Does This Happen To Y'all Too?

"flatisflat" (flatisflat) 10/14/2020 at 22:27 • Filed to: None

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The Scourge

When you’re interested in a vehicle, but even MORE interested in the refresh / new generation but it juuuuuust so happens that the manufacturer has decided to stop offering a manual transmission on the refresh / new generation?

Doesn’t it just....make you want to murder inanimate objects? Just a little?

Clarification: interest in either vehicle would be on the eventual used market (which also plays into manufacturer’s making said changes since people like me aren’t buying these things new anyway)

BaconSandwich is tasty. > flatisflat 10/14/2020 at 22:35

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Truthfully: no.

Why?  I haven’t ever bought a brand new vehicle.  Nor have I bought a vehicle with a manual transmission, unless you count the used Pontiac Vibe that my sister-in-law sold us.  It was alright, but it didn’t make me want to ditch my automatic.

Longtime Lurker > flatisflat 10/14/2020 at 22:38

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I think Canada had the 2.0 manual on the second gen for the first model year only.

flatisflat > Longtime Lurker 10/14/2020 at 22:44

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Like I needed another reason to move to Canada.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > flatisflat 10/14/2020 at 22:55

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Well...it doesn’t really motivate us to go ahead with a purchase of a new car . Besides, frustrated demolition of inanimate objects around here is such a frequent occurrence that it’s almost too insignificant a thing to apply to something we probably won’t buy anyway.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > flatisflat 10/14/2020 at 23:01

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I wish I could feel that because it would mean I had enough money to buy a new car. 

lone_liberal > flatisflat 10/14/2020 at 23:03

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Nope, I just don’t care if it’s a manual or not. Unless I buy some classic car  I probably won’t own another manual trans car and I’m perfectly ok with that.

flatisflat > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/14/2020 at 23:08

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I’ve had plenty ‘new to me’ cars, but it’s been a loooong time since I’ve had a new car.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > flatisflat 10/14/2020 at 23:24

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I have owned one (1) car and it still feels almost impossibly modern for what I paid. I remember being absolutely stunned at the fancy tech on my $5,000 car because I’m used to cars from the mid 2000, not the early 2010s. So automatic locking, bluetooth calling, TPS, the possibility of OnStar, satellite radio I won’t pay for, it felt incredibly futuristic in 2018. Still feels pretty great.

I'm a looooooong way from a new car though. Not sure if it will ever happen at all. What was the last car you bought new?

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > flatisflat 10/14/2020 at 23:51

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As someone who bought both a Fiesta and a Focus ST brand new to help “send a message of demand” to Ford, I no longer believe that manufacturers give even the faintest whiff of a shit about enthusiasts after years of empty promises by the same enthusiasts.

Face facts - if you’re a manufacturer each and every “enthusiast” will nitpick your new car with a manual transmission to death so why even offer it? To cater to the couple dozen who will buy it? Or to cater to the thousands who want to buy it at steep depreciation and sing the praises of the car 5 years after you’ve lost hundreds of millions of dollars trying to make it?

The manual transmission is dead. And enthusiasts made damn sure it got buried.

flatisflat > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/15/2020 at 00:07

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Last new car I had was actually a purchase by the parents (I was hella spoiled ).  2007 Honda Civic Si sedan.

flatisflat > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 10/15/2020 at 00:27

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I concur.

“ Clarification: interest in either vehicle would be on the eventual used market (which also plays into manufacturer’s making said changes since people like me aren’t buying these things new anyway)“

duurtlang > flatisflat 10/15/2020 at 06:33

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I live in Europe, so this is not that much of an issue here... yet. The one car that has dropped from my (hypothetical) short list due to the slushbox is the new Alpine. A light weight sports car simply does not mix with an automatic, sorry.

But then again, I would not buy any car new anyway.

nerd_racing > flatisflat 10/15/2020 at 08:26

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To be Fair...

AWD models never came with a manual trans in the CX-5.  The only one that did was front wheel drive.  Also I have a previous gen one and I like it quite a bit more than the newer one my ex had.  

nerd_racing > Longtime Lurker 10/15/2020 at 08:26

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if they did, front wheel drive only.  

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > flatisflat 10/15/2020 at 08:29

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Spoiled indeed. What did you do to get a brand new Si? Graduate HS?

Longtime Lurker > nerd_racing 10/15/2020 at 09:28

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Yes and base model only

nerd_racing > Longtime Lurker 10/15/2020 at 09:35

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At that point, why not just get a 2.5L FWD Mazda 3 with better options and a 6 speed?  More fun, not much less space, better fuel economy, and faster. 

Longtime Lurker > nerd_racing 10/15/2020 at 09:36

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Probably the reason they stopped selling it.

flatisflat > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/15/2020 at 10:28

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Major life event unrequired for said purchase. Yet, as life would have it, I ended up trading that car in a year later for an older, cheaper car because it was the only thing I had worth anything and I needed money to quickly move out of my then  living situation.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > flatisflat 10/15/2020 at 10:39

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So, it was just like, “here’s a brand new sport sedan for you” all of a sudden? Sucks that you had to sell it thoug h.

My current and only car I had economic assistance from my parents because I went to a private HS and had to drive my sister there. I just added on a portion of my car savings so that I could get into something a little nicer. I decided the sweet spot between cost and getting something not entirely beat was 5k and sure enough I found a lightly used Cruze in perfect condition for the same money as most people wanted for worn out 250k mile beaters. I don’t expect to move beyond this price bracket anytime soon. There is a lot to be said for a solid cheap used car. 

flatisflat > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/15/2020 at 10:51

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Yeah, it was kinda a “you need something that gets better gas mileage and a bit more resourceful, and (since we spoil you) you get something new and that you like”.

I have bought 13  cars since then, and they’ve all been pre-owned . I’m a big fan of the used car market. :)

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > flatisflat 10/15/2020 at 11:11

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Honestly I thought I had it pretty good with that $4,000 contribution from my parents. I had been meticulously planning on around $2000-$3000 of help so that was a very nice surprise indeed.

Nice =/= expensive in every case. Sometimes you don’t really want or need something really expensive when something much cheaper will do just as well. And it’s kind of easier to shrug off the inevitable new parking dings or noticing the sun is beginning to claim yet another plastic part when the car is much less valuable to begin with. My family has always driven used cars and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, though someone has to buy them new to begin with.

May I ask what the car you had before the Si was? And what’s your current ride?

flatisflat > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/15/2020 at 11:18

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I totally agree on all points RE: used cars!

Prior to the Si, I had a Camaro Z28. Current car is a 2012 Mini Clubman S.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > flatisflat 10/15/2020 at 11:30

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https://atlanta.craigslist.org/search/nat/cto?sort=date&search_distance=100&postal=30065&min_price=5&max_price=8000&auto_transmission=1

This search is my friend. I might be replacing my car soon as my parents want to buy my Cruze off me for my mom and give my mom’s aging Volvo to my sister. That Volvo doesn’t have a straight panel on it but has far too much sunk in it in repairs to be worth more than scrap value so it doesn’t make sense to sell it.

I’m kinda bummed about COVID car prices though. Before there were tons of affordable Miatas and low mileage Cooper S in this price range and now it’s just crashed cars and worn out compacts.

https://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/d/atlanta-2012-mini-cooper-1-owner/7212860547.html

Like this would have been $6 000 this time last year. I want something small and tossable that won’t break the bank so these 2o10s MINIs are a little suspect, but still. 

flatisflat > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/15/2020 at 12:00

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I hear ya! And yeah, as much as I love my MINI, I also can’t ignore horror stories that other people have had with this generation. Maintenance costs can defini tely be german’ly, too.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > flatisflat 10/15/2020 at 12:07

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There’s nothing more expensive than a cheap German car, sadly. And it has been a lifetime dream of mine to own a Mini. I’ve heard that the earlier ones are much more forgiving to work on.

flatisflat > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 10/15/2020 at 12:10

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Earlier as in original Mini or the 2003-2013 Minis?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > flatisflat 10/15/2020 at 12:34

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The earlier modern MINIs, sorry, but I definitely wouldn’t mind an original Austin Mini. 

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > flatisflat 10/15/2020 at 22:25

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Back in 2017 when I was shopping, I had it narrowed down to the volt, or Imprezza (possibly stick) as they both offered emergency braking . I do have a long commute so I was trying to balance, fuel efficiency or the impreza with awd and roof rack. I ultimately decided on the volt . What turned me off was how much would I spend in traffic on some long drives. I don’t mind 1/2 an hour, but concerned when I do go on some long 5 hour drives (obviously not much this year) .  

I later picked up a cheap auto crz. Its now bugging me as the impreza only has manual in the base model with old 5 speed vs the crosstrek with a 6. Shows what prints money for subaru and what they care about . With the next 20 22 imprezza not getting a manual