How many pedals does your car or truck have?

[Beemerguy53]

I've been driving for more than 50 years, and have owned 20 automobiles in that time. I have never owned a car with an automatic transmission.

I've driven automatics, of course, but I can't stand them. I never feel like I'm truly driving the car. I understand that some of the modern high-performance dual-clutch automatics are very good, but still...there's just something about shifting that gearbox myself that makes the driving experience complete.

I saw this article recently, and what stood out was the notation that electric car sales surpassed sales of cars with standard transmissions...

Any like-minded folks on here? Or am I just a dinosaur?

Every New Car You Can Still Buy with a Manual Transmission

 

[Kurusu]

In the US of A you are probably a dinosaur.

In Europe no.

Both my cars have 3 pedals.





For the time being.

Edit. And then again. I may be a dinosaur too.

 

[bill2000]

I love standard transmissions. Sadly haven;'t owned a vehicle with one for the last years.

 

[deadin]

One of my earlier cars had 5 pedals (i.e., foot operated)
Gas , brake, clutch, starter and high beam. My current car has three and it isn't a manual shift... gas, brake and parking brake.

 

[Kurusu]

One of my earlier cars had 5 pedals (i.e., foot operated)
Gas , brake, clutch, starter and high beam. My current car has three and it isn't a manual shift... gas, brake and parking brake.

Ah! A true dinosaur.

 

[Beemerguy53]

In the US of A you are probably a dinosaur.

In Europe no.

Both my cars have 3 pedals.





For the time being.

Edit. And then again. I may be a dinosaur too.

I vacation in Europe regularly...I know what you mean.

You see rental cars, taxi cabs, tour buses, police cars...all with standard transmissions. My German friends' cars are generally standard transmissions...no big deal there.

On two recent trips, my rental car was a Ford Kuga, which is sold in the US as the Escape...both had 6-speed standard transmissions. And on two occasions, I've had BMW and Audi wagons, both with 4-cylinder turbo-diesel engines and 6-speed transmissions.

Here, sadly, there are auto mechanics who don't know how to drive a standard transmission...

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Last manual I owned was in a Chev PU.
When I sold it, the city weekend Cowboys couldn’t shift a 5 speed.
The real Plowboys didn’t like it cause it wasn’t a 350.
Sold it to a guy out in the Mountains who was delighted to get a One owner truck in good shape.
Last Manual I drove was a RAV4 down in Costa Rica.
There a RAV out in the garage.
Auto Tranny.

 

[pharmer]

I drove 2 Chevy S 10's from 1995-2010 with 5 speed manual. Every new development has a stoplight so I'm stopping and starting every 50 ft. And bumper to bumper traffic, too much work. Joe

 

[rubiranch]

Both of my vehicles have automatics.
A manual trans wasn't an option in my truck.
I looked at Mustangs for a while and couldn't find the right one with a 6-speed manual so I ended up buying a Lincoln instead.

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

I have owned the 5 pedal edition, can't remember how many the 1932 Chevy had. Both vehicles now have an auto transmission, by choice.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[walkin jack]

I have been driving since 1960. Have owned many cars and trucks some of which are now lost in the fog of my memory. My first automatic transmission was my 2002 Ford Ranger. Next came the 2004 F150. Now I'm in what I imagine will be my last car, 2017 GMC Terrain.

I always insisted on buying a standard so my wife and daughter wouldn't/Couldn't drive it. I had an '81 1 ton Chevy truck with the "granny" gear in it. My daughter wanted to try to drive it so I let her get behind the wheel. She had to use both feet to push the clutch in. That was a wrap on the stick shift for her.

I feel like I've earned my stripes. I have shifted enough to suit me. If I never push in another clutch pedal that'll be just fine.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Manual transmissions (2 MCs, 1PU) outnumber automatics for us, but the daily drivers are autos.
Had many CVTs in Nissans that were okay, and my new VW's is jerky, but the best auto experience we've ever had was on a leased Citroen C5 Aircross with the big diesel and 8 speed auto. Torque delivery was magically smooth.
The most appreciated difference is in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Hubby's Dodge truck with the manual mated to a 10 cylinder has a clutch that weighs a ton after an hour of stop and go. That Citroen had Adaptive Cruise Control that means you never need to touch the pedals in traffic. Ahhh, sweet relief.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[rubiranch]

I had an '81 1 ton Chevy truck with the "granny" gear in it. My daughter wanted to try to drive it so I let her get behind the wheel. She had to use both feet to push the clutch in.

A '79 Ford F-260 4-wd was the last stick I owned. All 4 of my daughters liked driving it.
3 of my daughters still own cars with manual transmissions and they own vehicles with autos too.

I had a 5-pedal Chevy truck a long time ago too. I'm good with the auto in my current Chevy PU.

I think manual transmissions fall into the same category as backing up trailers. Some folks can and some folks cant.

 

[S42N8]

Driven both, don’t miss manuals. Dual-clutch AT is better than I am, and keeps getting better. The electronic nanny stuff is becoming intrusive. And yes, I qualify for Dino status - leaned to drive on a 50s era Dodge M37.

 

[woodsltc]

3 pedals........2010 Toyota FJ with manual 6-speed tranny, and full-time 4wd is my current vehicle (do have a Toyota Camry and Subaru Outback that are automatics), but I've always had at least one manual tranny vehicle since the late 70's. Don

 

[jbtrucker]

Semi trucks are automatic ,didn't like them at first but have improved the past few years . I did my share of millions of miles shifting gears the automatic trans really helps in city driving and traffic jams. The last manual trans I had was 96 Tacoma 4x4

 

[Donn]

Drove nothing but sticks till 1991, driven nothing but automatics ever since. When I need a reminder of the good,(?), old days, I roll my '67 Vette out, (which I'll be doing later this afternoon). It's got 3 pedals on the floor, a close ratio 4-speed, and is a blast to drive. That said, to go back to a stick every day? No thanks.

 

[snubbyfan]

I have also always had a manual transmission.
But recently, because of my peripheral motor nerve condition, I've had to get an automatic transmission. It just got too difficult to make my feet cooperate with each other.
Living out here in West Virginia, I really miss shifting gears on these mountain roads.

 

[NYlakesider]

All our vechicles are now 2 peddle. Even my 15 Vette is, having a bad left leg was the reason for that. This is my 7 Vette and all the rest were sticks. Three were 4 speeds and 3 were 6spds.

Yes at first I missed the rowing the boat a 3 peddle vechicle gives you. My last 6 PU trucks were auto.

 

[steelslaver]

I have one truck with an manual transmission. Only have it because it was a great deal on a diesel 4x4 and I am not going to drive it much, Stick a flat bed on it, a portable welder, set of bottles, a compressor and do small welding jobs. Sold my Ranger with a 5 speed a few months ago.

Shifting is not difficult for me. I can do it all day long and without bothering with the clutch. Makes it hard to hold my coffee cup when I am driving though.

Modern auto transmissions simply beat gear boxes, in every aspect. Much more torque control. Out in the hills I can set there and turn the throttle up till the truck just starts to move. With a clutch once its out the wheels must turn or you'll smoke the clutch. I can drive around with one hand free. I could care less about my left foot.

Even on the drag strip autos smoke manuals. Torque converters are great. You can get ones with different stall speeds, 100% lock up. Auto transmissions can be made to give driver full control. The one in my Powerstroke will stay in first or second until I shift it out of them. Whatever I want.

The old a manual gets better gas mileage than an auto is about dead. First of all it was only true if you drove it and shifted for economy. Now with computer controlled shift points its about mute and with many of the autos having more gears it is mute. The true ticket for fuel economy is a constant velocity auto transmission.

Most new sports cars like theVettes, Hellcat, Mustangs and the Camaros come with 8 speed autos. The base Camaro with auto gets 2 mpg BETTER gas mileage than the same car with a manual.

Take a look at the fastest drag times for the Hellcat and the Mustang 500 and the Camaro ZL1 1LE. All are running autos and are running right in the mid 11 second quarter miles.

I do wish my left foot had one thing to do though. Work the dimmer switch.