The death of the stick shift?

[B00Mer]

The death of the stick shift?

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - The death of the stick shift.

In 2014, it looks like a shift from manual to automatic driving machines has truly taken effect. Dealerships say they are selling more automatic cars than ever before.

BMW of Bakersfield Sales Manager Mohsen Vaziri stated the ratio for car sales are "about 98% automatic and about maybe 1% or 2% on the stick shift."

Bakersfield residents say the next generation isn't bothering to learn how to drive manual transmission cars, hammering in a nail to the coffin.

"The whole hassle of switching gears, it would kind of get tiring after a while, and old," Bellman Marcos Rangel said.

Akal Driving School does not offer lessons for stick shift drivers, saying it is safer to teach in an automatic car.

"These automatic cars are equipped with brakes and gas pedals on the passenger side as well, so it will help the instructor control the car if the student does something wrong," Babandeep Singh said.

Singh also said they hardly ever get customers who ask to learn how to drive a stick shift car.

Local valets noticed a difference in how many automatic cars they see. "Not a lot, I would say 2 out of every 15 cars," Cameron Carrillo said.

While the demand for automatic vehicles is higher compared to stick shift, dealerships like BMW, say they can't keep them on the lot.

"Normally we have one or two in stock but there are so many enthusiasts out there that come out here and they see a car, stick shift, they'll purchase it," Vaziri said.

Vaziri said it could also take a couple months to special order a stick shift vehicle.

So the question, is the stick shift dying out? BMW says not for the 'true driver'. Other men 23abc spoke with agreed, saying there are people out there who enjoy driving manual cars and will continue to buy them.

source: Dealerships say 98% of cars sold are automatic, only 2% stick shift - 23ABC News

source #2 (Canadian) https://ca.news.yahoo.com/video/death-stick-shift-115538896.html

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Personally, I hate driving Automatics.. 2 out of my 3 cars are Stick Shifts.

 

[petros]

They'll never know the fun they are missing.

 

[#juan]

For the life of me, I don't understand why a person would buy a BMW that is rear wheel drive, independent suspension all around and put an automatic transmission in it. Mercedes Benz, Audi, and BMW can be had with a shiftable automatic. I think this is bow to women drivers who might have trouble with a stick shift.

 

[petros]

For the life of me, I don't understand why a person would buy a BMW that is rear wheel drive, independent suspension all around and put an automatic transmission in it. Mercedes Benz, Audi, and BMW can be had with a shiftable automatic. I think this is bow to women drivers who might have trouble with a stick shift.

Weight shift, control, traction, more power, better efficiency than front wheel drive.

 

[Walter]

Wusses.

 

[Ludlow]

I'll never forget my old 62 rambler with the push button transmission control. Reverse finally went out and I never got it fixed and gave it away. I never liked the column shifter it always got stuck and I'd have to pull over , and pry the linkage apart to get it back in neutral.

although my 68 ford pick up had three on the tree and that was one of the best trucks I ever owned.

 

[B00Mer]

I had a 1976 Pontiac Ventura 3 on a tree when I was a kid.

 

[petros]

I learned to drive in a 10 ton, 5 speed split axle with a 1000 gallon tank.

 

[B00Mer]

I learned to drive in a 10 ton, 5 speed split axle with a 1000 gallon tank.

Well I learned to drive at the RCAF Station Pennfield Ridge Airfield, New Brunswick.

Of course it was closed and abandoned, also the Blueberries growing alongside the Airport Strip, would be a nice treat to pick. Lots of Black Bears in the area.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7yrEcBIL3s

No traffic and I was 10 years old. Maybe that is why I became a Truck Driver, started very young.

Driving is in my blood.. it relaxes me.

 

[#juan]

Weight shift, control, traction, more power, better efficiency than front wheel drive.

Anyone who orders a Mercedes or a BMW with front wheel drive should be arrested. All of these vehicles can be had with all wheel drive....I don't know about front wheel drive on any of these but an Audi.........:roll::lol:

 

[petros]

My first car was a 66 Chevelle 3 speed with a sloppy Hurst floor shifter that I bought for $75 when I was 14. Drove that for a year before getting caught and having it seized.

 

[#juan]

My first car was a 66 Chevelle 3 speed with a sloppy Hurst floor shifter that I bought for $75 when I was 14. Drove that for a year before getting caught and having it seized.

Did that have the 327? I had a whole procession of British sports cars, MGs, Triumphs, Austin Healeys....Not bad cars but they needed a lot of tinkering.

 

[petros]

283 2v

 

[DaSleeper]

Don't tell me the K'wobbler comes in automatic transmission now?

 

[petros]

Sure do!

 

[Twila]

I think do away with manual transmission is close to the beginning of the end.

If EVERYONE learned to drive manual there'd be less accidents. Less poor drivers.

I hope to never have to drive a automatic. They scare me. Floating down the hill with very little control except a brake pedal.

Only having to worry about braking and gassing makes sloppy drivers.

I've been driving manual since I was a teenager. I've only owned 1 car that was an automatic. It was free.

 

[Glacier]

The standard is not dead. Ask and Subaru fans what they would prefer. Ask at Briton what they drive. I drive a standard because I can start it when my battery dies, because I can save on breaks down hills, and because it is cheaper to maintain.

 

[Curious Cdn]

Not in my family. I'm teaching my sixteen year old daughter to drive "standard" as her driver ed. program doesn't do it anymore.

I can even smell my burning clutch in my imagination as I type this.

The standard is not dead. Ask and Subaru fans what they would prefer. Ask at Briton what they drive. I drive a standard because I can start it when my battery dies, because I can save on breaks down hills, and because it is cheaper to maintain.

I drove a standard shift Forrester for ten years. I would say that with all of the winter weather features that make the Sube such a good drive, the combination of AWD and manual shift was the most superb. I could bring it to almost a complete standstill, arrow straight, no spin on a slippery surface without touching the brakes with engine compression.

 

[taxslave]

The standard is not dead. Ask and Subaru fans what they would prefer. Ask at Briton what they drive. I drive a standard because I can start it when my battery dies, because I can save on breaks down hills, and because it is cheaper to maintain.

Won't work with electronic engines.

Oddly enough when you get into heavy trucks they are nearly all automatic or semi automatic. Off highway logging trucks have been mostly automatic since the mid 60s.