Have had 2 manual pickup trucks in the last 12 yrs.
Why a manual? 12 yrs ago got my oldest daughter a used 94 Ranger (5 speed) when she turned 16. She refused to drive it as it was a stick and was in tears when I pulled up in it. I just pointed to the curb and said "there it is, learn how to drive it or walk". Well, took about 1 day of looking at it and another day of learning and she was tooling around town.
When I needed a vehicle for my next 2 daughters, I had a hard time finding one with a manual trans back in 2004. Finally found a nice Chevy 2002 Work Truck. Oldest daughter (one with the Ranger) explained to younger sisters that they'll be glad it's a stick, so they'll learn how to drive one. Youngest can barely see over the steering wheel and the guys in school were impressed that she drove up in it. (most of them couldn't drive one).
What's interesting to me about this thread is I just spent the last 2 weekends under the 02 Chevy replacing the clutch. It's got 100k on it and the clutch was just starting to slip, not completely gone. Wife thought I was nuts for doing the job myself (never had done a clutch job and wanted to be able to say I did one before they're all gone).
Anyway, glad I did the job myself. Evidence indicates the transmission was removed before I bought it. (Top, almost inaccessible, trans-to-engine bolt missing), cracked plastic fitting on hydraulic line which is held up with wire ties instead of factory clips, pilot bearing installed wrong allowing the front of trans shaft to be unsupported). Supposedly, the dealer I bought it from had done all the maintenance on it and was proud of that fact and made it a selling point when I bought it at 47K miles. Well, so much for pride in workmanship.
Regarding/ the trans/auto debate, every Chrysler automatic mini-van I had (bought 3 in the late 80's & 90's) had a transmission failure around 70k miles. Now, over a decade or so, you'd think that they'd fix the design deficiencies.
Gun guru makes some interesting comments that are an indictment of the auto industry in general. Transmissions aren't a "new-fangled thing". There should be incremental improvements in technology and you'd think the days of a transmission being a POS (no matter who the mfr was) would be over.
As for preference, I like to shift, my wife hates to drive the truck because she doesn't.
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