Nobody wants a manual transmission
Maybe it’s because we’re lazy. Maybe it’s because we’re busy. Whatever the reason, we can expect to see a decline in new cars with manual transmissions. Because people usually do many things while driving, the thought of having extra steps is unappealing to many. With a phone in one hand, a coffee in another, a whining child in the backseat and stop-and-go traffic, it’s just not realistic.
According to MetaFilter, by 2012 only 6% of new cars will be equipped with manual transmission and probably nobody will care. Companies are creating automatic cars with just as much power as manuals to cater to a busy, multitasking society.
For the die-hard manual transmission fans, rest assured that there will probably always be at least some stick shifts out there. For the rest of us, rest assured that within the next 10 years we probably won’t feel as ridiculous for not knowing how to drive a stick.
andrea @ May 3, 2009