What's with the manual trans hype?

[DrewBronc21]

You bought the wrong type of vehicle for your wishes and desires. Sorry dude!

Didn’t buy it yet but I‘m buying a manual. Only suggested paddle shifters would be a better alternative to the console shifter. Raptor gets paddles although a bit different functionality.

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[Hoofnmouth]

Years ago a buddy and I attempted to rebuild his TH400 auto trans. We got it back together but was making an awful grinding noise, lol. I just spent $1000 on a rebuild of my TJ auto trans, and that was a bench rebuild, I had to pull it myself else would cost more.

The new so called "sealed for life" auto transmissions are a pain just to change the fluid. And define "life". As a guy who tends to hang onto vehicles like grim death, my needs might be quite different compared to some guy who unloads cars not long after warrenty.

All my manual transmissions have been rock solid. My wife's Geo Storm did 220,000 miles on the original clutch! Wild card is the new Bronco manual trans, we have no service history to go on.

When i was 16 i tore a c6 apart carefully layed each part out on a blanket after cleaning,buddy came by said lets go to a big party at the beach ok lets go.
Big storm came thru mom got mad her nice car was outside ,she grabs all four corners of the blanket and balls it up in the corner and pulls in.
I come home after 3 days and see her car in the garage oh by what followed was hours of scouring manuals to figure out which way certian pieces go .
It worked fine but the thought of all those little failure points made me a manual fan forever.

 

[MCG DAWG]

you might be thinking "my child would never be so stupid" and I hope you are right, but if he's not interested in texting, then having a manual wont matter.

He's only 12 now and I have learned to NEVER underestimate his ability to do stupid @#$%

 

[MississippiMule]

The last manual I had was a 2006 Wrangler. Most of my driving is in-town, in a small town, and it got very old. I said I’d never get another manual unless for some reason I get a sports car. However, I currently have a 4Runner with hybrid automatic. We recently had snow and ice for a week, and the manual function of the hybrid was key due to steep hills here. Even in 4wd, I would have been sliding down hills had I not been able to shift down to 1st/2nd and just ease down the hill without braking.

I ordered a manual on the Bronco both to save money and also make it unlikely my daughters will want to take it over in a few years when they start driving. Not that I don’t plan on teaching them how to drive manual, but it will be less attractive. And unless Bronco MY21 has a hybrid option, I want the manual.

 

[Wineguy]

Why a manual for me? Because I miss it. I wanted a manual trans on the vw golf Alltrack I got for the mrs, but because my wife can’t figure it out, I went Auto.
I told my wife I ordered my Base with a manual and she said “But then I can’t drive it!” I said Exactly!

 

[mtap]

No hype...teaching your kids how to drive one IS priceless...

like reading an analog clock or dialing long distance on a landline...

 

[Wizard1183]

Reliability.

 

[timhood]

You're not missing anything. Some of us just want what we want. Just that simple.
I prefer a manual so that's what I want. I've never said it was better or more convenient or anything else. It's just what I want.

That's like when you were a kid and asked your parents why and they answered "Because."

 

[rugbysecondrow]

Manuals are more fun for me. I don't commute, I work 5 min from my house, and most of my driving is local. That said, there is a visceral feeling of connectedness I get when driving a manual. The vibrations through the stick, controlling when, or when not, to shift. There is some semblance of "operating" the car vs. riding in it. An active vs passive role. I prefer doing more than just steering. I like the simplicity of a manual. It might be my ADD, but I like that it keeps me engaged.

If you are stUck in I-95 traffic, on the beltway into DC...it might not be more fun. It might detract from the fun, and I get it (been there), but for my driving, I think a manual is more fun and will enhance my enjoyment of the Bronco.

 

[LostInArizona]

I prefer a manual in a sports car for the control. And although I have owned and/or driven several 4x4s with manual, at this point in my life I prefer an automatic for off-roading because I would rather focus on the obstacle than what gear I'm in or whatever, pretty obvious reasons imo.

Other than personal preference, a lot of the "hype" is just old thinking based on old technology. Automatics these days especially fords new 10 speed and others like it are SO much better than the old 4 speeds that used to be in everything. They keep power in the power band better, they shift faster, they experience far less drivetrain power loss. They really just can't be compared.

Coming from an sti that is only available in a 6 speed, I will surely miss driving a manual on the street when I get my Bronco (2.7), but I won't think twice about it when I'm wheelin.

 

[Wilbur's son]

So far I haven't seen any BS about one type driver being better than the other, or one transmission being better than the other. All the discussion I've seen here has been very civil and mostly stating peoples wants and desires.

I don't care what you drive, how you drive, or anything else. I don't see any one thing better than the other. That's why there are so many choices.

A manual is just second nature to me. I started driving tractors and a one ton manual on the farm by the time I was 10. I've had 3 speeds, tree and floor, 4speeds, 5speeds, 6 speeds in cars and trucks. I rode motorcycles since the late 80s, all manual. My wife grew up on manuals as well and drives them well. It's just a comfort.

No hype.

Learned on a 3 on the tree as well. Then for my high school summer job, drove a water truck at the local golf course to water trees. Shifting a split axle took it to another level.

 

[MtnRanger]

Manuals are more fun for me. I don't commute, I work 5 min from my house, and most of my driving is local. That said, there is a visceral feeling of connectedness I get when driving a manual. The vibrations through the stick, controlling when, or when not, to shift. There is some semblance of "operating" the car vs. riding in it. An active vs passive role. I prefer doing more than just steering. I like the simplicity of a manual. It might be my ADD, but I like that it keeps me engaged.

If you are stUck in I-95 traffic, on the beltway into DC...it might not be more fun. It might detract from the fun, and I get it (been there), but for my driving, I think a manual is more fun and will enhance my enjoyment of the Bronco.

It depends on the manual. I had a suzuki sx4 manual and it was engaging similar to a VW GTI and Mini Cooper etc. I rented a manual toyota yaris and Opel crossland x manual in europe and they were terrible. I could go from 1 to 2 or 1 to 3 or 1 to 4 and it didn't make much of a difference. They weren't jerky or torquey. Felt like the manual shifter at an arcade in a mall. The sx4 was on the other end of the spectrum. 95% good shift isn't good enough. You either get lurched forward or the engine lugs if you don't shift at the perfect time (with short clutch engagement time). I really want a manual but I want to test drive the broncos manual before pulling the trigger.

 

[rugbysecondrow]

It depends on the manual. I had a suzuki sx4 manual and it was engaging similar to a VW GTI and Mini Cooper etc. I rented a manual toyota yaris and Opel crossland x manual in europe and they were terrible. I could go from 1 to 2 or 1 to 3 or 1 to 4 and it didn't make much of a difference. They weren't jerky or torquey. Felt like the manual shifter at an arcade in a mall. The sx4 was on the other end of the spectrum. 95% good shift isn't good enough. You either get lurched forward or the engine lugs if you don't shift at the perfect time (with short clutch engagement time). I really want a manual but I want to test drive the broncos manual before pulling the trigger.

Your point is valid, but the same can be said with the automatic too.

I just think all of this (transmission, engine choice etc etc) is all a leap of faith at this point. I've already pulled the trigger and ordered my Bronco. If it drives terribly, I won't finalize the deal.

 

[Brongo]

For me there's several reasons.

1- Cheaper
2- Haven't owned a stick in years and since this will be my "fun" vehicle and doesn't have to be my daily driver, I'd prefer a stick.
3- In 5 years it'll be my current 11 year olds first car. With a manual he can't text and drive and most of his idiot friends won't be able to drive his car.

Just some of my reasoning.

#3 is seriously the the most brilliant reason ever.

 

[Thechief86]

Automatic transmissions are boring, and complicated to repair. As long as the hard parts in a manual hold up, the only common failure is the clutch, which I can usually replace in a weekend for $300 or less.

I simply do not buy vehicles with automatic transmissions. I have an old Subaru with an automatic, but it was given to me as an alternative to the scrapyard. It is boring, slow, and lame, so the car got a lift kit and some all-terrain tires, and now gets abused offroad in an effort to make it less boring.

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