The price of wanting a "stick"

Marshfly wrote:

If you haven't spent time driving one either carrying or towing a load you have no idea how much better they are.

Ignorance is bliss.

You can keep your slushbox; I have no interest and will go back to gas or buy a 30 year old truck before I will drive an automatic. I can't stand them.

I don't mind if others insist on an automatic, that is your business and I won't criticize you for it. But I wish the manufacturers would continue to offer a manual for those of us who won't have anything else.

I ordered my truck ten years ago to get one with a stick and in another 10-20 years when this one is completely worn out, if they no longer offer a manual, I guess I just won't need or want a truck anymore.

A true medium duty 7-9 speed manual in a pickup would be an absolutely excellent addition to the market. Americans might be too snobby to buy a manual but those who use trucks for work throughout the world are using manual transmissions and they do the job just nicely.

There are pros and cons to both and the manual transmission is NOT obsolete. The reason manual pickups are no longer offered by Ford and GM is that they don't sell as well.

As long as there are pros and cons to both, and there are, it comes down to preference. If you prefer an auto, great, 95% of the trucks out there are for you. For the rest of us who insist on having a stick, just let us already. You probably won't understand and I don't really understand the obsession with automatics. That's okay because I don't understand a lot of choices that others make. But there's room in the world for both and I'll just leave you alone about it because I don't care what you prefer as long as I don't have to drive an automatic.