Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Homebase: CAE - Formerly, YUL
Programs: US CP, UA, HH Gold, Marriott Plat, DL, AA, CO, ++
Posts: 2,187
This thread has a lot of BS in it...
1) Nowadays automatics rival the manuals for economy.
2) They do fail earlier than manuals, but for the first buyer, that's hardly a concern... Most new car buyers will likely not need a new transmission within the typical 5 years of ownership. Clutches, on the other hand... That varies.
3) In the US a normal (non-sports) car with a stick is considered a DETRIMENT when it comes time to sell it. Most dealers will knock off 1 to $2,000 on the trade in value because of that.
The new semi-automatics are downright amazing though. The performance of a stick, and the shifting done by a computer. Pure awesomeness!
HTSC