I know. It is a sign of the times. If you want a manual shift, you have to order it that way.
Originally Posted by
born sleepy
Haha. The last manual-trans US car rental I had was around 1989.
About two years ago in Romania I had a new Ford Mondeo turbo-diesel with a 6-speed stick. That was a great car and the new 2013 US Ford Fusion is the next generation of the Mondeo vs the flabby 2012 and earlier Fusion model.
I wanted to test drive a 2013 BMW 328 with the 6-speed but the dealer I went to just laughed when I told him what I wanted. Something like "If I wanna guarantee a car sits on my lot for six months, I'll order stickshifts." Sheesh. About the only new BMW with a manual you'd find at a dealer is the $100,000+ M5.