Quote:
Originally Posted by M3 Adjuster
I can give you a list of reasons why an automatic transmission is better for the manufacturer.
1- charge additional Markup on sale
2- not as easily damaged on test drive/loaner
3- when out of warranty - a higher failure rate than manual = more sales in service department
4- shorter lifespan than manual - see above
5- less likely for wear /tear on a lease vehicle
6- when a failure occurs - they connect a computer to it and tell you a solenoid has failed- Diagnostic time measured in minutes compared to diagnosing a failing manual transmission
7 - replacement parts are more expensive and more $$ money $$ for service departments to replace an entire transmission for $ 6-7K than to replace a clutch, a clutch master cylinder, clutch slave cylinder , or throw out bearing .. any of which could be replaced for a fraction of the price of an auto trans - let alone DCT-auto
( even MO money ... ).
8 - buyers with sticker shock from an proposed auto transmission failure tend to trade in and buy.... another auto transmission 
So.. in addition to being " bad " from an engineering perspective according to Van Meel... manuals are HORRIBLE from a profit perspective when it comes to new car sales, parts department sales , service department sales .. pretty much the entire dealership !
Don't believe the hype - that "customers don't want manuals " ... in sports cars.
Manufacturers have been trying hard to sell sports car customers on their autoboxes with fancy names like " Tiptronic" and "DCT... and after decades they even made the autobox faster than a manual.
And yet still... Spots car Customers are leading a REVOLT and manufacturers are having to give way... and continue to offer manuals.
BMW has been trying to kill the 5 speed in the US M5 for decades ... they have finally done it by making it as big as a 7 series and making it AWD.  |
A lot of this makes sense. I'd never thought about it too much. The worst thing is that a lot of people (At least in the US) don't even know to drive a stick anymore. Most of them who do, would prefer an automatic when given a choice. Also, almost everybody who learns to drive now, learns it on an automatic. In a few years, manuals will basically become non existent because most of the sports car customers will not know how to drive a manual.
Either that or there will be a lot fewer sports car customers.
Edit: Not too many people will even be driving in a few years I guess.