The Standard Transmission Thread

I have had a fair amount of manuals. 1985 subaru dl wagon. 1988 mazda 323 gt. 1998 acura integra gsr. 1988 mazda rx7. 2002 subaru wrx wagon. And my current daily Colorado car, my 2010 rx8. I like manuals. Autos are fine. Was perfectly fine in my old kia sedona minivan. My crown vic and dodge charger for my old job were both autos. Need it when operating a radio and computer at the same time. I'm hoping my next car will be a later model mustang gt. If so, it will be a manual. But if I went the chrysler 300c route, big v6 sedan, I'd take an auto no problem.

 

Those are hard to find.

 

If my memory serves me correctly, the mustang is the only thing that ford makes anymore with a manual transmission. And rumor has it that it will be fading away in the next few years

 

I stand corrected, the fiesta ST comes with a manual transmission also

 

My current car is a 2012 Jetta GLI with a 6 speed manual. I've had it 5 years now, and like the manual a lot. The learning curve wasn't too bad, and driving in rush hour traffic isn't the big deal everyone makes it out to be.

 

My first manual was a Jetta GLI (2003 I think? I got it used.) that had some electrical issues. After a couple automatics following that, I got a 2009 Mazdaspeed3 (6 speed, turbo) and had that wonderful car for 5.5 years. I traded it in for the CX-5 I still have now (automatic), but now that I am not planning on moving across the country and no longer have need to haul a cargo trailer, I am hoping to get back to a 2009 Mazdaspeed3. My (Mazda) mechanic is test driving one for me tonight.

I might eventually go back to an automatic if I get a hybrid (the car I’m testing has 175k miles). I have been waiting for Mazda to enter the hybrid market because I love their cars, and they’re supposed to around 2023. Long enough to plan for a new car payment and keep a speed3 for fun driving.. perhaps. Having a 2 car garage gives me some options.

 

I just finished building a MT- 82 trans (manual trans) in a 2019 mustang with 7000 miles on it.
Apparently a 20 year old kid drives it and has has it for less than 3 months, and he has no clue how to drive it and not only did he fuck it all up he burnt up the clutch in it. The advisor said that once i was done the guy plans on trading it on on an auitomatic

 

My last car, a 2004 Mazda 3 four door, was a manual. When my ex and I were looking at a replacement for—or supplement to—her (automatic) ‘97 Ford Ranger, I suggested we get something manual so I could learn to drive it, with the understanding that she would teach me.

Big mistake… I mean, not wholly, as I did learn eventually, but it wasn’t painless by any means.

Meanwhile, we got an automatic Honda Fit for me to drive, replacing the Ranger altogether.

As our marriage was crumbling in earnest, she took the Mazda on a number of road trips to Columbus to visit the woman she ended up leaving me for and racked up a ton of miles.

When she left, she asked to take the Fit instead of the Mazda, expecting she’d still be doing those long road trips and knowing I’d barely be driving.

I’m glad she did—I loved that Mazda, even if it’s the only manual I’ve ever driven (so far). But, as expected, I didn’t drive it much, especially through the quarantine and afterward, and a bunch of battery and electric issues cropped up, leaving it pretty much dead. I decided to donate it, by then 18 years old, to a local rehabilitation garage rather than invest in what looked to be potentially costly repairs.

The rehab garage got it back up and running and sold it to someone local, who I hope is getting as much use and enjoyment out of it as she can.