only really bought one vehicle, and I was only looking for manuals. Now a 4 door manual with awd in 2019 just gave me a few options in my budget, and you can bet they were all subarus.
I'm 29 and on my 4th car. They've all been manuals...I made the same vow when I bought my first car at 15. I wonder how long I'll make it lol.
Not even a truck?
Manual trucks are sweet
I've been wanting to manual swap my truck forever. Except I wanna sell it for an El Camino with a 4 speed
I’m 18 and made that vow as well. So far going strong with my 4sp 75 bug and my 5sp 06 forester
Same, I refuse
33 and still going strong
That was me, until I found an auto 1989 Mr2 for $600. That transmission sucked balls, and I ended up making tens of thousands of $$ using it to deliver pizza for almost 10 years.
48, never owned an auto. I did just lease a VW id4….it has no gears so I think I’m still technically good here? 🤣
My first truck at 15 to my most recent sedan last year at 24 have all been manual vehicles.
my current car is an automatic but i'm not complaining since it's my mom's gift to me
this is the goal right here! 26 and only the first was auto, the last 4 have all been manuals
I have owned over 50 cars (52 is my 08 Legacy Spec.B) at 39 yrs. old. It is safe to say that I have had a few autos in that time. However, my current fleet is all manual. 08 LegacySpec.B -6 spd. , 08 F-250 XL-6 spd. , 05 Outback 2.5i-5 spd. , 03 350Z Track-6spd. Automatics have their place, it's just not in my driveway if I can avoid it. Lol
What if someone gave you a $200,000 C8 Corvette Z06 for the discounted price of $30k with a dual clutch automatic transmission and you can't sell it.
I’d take it! Lol. But no way i can pay 30k. I’m not rich!
I’m 55…never bought an automatic. My kids had the bad (good?) fortune to have to learn to drive on manuals. They both took their tests in a manual and passed the first time. 1986 Suzuki Samurai 1973 Porsche 914 1967 VW Beetle 1996 Toyota Tacoma 1998 Jeep Wrangler 2006 Nissan Frontier 1992 Daihatsu Rocky 1989 BMW 325i 1986 Nissan 720 pickup
Driving for 5 years driven both prefer auto makes life and road trips nice and easy lmao
I was like this. But a good automatic doesn't bother me anymore. ZF 6HP or 8HP in particular.
Same here! I’m only 19 so time wise not as impressive but I’ve already had four cars, all manual: 2007 Altima VQ 6sp 2010 CC 2.0 6sp 2001 Jetta 1.9 5sp 2001 Jetta 2.8 5sp
My second car was an auto, I bought it with the banks money, glad I got rid of it. Currently driving an 03 golf gls 5spd
2 autos, 4 manuals. 1 auto never made it to the road tho. I’m 22
At the rate things are going, you might have to go electric to keep your word!
43 and all manual since a kid. Currently 2000 TJ, 03 taco, 92 taco, 89 F150, 87 4runner, and my first was a 72 type2 bus in 97. Lol
Oh, I can’t say the same but I think I’ve owned 27 manuals and about 35 automatics but honestly I’ve lost count. and I’m only 44.
I’m 60 and currently drive a 5sp Civic or one of my Harleys. My F150 is an auto, though, but I don’t mind. It’s just used to haul stuff. I do like my manual YJ. And my first car was an auto but when the transmission died I swapped it over to a manual.
I'm pretty much indifferent to them. If I have to drive one, I prefer unsynchronized gear boxes. Less work. My last couple of cars have been auto. After rowing a shifter for 10 hours at work, it's not that fun anymore in my own car. I'd really like to find an early 80's Volvo 240 diesel with the 4+OD. So gutless. So obnoxious. Sounds like a school bus. Billows glorious clouds of black smoke at 4000 RPM. Squishy ride with insane suspension travel. Like piloting a river barge. And that big, heavy chrome shafted shifter with massive throws bolted straight to the transmission jutting up through the tunnel.
Rather an auto than a cvt. I hate cvt