Manuals-Thing of the past?

[robbo/region15]

One thing i noticed this week @ Broady,was the lack of Manuals being built...
Out of the 300 odd Fords we checked ,only 3 were Manuals.
All Terris were Auto ,Falcons ,XR6's ,LPI,Utes [with the nice roll bars] all autos.

So,a general Q here, is the Manual a thing of the past?

[SteveJH]

In large cars, i'd probably have to say that they have been replaced to a large extent.

In the Falcon in particular it probably doesnt help that the tow limit of an Auto is 700kg higher then for a manual, plus that fleets wont buy manuals anyway.

However, in smaller cars, especially at the budget at the end of the market the manual will probably live on for a while yet. I had an i20 auto hire car on the weekend, thing didn't move unless you revved it, so if I ever bought one of those it'd have to be a manual.

[Road_Warrior]

The Territory has never been available in a manual and fleets won't buy manuals anyway, as autos get better and reduce the inefficiencies then there will be a less of a reason to have manuals in anything other than performance cars. Like it or not, that's how it will end up. I remember when automatic transmission was like a $1000 option on Falcons and Commodores, then later it was a no cost option and now the status quo has been reversed - you have to specify a manual if you want one (is it a cost option??)

As for me, I prefer my utes with a manual.

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

I remember when automatic transmission was like a $1000 option on Falcons and Commodores, then later it was a no cost option and now the status quo has been reversed - you have to specify a manual if you want one (is it a cost option??)

Its not a cost option. Its hard to get a manual Ford but they seem to hold their value better then the auto's, while nothing special its better then a kick in the pants.

[Stazza_Brendan]

Autos have come a hell of a long way. Most buying a Ford probably use it for the daily commute where an auto is usually more desireable.
I wasnt a big auto fan but love my ZF xr6T

[irish2]

Interestingly in europe they sell more manuals, but America and Aus have a fascination with being lazy.

[Polyal]

One thing I have noticed all week is how you have mentioned how you have been at Broady..and still dont know what LPi is.

IWCMOGTVM

[robbo/region15]

Originally Posted by Polyal

One thing I have noticed all week is how you have mentioned how you have been at Broady..and still dont know what LPi is.

IWCMOGTVM

Point being?

[Silver Ghia]

From what I've gathered, Ford only builds manuals to order, so they would go straight to the dealer after manufacture and so there would be virtually none being held there at Ford.

IWCMOGTVM as well.

[FPV8U]

Less and less people are learning manual, my partner cannot drive manual and has stated even if she learns she has zero interest in driving a manual fulltime.

[Zaxx]

Eh.
Personal choice, it's all it boils down to.

As you've said you noticed a lot more Auto's.
That's dead on, and I can understand why, you mentioned fleets, and terri's aren't optioned with manual gearboxes.

But to be perfectly honest. I bought my first XR6 (2004 BA) That had the 4 Speed Auto.

Last week?
I went out of my way, and lost about.. 2-2.5k buying my new BA MK II XR6 Ute.
That had the 5 Speed Manual.

Do I regret that?
Hell no.

If people want manuals, they get them.
But as far as availability goes. Unless you're buying one of those mass produced hatchbacks, that are so prevalent..
Auto it is.

Funnily enough however, I noticed, that every single Great Wall car, is a manual. Auto apparantly isn't an option yet?..

Sounds damn good to me.

[Zaxx]

Originally Posted by FPV8U

Less and less people are learning manual, my partner cannot drive manual and has stated even if she learns she has zero interest in driving a manual fulltime.

I second this.

[robbo/region15]

Originally Posted by One Six

I second this.

I agree,reading these replies ,years ago it would cost you more for the Auto option.
Being a Bike Rider its so hard to adapt from Hand Clutch to pedal clutch..... ,but yes i did learn to drive in a column Valiant ......found out you cant put your feet down on a hill to stop rolling back,like on a Bike,hahhahahaha

[Ford_The_Win]

Originally Posted by irish2

Interestingly in europe they sell more manuals, but America and Aus have a fascination with being lazy.

Might also have something to do with our straighter, much wider roads, capital cities designed in grid patterns and generally much larger cars? Autos make more sense in Aus and the USA, whereas the opposite is true in Europe.

Auto makes sense in a car like the Falcon, if I'm buying a big cruiser I expect it to be able to change it's own gears.

[2011G6E]

Many years ago in the early eighties the figures for the USA were something like 82% of cars sold had auto's, and we all laughed at them for being "lazy Yanks", because as said above, an auto was an expensive option here. The "normal" gearbox was a four speed manual...or five speed if you were really lucky. If you picked an auto, you knew you were going to ruin your fuel economy for the small convenience, as they were all three speeds, like the Traumatic in the old WB 253 ute we just bought. I'll be looking at fitting either the five speed Celica box I've got sitting in the shed, or maybe a kit for a four speed auto box out of a later Commodore at some stage in the future.

Funny how things change...

I must admit that when I once borrowed our sons '90 Corolla Seca with the excellent 4A-GE engine in it and five speed manual with a heavy duty clutch and drove it through Brisbane traffic, that after a while of the stop-go stuff, I was wishing for the auto in the XC GXL Fairmont we owned at the time...

[midnightXR6]

Ill be looking for a manual when i find another falcon to import. Just my preference tho.

[wrongwaynorris]

Originally Posted by irish2

Interestingly in europe they sell more manuals, but America and Aus have a fascination with being lazy.

Could not agree more Irish

[ray38l]

Manuals are slowly dying. The car manufactures are making it harder to buy a manual. Many new l platers only learn auto.
My girlfriend is about to go for her p's and has done 300 hours and driven an auto once. I made sure she learnt in a manual because living in a mining town almost all work cars are manual. A guy i work with now is about to get fired because the company i work for has a policy of manual only.

[Rodge]

The reason manuals are slowly dying is the remarkable improvements in auto's especially the world class ZF.

The vast majority of people who have sampled a ZF and live in congested cities wouldn't dream of going back to a stick shift.

[Terror_Tree]

Even though the 6 speed auto in my Territory is the best auto I have ever driven, I still love the old manual gearbox. I could never own a V8 auto, when (if?) I get my GT Falcon there is no way it's going to be an auto.

[Jim Goose]

The vast majority of people who have sampled a ZF and live in congested cities wouldn't dream of going back to a stick shift.

Probably the biggest reason im guessing... driving around in peak hour who wants to keep changing gears?
and yes I prefer a manual too... makes it hard when once in a blue moon i get to drive a truck at work which prefers double clutching after driving a auto 99% of the time though.

[LTDHO]

The Aussie driver is getting slack and wants their driving experience to be as easy as possible.

Personally, you are not driving a car if you are not controling the gears, that' is just me.

[2011G6E]

Originally Posted by ray38l

Manuals are slowly dying. The car manufactures are making it harder to buy a manual. Many new l platers only learn auto.
My girlfriend is about to go for her p's and has done 300 hours and driven an auto once. I made sure she learnt in a manual because living in a mining town almost all work cars are manual. A guy i work with now is about to get fired because the company i work for has a policy of manual only.

That's funny...The railways out here and in other depots have an automatic only policy. make sense...it covers everyone, whether they have an auto-only licence or not.

My missus has an automatic licence...believe it or not she didn't get her licence until she turned 26. She can drive a manual and has her learners for it attached to her licence, she just hasn't got around to getting it yet. She wants to though so she can drive the Celica when we take it on a trip without worrying about slapping on L plates.

I'd agree about the ZF...I used to be a manual-only guy, and hated autos, but that ZF is amazing...

[SumoDog68]

Originally Posted by LTDHO

The Aussie driver is getting slack and wants their driving experience to be as easy as possible.

Personally, you are not driving a car if you are not controling the gears, that' is just me.

Agree to a point but i ve only driven manuals for 20 years and having to battle peak traffic daily can see automatic being a smarter option. There is no enjoyment in start stop congested traffic .
My daily driver is still manual though...

[Fev]

It's quite disappointing in my opinion. I'm getting so sick of driving autos all the time (car salesman) and every time I find something that's manual its usually a turbo diesel focus or fiesta I try to really enjoy it.

I have to say though the turbos are better in automatic. The FPV V8's are better as a manual but they're still incredible as an auto.

[Geez Louise]

When my son was on his learners and going for his license, he learnt in a manual, however when it came time for the test, all his mates said it was easier to pass in an auto so he sat for his auto instead.

I was not a happy camper! but that tends to be the trend nowadays. What ever is easier seems to be the option most people take. Sad but true!

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by robbo/region15

Manuals-Thing of the past?

Yes. Absolutely.

Manuals only exist for three reasons:
1. insecure people, so they still have something they can control
2. people who think their decade old family car is a race car
3. journalists

FTR i have owned almost as many manual cars as automatics.

[partsguy]

I won't be letting my kids off learning in a manual. Just bought my son an EF Futura factory manual in pretty good shape for a very good price.
When my daughter turns 16, she will get a manual too, she's not so keen to drive a big car though!

[MAD]

No matter how good an auto is, to me it's only as a comparison to previous autos. Manual always for me.

[swanee]

Last 3 Falcons I have owned have been manuals.

My BA XLS was a T5 which I bought new.
My BA2 XR8 Ute was a T56 (2nd hand) and my FG FPV GS is a TR6060 which I got this week (ex FMC car).

Manuals are out there... but they are rare. Some dealers order a few manuals for their stock, whilst others (as has been mentioned) will only order them when someone wants one.