[TheVazha]

So I recently purchased a classic Bronco project that I'm restoring. It came with a manual transmission so after 40 years on this rock I learned how to drive a manual gearbox.

And I love it. I want to spend every waking minute behind the wheel. I've always considered my self a driver but until I learned and now drive a manual, I never knew this was missing and how big a part of the driving experience it is.

But what about for a daily? Is it practical? Does warranty cover "wear" components associated with a manual transmission? I guess the only issue is that you can't find a "practical" car to daily that has a manual gearbox, unless I'm wrong? Does the F90 and the like have a manual set up?

Do you think it's best to leave manual for a fun weekend cruiser?

Pic of the bronco for fun:

[5.M0NSTER]

Manual for a fun car, auto for daily IF you encounter heavy traffic frequently. If not manual for LIFE.

[ryan stewart]

Pic doesnt work but I spent most of my life dailying a manual. Had a manual pickup truck and BMW. It works fine, although youll likely toast the clutch early on your first one if you dont get used to releasing it quickly and those can cost some money. But otherwise manual trannys are basically bulletproof compared to autos.

Being said, all of my 4-wheel vehicles are autos now, but I have 4 2-wheel vehicles to scratch the fast itch. I like just going. Its also been SUPER handy since breaking my collarbone, no way Id be able to drive myself to around while rehabbing.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by TheVazha

But what about for a daily? Is it practical? Does warranty cover "wear" components associated with a manual transmission? I guess the only issue is that you can't find a "practical" car to daily that has a manual gearbox, unless I'm wrong? Does the F90 and the like have a manual set up?

Do you think it's best to leave manual for a fun weekend cruiser?

For many of us, the years of driving MT as a daily driver is over. Most of the current BMW range don't come with MT anymore.

I, like most in the UK, learned to drive with MT. Was normal for most to drive MT, driving AT was the novelty. I started driving MT back in the 1960's, wasn't until 2002 that I bought my first AT BMW.

As to warranty, from a UK perspective, shouldn't be any difference in coverage AT or MT. Premature failure should be covered just the same.

[Watching The World Burn]

No, they aren't going to warranty your clutch, that's a consumable, but any parts that aren't a consumable will be covered (or should be).

Driving manual changes the very experience of driving the car, so much more connected. But auto has its uses too. I've driven manual for maybe a decade or so before we switched to auto, but we just got another manual about a year ago and its nice to have one manual, one auto in the driveway.

[Maynard]

In LA traffic a MT could get pretty tiresome. Although they are mechanically simpler and perhaps more robust, they do have the potential for catastrophic operator errors (look up 'money shift'); do not ever allow one to be operated by somebody who does not know how to drive a MT (valets, repair shops, girlfriends). And there actually are warranty issues - with an MT it is very easy for dealerships to place blame upon driver error for issues involving clutch or transmission (and even for engine problems which are often attributed to moneyshifting). None of this should be a deal breaker - if you love the act of shifting, it is worth it; and if you don't abuse a MT it is unlikely to fail.

[erickonphoenix]

Once you drive a manual every day, it becomes an automatic.

[DocL]

I've been driving a manual for 40yrs. For six years I did have an automatic for daily and a few manual cars as toys. I sold off my manual cars and got an exotic with DCT. I hated it and hated that I didn't have a manual in the stable. I bought my F80 in a manual and it's my daily driver and I love it. The clutch is so easy and even in some of the traffic that I hit I don't mind it. But if I were to live in a place like LA or NYC there is no way I'd daily a manual.

[ppointer]

I drove a manual to work every day beginning in 1984. Toyotas in the beginning (couple of Corollas & Supras), then Pathfinders with MT, then transitioned to BMWs. However, thanks to Covid and a few other things, I work from home semi-permanently. Otherwise, I would still be commuting with MT.

I would say my 335i is plenty practical for commuting every day. Based on experience with other BMW MT's, I won't need a clutch until well past 150k miles.

[Humdizzle]

i have a manual m3 and gt3. but i take an auto civic to work everyday. sometimes you just want to get from A to B with the least amount of effort as possible. the auto takes alot of work out of the drive, and you don't need to fiddle with an insanely hot or ice cold gearknob when the weather is bad. autos usually have more gears or longer ratios so the engine is quieter on the highway.

i tried the auto only thing with a 458 and f30 335 and always felt like something was missing.

[iminhell1]

Miata
is
always
the
answer

[e90335e36m3]

My Chevy Sonic beater is manual.
My M4CS is automatic.
I wish it was the other way around because a CS in manual would be the perfect driver's car (lawnmower sounds aside); but I've put 75K miles on the Sonic since 2015 and for me personally, it's not hard at all to drive manual, traffic or otherwise.
I did pick up an E92 M3 in manual this year, which I enjoy driving the most.

[Murf the Surf]

I have always had at least one manual car, I've been driving since 1977. Learned on a stick and never looked back. The only reason I've had any autos is the car I wanted didn't come in stick. My wife also had driven stick her whole life. It can be a burden in bumper to bumper traffic but other than that it's no big deal. So 45 years of driving and I've only ever had to replace one clutch, and it wasn't my fault the throw out bearing stuck and the clutch just burned out on its own. Go for it.

[tcphoto]

I love my manual E92, I feel engaged and more in control of the car. I don't drive rush hour traffic very often but can understand people preferring an automatic.

[infinitekidM2C]

I assume it doesn't come with launch control....

[oVeRdOsE.]

Originally Posted by 5.M0NSTER

Manual for a fun car, auto for daily IF you encounter heavy traffic frequently. If not manual for LIFE.

hate that sentence, this is because people doesn't know to drive stick.

compression in 1st, no need to clutch, all you need is avoiding pressing the gas to hard.

I'm living and working in the worst top 10 city in north America for traffic.

when its a 'real' passion, you know how to manage it.

#savethemanual

[5.M0NSTER]

Originally Posted by oVeRdOsE.

hate that sentence, this is because people doesn't know to drive stick.

compression in 1st, no need to clutch, all you need is avoiding pressing the gas to hard.

I'm living and working in the worst top 10 city in north America for traffic.

when its a 'real' passion, you know how to manage it.

#savethemanual

What do you mean compression in first? Just jamming it and out of first with no clutch? Works in some cars, but not so well in others.

P.S. I love a manual, and if companies offered a midsize luxury SUV with a manual, I'd be 100% 6-speed. But as it stands, only my fun V8 has the 3rd pedal.

[dreamingat30fps]

I learned to drive stick in my friends old bronco. Of course that bronco was old and that gear box was very worn out. It was extremely easy to drive and you could pretty much put it in gear without pressing the clutch. It was a super forgiving vehicle to learn on.

Not long after I purchased my first "real" car and it was going to be a manual come hell or high water. I bought a VW Jetta GLI... almost could not drive it home. Now my memory is sketchy, but I do recall test driving it with no issues, however I think that the way out of the dealer to go home had me stop at a light that was on an incline. I sat at that light trying to catch the clutch for I dunno how long. It was definitely multiple turns of the light and many angry people behind me honking.

Luckily after that I never had any real issues. Never brunt a clutch or anything like that. After that car I bought a GTI and thats when VW introduced the DSG transmission. Everyone was talking about how amazing it was so I went for the automatic. Sold it probably less than a year into it and was strictly manual for a long time.

Once you get into manuals then how a car shifts becomes a big part of the experience. At least it is for me. I recall loving the shifts in my Z4M. I also wanted a manual G37. I really liked how my gfs EX35 drove and I liked the engine. Thought it would be great in a manual G37. Found one at Carmax and "bought" it even though on test drive the clutch felt weird to me. After a few days I realized I HATED how it shifted. Ended up returning it to Carmax with their 7 day return policy.

Now I like to have 1 fun manual car, but it's getting harder. Right now the only manual is the Mustang, I feel it shifts pretty nicely, not the best I've had, not the worst. I do love the rev match on some of the newer cars. Yes I'm a little bitch and love using the auto rev match. I recall I could manually rev match pretty nicely in the Z4M, but most of my recent cars have had the auto rev match. That G37 was HORRIBLE for rev matching IMO. The engine was sooo slow to raise the RPMs. That's what I recall anyways.

[sygazelle]

I love MT and have driven stick for many years in the LA area. As someone said earlier, it becomes automatic.

When I switched to Automatic I hated it at first. But then ZF came out with the brilliant 8-speed AT. While I still miss MT and would like a weekend MT car just for fun, both my car and my wife's car have the ZF 8-speed AT and I'm finally past missing my clutch. The modern ATs are so good now.

[TheVazha]

Amazing stories gents, thanks for sharing! I think I'll be looking for a 2000's era manual and have a blast!

[TheVazha]

Also fixed photo. Here's another for fun. It has a 3 speed on the floor, a 302 V8 woth an Edlebrock 500 carb, hooker headers, etc etc. It's just a big silly can of fun.

[iminhell1]

Most modern manuals are easy to drive; anything with computer controlled idle.
You get back to the carbureted manuals and then you have a challenge and they get fun/aggravating. Hill starts, nope. Gotta be a way to get there only taking rights and rolling through. LOL

Super light flywheel, can't creep. Stop and go; just pull off and wait it out. My old Focus had a 6# flywheel. Instant revs.

Heavy racing clutch. Every day is a leg day. Buddies dad had a '70 SS with a healthy 454 and 4 speed. I hated driving it. Clutch was soooo heavy. Really needed a bigger master/slave. The stock stuff just wasn't up to the task.