Originally posted by todras:
Not sure I agree with you view. Manuals only account for 12% of all cars made. Don't see it declining that much. Lots of cars available with manuals still and more on the horizon.



Last I read it had declined to 10%. Automatics are very good these days with sloppy shifts and breakdowns a thing of the past.

If you hadn't noticed the majority of Americans live in big cities and commuting sucks in stop & go traffic with a heavy clutch.

The majority of that 12% are from sub-compacts in the $10-$15K range with the remaining coming from sports cars. Throw in a few sedans and you've got your 10-12%.

With a 5spd Auto standard in most cars now-a-days you get the same fuel economy as a manual trans as well.

And anyonje who has driven a great Automatic like that in the Lightning or 92-95 SHO understand autos can kick down and hold to redline just fine............. Just imagine how good the auto-trans are in high end luxury sports cars. BMW's SMG comes in mind.


Money doesn't always bring happiness. People with ten million dollars are no happier than people with nine million dollars ~ Hobart Brown