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Hi, Im from the north East England (uk), in the uk I’d say 70 percent or cars are manual (normal cars not sports cars), yet in the USA it’s seams to be the other way round, any ideas why.
Plus in the uk if you pass your driving licence in an automatic car then you are not allowed to drive a manual, you must sit a manual test.
Is this the same for you guys outside the uk
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Just my opinion, I think Americans got used to automatics on the larger cars we drove in the 70’s. It used to be an extra charge for an automatic transmission in the 60’s and 70’s. Once more people started paying for automatics it switched. You had to pay extra for a manual transmission. I think a lot of people found it difficult to drive a manual, especially taking off on a hill. When I was young I loved to drive a manual transmission, now not so much.
Americans are lazy and we love a good ripoff… You can pay more upfront buying a new car with an automatic, pay more for fuel, pay more for servicing, and pay more when the transmission fails in half the time a comparable manual trans does… All so you can talk on your phone while eating a cheeseburger during your evening commute. Many cars aren’t even available with manual transmissions here anymore or have to be special ordered.
my car doesn’t come with a manual transmission as a option, in fact i think all W and H body GM cars are all automatic and that is your only option, it sickens me that GM only offers a automatic transmission in my car, and truth be told if maintenance is not done on these transmissions they are know to be prone too failure.
but at the same time i am sick and tired of being called lazy because my car is a automatic really if my car had a manual option i would have gotten it, i chose too buy this car for one reason THE ENGINE! the 2008 pontiac grand prix was the last car they really put the 3800 in and no injustice was done there. but i can drive a manual, in fact my first time driving a manual car i was able to drive it most of the time without stalling it, i needed some practice but still i can drive a manual, if my car had a manual option that is exactly what would be going into my car when a transmission overhaul was needed, but unfortunately the car can only be equipped with a automatic which is a shame with the power the engine has. HOWEVER you can get this car with paddle shifters, special versions of the GTP and GXP come with paddle shifters… but that isn’t the same thing at all…
stick all the way if i had a choice, but i will do anything too get a car with this engine.
I guess it is linked to cars in USA having much bigger engines and automatics giving to better mpg, saying that I wouldn’t dream of buying an automatic I enjoy changing gear and listening to the engine Rev, your car sounds amazing, mines a little mazda mx5 (miata) in the USA.
Generally in UK automatic cars are generally.cheaper than manual.
Does the us require you to have separate licenses for both manual and automatics.
Regards
MichaelGot to admit in the 70’s cars in the UK compared to America were miles behind when it came to size and power and automatics were rare. Think it might boil.down to cars in the us having much bigger engines.
I dont think it has to do with the engine, its about what the consumer wants. Many cars imported to the US only come with autos because that’s what sells. I had a friend wait 3 months for her new car because she insisted on a manual trans and they had to order it specially for her… Not even on an exotic car, it was a VW I think. The exact same car in Europe is probably 90% standard trans with a $$$ auto trans factory option. Hell, even Canada gets more models available with standards. Many times if you want a specific car in a manual trans you have to find an older similar vehicle that still offered a manual and convert the car yourself. Both my Mercedes and all my Jeeps were only available with autos in the US despite there being compatible manual transmissions from other models or for other markets.
Oh I see, in the uk if you pass your driving test in a manual car you are allowed to drive any car but if you pass you test in an automatic you can only drive automatic cars.
I think that is what drives the manual market for the uk, it surprises me that manual options come with a big delay or a blatant No you can’t have it.
Too good!
I’ve only ever owned manual cars, some days however I wish I was sat in an auto, mainly in traffic.
Don’t ever change , manual in or not in traffic is always the way forward . For me I genuinely like changing gear and controlling the engines revs , maybe I am sad but I won’t ever change and I hope you don’t . Manual forever hahaha
[quote=
“Does the us require you to have separate licenses for both manual and automatics.”Regards
Michael[/quote]No. You pass your test in whatever car you have and your license is good for manual or automatic.
Guess that’s why manual is more common in uk, manual licence enables you to drive anything, automatic licence means you can only drive automatics and have to sit a manual test if you ever want to drive a manual car.
[quote=”Davison” post=100003]Got to admit in the 70’s cars in the UK compared to America were miles behind when it came to size and power and automatics were rare. Think it might boil.down to cars in the us having much bigger engines.[/quote]
as someone has already stated it has nothing to do with the engines, people choose to buy the automatics and now that automatic transmissions are pretty much the only choice you have its the only choice you get really, you’re lucky too get a car with a manual, you can special order one, or you can install one yourself… the only way we are going too turn the whole thing around with manual transmissions being a rare option for cars is too educate people in how too drive them more, and if people started buying them more, its all about customer demand that dictates what people buy, and people in the us buy cars without the second thought of what transmission is in it, i could probably ask a friend “so when you bought your car did you have any thought about it having a automatic transmission and you may have had a manual option or wishing it did or glad it was an auto? and they would probably tell me they wouldn’t think of that for a second.
It’ sounds like it’s definitely engrained in American way if life , in theory an automatic should get you better miles per gallon, it does sound like it’s not going to change either , it would take a miracle to change an entire nations way of driving , hope we don’t follow suit as we do with almost everything else .
Part of it may be smart auto executives. There’s certain people who if they had to master a manual transmission would never drive. More people driving means more cars sold.
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