There used to be a time when a person would visit a new car dealership in Hollywood and find that manual transmissions were all that they offered. It was rare for a vehicle to have an automatic transmission, and people were okay with that.
When kids learned to drive, it was important that they have the skills to drive a stick shift. Their first vehicle from a Honda dealership in Hollywood may have been equipped with this type of transmission. It was an element that was part of the auto world and something people expected.
What is a manual transmission?
In essence, a manual transmission (or standard transmission or stick shift) is a vehicle that is equipped with a stick next to the driver that allows them to switch from one gear to another. There are also three pedals in the vehicle: the gas, the break, and the clutch. To be able to switch from one gear to another, the driver has to push in the clutch and then move the stick to the gear it needs to be to move forward.
Most standard vehicles that are equipped with manual transmissions have five speeds. Some more expensive models from a new car dealer in Hollywood will come equipped with six. It also has the ability to go into reverse so that a person can back their vehicle up.
There are some advantages to having a manual transmission, including the following:
- More fuel efficient
- Can be less expensive
- Can provide better performance
- Can be fun to drive
- Require less maintenance, including needing the fluids changed less often
- Driver can have a better sense of control
- Can make the vehicle appear sportier
There are some downsides to having a manual transmission. These include the fact that they can be challenging to learn. A person has to have good timing between releasing the clutch and pushing on the gas to get the auto to move forward. Too fast and they’ll kill it. Too slow and they’ll grind the gears.
Another issue that might arise is that the clutch can get stiff and be difficult to press down. This can have an impact on a person’s joints. If a person has to do a lot of starting and stopping, this can wear on them and make their clutching leg sore.
Of course, any of these issues can be overcome with a little practice and loosening the tension in the clutch. However, finding a manual transmission isn’t as easy as it once was.
Why automatics are preferred
There are many reasons why people prefer automatics, including the cons that were listed above. Most people don’t want to have to work so hard to get their vehicles to move down the road. Having a manual transmission means that they have to pay attention to how fast they are going and switch gears to match so that they don’t blow up their engine. This includes upshifting and downshifting.
In an automatic, people should still be paying attention to how fast they are going, but they don’t have to worry about changing gears. As the name implies, this is done automatically for them. This can be incredibly beneficial in traffic where there’s a lot of starting and stopping, as well as on hills, where it can be challenging to get the timing just right when letting out the clutch and pushing on the gas so that the vehicle doesn’t roll backwards.
The advancements in automatics also means that they now get really good fuel economy and don’t cost a whole lot more than a standard transmission. In some cases, the shift times have been improved, so they can accelerate and slow down faster. That makes a lot of people really happy. In addition, a person doesn’t have to worry about injuring themselves when pushing the clutch numerous times throughout the driving experience.
Standards are still available
Manual transmissions haven’t disappeared completely, but they are more challenging to find than they once were. Most of the time, they are found on sportier autos or vehicles designed for off-road use. In most of these cases, the standard number of gears for these vehicles is six, but some come with up to seven or eight.
In some cases, it’s possible to get an automatic that has paddles so that a person can manually shift gears without having to push in the clutch. This can give them control over their vehicle and allow them to choose which gear they want to be in for whatever driving conditions they are in.
Why consider a manual transmission
For those people who enjoy driving this type of auto, they will tell another that nothing beats this driving experience. The driver has to pay careful attention to all aspects of the vehicle to know when to shift and to do it smoothly. It can connect them to their vehicle and give them a deeper appreciation for it. It does take a little more work, but for some, it’s the only way they want to drive.
In addition, fixing a standard transmission is simpler than getting repairs done on an automatic. This is because they are less complex. If a person has the right tools and know how, they can do their own repairs on their standard transmission if they are so inclined.
Because the popularity and availability of manual transmissions has waned, many drivers don’t know how to drive them. This can be both a good and bad thing. For a person who owns a standard transmission vehicle, this means they won’t have to let people borrow it because they won’t know how to drive it. This can be detrimental for a person who needs to drive a vehicle that has a standard transmission because they won’t know how.
There is a huge learning curve when it comes to driving a standard. A person can’t just jump in and figure it out on the fly. This might also be why they are becoming less popular. It takes dedication and practice to be able to drive these vehicles smoothly, and people may not want to dedicate their time to this endeavor. There’s nothing wrong with that. They have the opportunity to do what they want, but it does mean that for those who want to find an auto with a manual transmission, it is getting more difficult.
