Rent a manual stick shift car in US?

[xxChrisxx]

They certainly are doing strong in Europe, I noticed when I went on a trip there last summer almost everyone is driving a manual transmission. I'm not sure why the ''car culture'' is different in Europe than the United States, but in my opinion it is a little silly to drive a manual car if you have the option to drive automatic.

Cheaper, mechanically more simple, generally quicker, better economy, you can bump start it if the starter dies. You can also control the slip of the clutch so you have more control pulling away in adverse conditions.

Generally europeans drive smaller cars, drive less distance and do a lot of stop start city driving. All of which carry a penalty if you have an auto due to the slipping torque converter.

Long highway journeys and heavier cars are affected less.


It depends how you view a car. If it's purely a means of getting from point a to point b, then an auto makes sense. If you enjoy the act of driving a manual does make you feel more connected.

 

[Chronos]

A manual is easier on the gas, but, as already noted, is not so easy to milk that extra mileage out anymore. The weight difference is not that significant.

 

[SteamKing]

I don't know about that, what I know is that a manual is more fuel efficient than an automatic transmission. As you indicate that might change with new technology, but a manual can also be fitted with extra gears (6th is becoming more common). In addition, a manual transmission is more easy to maintain and it give much better control over the vehicle.

That was the conventional wisdom in the old days. But US automatics now have so-called 'lock-up' torque converters which provide a direct connection between the engine and transmission (similar to the clutch plate in manual box) once cruising speed has been reached. This feature reduces a lot of the gas mileage penalty of older automatics v. manual gear boxes. The newer auto trans. with 8 speeds also keep the engine speed from varying widely between shifts, which is also a mileage killer. And auto trans. come with overdrives as well, further closing the gap.

Manual transmission gives you an option what gear to drive in: do you need a lot of power in a situation (such as entering a highway) or little power (when driving a priority road). Normally one would drive 3rd gear on a 50 km/h road (30 mph), but when the situation permits it one can change to the 4th or 5th gear and the engine will almost run stationary.

Most people just put an auto. trans. in 'Drive' and forget about it. However, if you run into a situation where a lower gear is desired (for additional traction on slick roads for example), most automatics let you select a 'Drive 1' or 'Drive 2', where the auto doesn't shift completely thru the gears in this selection. Overdrive auto. trans. also have a switch where you can disable this feature as well.

I once had to drive an old Ford Mustang with a 3-speed automatic w/o snow tires or chains on slick/snowy roads in NY state. On level roads, it was dicey, but if even a slight hill was encountered, you were in trouble. What I did was to shift into 'Drive 2' and gently ease up any hill at low speed, being careful not to start spinning the tires.

 

[AlephZero]

Manual transmission gives you an option what gear to drive in:

There is a basic difference in "driving style" there. With a manual transmission, you select the gear you need for acceleration, before you need the power. With an automatic, you just poke the gas pedal and wait for "the system" to react.

Automatic transmission is great in the right place. Driving a farm tractor with a 32-speed automatic box, when you can just set the speed you want to travel while working and let the system play with the gears as the load varies, is one thing. Driving a car is something else.