I'm conflicted, trade the auto for a manual?

"Long Live the Longdoor" (victoryred08)
09/14/2016 at 18:37 • Filed to: None

After learning to drive a manual transmission on the $500 Saturn and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , I finally got an interested party in my ad. I was immediately excited that someone was interested, then overcome with sadness that I’d no longer have a manual car to drive around in. Herein lies my problem.

I have a 2015 Honda Accord coupe with the CVT that I purchased just over a year ago and after calling the dealership where I bought it and the finance company, if I were to sell it, I’d owe $2000 on the loan. I guess my objective would be to try and get into a manual transmission car without spending any more that what I’m currently paying (about $375 a month, ~$22k left on the loan). I could see myself driving another Accord or a Civic Si with a manual.

I don’t want to start over on a new car loan, I don’t want spend a boatload of money on the interest a used car loan and at the same time I don’t want something super old that’ll be unreliable. I’m just feeling kind of stuck ATM (yes, I should have bought the Saturn and learned to drive stick before buying a year a go, but this is my situation).

Any insight would help, thanks! What would you do Oppo?

DISCUSSION (32)

Nibby > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 18:41

Turn that autotragic CVT into an automagic 6 speed or greater

Steve in Manhattan > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 18:54

Take the car to the dealership, tell them what you want, and negotiate the best deal you can. Then, if your finances can take it, do it. I’d also insist on a CPO car.

CB > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 18:56

See if you can negotiate a deal on a newer manual Accord? That’s my recommendation.

Long Live the Longdoor > Steve in Manhattan
09/14/2016 at 18:58

I might just do that. I’ve been in touch with my dealership via email, but that only gets me so far. I’m really curious to see about the preferred financing rates for a CPO car.

jkm7680 > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 19:01

By the way, I wouldn't reccomend buying a Civic SI CPO. Most of them are owned by teenagers who beat the shit out of them.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > jkm7680
09/14/2016 at 19:04

Eh, I think most of them are going to two certain Fords.... Besides, as long as they aren’t modded, they are pretty stout.

they-will-know-my-velocity > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 19:11

There are more aspects of manual than you think. I daily a M6 GTO and I love it. I’m used to it. I can drive it anywhere, I’m good. I prefer it.

HOWEVER,

My girlfriend can’t drive it. If at ANY point I want her to drive, we have to be in a different car. I usually driver anyway, but this is something to consider. Not everyone can drive stick these days. This goes for valets, shops, car washes, etc.

If this bothers you, you might consider something like Ford’s 6R80 transmission. The S550 Mustang (get the ecoboost) with the 6R80 is going to be a solid drivetrain. 6 speed, paddle shifters, rated for 600hp. Good shifts, ease of selecting a gear, less lag than other model transmissions.

The automated manual transmissions are more complicated in some ways but I think I would prefer one given all my options. At least on a daily. I can click click and pick a gear for a pass or whatever. But I can flip the bird, accelerate, and click a turn signal simultaneously again.

So, is manual always the answer? No. In fact, from an engineering point of view, the CVT is a superior transmission, if somewhat watered down by manufacturers. But if doesn’t have soul. If you want that connection, 3 pedals and a stick is as good as it gets. But you need to decide if that sacrifice is worth it.

Long Live the Longdoor > they-will-know-my-velocity
09/14/2016 at 19:28

Hit the nail on the head with the last line, you did! I’m trying to decide if making the jump is worth the sacrifice. The CVT has paddleshifters and it can still be reasonably fun to wind out (though it shifts 500RPM short of redline which is annoying). IMHO, paddleshifters are the way to go if you don’t have a manual and want to have some fun.

Funny you should mention your girlfriend not being able to drive stick, when I bought the Saturn to learn how to drive a manual, I had two objectives:

1) Get proficient enough to at least test drive a manual transmission car in the future.

2) Teach my wife how to drive the manual (there’s no way I’m buying a car that she can’t drive). Sidenote: she picked it up better than I did lol.

Steve in Manhattan > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 19:30

Yeah, a warm body is much harder to deal with than a cold call.

Long Live the Longdoor > CB
09/14/2016 at 19:31

Might be worth a shot, mind you I got a pretty solid deal on a leftover 2015 last year right before they brought out the refreshed 2016 model.

they-will-know-my-velocity > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 19:31

Mine hit a dumpster. No more manual for her.

Long Live the Longdoor > jkm7680
09/14/2016 at 19:33

Good thought, hopefully they haven’t grenaded the transmission into oblivion by the time I get it lol.

Long Live the Longdoor > Steve in Manhattan
09/14/2016 at 19:37

Thanks Steve, stout advice!

Long Live the Longdoor > they-will-know-my-velocity
09/14/2016 at 19:38

A dumpster?! I took mine to a parking lot of a sports complex in my city, LOTS of room (and no dumpsters :P).

they-will-know-my-velocity > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 19:39

She scared herself mostly. Probably alot easier to learn manual on a Saturn than an LS1 GTO. So I wasn’t mad.

Steve in Manhattan > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 19:43

The other thing that occurred to me is that they may have manual transmission inventory, new or used, on their lot that’s just been sitting. Long ago, when I went to buy am ‘88 Camry 5M wagon, there were precisely 2 on a giant lot full of Toyotas, and the guy confessed the one I wound up with had been sitting there for months. $14,800 taxes and tags, and a sticker in the mid 17 grand range. Last car I ever owned with crank windows.

Saracen > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 20:14

Yes.

5CornerED > jkm7680
09/14/2016 at 20:43

I would second guess that because most teenagers I know don’t have the cash or credit to get a 24k4$ car, then trade it in with low mileage.

jkm7680 > 5CornerED
09/14/2016 at 20:49

Mommy and daddy money, as well as leasing.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > jkm7680
09/14/2016 at 21:00

the only thing to worry about is the transmission

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 21:01

depending on the year, just be weary of the 2nd and 3rd gear

Spasoje > Long Live the Longdoor
09/14/2016 at 21:14

That reminds me of a similar situation I saw last year.

A friend and his GF were looking for a used off-roader, and I managed to convince them to buy a manual YJ. Now, neither of them had ever even sat in the driver’s seat of a car with a stick before, so I offered to teach them on the day they bought it, which is what we did.

I drove the car away from the PO. By the end of the day, they drove themselves home, wondering how they ever lived without three pedals. This year, they moved across the country – instead of just selling the Jeep, they put it on a train and shipped it out to their new place!

Seeing the same basic story repeat itself in your example, I’d recommend trading for a stick...you know its charms too well now!

As for new vs. used, Honda’s year-end clearance sale is already on! That, together with Honda’s strong resale values, means it would probably cost you less to buy another brand-new one as opposed to buying used.

Such was the case when I helped a friend buy a Civic at year’s end. A new, left-over-stock Civic cost her less than what the same dealer was asking for one of their 2yo ex-service loaners! All you need is a CarCostCanada report, the discounts that are being offered now, and a dealer willing to play ball.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > they-will-know-my-velocity
09/14/2016 at 21:16

I’ve actually heard that LS cars are easier to learn on, since you technically don’t have to give it gas to take off. That and the T56 is pretty bombproof.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
09/14/2016 at 21:49

Fair point about taking off without giving it gas. There are actually plenty of other less-sporty cars that can do that. One sticks out that I’ve driven is a diesel Ram HD. With all the torque and low gearing you barely needed the gas pedal to drive it. I actually almost never gave it gas from a stop in first gear unless I had 1000 lb of crap in the bed. Even from second, you could get up to speed from a dead stop just by slowly letting out the clutch. The Santa Fe I sold last year had a really short first and could get going without the gas pedal if you took it easy. My current Forester... Not so much. Try that and it is stall city unless you are pointed down hill.

Long Live the Longdoor > Spasoje
09/14/2016 at 23:23

Cool, that’s for the advice. I think I’m going to go sit down at the dealer and see what they can do for me on a new used car. I’ll check out CarCostCanada, never heard of it; is it just for your own reference or do you show it to the dealer or something?

Long Live the Longdoor > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
09/14/2016 at 23:25

That was 08/09, right?

Long Live the Longdoor > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
09/14/2016 at 23:32

The Saturn doesn’t really do that, which makes it a bit harder to learn, but I’d rather it be difficult while I’m learning.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Long Live the Longdoor
09/15/2016 at 00:40

Yeah the Saturn is the better way to learn. I leaned on an old Altima that was the same and I think better for it.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Long Live the Longdoor
09/15/2016 at 07:57

The 8th gen, 2006 to 2008 were prone to it

KeedyT > Long Live the Longdoor
09/15/2016 at 09:31

You aren’t alone, I learned to drive on a manual and with very very brief intermissions I’ve always felt the need to have one around. For many years that’s meant that usually my daily driver is a respectable, newish car that hauls the family around without drama (like your Accord) and some old fun piece of shit car that I drive on a regular basis for the fun of it. That car is ALWAYS a manual.

Spasoje > Long Live the Longdoor
09/15/2016 at 23:22

No problem! CarCostCanada is a well-known service that shows you what the dealer paid for a given new car (i.e. invoice), along with any applicable discounts, as well as the finance and lease rates. You build the car you want on their site, and it basically tells you how much to pay, before taxes.

You show the report to the dealer, or even just say the number and mention you got it from CCC (I’d still bring the printout just in case). If they don’t want to honor the price, walk out – plenty of other dealers will.

The price includes reports for a few cars at once, so if you’re considering both a Civic Si and an Accord, for example, you only have to pay once to get all the info for both. Any unused reports you’ve paid for can be used at any time in the future.

* * *

Aside from that, I’ll mention that the only extra charges you pay on top of the haggled price are government fees (HST, federal A/C tax, tire levies, etc) and freight & PDI (only as quoted by the manufacturer).

Anything else is a bogus cash grab, including doc fees, admin fees, etc. Never pay those!

Lemme know if you have any other questions before signing the dotted line! I’ve done my fair share of car deals in the past hehe

Long Live the Longdoor > Spasoje
09/16/2016 at 07:11

Thanks for all the info! That helps a lot.