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Sedans Toyota Corolla Why so few economy cars with manual tranny?
301 messages, Last post on Aug 08, 2008 at 9:19 AM
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Have you ever noticed how nearly impossible it is to find one of these vehicles with a stick? Frankly, I don't understand why they're so rare. These are precisely the vehicles you want equipped with a manual tranny. In a vehicle with as little spare power as these have, you want as much power being transferred to the drive wheels as possible, and that's accomplished with a manual. Sticks are also more fuel efficient, which is the main reason for these vehicle's existance, isn't it? I realize more people prefer automatics to manuals, but I don't believe the numbers are nearly as overwelming as is the ratio of autos to manuals produced. I believe if the auto makers built more, they'd sell more. The only reason I believe they don't sell is because they aren't available. When I bought my Corolla stick, it took me 2 months to find it, and even then I was dam lucky to be the first person who called the very honest and decent previous owner because 2 people had offered her the full asking price between the time I called and the time I was able to go look at it. She turned them down because she promised me first chance because I was the first caller. Lucky for me she did. Granted, this was a used Corolla, but even if you log onto autotrader.com and look for new Corollas and Yaris' with manuals, they're extremely hard to locate without having to travel long distances to get one. If you haven't figured it out by now, I probably wouldn't own one of these cars equipped with an auto. Manual tannies last longer than autos, they're more fuel efficient, and they're just plain more fun to drive. And yet Toyota (as well as others) have decided they're only going to put a manual tranny in 1 out of every 10 (or fewer) of their vehicles that are available with manual trannies. I'm not following their logic, and frankly it makes me pretty dam upset! Does this thinking make any of you throw up your arms and say what the he11! |
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Replying to: bottgers (Aug 27, 2006 4:56 am) |
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| My brother-in-law sells Toyotas and he says on the rare occassion where he does get an MT Corolla, he can't keep it on the lot. | |
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Replying to: bottgers (Aug 27, 2006 4:56 am) The second reason is because fewer and fewer people know how to drive a stick, and the number of people who can will continue to decrease. So why stock something that most cannot drive? Third, I think Toyota (and others) are only making manuals to advertise a low price - then, when the person comes in to buy, they decide to spend that extra $1,000 for an automatic. MPG is only better by 1-3, so this is not too much of an issue anymore, but the manufacturers get to advertise their higher manual MPG, not the autos. Bottom line: Toyota and the others make more $$ by selling autos, because that's what "we" want. If you really want a stick, order one. It will take longer, but is it worth the wait? I think so. Finally, although a FEW people disagree, MOST people, including you, recognize that manuals are more reliable, even if you have to replace a clutch. And SOME people think manuals are more fun to drive! Also, look at Toyota's target market for these cars - young people that probably cannot drive a stick. The other market is older people, and this group probably has driven a stick long ago, but has no desire to any more. |
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....MOST people want autos, but I don't believe the percentage is 99% or higher as the build numbers might suggest. I believe the manuals don't sell because they don't exist. If they were available, people would buy them. I'm not saying 50% of them should be equipped with manuals, but I don't think 25% would be too many. They would sell. My brother-in-law says he gets a lot of customers coming in looking for Corollas or Yaris' with a stick and they end up having to buy one with an auto because the manuals just aren't available.
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Replying to: bottgers (Aug 28, 2006 7:44 am) |
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If 1 in 10 yaris' have a manual, and 1 in 100 Corollas are a manual, then the Camry must be about 1 in 1000. Manual Camrys are EXTREMELY rare. I guess I wouldn't have such a problem with the rarity if I mainly purchased new vehicles. If I wanted one badly enough, I'd just order it the way I wanted it. The problem is I mainly buy used vehicles and you can't just order what you want. You have to search for it, and in my case, I have to search, and search, and search.......That's what ticks me off about the rarity of manuals.
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Replying to: bottgers (Aug 28, 2006 10:10 am) |
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...these manual equipped cars sit for so long on the dealer's lots (if they actually do) isn't because they have a manual tranny. Maybe it's because they're base models with no options. We all know how literally NOBODY wants these vehicles. If these were LE models equipped with manuals, they'd probably be selling as fast as the automatics.
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Replying to: bottgers (Aug 29, 2006 2:32 pm) |
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