Ask the Car People.SM


I like manuals because..... - READ ONLY

39 messages,  Last post on Jan 08, 2013 at 7:35 PM

You are in the Automotive News & Views-Archives Forum.

What is this discussion about? Transmission

Messages Page 2 of 4

#10 of 39 Re: yeah, what he said! ;-) [steve_] by tallman1

Jan 29, 2011 (8:43 pm)

Replying to: steve_ (Jan 29, 2011 6:50 am)
I wish I had saved those stories I've read about where thieves couldn't figure out how to drive a stick. Too funny.
 
Of course, I agree with gimme's list a few posts ago. For me, the advantages of a manual outweigh autos by so much I can't believe that no one wants to buy them any longer.
 
If nothing else, when I test drove an I4 Accord back in 2006, I humored the salesman and took an auto out for a spin, then drove the stick. I couldn't believe the difference in quickness and response... especially after hearing about how "peppy" the auto was.

#11 of 39 Re: yeah, what he said! ;-) [tallman1] by nippononly

Feb 01, 2011 (9:02 am)

Replying to: tallman1 (Jan 29, 2011 8:43 pm)
I was on the lot recently looking for a stick shift Civic, an increasingly rare beast at least in dealer stock. Anyway, they had none, so I also "humored" the salesman by driving an automatic, which was responsive for an automatic but wasn't even in the running compared with the manual.
 
It's such a shame that Honda dealers have cut way back on the number of manuals they keep in stock, since Honda makes such a great manual.

#12 of 39 Re: yeah, what he said! ;-) [tallman1] by gimmestdtranny

Feb 01, 2011 (9:32 am)

Replying to: tallman1 (Jan 29, 2011 8:43 pm)
tallman and nippon..Yes, and the smaller the engine, the more significant the acceleration gains.
 
Here's a scenario I try to tell anyone who asks (all my friends and family know my respect for manuals {and stuff about cars} so I get asked) me when anyone goes car shopping. If it's a small car especially, this applies.
You have your A/C on, in 5th gear, going up a hill, and want to accelerate to pass someone or merge onto a freeway. So you drop down to 4th, but just then you felt the A/C cycle on, so I do one of two things, depending on how easy it is to reach the A/C button...I either reach over quick and hit the A/C off, or I go down to 3rd gear. I do the former if I want to save gas, and the latter if not. But my point is that I saved gas compared to an auto in both those situations.
 
With the auto, you are in 4th OD (or 5th and lately 6th, and is why the 6 speeds really do help save gas, except still very rare in small 1.4 and 1.5 litre sized cars) and you are about to do that same pass or merge, so you had pressed the accelerator to get the tranny to downshift to 3rd, that uses gas to do that unless you pulled it back into 3rd yourself, then the same A/C cycled at that same bad time, so now in order to get any serious urge, now you are faced with having to floor the accelerator to get the tranny to go down yet another gear into 2nd. Now that little engine is sucking big gas at high revs.
 
But with the stick, you had control. Ultimate control to pick 4th or even 3th gear for that matter right from the start, without having to use any big foot stuffed into the accelerator pedal, getting it to down change.

#13 of 39 Re: yeah, what he said! ;-) [nippononly] by tallman1

Feb 01, 2011 (2:04 pm)

Replying to: nippononly (Feb 01, 2011 9:02 am)
It's such a shame that Honda dealers have cut way back on the number of manuals they keep in stock, since Honda makes such a great manual.
 
Even sadder is that Honda is no longer even offering a stick in their highest trimlines.

#14 of 39 Re: yeah, what he said! ;-) [tallman1] by fezo

Feb 01, 2011 (4:59 pm)

Replying to: tallman1 (Feb 01, 2011 2:04 pm)
Gee, makes my 00 Accord EX a rare and no doubt desirable car....

#15 of 39 Re: yeah, what he said! ;-) [fezo] by tallman1

Feb 01, 2011 (6:11 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Feb 01, 2011 4:59 pm)
The EX is still available in a stick but not if you want leather seats (EX-L). And the only way to get a V6 with a stick is to buy a coupe. So sad.
 
I have an 06 EX-L w/navi... very rare.

#16 of 39 Re: yeah, what he said! ;-) [tallman1] by fezo

Feb 01, 2011 (6:45 pm)

Replying to: tallman1 (Feb 01, 2011 6:11 pm)
You have a sedan with a 6 and a stick? I'm jealous!
 
When we bought that 00 Accord we wanted a stick and a sunroof. The EX was the only model with that and included four wheel discs as well. It's up somewhere in the 200k range. My daughter is driving it these days.

#17 of 39 Re: yeah, what he said! ;-) [fezo] by tallman1

Feb 01, 2011 (9:25 pm)

Replying to: fezo (Feb 01, 2011 6:45 pm)
No, I have an I4 with a stick. The model year was 06.
 
Old Accords are great. My son has my old 95 EX with a manual. I think it has about 230k now.

#18 of 39 Re: yeah, what he said! ;-) [tallman1] by fezo

Feb 02, 2011 (8:18 am)

Replying to: tallman1 (Feb 01, 2011 9:25 pm)
Ah! There were a couple of years where you could get a V6 sedan with a manual but they didn't sell at all. I'd have grabbed one if I was in the market at the time.
 
oh, yeah, old Accords are wonderful. My first was an 80 sedan. That funky green that they liked back then.

#19 of 39 Re: yeah, what he said! ;-) [fezo] by tallman1

Feb 02, 2011 (10:46 am)

Replying to: fezo (Feb 02, 2011 8:18 am)
I had some good friends who had one of those green Accords from the 80's. I hated that color. IIRC, the interior was just as green.
 
Honda is putting its money on VCM in the current generation V6 sedan. I don't know if that excludes manuals automatically but that's what they are going with. The coupe doesn't have VCM so the stick is still an option there. Interestingly enough, there is no price break if you get the stick on the V6 coupe but there is on the I4.

Messages Page 2 of 4

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement