Manual Transmission? Yea or Nay?
Still looking for the first truck in preparation for our first RV sometime next year and I've pretty much narrowed it down to an F2/350 with the V10. Not sure I want to roll the dice with a 6.0 Diese...
Forum Discussion
ricatic wrote:I want the manual transmission, but I wont pay more for it. That is ridiculous considering the cost of an equivalent automatic is easily twice the manual, PLUS the additional computer needed to control the shifting.
How many manual transmission devotee's would order an optional manual transmission that added to the cost of the truck?
ricatic wrote:I would say the option to NOT have the automatic should save me at least $1000 on a new vehicle purchase
How much would the manual transmission devotee's be willing to pay for that transmission?
ricatic wrote:I did, but not for money, for equipment. As I stated before, manual transmission have been in decline ever since the OEMs started bundling automatics in every option package above base. As a consumer, I was forced to decide which I wanted more; leather seats, moonroof and killer stereo, or manual transmission. My preference would have been to be able to get both, and in a perfect world it should have saved me money, not cost anything more.
How many manual transmission devotee's would not spend the extra money and just buy the standard automatic transmission?
Automatic transmissions are fluid pumps, and not 100% efficient ones. That is where the heat comes from, and heat is wasted power. This is simple physics. Do manual tranny make heat? Sure, any time metal rubs against metal heat will be generated. But nothing close to the heat loss an auto generates. Ever notice manual transmissions don't need tranny coolers?
And one more thing, the mileage figures everyone is relying on to make it seem as though automatics get equal or better mileage that manuals is fabricated marketing BS. They are designed to convince consumers "on the fence" that the automatic comes at no cost. It is just not true. Every manual transmission vehicle I have owned since the early 90's (earlier cars had no published stats) got 2-3mpg better than the EPA sticker said it would. My 04 Subaru Forester easily got 34-35mpg in typical highway driving, yet was only rated for 30. A close friend had the exact same car with automatic, and besides it being much slower off the line, it only averaged 25mpg instead of the EPA quote of 29.
In contrast, every automatic vehicle I have bought got slightly WORSE mileage that the EPA sticker. Of course, your mileage may vary.
