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Comment by morganvachon | Hacker News Reader

I have a great theft deterrent on my truck and Bronco II: Manual transmission. Most people in my area under 25 years old don't have a clue how to start or drive one, and the Bronco won't let you start it without the clutch disengaged (so no push starting).

Of course, this varies by location; I'm in the US where manuals are being phased out[1]. When I was growing up it was the other way around; you had to request (and pay more for) an automatic if you didn't want the "standard" transmission.

[1] http://www.cheatsheet.com/automobiles/manual-transmissions-a...

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Yeah i find it bizarre just how many automatics are in America, here in the UK, the only people who drive automatics are people who have difficulty mastering the skill of standard driving (ie a manual).

Where I'm from, you need to drive manual in driving school and pass the test. It's possible to do automatic only (e.g. for handicapped individuals) but then your license will have a remark forbidding you from driving manual.

A synchronized manual gearbox (not heavy duty vehicle or a museum piece) is really easy to drive. One lesson to learn the basics and another for hill starts is enough. Then it's just a bit of practice.

I like manual for snowy/icy roads, but after a few miles stuck in a stop-and-go traffic jam I'm ready to have an automatic transmission back.

There's no reason for manual really unless you do races or don't want to pay premium for auto. As I understand, there's no financial disincentive for automatic in America, hence most opt for the most convenient option.

Not for your ordinary city dwellers, but a manual transmission is nicer if you have to drive in adverse conditions (snow, ice) or tow a trailer in hilly areas, etc.

And it's just more fun to drive when you have complete control of torque going to the wheels under your right foot :)

I drive an EV now (after years of driving stick). No petrol car comes close in torque control, and it's just two pedals :)

My personal theory about the EV advantage in acceleration/torque control is that it's not really that much better than similar class petrol cars, but that when the car is completely silent, people don't have the same aversion to flooring the pedal. So it's effectively better.

I've raced my brother-in-law out of red lights a few times, him in a Nissan Leaf, me in a Peugeot 307 with a 1.6 110 hp petrol engine. I can keep up, but I have to stay above 3000 RPM throughout all gear changes, so it's really loud. Most people never drive a petrol car like that, you sound like an idiot boy racer.

The slightly better gas mileage? Though now with CVTs that are computer-controlled, they get better gas mileage than cars with standard/maunual transmissions.

For at least a few years now, even conventional "slushbox" automatics get better mileage than a manual transmission when in the same car.

Lower maintenance costs are usually mentioned as an advantage of manual over automatic, but slushboxes have been around for quite a while now. With routine maintenance and average use (meaning no launch control usage or burnouts), both types will last forever.

You can drive a manual very efficiently. My Forester has a display showing instantaneous efficiency. I can increase mileage by a third by paying close attention to it. But that means driving very conservatively, which I'd never do without the display to remind me.

Since I have bought a manual car, my efficiency has gone down by a ridiculous amount.

Fortunately the fun factor has gone up by the same amount so I don't care...

My truck has a towing transmission (SM465) with a low "granny" gear in the tradition 1st gear position. I never use that gear unless I'm hauling felled tree trunks around the property or something like that; it's needed to get the truck moving under such a load. I've heard that rock crawler types like to put that tranny in old Jeeps for precise control during four wheeling, and I can believe it. In that gear, I've crawled up a hill with a moderate load in the bed, with my foot off the accelerator.

Mostly though, I just enjoy the nearly zero maintenance (check fluids regularly of course, change clutch every 10 years or so) that a manual provides on an older vehicle. On newer vehicles like my Crown Victoria or my wife's Nissan Versa, the automatic just makes more sense. It's just as dependable as a manual, and only slightly more frequent maintenance (60k mile service intervals on both cars).

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