Datsun1500 wrote: Automatics used to be an up charge. They're not on BMWs anymore, so the dealers do not stock them. There are over 1000 new BMWs in the Baltimore market at the moment, 3 are manuals.
Did that comment make sense? In any case, automatics are still an upcharge on most cars, and in particular, on the Kia Soul it is a $2000 upcharge according to Car and Driver.
In reply to bravenrace:
Maybe the comment does not make sense but....local BMW dealer here in Columbus says that 99.7% of his customers want automatics, stick cars just sit on the lot forever apparently.
I have looked at new cars window shopping, and have asked the question of how many manuals are on the lot. I have been on new car lots before with zero manuals.
I have a lot of married friends that can't buy cool cars because the wife refuses to drive a car with a manual transmission. I believe I've seen that same sad story on this website quite a few times.
I won't date a girl that can't drive a standard transmission car. If they don't know how and I like them, they learn. If they don't want to learn, I don't date them. I don't need that much boring in my life.
This could explain why I am a bachelor.
1966stang wrote: In reply to bravenrace: Maybe the comment does not make sense but....local BMW dealer here in Columbus says that 99.7% of his customers want automatics, stick cars just sit on the lot forever apparently. I have looked at new cars window shopping, and have asked the question of how many manuals are on the lot. I have been on new car lots before with zero manuals.
Well that goes back to one of my earlier posts in this thread. I've been looking at certain cheaper new cars, like the Fiesta, Focus, Sonic, Fit, CR-Z, and nobody has one on their lot with a manual trans. I'm looking at possibly buying two cars for my sons, and I'm not going to do it without test driving them first, so while I understand why they don't have many manual trans cars, the fact that they don't have any will result in a loss of sales of potentially two cars to us, because I'll buys used instead.
gofastbobby wrote: I have a lot of married friends that can't buy cool cars because the wife refuses to drive a car with a manual transmission. I believe I've seen that same sad story on this website quite a few times. I won't date a girl that can't drive a standard transmission car. If they don't know how and I like them, they learn. If they don't want to learn, I don't date them. I don't need that much boring in my life. This could explain why I am a bachelor.
It was only a year or so ago that my ex- bought an automatic car. Her other 3 cars are all manuals. But there were times when her back bothers her and driving a stick is painful.
The only reason I bought the POS Cummins I did was because I insisted on a 5 spd. If I'd bought one of the much more common (and therefore many better choices) automatic trucks, she would have given me grief - and even admitted as much.
Dating a 'car-gal' sounds great, but it can be a double-edge sword... and why she's my ex-. Working on her cars is great. Working on my own cars - notsomuch.
Over the years I've purchased ten new cars. The two E-150 vans were automatics, as well as a B4000 pickup, a Ford Contour and a Honda Fit. Tracer wagon, MX-3, Wrangler, Miata, & WRX were manual.
That's only a 50% batting average. The contour was a desperation purchase and there were no manuals with the V6 available and the Fit I bought with an auto on purpose.
It is sad that we may witness the end of manuals. Aren't the big rigs starting to go that way as well? I currently have 4 vehicles, 3 are manual. The 4th, the 99 Bonneville wasn't offered with a manual. I will own at least one manual trans car until I can no longer drive, which hopefully is a long ways off.
Good thing about owning manuals is that most car thiefs, especially younger ones, don't know how to drive a stick.
gofastbobby wrote: I have a lot of married friends that can't buy cool cars because the wife refuses to drive a car with a manual transmission. I believe I've seen that same sad story on this website quite a few times. I won't date a girl that can't drive a standard transmission car. If they don't know how and I like them, they learn. If they don't want to learn, I don't date them. I don't need that much boring in my life. This could explain why I am a bachelor.
Not sure how this became a deal breaker. My wife prefers automatics. I prefer manual. So her DD is an auto and mine is a manual. She can drive manual, but doesn't like to. I can drive automatic but don't like to. So we each get what suits us. Why a wife would insist on something for her husband's car that he doesn't like is the more pertinent question.
They talk about auto-driving cars of the future. I don't even want it to pick my gear for me! Auto Abarth? Blashphemy!
And she said she'd like to learn a manual, I've offered the MR2, the Subaru, and now the Abarth.
I am willing to put up with an automatic Abarth if it keeps them building Abarths, jsut like I will put up with MINI building a countryman if it keeps them building JCW Hartops. We are a small part of the market, and those guys have to eat.
In reply to 1966stang:
"put up with" in the sense that you will buy an automatic Abarth, or that you'll put up with them building an auto if it allows you to buy a manual? IOW, are you willing to buy an automatic when they stop making manuals altogether? We are not on the upswing, we are on the downswing.
In reply to Datsun1500:
The way I read it you said they didn't stock automatics, which didn't make sense with your last sentence.
In reply to DILYSI Dave:
The deal breaker sets in when they won't drive a manual transmission car. There's a big difference between "doesn't like to" and "refuses to".
Sounds like you got a good one.
My buddy has a kid whos almost 15 and has absolutely no interest in driving. Here in Alberta he can get his learners, or whatever the graduated licensing equivalent BS that it is now, and he wants no part of it. I talked to him about it and he said he can get around on his bicycle just fine and whats the point of driving..... 
What the deuce man?!?!?! When I turned 14 I was at the licensing place the same day, when I turned 16 and could get my full licence, again, got to the licensing place right didi mau.
In reply to gofastbobby:
I don't want my wife to drive my car.
In reply to bravenrace:
I don't want your wife driving my car either.
In reply to gofastbobby:
Well good then, we agree.
If Fiat wants young people to buy more cars, they need to focus more on credit problems in the US.
Fobroader wrote: My buddy has a kid whos almost 15 and has absolutely no interest in driving. Here in Alberta he can get his learners, or whatever the graduated licensing equivalent BS that it is now, and he wants no part of it. I talked to him about it and he said he can get around on his bicycle just fine and whats the point of driving.....
Shifting priorities. To many, cities, are now the greener pastures, not the suburbs. Why live an hour, hour and a half from work, just to spend free time and money working on a car and mowing the grass?
I've purchased four new cars, all with manual transmissions:
1981 Mazda GLC Sport
1985 Dodge GLH Turbo
1991 Ford Escort GT
2003 Nissan Sentra Spec V
My current Sentra was purchased used. I'm teaching my teenage daughter how to drive it now.
Mitchell wrote:Fobroader wrote: My buddy has a kid whos almost 15 and has absolutely no interest in driving. Here in Alberta he can get his learners, or whatever the graduated licensing equivalent BS that it is now, and he wants no part of it. I talked to him about it and he said he can get around on his bicycle just fine and whats the point of driving.....Shifting priorities. To many, cities, are now the greener pastures, not the suburbs. Why live an hour, hour and a half from work, just to spend free time and money working on a car and mowing the grass?
I don't know, living in a city is my idea of a personal hell....living in an apartment would be a prison. I like mowing the lawn, I like wrenching and the freedom that a drivers licence gives you is amazing.....just dont get this new generation more involved with their stupid phones and laptops. Whats gonna help you pick up girls, your sweet new gaming laptop or picking them up for a date?!?!?! 
Fobroader wrote:Mitchell wrote:I don't know, living in a city is my idea of a personal hell....living in an apartment would be a prison. I like mowing the lawn, I like wrenching and the freedom that a drivers licence gives you is amazing.....just dont get this new generation more involved with their stupid phones and laptops. Whats gonna help you pick up girls, your sweet new gaming laptop or picking them up for a date?!?!?!Fobroader wrote: My buddy has a kid whos almost 15 and has absolutely no interest in driving. Here in Alberta he can get his learners, or whatever the graduated licensing equivalent BS that it is now, and he wants no part of it. I talked to him about it and he said he can get around on his bicycle just fine and whats the point of driving.....Shifting priorities. To many, cities, are now the greener pastures, not the suburbs. Why live an hour, hour and a half from work, just to spend free time and money working on a car and mowing the grass?
Actually from what I can tell a portion of the younger generation prefers porn to actual females as well. I can't understand it for the life of me.
gofastbobby wrote: I have a lot of married friends that can't buy cool cars because the wife refuses to drive a car with a manual transmission. I believe I've seen that same sad story on this website quite a few times. I won't date a girl that can't drive a standard transmission car. If they don't know how and I like them, they learn. If they don't want to learn, I don't date them. I don't need that much boring in my life. This could explain why I am a bachelor.
And that is why I've been trying to sweet talk this gal at the local college into dating......she drives an Ion Redline(5sp only)
The more disturbing thing I've noticed is how many people can ride a motorcycle yet can't fathom how a manual trans in a car works.....
gofastbobby wrote: I have a lot of married friends that can't buy cool cars because the wife refuses to drive a car with a manual transmission. I believe I've seen that same sad story on this website quite a few times. I won't date a girl that can't drive a standard transmission car. If they don't know how and I like them, they learn. If they don't want to learn, I don't date them. I don't need that much boring in my life. This could explain why I am a bachelor.
My wife learned to drive a manual tranny 38 years ago when, in college, our only car had a manual transmission. Since then it's been only manual transmissions. In '08, as she shopped for a new Mini, she asked to test drive 4 cars. Turbo, non-turbo in automatic and manual. With a bit of embarrassment she confessed 'it might be time for an automatic.' Her car, her choice. As we pulled out of the lot in the first automatic, the car went about 25' before there was an almost imperceptible shift into second. She looked over at me and said 'what was that?' I explained that the car had decided it was time to shift into second gear. She immediately moved left to u-turn and head back to the dealer (a 400 yard test drive). She said (I'll never forget) - "That's enough of that sh!t. I tell it when to shift - not the other way around." And she bought yet another manual transmission. Our daughter made one foray into the world of automatics, but after that, back into a manual tranny again with her last new Honda Fit purchase. I ruined them.
One exception - when your 82 year old mother-in-law decides to stop driving and gives you her 12 year old/18k mile owned-since-new Honda Accord (automatic) --- you take it without any questions.
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