Second Thoughts on Manual Transmission

[ohvrider]

I mostly owned Manual's and wanted to buy a Mustand GT 5.0 few years ago. Only think stopping me was what I read on Mustang forums about the Getrag 6 speed at the time. I looked into swapping it for a Tremac 6060, but in end I just bought a commuter car that came with the Tremac 6060.

After that I got married and new wife can't drive a stick so for me I been looking for a car that comes with Auto that I'll actually enjoy. The only auto that has impressed me is one in my Raptor so hoping the bronco will do the same.

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[Rollerstud98]

The C+6 is brand new unproven and could very well end up with lawsuits??

 

[indio22]

Is it fun enough to get worse mpg and a slower truck?
Not talking about the 6 either

The slushbox 4 will be faster and more efficient than the manual

Sure shifting is fun, but if you can't do it better than the machine then what's the point? None of us can shift better than the machine anymore

Correction: Straight 6 and the 80 year old lady living across the street from me can't shift better than the machine anymore.

 

[tokyo]

I sold a manual transmission truck to buy my current 2.7 10 AT F150.

I love manuals generally but it was not a fun to shift manual. It was a GM truck not an S2000 or NSX.

On top of that doing truck stuff, like backing up a sloped driveway to hook up a trailer without a spotter (Get out to check, need to go back 3 more inches, Get back in, Push in clutch, release brake and hurry and push throttle, but still roll forward 3 Inches, then chirp the tires as you go back 7 inches and bang the ball on coupler because it was half inch too low. Crap.)

Then pulling that trailer uphill in stop and go holiday traffic in the canyon became a chore and sucked the fun of “connectedness” out of shifting for me.

And I started walking in circles because my left thigh got huge compared with right.

So I think everyone is right. Depending on how you use it the manual or auto will be the best.

For me, doing truck stuff the 2.7 10AT will let me enjoy the tedious stuff more and I really really like that combo in my truck.

I’ll enjoy manual shifting on my motorbike where it really is connected.

Hats off to you who are keeping manuals alive though! I appreciate and totally get what you are doing.

 

[thehermdawg10]

My current daily is auto, and while I don't mind it cause its a very good one, I'd much prefer to drive a manual given the choice. I don't mind if its slower, its a truck, not a supercar.

 

[Cookieck]

Is it fun enough to get worse mpg and a slower truck?
Not talking about the 6 either

The slushbox 4 will be faster and more efficient than the manual

Sure shifting is fun, but if you can't do it better than the machine then what's the point? None of us can shift better than the machine anymore

Pretty much anything you do in life can now be done better by a machine, does that mean you’re going to stop living?

Not everything is simply about efficiency. Especially when the day to day use isn’t going to be drastically different between them. Even you’re two examples are almost opposites. If you want to go faster, you’ll be getting less mpg. If you want more mpg you’ll not be going faster. So why would you put the pedal to the floor in an auto at all, it just decreases its mpg, and then the guy cruising with his manual is getting better mpg than you. And when you cruise to get better mpg then the guy in the manual beats you light to light. And there are plenty of vehicles that do a lot better at both so why get the bronco at all? A Tesla doesn’t need to shift at all and uses no gas, so why drive an auto gas vehicle?

Better is also relative. As others have said, an auto can shift faster up the gears in a straight line, but picking the right gear for anything else can easily be done better in a manual.

But to simply respond to your first question, yes a manual is fun enough to get 1-2mpg less and .5second slower light to light.

 

[VoltageDrop]

Yeah, but an auto trans could live the life of the vehicle.

A clutch is a consumable item. Flushing an auto trans fluid or replacing the filter is not the same.

So what, 60, 70K miles per clutch and pressure plate? So you need to figure in that expense. And yeah, could probably do it myself. I just did a clutch on my son's WRX which meant pulling the motor. Still, cost and time involved... I'd guess an easy 1500 to have it done.

I agree with this sentiment. I'd sooner expect an issue out of the MT than the AT, though I don't have great concerns about either one. I'm leaning toward AT because V6, Sasquatch, traffic, and remote start (I'm spoiled). I will say the MT has a sexy shifter, though

If Ford offered MT/V6/Sasquatch then I'd have a tough decision to make.

 

[Thechief86]

Yeah, but an auto trans could live the life of the vehicle.

A clutch is a consumable item. Flushing an auto trans fluid or replacing the filter is not the same.

So what, 60, 70K miles per clutch and pressure plate? So you need to figure in that expense. And yeah, could probably do it myself. I just did a clutch on my son's WRX which meant pulling the motor. Still, cost and time involved... I'd guess an easy 1500 to have it done.

I had 428k miles on the original clutch in my 1989 Jeep comanche, and at 224k in my current Cherokee.
1.5 MILLION in my Freightliner before the turbo failed and I just replaced the whole truck.
The guy who knows how to drive can get a lot of miles from a clutch.
Easier is not always better.
Heck, it's easier to let just your neighbor bone your wife, but some things are just better if you do it yourself

 

[MVP]

You conveniently left out the manual is slower too

Wouldn't be fun if you got a manual, your buddy got the auto 4 and constantly beat you from every stoplight


Like I said before, I drive manual, always have. But it's just not better anymore.
You can prefer a manual, you can enjoy a manual, but you're now taking a performance and efficiency penalty along with the extra fun

I could churn my own butter too, but really what's the point

Who the hell is racing a Bronco off of stop lights? I have a 160hp Motorcycle for that.

 

[Itchysquatch]

I was dead set on a manual.... I have accepted the automatic as my lord and savior however. Torque converters are just so much better than a clutch for crawling.

Agree, much more control. Makes it easy. That said The amount of time I’ll be on difficult trails crawling, I’ll probably just enjoy the challenge of using the clutch. Plus modern day manuals have “anti roll back device.” It applies the brake for you on hills, makes it easier... wish there was a way to turn it off when you are teaching someone to drive stick though.

 

[Studawg]

Dude..."hardcore wheeling" is a blast w/a manual trans. I loved wheeling my yj. It's something you gotta try to get why it's fun, and unlike street driving it's way different than w/auto trans. There's alot of technique you can use w/manual trans that auto just plain can't do.

I was hardcore wheeling manuals without power steering over 25 years ago. I agree it’s more fun, that’s why I’m getting one. But what can a manual do better off road than a modern auto? Serious question. If they were better, Ford would offer a Sasquatch manual.

 

[Lowcountry Bronco]

Agree, much more control. Makes it easy. That said The amount of time I’ll be on difficult trails crawling, I’ll probably just enjoy the challenge of using the clutch. Plus modern day manuals have “anti roll back device.” It applies the brake for you on hills, makes it easier... wish there was a way to turn it off when you are teaching someone to drive stick though.

On my VW it only held for like 5 or 10 seconds after you let go of the brake and then it would roll back if you were clutch only, reapplying the brake would turn the feature back on. Not sure how Ford will do it or how it will hold on the trails but should be the same or close.

 

[DrewBronc21]

I was 100% for manual but not being available with the 2.7 or Squatch or even in the 4 Door Base has the auto pulling me in. A 4 Door BaseSquatch 2.7 with a tune and call it a day.

If I’m sticking with the manual, I will have a lot more aftermarket work to do, lift, wheels, tires, lockers, etc. I would def tune the 2.3 as well.

I‘m keeping my STi which is a manual. I will always have a manual “performance“ car, so will that offset the need for manual in the Bronco?

I struggle with this daily to the point of considering canceling my reservation, waiting and test driving Broncos, see how other mod them and how each one performs and holds up to mods, etc.

I could do a turbo upgrade on my STi in the meantime to keep me occupied.

 

[Hkak45]

I sold a manual transmission truck to buy my current 2.7 10 AT F150.

I love manuals generally but it was not a fun to shift manual. It was a GM truck not an S2000 or NSX.

On top of that doing truck stuff, like backing up a sloped driveway to hook up a trailer without a spotter (Get out to check, need to go back 3 more inches, Get back in, Push in clutch, release brake and hurry and push throttle, but still roll forward 3 Inches, then chirp the tires as you go back 7 inches and bang the ball on coupler because it was half inch too low. Crap.)

Then pulling that trailer uphill in stop and go holiday traffic in the canyon became a chore and sucked the fun of “connectedness” out of shifting for me.

And I started walking in circles because my left thigh got huge compared with right.

So I think everyone is right. Depending on how you use it the manual or auto will be the best.

For me, doing truck stuff the 2.7 10AT will let me enjoy the tedious stuff more and I really really like that combo in my truck.

I’ll enjoy manual shifting on my motorbike where it really is connected.

Hats off to you who are keeping manuals alive though! I appreciate and totally get what you are doing.

Thank you for this. I honestly didn’t even think Of how much a pain towing and getting the trailer on any non level surface would be. I have the F150 for towing stuff but for someone who doesn’t have a truck this would be possibly an issue if they do it a lot with a manual trans.

 

[teerav]

I would love the manual, but I prefer the larger engine.

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