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For a time, you could order an Audi A4 or A5 with a manual transmission at no-cost. But that option will be going away when the 2019 models begin arriving at dealers. Car and Driver reports that low demand for the option has Audi pulling off the option sheet. Audi points out that only five percent of U.S. buyers picked an A4 with a manual transmission. The news isn't that surprising as more automakers are dropping them due to low demand and automatic transmissions returning better fuel economy figures. If you really want to get your hands on an A4 or A5 manual, you might want to hurry to your nearest Audi dealer. Car and Driver says there is still a sizable amount in inventory. Source: Car and Driver View full article

Some recent comments made by Subaru UK's managing director, Chris Graham has some wondering if manual transmissions will become an endangered species for the company. According to Auto Express, Subaru has been putting more focus on their EyeSight driver-assist technology - comprised of stereo cameras on the windshield to provide adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and lane keep assist. Subaru doesn't offer this on any model equipped with manual transmission and there doesn't appear to be any plans to engineer EyeSight for manuals. ”I’m not sure if it’s compatible at all with a manual gearbox. There are certainly no rumours we’ve heard that manual will continue, or Eyesight will be [offered] with manual," said Graham. “My gut tells me it will be Eyesight with Lineartronic ongoing and long term. They want to steal the mantle of the safest car in the world. I think if they do that, then they say ‘here’s a manual without Eyesight’, they’ll just ruin that [message]." This decision could affect the next-generation STI. Graham said he would like to see the manual stay, but Subaru has the final say. "For me an STI has to be a manual in the guise it is today, however if you look at [auto-only] M-series BMWs, I don’t think this is the end and I’d be very excited if they had a hybrid petrol STI. That would be phenomenal in terms of its acceleration,” said Graham. Before you start getting out the pitchforks and torches, let us take a few steps back. The comments made by Graham could only be for European market vehicles. As an example, the Crosstrek in the UK is only offered with a CVT. In the U.S., Subaru offers both a CVT and manual transmission. Source: Auto Express View full article

It seems whenever we write a news story about Alfa Romeo, it usually is for bad news. This is no different. Road & Track has learned from various journalists who attended the U.S. launch of the Giulia that there were no manual vehicles available. An odd omission since the U.S. was the only market going to get a manual transmission for Giulia Quadrifoglio and this transmission was available for those attending the European launch. Road & Track reached out to a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' spokesperson to ask what is going on. The answer is that Alfa Romeo has decided against offering the manual for the U.S. market. The spokesperson explained the decision came down to the U.S.' general lack of interest for manual transmission vehicles. A bit of odd turn of events considering that all of major U.S. auto shows that Alfa Romeo has appeared at featured Giulias equipped with a manual transmission. It should be noted that two key competitors of the Giulia Quadrifoglo - BMW M3 and Cadillac ATS-V do offer a manual transmission. Source: Road & Track View full article

On the eve of the New York Auto Show, Honda has announced that 2017 Civic 1.5L turbo will be available with a six-speed manual. This means the Civic sedan, coupe, and upcoming hatchback will have this option. "I have one more piece of news that all Civic enthusiasts will be thrilled to hear and that's our announcement today that ALL of our turbocharged Civic models … Coupe, Sedan and Hatch will be available with a slick-shifting 6-speed manual starting this fall!" said Jeff Conrad, senior vice president and general manager of the Honda at a press event today. We first heard about this last November thanks to a leaked presentation slide revealing the option would be coming for 2017. Source: Car and Driver, Honda View full article

For the past few years as an automotive writer, I've been keeping something quiet from a lot people. Some, including some of the members of this site know this secret. It's something that I have been slightly embarrassed by for the position that I have and know that it has kept some doors shut. I can't fully work a manual transmission. (Please put down the pitchforks and torches. Thank you.) It's not like I have never attempted to learn how to use a manual transmission before. The first time I ever drove a manual transmission in my friend Adam's 1991 Isuzu Stylus sedan. We drove around in a parking lot with me learning how to disengage the clutch and listen to the engine as a way to tell when to upshift. A year or two later, my dad and I took my younger brother's 1998 Subaru Legacy Wagon to do the same. For the most part, I was feeling ok with driving a manual transmission vehicle, even when I stalled it every few moments. But that all changed when I decided to take the Legacy out for a quick spin at night and only made it to end of our street because. I stalled the vehicle when leaving a stop and it wouldn't start back up. This made me felt that I had broken it. So I had to make that long walk of shame back to the house and call for a tow truck. It was determined that I didn't break the vehicle. Instead the alternator was found to be cause as it wasn't generating enough power. But even with that, I had made the decision to swear off learning and driving a manual transmission vehicle. Now admitting something like this out in public only would invite criticism and sarcasm. Just telling this to my family only got me mocked and ridiculed. But what I didn't say was my thought about the whole experience. While I did feel like I made some end-roads and knew that more doors would open if I understood how to work a manual, I also knew with the proclamation that I made about never driving, let alone learning; I had given up too easily. This was only made more apparent when I had to turn down a vehicle because it had a manual transmission last year. But this year, I made a promise to myself. I would get over the proclamation that I had made and once for all learn to drive a manual. But how was I going to do it? I vowed never to learn on my brother's vehicle since I thought that would only bring me bad luck. I also didn't want to use one of the vehicles that I review since I was worried that I would cause some sort of damage. I found myself in a tough spot. But unbeknownst to me, lady luck had a surprise in store for me. Last month, I was getting ready to swap review vehicles. Taking the place of the vehicle I had drove for the past week was a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta TDI. I wanted to see how the diesel model stacked up to both the Chevrolet Cruze Turbodiesel and Jetta Hybrid I had driven last year. After signing the paperwork and trading keys, I found myself going through the paperwork of the Jetta TDI to familiarize myself of what I would be driving around for the week. But as I was reading through the window sticker, a chill ran down my spine. I thought that I was getting one that was equipped with the six-speed DSG gearbox. But the window sticker said it was equipped with a six-speed manual. I went outside to look at the vehicle and to my horror, it was equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. Now I had three options with the Jetta TDI: Leave it in the driveway for the week Call the company and ask if they can pick it up since I cannot drive a stick Take the plunge and learn once and for all to drive a manual The first option was out of the question since Volkswagen gave me the vehicle to drive for a week. In return, I supposed to write something about my experience. Writing about how the Jetta TDI just sat there for a week didn't seem like the most appealing story. Option two was also a non-starter since I knew that I would be met with grief and sarcasm. So that left option three. At first I was very hesitant to the idea since I was worried about damaging the vehicle, i.e. worst case scenario. But somehow I was able to have some common sense enter my thoughts and calm me down to a point. "You have learned how to release the clutch pedal and the 1-2 shift. You're well ahead of those who don't even know how even to how to work the transmission. Just keep practicing and expanding your range, and you'll be able to open doors," I found myself saying. So I made the decision to keep the Jetta TDI and learn for once and for all to drive a manual. When I made this announcement at dinner, it was surprise to everyone. Even I couldn't believe what came out of my mouth when I said that I plan to keep the vehicle and learn to drive a manual transmission. After dinner, my dad and I climbed into the Jetta and made our way to the high school parking lot, a place that was big enough for me to practice. Once we arrived to the parking lot, we began with the basics; getting the vehicle to move on its own by letting off the clutch pedal. This was a tricky proposition for me since I knew that I couldn't release the pedal to fast or else the vehicle would stall. So began a marathon of stalling and keeping the Jetta running by hitting the clutch pedal if I thought the car would stall. But then something hit me. I began to not pay attention to the rev counter and started to listen to the engine note as my signal of when to get back on or keep removing my foot off the clutch. Once I figured this out, I started to let my foot my off at the right point that the vehicle wouldn't stall and it moved under its own power. We did this a few times before moving onto the next item; the transition from clutch to gas. This was a tricky thing for me before as I was either too slow or fast on the transition. Also the foot work was going to be a problem as I would have to coordinate my left and right legs to get going. Again, it took a few times and some stalling before my feet were working somewhat together and moving along at a somewhat reasonable rate. Once I had the practiced the basics and felt somewhat comfortable, we headed back home. I felt nervous as I piloted the Jetta TDI, worried that I would stall the vehicle and possibly cause an accident. But I didn't. As I pulled into the driveway and parked the Jetta, I breathed a heavy sigh of relief. I had drove the Jetta TDI and not damaged the vehicle, or anyone else around me. I considered it a great success. As the week went on, I would take some time to drive around in the Jetta TDI. Not only to practice, but to also make me feel not as nervous when driving with a manual transmission. Despite stalling the vehicle once in a while, I was beginning to feel more comfortable. I was also coming to a realization. In a way. the manual transmission is the last control a person has over the car. The feeling of doing something to move the car; being a part of the machinery. Before, a person felt more in control with a vehicle due to mechanical steering, the accelerator pulling a cable, and a number of other items. But with the advent of technology and the desire to improve efficiency, the driver was slowly removed out of the picture. In a way, the manual transmission is the last bastion for a driver. When the Volkswagen Jetta TDI was picked up, I was both happy and elated. Happy that I was finally able to feel a little bit more comfortable with driving a manual transmission. Elated that the Jetta TDI and I had survived with no damage. I thought to myself as the Jetta drove away, I wonder what vehicle I could ask for next with a manual transmission. Disclaimer: Volkswagen Provided the Jetta TDI, Insurance, and One Tank of Diesel William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com November 26, 2013 The marketplace for small and midsize pickups is beginning to get exciting once again with the introduction of the Chevrolet Colorado. Automotive News reports that it could be getting more exciting in the coming future. One thing that dealers have been clamoring for the new Colorado is an off-road version, something akin to the S-10 ZR2 package which offered higher ground clearance, stronger shocks, beefier axles and other enhancements. "The dealers already have been asking for an off-road model. We're considering it," said Jeff Luke, General Motors' chief engineer for trucks. GM North America President Mark Reuss echoes Luke's comment by saying that an off-road variant "absolutely" is on the table. "I think there's all kinds of opportunity for accessorization and powertrain variants in a platform like this. There's a lot of things you can do here that you can't do in a full-sized truck," said Reuss. In addition, the Colorado will be available with manual transmission. Automotive News says the option will be available for the extended-cab, two-wheel-drive WT trim level only. "I'm making a bet on this. If you look at the past data, it's probably not a financially sound decision. But we're creating something here that hasn't been created before. So we're going to take some risks," said Reuss. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

By William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com February 10, 2013 The new 500T offers some of the performance of the hotted up 500 Abarth at a somewhat lower price - if you don't mind having the manual transmission only. Those who wanted the automatic with the turbo were just out of luck. However, Fiat North America's head would like to change that. “The T with an automatic would be great. I want to do it. A lot of people think it’s wrong, like an automatic Abarth.” said Tim Kuniskis, head of Fiat North America. “I need it yesterday. There are so many people [who] want that car.” There's a reasoning behind Kuniskis statements. The chief competitor to the 500, the Mini Cooper, offers the option of an automatic transmission across the range. Yes, that does include the John Cooper Works model. Offering the 500T with the option of automatic transmission would likely bring more sales to the brand. Source: Motor Trend William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com August 30, 2012 Sales of the Dodge Dart have been lackluster. For the first two months, Dodge has only sold 974 Darts. This would be ok if the Dart was a high-end luxury vehicle, not a vehicle competing in the highly contested compact market. Dealers say the reason for the slow sales is the majority of Darts being equipped with a manual transmission. "We were just told that [the automatics] weren't ready yet.We were a little surprised by it," Mr. Kelleher added. "We're a little bit out of the water with stick [shifts]. We sell so few of them," said David Kelleher, owner of a Chrysler dealership in Glen Mills, Pa. "A great majority of our customers who walk by the Dart are declining the manual," said Tamara Darvish, vice president of Darcars Automotive Group, a chain of 34 new-car franchises based in Silver Spring, Md. Reid Bigland, Dodge's chief executive explained that Chrysler began building the manual-transmission Darts to get the factory ramped up, but it has now added automatics to the line. Bigland says that 70% of Darts being built are equipped with the automatic. Bigland goes on to say that the company expects to sell 3,000 Darts for August. Source: Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at william.maley@cheersandgears.com or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article