http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-drive/news/industry-news/the-shift-from-manual-why-the-demise-of-stick-shift-is-accelerating/article26795936/ The shift from manual: Why the demise of stick shift is accelerating NEIL VORANO Oct. 15, 2015
No one wants a manual gearbox in a Ford Fusion or a Chevrolet Equinox [ice], and pounding a clutch back and forth in rush-hour traffic is a special kind of hell for many commuters. The percentage of cars that offer a manual transmission in Canada has fallen to just 9 per cent, down from 35 per cent in 1980, according to IHS Automotive. You can’t call a stick shift “standard” any more, when an automatic is usually the only option ... “The technology has gotten to the point where an automatic, CVT (continuously variable transmission) or DSG [direct-shift gearbox] is more economical than a manual,” he says. “It works more efficiently than a manual, and it’s the quickest way around a race track.” Andy Schonberger is one such study in the tidal shift. The 35-year-old consultant loves the thrill of a manual transmission ride, but owns a Nissan Leaf, an electric vehicle without either a manual or automatic transmission – it employs a single-speed reduction gear. “I grew up in Niagara on a fruit farm, and I used to take every opportunity I could get to drive the farm cars with a manual,” says Schonberger. “It was more fun.” So why did he ditch his sporty stick-shift Subaru WRX? “I tried when I had my WRX to teach my wife how to drive standard, but I couldn’t handle the smell of the burning clutch,” Schonberger says. “After an hour, she said, ‘I don’t want to do this to your car, I’m just not driving this.’ “I had a chance to get a Nissan Leaf, and I loved it,” he says. “It’s like driving a go-kart. It’s still quick with the instant torque, but you’re not doing a lot of speed. To get all those benefits of a next-gen powertrain, the manual is old-tech.” Schonberger and his wife are part of an overwhelming move away from clutch-pedal manual transmission. “If the point of the car is for your own personal enjoyment, that’s what trumps all of those positives,” Karwell says. “Unfortunately, all of those positives are the reasons that the manual is disappearing.” ... There’s something about the process of shifting gears, this choreographed jig at speed, even the difficult-but-infinitely-satisfying heel-and-toe brake and downshift. Yes, it is a purist way to look at it, and thankfully some auto makers are supplying cars that still satisfy this need. “There are really only three parts of the industry where manuals are relevant and have a life,” says Karwell. “Low-priced thrifty cars found in subcompact and compact segments, fun-driving cars and muscle cars in the sports segment, and luxury sports cars.” ... Volkswagen’s GTI and Golf R have both a six-speed manual and a DSG available, and both split sales at around 50:50. Subaru also offers a manual in much of its lineup, selling 15.8 per cent overall, though its WRX STI can only be had with a stick shift. And while the Fiesta, Focus and Mustang are the only Ford cars offered with both a manual and automatic, the performance versions of each – Fiesta ST, Focus ST, and various Mustang models – can only be had with a stick shift. Roughly 70 per cent of Toyota FR-S and up to 90 per cent of Subaru BRZ purchasers opt for a manual. Even the Jeep Wrangler wouldn’t be the same to many enthusiasts without a stick shift, making up about 25 per cent of sales this past year ... [© 2015 The Globe and Mail] For EVLN EV-newswire posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-35yrold-loves-a-manual-transmission-thrill-but-owns-a-Leaf-tp4678195.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org Read EVAngel's EV News at http://evdl.org/evln/ Please discuss EV drag racing at NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
