re: CNN column: Opinion: The long overdue death of the stick shift car

Nothing beats being a teenager learning the intricacies of manual shifting, high rev downshifts with a hot cam and a burbling sound almost as satisfying as your moaning girlfriend doing other new things you’re discovering.

Eventually you’ll learn how to rev match the engine and transmission, power shifting without using the clutch. Then, eventually rebuilding the clutch.

So satisfying running a manual and engine to their limits. I had just as much fun abusing a VW Beatle as later more powerful muscle and sports cars.

I got a 2024 manual arriving in a month or two...

Its just fun to drive them, guess that makes me some sort of man? OK fig. I will accept being masculine.

Electric cars are cool for that first burst of speed, its unreal, but after that they get pretty boring. I haven't been in a true performance EV though. The prospect of an AWD hybrid with a manual transmission sounds like a blast though, probably be the way I would adopt an EV.

quote:

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It’s not just that I cringe at the grating screech of a botched downshift, that high-pitched sequel worse than fingernails across a chalkboard. The sound upbraids and shames me for having wronged the drivetrain. But this obviously never happens to alpha men, the kind who love their engines and coax them to purr.

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I know I'm feeding right into what he's going for, but perhaps this is why he doesn't like manuals? Cause he can't drive one?

My wife and I have had standards as our every day drivers for a while, and I gotta say I'm really not familiar with this grating screech akin to nails on a chalkboard that he's talking about. With either her or me driving. I guess my wife is an alpha man that never botches downshifts too.

Automatic transmissions fricking suck. I have no desire to own a nine-speed automatic. Might as well just flush money down the toilet.

I don't know what's worse, the article content or the writing style.

What a useless human being. I hope he can redeem himself before his time us up.

Manual shifts are almost theft proof.

That article is borderline creepy. “Journalism” is really in the shitter.

Driving a manual is more fun. It’s funny people complain about navigating traffic in one but the only time I genuinely prefer an automatic is really long road trips. I’d probably give the automatic a very slight edge in that department.

I’ve had my current manual for 9 years and I’m not looking for a change. I’ll get an automatic when it’s time to replace because of my wife but I won’t be thrilled about it.

ETA: I see people talking about driving trucks with a stick. The truck I learned to drive in had a really finicky transmission. You had to whisper sweet nothings to get it to find its gear and in the winter it was super notchy. My current Civic shifts like butter though. Not sure if they’ve just improved with time and it has nothing to do with truck v car. Not a gear head but I’ve always wondered.