Honda Spreading Manual Transmission Love

MyFirstHonda

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Apparently the turnout was super low and this program has been cancelled for future dates
. :(:confused1::cry:
That’s disappointing. Perhaps there is a market for the initiative in a different locale, maybe even a different demographic.
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Lazylahma

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Its sad that the manual transmission is dying, even though autos get better gas mileage for the most part now good luck getting mt to buy one those.

But i will agree the younger generation is not about the little bit of extra work it involves, im 29 and the only person i know in my group of friends that can drive manual.

Its unfortunate this was cancelled i thought this was great of honda to do their part in trying to keep the manual transmission alive
 

unr1

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there's a lot of interest in learning to drive manual. They just need to promote it well.
 

jayee

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Apparently the turnout was super low and this program has been cancelled for future dates
. :(:confused1::cry:
From my understanding, this was a closed event with about 50 or so media outlets/influencers in attendance. No one from the general public was able to get in one of these cars.

Its sad that the manual transmission is dying, even though autos get better gas mileage for the most part now good luck getting mt to buy one those.

But i will agree the younger generation is not about the little bit of extra work it involves, im 29 and the only person i know in my group of friends that can drive manual.

Its unfortunate this was cancelled i thought this was great of honda to do their part in trying to keep the manual transmission alive
FWIW, I'm also 29 and the only one in my circle who drives manual. Many friends have showed interest but they seem intimidated when I offer to teach them. It's not that the interest is not there, it's that there is this stigma around "the stick". At least that's how it seems to me.

The main thing that gets people is when they are sitting with me in traffic seeing me constantly row between 1 and 2 gear. "Man you must be tired... I could never put up with all that shifting." Maybe it's just me but its not that tiring, especially with a clutch as light as ours.

lol try sitting in traffic with a motorcycle in 90 degree weather. Now THAT is torture.
 
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myke

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That is awesome! Good news for the future, I hope they never get rid of the manual... I would be so bummed out...
 


Zeffy94

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That is awesome! Good news for the future, I hope they never get rid of the manual... I would be so bummed out...
Well, Subaru of America has pledged more or less to keep offering manual cars, especially in the sporty ones, which have a much higher take rate in manual versus automatic models.

Hopefully Honda sees that the manual is not totally dead yet in the states, although it’s close.. I read an article that said in 2016 3.7% of cars sold in the US were stick shift. Kind of abysmal. Now everyone wants soul sucking crossovers that practically drive themselves.

What I’m jealous of is the manual offerings in Canadian spec models - we can’t get a sport touring hatchback with 3 pedals!
 

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From my understanding, this was a closed event with about 50 or so media outlets/influencers in attendance. No one from the general public was able to get in one of these cars.



FWIW, I'm also 29 and the only one in my circle who drives manual. Many friends have showed interest but they seem intimidated when I offer to teach them. It's not that the interest is not there, it's that there is this stigma around "the stick". At least that's how it seems to me.

The main thing that gets people is when they are sitting with me in traffic seeing me constantly row between 1 and 2 gear. "Man you must be tired... I could never put up with all that shifting." Maybe it's just me but its not that tiring, especially with a clutch as light as ours.

lol try sitting in traffic with a motorcycle in 90 degree weather. Now THAT is torture.
No, there was media there, the driving instruction was open access. They wouldn't be teaching 50 media reps to drive manual transmissions... that would be odd.

Good on subaru to keep the manual trans going. I think this will be the last gen accord with a manual... sales a so low overall on this car they will need to streamline their offering for sure.

Also just read the next gen Corvette will no longer offer a manual... they also axed it from the Cruze (not that anyone cares) but now it seems alot of the econo cars are follwing the step of the higher end cars and going automatic only.
 

jayee

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No, there was media there, the driving instruction was open access. They wouldn't be teaching 50 media reps to drive manual transmissions... that would be odd.

Good on subaru to keep the manual trans going. I think this will be the last gen accord with a manual... sales a so low overall on this car they will need to streamline their offering for sure.

Also just read the next gen Corvette will no longer offer a manual... they also axed it from the Cruze (not that anyone cares) but now it seems alot of the econo cars are follwing the step of the higher end cars and going automatic only.
Sadly money talks and honestly the hot hatch/sport compact and muscle car segments are probably the only places that manual really makes sense (in terms of sales).

Most people buying non sporty econocars or luxury cars will opt for automatics because they are not enthusiasts 90% of the time. Autos now get equal or BETTER mileage than manuals so that is no longer a valid argument.

In high end performance cars, I don't care how good of a shifter you are, a good DCT or even regular autos these days with outperform a manual anyday... and who wants to drop $100k+ on a performance car that doesn't go as fast as it can? If I ever buy a Lamborghini or McLaren I would want a DCT in it.

The hot hatch and muscle cars are where most enthusiasts live at. At the end of the day manual is slower, it gets worse MPG, and is just plain outdated. The only redeeming thing is it's fun factor. But how do you convey the pure bliss of heel toe shifting through a sharp corner, the satisfaction of hearing the engine purr at your command when you rev match, the feeling when you get that perfect shift at launch... You cant. This is the sad truth of why manuals are dying.
 

MyFirstHonda

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I don't care how good of a shifter you are, a good DCT or even regular autos these days with outperform a manual anyday
So true! The “fun factor” experience of a manual transmission is almost its only redeeming quality. I didn’t begin driving a manual transmission vehicle until my mid-30s. I thoroughly enjoy it! Driving feels so much more exhilarating!
 

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At the end of the day manual is slower, it gets worse MPG, and is just plain outdated. The only redeeming thing is it's fun factor. But how do you convey the pure bliss of heel toe shifting through a sharp corner, the satisfaction of hearing the engine purr at your command when you rev match, the feeling when you get that perfect shift at launch...
Now compare that statement to the rush of multiple lighting fast paddle shift upshifts on a DCT transmission... or downshifts ...that to me takes the cake over a manual transmission anyday.
 


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Another benefit of manual transmissions - a lot harder to use your phone while driving if you have to worry about shifting. That would solve a lot of accidents caused by idiots staring at their phones and not at the road...

Also, when I have paddle shifters at the ready I never feel inclined to use them. I just leave the car in automatic mode.

I'm not going to argue though, the lightning fast shifts on DCTs is nothing short of amazing. But to me the connection you feel with a clutch and shifter is more amazing. I've only been driving manual for a month but I wish I had made the decision to get one when I had my first car. Now I'm holding onto my Type R for as long as I can because I'm not sure how much longer you can get new cars with a manual transmission in the US anymore. And that's a damn shame.
 

DoubleDown

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The best benefit, the manual is mod friendly. I plan to upgrade the turbo, which is why I chose the manual instead. Still deciding between Clutchmasters, ACT, Exedy, etc.
 

jayee

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The best benefit, the manual is mod friendly. I plan to upgrade the turbo, which is why I chose the manual instead. Still deciding between Clutchmasters, ACT, Exedy, etc.
Well, in this instance on the gen x civic platform where you are choosing between a CVT and manual, yes the manual will be able to handle more power after swapping the clutch. However DCTs can usually hold more power and can also be upgraded if they cannot. IIRC the latest BMW M5 is using a automatic (torque converter) because they stated that a manual or DCT would have trouble holding down all the torque at launch.
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