The Evolution of Manual Transmissions: A Love-Hate Relationship with Automotive Innovation

Oh, wow. A white guy with facial hair on a car channel loves manual transmissions. What an original premise. Hold on, hear me out for a minute. I learned to drive in a 1986 Ford Taurus that my grandpa gave me. It had a two-tone paint job and pretty much everything in it broke. Even caught on fire at one point. Had a five-speed manual and it was fun as hell. But there's a big problem. Manuals are going out of style.

In 1992, about 25% of car buyers chose a manual transmission. Twenty years go by, and in 2012, that number fell to just 6.8%. In 2018, just 3.5% of buyers drove off the lot with a manual. As a result, car makers started offering less cars with a manual option. In 2012, there were about 117 new cars you could buy with a stick shift. It's not a lot, but not bad. But in 2018, that number fell to just 85 cars. Still not great, but it could be worse. And it did get worse. Just one year later, the number of cars with a 2019 model year that you can get with a manual is just 57. That's a 33% drop. If the trend continues at this rate, manuals could be gone in two years. People are not happy about this.

You can't go into a comment section of a video about a new car without seeing someone say "would've been better with a manual." Maybe in new cars. Also, electric is the future and those cars don't need transmissions, somehow. But as long as gear shifters are around, I'm sure there'll be someone there to shift them. My nickname in youth baseball was the Milk Man, okay? I can do it. Thanks for watching Wheel House.

I Used to Think That Driving Stick Was the Safest Method Because It Limits Distractions. It's hard to text and drive if you have to focus on your shifts. I personally believe that driving manual makes you a more focused driver. But it turns out, that's not exactly true. A health science study at Jonkoping University in Sweden found that older drivers had better reaction times and make less mistakes in cars with automatics. When you combine that with the fact that the age group who buys the most new cars in the US, 35-54 year olds, it's not hard to see why people aren't buying new manuals.

Conversely, people aged 16-34 buy about half as many new cars as the older group, if they buy a car at all. Companies are gonna listen to who gives them money, so new automatics are pretty much better in every way. They're more efficient, safer for old people, and shift super fast. But just because it's better doesn't mean the car is better. There's something about driving stick that makes you feel more connected to the car than an automatic ever could.

I'm Not Saying This to Talk Down on Auto Drivers. If you have fun with your auto, that is totally valid. I've had a lot of fun in automatic cars. So you're only saying this because you drive an auto. No. (door chime) That (bleep) Lamborghini was really fun. But I think a good analogy for driving a manual is surfing. I grew up about half an hour from the beach but never learned how to surf. But a few years ago, I actually got a lesson and caught a few waves.

And that's when I got it. I understood why my friends would wake up at 4:30 in the morning to catch a swell. You're both at the mercy of the ocean and totally connected. It's a truly great feeling. That's what driving stick feels like. If you've never learned, I definitely suggest you get a friend or relative to teach you because it's the best.

The Future of Manual Transmissions Is Uncertain

Maybe in new cars. Also, electric is the future and those cars don't need transmissions, somehow. But as long as gear shifters are around, I'm sure there'll be someone there to shift them. If this video gets 25,000 likes in 24 hours, I will chug a gallon of milk on a live stream. They say it's impossible but I don't believe them, whoever they are.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en(fast-paced bongo beats)- Oh, wow.A white guy with facial hairon a car channel lovesmanual transmissions.What an original premise.Hold on, hear me out for a minute.I learned to drive in a 1986 Ford Taurusthat my grandpa gave me.It had a two-tone paint joband pretty much everything in it broke.It even caught on fire at one point.It had a five-speed manualand it was fun as hell.But there's a big problem.Manuals are going out of style.In 1992, about 25% of car buyerschose a manual transmission.20 years go by and in 2012,that number fell to just 6.8%.In 2018, just 3.5% of buyersdrove off the lot with a manual.As a result, car makersstarted offering less carswith a manual option.In 2012, there were about 117 new carsyou could buy with a stick shift.It's not a lot, but not bad.In 2018, that number fell to just 85 cars.Still not great, but it could be worse.And it did get worse.In just one year, the number of carswith a 2019 model year that you can getwith a manual is just 57.That's a 33% drop.If the trend continues at this rate,manuals could be gone in two years.People are not happy about this.You can't go into acomment section of a videoabout a new car without seeing someone saywould've been better with a manual.(overlapping voices) Would'vebeen better with a manual.(whispering) No stick, no buy.I'm gonna find you, Toyota.I'm gonna come into yourhouse and murder your dog.And you know what?I don't blame them.Take the new Supra, thehighly anticipated followupto the legendary sports car.The Mark IV has a six-speedand this new one doesn't.(buzzer)What the hell, Toyota?Want another example?The BMW 330i will not have a stick shiftin the US this year.This is sacrilegeor is it?There's a reason automakersare putting an endto the manual transmission.It kinda sucks.Enter the continuouslyvariable transmission or CVT.They aren't like other transmissions.They don't really have gears.It's more of a beltdrive with two pulleys.It's kinda complicatedand I'm not that smartbut the main advantages of a CVTare super smooth accelerationand improved fuel economyover any type of transmission.I mean, the Williams F1 teamwas testing a CVT back in 1993and that's when they were good.Sorry, that was low.So what would happen if an automakeractually built a sweet car witha manual transmission todaylike people have been begging for?How 'bout a four-door sedan with a big V8,comfy seats, undercoversleeper looks, and a six-speed?Well, that did happen.(funk music)The Chevrolet SS debutedin the 2014 model year.They took a HoldenCommodore from Australia,put some Chevy badges on it,tuned the suspension a little,and pretty much called it good.Critics freaking love this thing.Comparing it other sportssedan's legends like the E39 M5,a car that has been hauntingmy dreams for months.I want one bad.Anyway, the SS was the stuff enthusiastshad been clamoring for.It had magnetic ride suspension,450 horsepower, a six-speed manual,and, my favorite, cooled seats.The SS was set to be an instant classic.There's only one problem.Nobody bought one.Over the SS's four year production,just 12,860 of them were sold.Just for comparison, Chevy sold nearly10 times as many Corvettesin the same period of time,while Honda sold 1.4 million Civics,and Ford sold over three million F150s.Long story short, the SS was not a hit.Just for fun, I wenton CarMax to find an SSand to my surprise, therewere three of them for salebut none of them had the six-speed.I cried for half an hour.It doesn't make financial sensefor them to build these carsif no one is gonna buy them.That's just business.So, why aren't peoplebuying manuals in the US?What makes this country differentfrom the rest of the world?Besides automatics being smoother,there has to be a good reason, right?There are actually two.The first is easy, convenience.A lot of you probably daily a manual carso you know driving stick in heavy trafficis kind of a pain.But if you take yourcar out on the weekendsand hit the canyons, then the crappy-nessof having to deal with thatis just part of the game.But the average personjust isn't like that.They'd rather get in their carand listen to OprahWinfrey's Super Soul podcastand drop me off at baseball practice.The second reason is safety.Now I used to think that driving stickwas the safest method becauseit limits distractions.It's hard to text and driveif you have to focus on your shifts.I personally believe that driving manualmakes you a more focused driver.But it turns out, that's not exactly true.A health science study atJonkoping University in Swedenfound that older drivershad better reaction timesand make less mistakesin cars with automatics.When you combine that withthe fact that the age groupwho buys the most new cars in the US,35-54 year olds,it's not hard to see why peoplearen't buying new manuals.Conversely, people aged 16-34buy about half as many newcars as the older group,if they buy a car at all.Companies are gonna listento who gives them moneyso new automatics are prettymuch better in every way.They're more efficient,safer for old people,and shift super fast.But just because it's betterdoesn't mean the car is better.There's something about driving stickthat makes you feel moreconnected to the carthan an automatic ever could.And I'm not saying this totalk down on auto drivers.If you have fun with your auto,that is totally valid.I've had a lot of fun in automatic cars.- So you're only saying thatbecause you drive an auto.- No.(door chime)That (bleep) Lamborghini was really fun.But I think a good analogy fordriving a manual is surfing.I grew up about halfan hour from the beachbut never learned how to surf.But a few years ago, Iactually got a lessonand caught a few waves.And that's when I got it.I understood why my friends would wake upat 4:30 in the morning to catch a swell.You're both at the mercy of the oceanand totally connected.It's a truly great feeling.That's what driving stick feels like.If you've never learned,I definitely suggestyou get a friend or relative to each you'cause it's the best.So is the manual gonna die?Maybe in new cars.Also, electric is the futureand those cars don'tneed transmissions, someh.But as long as gear shifters are around,I'm sure there'll be someone thereto shift them.If this video gets25,000 likes in 24 hours,I will chug a gallon of milk in an houron a live stream.They say it's impossiblebut I don't believe them,whoever they are.My nickname in youth baseballwas the Milk Man, okay?I can do it.Thanks for watching Wheel House.Follow me on Instagram @nolanjsykes,consider subscribing to Donut right here,watch last week's episodeof Wheel House right here,and check out this episode ep-i-sa-do.You know you had that one friendthat says he can drive stick.Share this video with peoplewho need to learn to drive stick.Be nice, I'll see you next time.