By Alex Hendricksen
You may take the ease of driving for granted, but it hasn’t always been like this. Throughout the years, the automatic transmission has been continuously evolving and has had many changes and failed attempts until it became widespread in the 1960’s. From then on, automatic cars have improved, becoming faster and faster at shifting between the gears—a stark opposite of how they used to compare to manuals. In today’s day and age, it’s uncommon for people learning to drive to ever learn how to drive a manual car.
Due to the increased automatic production, manufacturers had to develop the system in ways to make it even cheaper. The CVT, or Continuously Variable Transmission, is used in only the cheapest grocery getters and base model cars. CVT’s don’t actually change gears but rather use a belt that changes ratios in order to increase the speed of the driveshaft going to the wheels. Though smooth, CVT’s are often considered the worst transmissions by car enthusiasts.
That brings us to the now dying breed of manual transmissions. People used to drive these out of necessity but now drive them by choice. Driving a manual nowadays is an opportunity to keep the style of car alive and to stand out. And standout you will, due to the amount of companies that still offer them. Less than thirty new cars are still offered with the manual transmission, and even less of these are attainable for the young enthusiasts that want to keep the tradition alive.
The Acura Integra, Aston Martin Valour, BMW M2, BMW M3, BMW M4, BMW Z4, Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing, Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Mustang, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra N, Kia Forte GT, Lotus Emira, Mazda 3, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Mini Hardtop and Convertible, Nissan Veursa, and Nissan Z, Porsche 718, Porsche 911, Subaru BRZ, Subaru WRX, Toyota GR86, Toyota GR Corolla, Toyota GR Supra, Volkswagen Golf, and Volkswagen Jetta all are offered with manual transmissions. Sadly, many of these cars are out of the price range for people looking for a new manual transmission.
The manual transmission is not just a cultural icon or way of life, but a legitimate way to be more connected to the road. Ever been worried about distracted drivers? Well, having a manual will force whoever is driving it to pay attention to what gear they’re in. This connects them more to the speed of the car and to what they’re doing on the road. Pro tip to parents: buy your child a manual for their first car. Not only will it connect you more to the road, it also acts somewhat as its own anti-theft device. The Tesla effect is being felt in the car community with people not knowing how to operate vehicles that aren’t huge driving screens on wheels. There are more rental car injuries now than there have ever been due to inattentive driving.
Whether you’re an enthusiast or someone just learning how to drive, it’s important to at least understand the manual transmission. This will allow you to learn a new skill and feel more connected to the road, which in turn will make the whole road safer.
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