No more Ford Manual Transmissions.........

[Okie4570]

http://www.ford-trucks.com/articles/manual-transmission-dead-never-coming-back-ever/

The Manual Transmission is Dead, and it’s Never Coming Back … Ever
By Manuel Carrillo III - July 8, 2014
163 Comments | submit to reddit
2008 Ford F-450 Chassis Cab XLT Interior - Manual Transmission Stick Shift Home

For new cars and trucks purchased over the past 10 years, the manual transmission take rate has hovered around five percent. That take rate is only headed downward.

But then I discovered that as much as half the U.S. population cannot swim … at that point I pretty much gave up on humanity.
Imagine being a manual transmission in this day and age. Imagine how awful it would feel if only five percent of the new-vehicle-buying public wanted you. Who wants to be that unpopular? It’s a good thing manual transmissions don’t have feelings because if they did, they would cry “nobody loves me!”, and then crawl into a dark corner and die. Actually, I’m inclined to believe they do have feelings because, boy oh boy, are the manuals dying.

It’s been about four years since an F-250 or F-350 has rolled off the assembly line with a manual. For half-ton trucks it’s been a bit longer. Even though you were able to get a five-speed manual transmission in an F-150 up until 2008, you were forced to pair it with the depressing 202-hp 4.2L V6, so for all intents and purposes, rowing your own has been dead in the F-150 since 2003; the last year you could get a V8 with a stick.

“Mvs4th” on the forum asked if there are plans to ever bring back manuals in the upcoming redesigned F-Series trucks. The answer is no … like “no means no” no. If you want to know why, forum member Frdtrkrul is the answer:

My issues [with manual transmissions] are that different clutches engage at different points, or various manufacturers make you do something really dumb to get into reverse. VW makes you push the shift lever down to get the transmission into reverse. In order to get the key out of a Saab’s ignition, the transmission has to be in reverse. Manuals are not very user friendly for new people to drive them. I love manuals to death, but my good Lord, they are a pain in the ass to learn. There are too many variances in where the clutch grabs, or different shift patterns to learn.
Even people who say they love manuals still have several bones to pick with rowing one’s own. Frdtrkrul‘s comment pretty much sums up how the public and the forum regard stick-shifts, which further explains why there has been such a low stick-shift take rate in the past 10 years. At first, I was appalled that folks would pick the most surmountable of obstacles to deride the manual transmission, especially when they complained about how “difficult” it is to learn to drive stick, but then I discovered that as much as half the U.S. population cannot swim … at that point I pretty much gave up on humanity.

Above and beyond your typical automotive enthusiast, I have a little more sympathy for the dying manuals. My official motto is “Manuel only drives a manual,” and some of my friends have nicknamed me “Manual Transmission”; therefore, seeing the manual transmission die is like seeing a part of me die. I take it personally.

These are sad times for lovers of the coveted third pedal. We’re living in an era when people will throw their hands in the air and give up when faced with pushing the shift lever down to engage reverse. I wish more people like forum member MBDiagMan existed.

I am a diehard stick-shift driver. Bumper-to-bumper traffic, one car-length forward, and stopped in a traffic jam — no sweat. One of the Mercedes sticks I’ve had: beautiful. My V8 Mustang five-speed: no problem. My ’64 Galaxie “three on the tree”: heaven. My five-speed V8 4×4: bring it on. Any traffic situation, any terrain — give me three pedals, and I’m as pleased as a kid in a candy store.

When the manual transmission eventually goes the way of the hand-crank starter and the carburetor, I will remember the words of MBDiagMan, and fondly look upon the times when there were men and women who roamed the Earth who could rock a third pedal like a Gibson Les Paul.

 

[RidgeHunter]

Completely depressing. When work trucks and "sporty" cars started losing the manual as even an OPTION, man, what a disgusting time. My buddy has a 1988 F-250 4WD he bought with a bench seat, rubber mats, and a 5 speed. Still has it. 2 engines, 1 transfer case, several clutches, probably 500,000 miles.

I had a manual Tacoma, it got totaled by an old lady, and I couldn't find a stick in time to get back on the road and be one with it. I've been stuck with Toyota's shitbox 5 speed auto for 180,000 miles.

I want(ed) a Legacy GT for a DD. They recently dropped the manual. On a turbocharged car. A turbocharged Subaru at that. Solidifies my decision to never, ever by a new car again. Price on used manuals will rise. I see it happening now.

If you can't drive a stick you should not be allowed to get a driver's license.

 

[Perplexed]

Back in 2001, I was looking for a new Ford pickup, but I could not find a F150 with a V8, manual transmission, and leather interior - the latter pretty much dictated that I get an upgraded package including an automatic transmission. I had several salespeople, and one sales manager, give me a puzzled look when I told them what I wanted. "Why would you want a manual transmission with an upgraded interior??" was the common cry. Having no luck, I moved up to the F250 and got a nice combo of manual, V10, and 4x4 with leather seats and rubber floors. Perfect! The only problem was the gas mileage; averaging 14 mpg spelled the end of that vehicle's stay with me after a couple years.

Pity that the overwhelming majority of the driving populace today would rather have a slush box.

 

[yukonjack]

Completely depressing. When work trucks and "sporty" cars started losing the manual as even an OPTION, man, what a disgusting time. My buddy has a 1988 F-250 4WD he bought with a bench seat, rubber mats, and a 5 speed. Still has it. 2 engines, 1 transfer case, several clutches, probably 500,000 miles.

I had a manual Tacoma, it got totaled by an old lady, and I couldn't find a stick in time to get back on the road and be one with it. I've been stuck with Toyota's shitbox 5 speed auto for 180,000 miles.

I want(ed) a Legacy GT for a DD. They recently dropped the manual. On a turbocharged car. A turbocharged Subaru at that. Solidifies my decision to never, ever by a new car again. Price on used manuals will rise. I see it happening now.

If you can't drive a stick you should not be allowed to get a driver's license.

I think everyone should have learned on a three speed column shift. We'd have a lot fewer accidents if people drove three on a tree. You can't text on your phone and drive one of those in city traffic.

 

[BadgeBunny]

No more stick shifts??!?! Good Lord ... what's this world coming to? We own three vehicles ... two of them are standards ... I wouldn't trade for either one of them ... Well, except when I'm stuck at a stoplight on a slope ...

 

[RidgeHunter]

I think everyone should have learned on a three speed column shift. We'd have a lot fewer accidents if people drove three on a tree. You can't text on your phone and drive one of those in city traffic.

My first truck was a three on the tree. I'm 26. 10 years ago I drove it to the tire shop and the guy about 20 years older than me gets in to pull it in the bay.

He stares confoundedly at the dash like a waterhead at a Rubix Cube, gets out, and asks me "Is this the shifter? Where's drive?"

Me, teenage gearhead, staring the nigh 40-year-old decline of masculinity in its goateed face. I left happy about for new tires, but sad for my country.

A column shift is simpler than a floor shift to me. I could roll a cigarette and eat a meatball sub in traffic behind a 3-speed. You can shift 2nd-3rd with your steering hand barely moving it from the wheel.

 

[excat]

A column shift is simpler than a floor shift to me. I could roll a cigarette and eat a meatball sub in traffic behind a 3-speed. You can shift 2nd-3rd with your steering hand barely moving it from the wheel.

...and if you're good, never even have to touch the clutch.

 

[bettingpython]

I'm never gonna be able to get rid of the wife's 08 GT if the manual disappears from the mustang line.

We spent 4 hours buying that car, poor salesman we really liked him it took us less than an hour to buy my truck. But she refused to accept anything other than black, GT, and manual transmission, and it had to fit in our budget which meant he had to bend over backwards to find us a base model. They offered her a fully loaded GT, dealer demo with less than 2K miles on it with a 5 speed for less than what we paid for a base model, it was ghost grey not black.

I don't miss a stick shift in my truck, if I was building a wheeling truck or a bro dozer as a play toy I'd like one but for my regular driver I am happy with what I have.

 

[Grindstone]

Just the normal advancement in technology.

 

[TerryMiller]

Actually, I'm not so sure that the manual transmission would have been all that great on the F450, which is what the picture on that article shows. The automatic transmission with the "tow/haul" feature adjusts in some way when the tow/haul is engaged, thus making the F450 better for climbing grades and going downgrade. That would be something unavailable on a standard transmission, I would think.

Now, having said that, I won't get to really test the tow/haul's features, including automatic downshifting, until Sunday and Monday. Sunday, we stop at the summit of Raton Pass to spend the night in our RV and Monday will see us do the downhill grade on our way to our "new home site." That will be my first test with the F450 on a mountain pass. Yeah, I know. Raton Pass ain't all that much of a pass.

That comment just gave me a funny thought. With me going to Colorado, maybe a manual would be better. It would be harder for an auto thief to steal my truck and still smoke his doobie if it had a manual instead of an automatic.