The stick shift, also known as a manual transmission, is an odd feature in cars. Some people consider it obsolete and pointless, while others value it and consider it superior to its automatic transmission counterpart. However, for a variety of reasons, car enthusiasts thoroughly enjoy having a vehicle with a stick shift and they consider it an integral part of the driving experience. Further, as the stick shift is becoming less of an option with future cars, enthusiasts are fighting to keep the stick shift.
Car enthusiasts believe that driving a stick shift remains a valuable skill, because as time goes on, fewer and fewer people have the valuable knowledge, skill, and experience to make a stick shift work for them. By August of 2013, only about 3.9 percent of new cars sold for the year had manual transmissions.
Some enthusiasts believe in the practicality and value of keeping the stick shift around, noting that it has several benefits and advantages over the automatic transmission that people have gotten familiar with when driving newer vehicles.
Ignorance Is Bliss
Car enthusiasts are some of the last people to give up a manual transmission. When other groups argue that the safety and efficiency drawbacks of a stick shift are obvious, and the alternative automatic transmission is more developed, enthusiasts note that the stick shift gives them a better connection with a car.
However, there's also an argument that enthusiasts are ignorant of how to drive an automatic transmission, similar to how standard drivers can't drive a stick shift. Quite a few enthusiasts have yet to operate a vehicle equipped with am updated automatic transmission, complete with electronics that adapt to the sporting driver's shifting preferences. Therefore, they are unable to make an accurate comparison, because a stick shift is all they know.
Stick Shift Feels Better
For car enthusiasts, they honestly believe the feel of a stick shift is better than the feel of an automatic transmission. Controlling the shifts between gears, as well as upshifting and downshifting, gives enthusiasts a racecar-like sensation. Stick shifts also will tolerate the abuse from these drivers. They also enjoy the lighter weight and smaller size that stick shifts feature, especially in scenarios where a large engine is installed in a smaller car.
In addition, a manual transmission accelerates harder because it is a solid mechanical connection between the engine and wheels. Therefore, a manual transmission will pull higher G’s when the car is actually in gear. Car enthusiasts believe that “the manual transmission as an integral part of the driving experience. We will not abandon that third pedal and the connection it provides with our machines.”
Enthusiasts Love The Control
Driving a manual transmission vehicle gives car enthusiasts a better sense of control, as braking is easier without the torque converter constantly pushing drivers forward and using engine momentum to slow down. Unfortunately, only 18 percent of Americans knowing how to use a stick shift, allowing stick shifts to have a cult following among manual transmission enthusiasts.
While cars with automatic transmissions produce better gas mileage and performance, they have yet to match the feeling of complete control that comes from driving a stick shift and advancements in technology have yet to make the manual almost obsolete.
Collector Cars Come With Stick Shifts
Car enthusiasts sometimes tend to drive or collect certain types of cars, such as sports cars. A lot of the sports cars that appeal to enthusiasts are only available with a manual transmission. That said, many car enthusiasts disregard the idea of driving a high power performance vehicle in anything other than a stick shift. Car enthusiasts also point out that knowledge of how a manual transmission works assisted them greatly in their quest to pick up or fix a vintage car they've always wanted. After all, no enthusiast would prefer to give up driving a classic sports car because they lacked knowledge of how to drive a manual transmission.
Sources: myimprov.com, driversed.com, nydailynews.com,