Multimedia Reporting (Kuhr-Musser)

An increasing number of people no longer want or know how to drive a manual transmission. Manual transmissions, otherwise known as stick shifts, have been on the decline for years.

Joe Nobo, sales and leasing consultant for Crown Toyota, said there are maybe three or four stick shifts on the lot out of about 300 cars.

“The automatic is taking over,” Nobo said.

A similar trend is evidenced at Dale Willey. Gary Turpin, sales and leasing consultant, said that there are probably four or five stick shifts on the lot out of about 150 cars.

There are several reasons why manuals continue to be on the decline, “I think part of it is convenience,” Nobo said.

Nobo gives the example of a customer he sold a car to. The customer was a commuter and was going to get a stick shift for the better gas mileage. Nobo then asked the customer if he was going to like shifting in downtown Kansas City traffic. The customer then ended up getting an automatic, Nobo said.

Another segment of the car market at Toyota, luxury cars, rarely comes as stick shifts. Customers do not usually buy luxury cars in stick shifts.

(Source: Toyota.com) Of the 16 models Toyota sells, only seven models are offered in manual transmissions.

“High end cars don’t come as five speeds,” Nobo said. In the year that he has been employed at Toyota, he has never seen a customer buy a Camry or Avalon in a stick shift, Nobo said.

The traditional stronghold of stick shifts, good gas mileage, is almost a non-issue. The new Yaris, just released at Toyota, has a mile difference between gas mileage in the automatic and manual transmissions.

When buying a stick shift, the customer should consider the value of a stick shift versus an automatic when they are going to either sell the car or trade it in, Nobo said.

At Crown Toyota, money is deducted for a stick shift in trade-ins, Nobo said. A stick shift is harder to sell because not as many people know how to drive them, Nobo said.

There is, however, still a market for stick shifts. A variety of people ranging from young to old buy stick shifts, Nobo said.

The older people tend to buy stick shifts because they had them before and liked them.

The younger people tend to buy stick shifts either because they want a sporty car or because stick shifts tend to be slightly cheaper than automatics, Nobo said.

Bethany Maynard-Moody, Lawrence junior, currently owns an automatic, but would get a manual if it were less money.

(Source: Toyota.com-click on graph to enlarge) This graph shows pricing for a car with the basic package. Manual transmissions are about $1000 cheaper than automatic transmissions.

“I want a manual because you have more control of what is going on in your car,” Maynard-Moody, said.

Neil Wakefield, general manager at En-Tire car care center and in the automotive business for 36 years, has also evidenced the decline Nobo has.

“Everything has to do with comfort, not with performance,” Wakefield said.

Laci Gerhart, Hutchinson senior, is an example of someone who would rather buy an automatic even though a manual would be cheaper.

Gerhart knows how to drive a manual, but not very well.

Gerhart’s father currently owns a manual, but is planning on getting an automatic when he needs a new car, Gerhart said.

(Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration-click on graph to enlarge) This graph shows the percentage of automatic transmissions in new cars for the United States. According to the Detroit News, by 2012 only 6% of all automobiles will be built with a stick shift.

The automatic transmission is more popular in the United States than in Europe, Wakefield said. Honda did not have an automatic transmission for its cars until it moved into the North American market, Wakefield said.

A manual driver for years, Wakefield is an example of a customer who is going to make the shift to an automatic car.

“I’m tired of driving them [stick shifts],” Wakefield said.

Contrary to what the dealers are saying about gas mileage being virtually the same for automatic and manual transmissions, gas mileage is always going to be better for stick-shifts on the highway because the manual transmission weighs a lot less than an automatic transmission, Wakefield said.

Equipment required for fixing an automatic transmission is extensive. For manual transmissions, not as much equipment is needed, Wakefield said.

If there is a major problem with an automatic transmission, En-Tire, will not work on it, Wakefield said.

En-Tire will recommend a mechanic shop that specializes in automatic transmissions, Wakefield said.

A relatively recent invention, the shifttronic, combines features of the automatic transmission with those of a manual transmission. A shifttronic is an automatic transmission, which can be switched into manual mode that allows the driver to shift the gears themselves, Nobo said.

At Dale Willey, shifttronics are very popular, Turpin said.

Although the future of manual transmissions is murky, in one form or another, the manual transmission will endure.

“There are people who drive them, who want them,” Wakefield said.

Some Useful Links:

Projected decline of stick shifts

Information on the automotive industry and manual transmissions

How automatic transmissions work

(Photo by Kim Lynch) New model cars with stick shifts are becoming rare. This brand new Corolla S, is a model which Crown Toyota sells quite a few stick shifts in because the buyers are looking for the sports car feel.