Who still drives a stick in 2025?

[Too many Kubotas]

Having about as many manual as automatic transmissions I don't have a clear favorite. It depends on the application.

If I end up buying another Peterbilt it'll definitely have a 13 or 18-speed. But I wouldn't want a manual in my 3500 Cummins, it being used only as a tow vehicle.

In the Challenger the 8-speed is a blessing. Not only is it quicker, it makes passing in short distances a whole lot easier.

The two on-property-only tow vehicles/tugs, an M1008 and a 4WD converted Postal Jeep, are much better being automatics.

As I write this I'm realizing that I really prefer autos for the most part. The HiJet would be a slug with one though, plus it's fun to shift with the left hand, and as mentioned, a Pete should have a manual no matter what.

Basically, I could live with most any transmission, except a CVT. Having one of those in a road going vehicle would be painful.

 

[jyoutz]

Wrong again, maybe not the old shush boxes might not but a gear drive box, certainly. I have one in my highly modified 97, F350 and it's been dynoed at 375 RWHP. I have no idea what the torque value is other than to say I can incinerate the rear tires which are 34 x 1050's at will with a Detroit locker out back. Never had a trans or clutch issue with it either. I certainly don't make a habit out of that in as much as the tires, Mickey Thompsons, are quite expensive. Additionally, all the newer servo shift PRNDL tranny's in big trucks are still manual gearboxes with electronically controlled (servo shift) dry ceramic clutches. All that has changed is the operator cannot manually change gears and there is no 3rd pedal either but the operator can still override the servo control if required. In reality, all the electronic controls do is 'float the gears' just like a good driver always did, me included.

For me, a clutch is always an optional accessory tractors, trucks or cars included.

I've never replaced a dry clutch in anything, ever and that includes the fleet trucks I drove for over 27 years, which were all 13's or 18's.

We aren’t saying the same thing. Back in the 90s and early 2000s when diesels were first available in 3/4 and 1 ton trucks, the auto transmissions and clutches on manuals were failing due to manufacturers just dropping diesels into trucks with transmissions designed for lower torque gas motors. The failures were numerous. Then manufacturers started putting transmissions into these trucks that were matched to the diesels and the failures diminished.

 

[5030]

My Western Star long hood conventional would be lost without an 18 speed Roadranger and so would I. Always been a Star fan as they are all I drove for the company I retired from, drove them for over 26 years and 99% of them were big Cats. A couple 13's and the rest 18's All on air and all with double bunks. I really liked the 97 Star I drove with the 'Vestibule' sleeper in it. Sort of a 'private entrance' to the sleeper and a great closet to keep work clothes in. We all drove large cars that never went anywhere actually. We we all home almost every night and if for some odd reason we did get hung out, the company covered us staying in a Holiday Inn and paid our dinner and breakfast as well.

I only ran Northern Ohio and lower Michigan and rarely a trip to Gary, Indiana to pick up a permit load of master coils.

The reason why the owner of the company bought large car Stars was for eventual resale. In fact they always had a waiting list of drivers who wanted to buy them and they came out of fleet at 750L miles, sometimes less. When I retired I bought the tractor I was driving so it retired along with me and they gave me a fantastic deal on it with the stipulation that if needed, I would pull their Talbert detachable when big stuff needed moved. I complied with that, no issue because it not only paid well but they got all the permits as well. I moved many large, heavy and od machinery pieces for them as they were in the steel processing business and that entails large process machinery.

I remember one time I moved an overwidth machine base from Gibraltar, Michigan to Toledo, Ohio and the routing was down M125, smack through downtown Monroe, Michigan and I hit it at rush hour and the road was 2 lane and I took up every bit of the south side plus the berm and I pizzed off a lot of drivers that day. Glad I had a Michigan State Police escort on my rear end. If I remember, I was 14-6 feet wide. Not high but real heavy as well. Had the flip axle down and all lit up and all the signage and flags in place. Took a pair of mobile cranes to lift it off. I hauled many oversized in width and height pieces for them and then they divested themselves of the trucking company and it was no more, but I still own the Star and a Timpte 42 foot hopper bottom trailer. Complete OO package inside and a sleeper I never slept in. twin 1220 gallon polished tanks, all polished aluminum wheels, inners and outers, diamond tufted interior, wood laminate dash, Newway air ride, 44K rears, every factory option available. It's bright red metallic with black interior. Air ride seats on both sides too. 255" wheelbase and a football stadium sized turning radius.

Quite a unit that I only use for hauling local grain now. I should probably sell it.

 

[jyoutz]

The crazy thing is now with many/most models the automatic is faster and gets better mpgs than the manual version.

Yep because most current autos have 8+ gears. Nobody would want and 8 speed manual.

 

[5030]

Yep because most current autos have 8+ gears. Nobody would want and 8 speed manual.

You seem pretty sure of that, guess I'm a nobody then. Actually considered pulling the single speed rear diff out of my F350 and installing a 2 speed Eaton rear end to give me a split 8 speed.

Said before and will say again, my BIL was the lead designer for Fords new 10 speed slush box and he flat told me not to purchase one. He didn't allude to why but I have not and never will. He also told me when I bought my Focus to steer clear of the Ford twin plate clutch setup and I did. Glad I did as they are troublesome boxes. Of course that wasn't an option in the Ford Focus RS anyway. They only came with a 6 speed close ration box. No other options available. The SE and the S's and flex fuel's had the 5 speed twin clutch auto shift / manual paddle shift. Me, I prefer it on the floor myself. Why I'm fond of my 350. It has 2 sticks on the floor. The main trans and the transfer case.

 

[jyoutz]

You seem pretty sure of that, guess I'm a nobody then. Actually considered pulling the single speed rear diff out of my F350 and installing a 2 speed Eaton rear end to give me a split 8 speed.

Said before and will say again, my BIL was the lead designer for Fords new 10 speed slush box and he flat told me not to purchase one. He didn't allude to why but I have not and never will. He also told me when I bought my Focus to steer clear of the Ford twin plate clutch setup and I did. Glad I did as they are troublesome boxes. Of course that wasn't an option in the Ford Focus RS anyway. They only came with a 6 speed close ration box. No other options available. The SE and the S's and flex fuel's had the 5 speed twin clutch auto shift / manual paddle shift. Me, I prefer it on the floor myself. Why I'm fond of my 350. It has 2 sticks on the floor. The main trans and the transfer case.

Talking about the masses of buyers. Rowing 8 gears wouldn’t sell well for most markets. Don’t think I’ve ever seen an 8 spend manual in a car or light truck.

 

[Fixastuff]

Not everyone can own or handle ford rs. You’re one of the rare few @5030 thankfully you rarely talk about owning one.

 

[kennyd]

My spare car, a 2011 Toyota Corolla, has a 5-speed. All three of my children, ages 24, 27, and 30 as well as my wife can drive a manual transmission.

 

[sandman2234]

6 speed pickup and 4 speed Chevy.
I have driven most combinations of trucks and cars that exist.
David from jax

 

[Jaybr]

I have a 76 Bronco that's a three on the tree, when I get around to restoring it I have a 5 speed going in it. Also have 3 motorcycles that are manual and the Kioti. Taught both my kids to drive stick before I let them get their license.

 

[4570Man]

I still have a stick a ZF6 Ford 7.3 but I like driving my automatic truck better.

 

[hube2]

I still drive a stick and will do so as long as I am capable. Besides fuel economy I feel they are safer. You need to be more aware of what you are doing. I drive my car, it does not drive me, and when I'm driving that is really all that I am doing.

 

[Oaktree]

Viscosity of trans oil made all the difference with non Synchromesh.

A guy brought his Model A to me saying he couldn't drive it without grinding the gears.

Someone put light gear oil instead of 600w.

The 600w added just the right amount of drag needed.

600W??!??
That must be fun to shift in cold weather!

 

[hodge]

I do, and I'll keep doing it until I can't find parts for them. 04 F350/6 speed, 85 CJ7/5 speed, 87 Ford F350 dump truck/4 speed, 2 manual transmission tractors and 1 backhoe. I love manual transmissions.

 

[pmsmechanic]

So presently my wife and I both drive manuals. We both prefer them. My wife would not even concider an automatic when looking for a replacement car. She's 67 by the way.

2 of my 3 men drive manuals. I've taught a few ladies how to drive manuals. A dodge Cummins works great for teaching as you don't have to be concerned with the throttle. Just learn to manage the clutch and the throttle operation comes naturally.

Some fun notes. I've converted several vehicle to manuals. Mostly because a manual has never left me stuck on the side of the road. I've always been able to get home. My 2001 TDI gained about 10 mpg with the manual and a lot more fun to drive. My 1990 Cummins gained about 6 mpg and a pile more reliability when swapped. At one time this winter we had 8 Jetta's, a Polo, a Rabbit and an Audi on the yard. Out of the 11 only 2 were automatics.

I suppose at some point in time we will own an automatic transmission vehicle but right now at 68 I don't feel like I'm old enough.

 

[5030]

Not everyone can own or handle ford rs. You’re one of the rare few @5030 thankfully you rarely talk about owning one.

Manual transmissions are second nature to me, always have been, both in my farm tractors, my vehicles as well as my big truck. I will always prefer them for their lack of complexity and more efficient transmission of power with minimal parasitic power loss. Fluid coupled torque convertors are all inefficient in the transmission of energy. Always have been, always will be and one of the primary reasons why regularly scheduled fluid changes and filter changes are required as the production of heat in the fluid coupling degrades the fluid over time and degraded fluid equates to a failed transmission eventually.

 

[5030]

Nothing worse than a slush box puking it's guts out at an inopportune time because the owner was lax when it comes to fluid and filter changes, a mandatory and necessary evil to owning a slush-o-matic.

When they puke, the repair bill is also a wallet buster and the more complex the slush box is, the higher the repair bill is as well.

Slush boxes are entirely dependent on timely fluid and filter changes to live a long and trouble free life and something that most owners seem to not remember. Once the additives in the fluid are depleted from the heat-cool cycles and the fluid is contaminated by various wearing components inside the tranny, it's only a matter of time before it fails.

Why you never want to 'flush' a slush box, simply because 'flushing', while less expensive to perform, agitates any and all wearing components that have deposited stuff inside the tranny and flushing causes those deposits to break loose and can cause havoc with internal valving in the valve body. Something I'd never do. Always more prudent and safe to do a complete drain (including the torque convertor) and filter change and installing new, virgin fluid on the manufacturer's specified change interval which is exactly what I just did with my wife's suburban at 80K as specified in her owners manual and I had that done at the local GM dealer where she purchased the vehicle in the first place.

It's my observation the most people change their engine oil regularly but totally ignore the shush box until it fails.

 

[ultrarunner]

I miss the days where $300 would bench build a mustang C4 transmission.

I restored several 1965-68 Mustangs from ring and valve to body and paint and upholstery...

I pulled the transmission and had a local shop bench build...

I hear 10k transmissions are not unheard of.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Fluid coupled torque convertors are all inefficient in the transmission of energy. Always have been, always will be and one of the primary reasons why regularly scheduled fluid changes and filter changes are required as the production of heat in the fluid coupling degrades the fluid over time and degraded fluid equates to a failed transmission eventually.

Slush boxes are entirely dependent on timely fluid and filter changes to live a long and trouble free life and something that most owners seem to not remember.

It seems like almost all modern autos have lock-up converters, so in that sense there should be no loss of efficiency.

Also, some late model autos are supposedly filled for life. There's n easy way to change the fluid, and the manufacturer feels it's not necessary.

 

[5030]

It seems like almost all modern autos have lock-up converters, so in that sense there should be no loss of efficiency.

Also, some late model autos are supposedly filled for life. There's n easy way to change the fluid, and the manufacturer feels it's not necessary.

Life can mean anything a manufacturer wants it to be and far as lock up torque convertors, they only lock up in top gear. Until then the fluid coupling is still an inefficient loss of efficiency and a producer of heat. Stellantis is one of the companies good for a sealed for life slush box. Again, what is life and how does it equate to longevity? If you have that answer please tell me...??