Why are MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS still popular in Europe (and in the Rest of the World)?

It's 2021. Why are there still so many manual transmission cars out there? Let's discuss.

I'm an American expat who has been living in the Amsterdam, NL for the past 2 years. I'm a car guy and I'm going to explain why I think manual transmission cars are still so popular outside of the US and Canada.

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Here is my previous video on car costs in the Netherlands:

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:02 - Manuals aren't popular in the United States
03:05 - Reason #1: Lower Initial Costs
04:30 - Reason #2: Ongoing costs
05:20 - Reason #3: Cars are less powerful
07:06 - Reason #4: Some people are just used to Manuals
08:05 - The manual is dying
08:37 - Closing, please leave a comment below!

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#expat #AmericanInEurope #Amsterdam #drivingvideo #savethemanuals
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[timetraveller]

one of the reason you will see more manual in germany, is that if you do your driving licence with an automatic, you are only allowed to drive automatic. If you do it with a manual car (which 99% do), you are allowed do drive both, as auto is considered easy once you know manual. That is one of the main reason why nearly no driving school has or will have electric cars, even tho they would be a perfect fit... they are all automatic

[trekaddict]

One sentence answer: Manuals are way more fun to drive. :)

[nobodycaresaboutyou]

For me manual is like automatic. My muscle memory just does the shifting and breaking for me.

[johnthegreek]

- Superior vehicle control ( engine braking etc)
- Cheap and easy to maintain
- Keeps you engaged in driving so you don’t get distracted
- It’s loaaaads of fun!!

[tacodias]

1 - manuals are cheaper: a small hatchback costs from 10k to 15k and the auto box is a 3k extra
2 - everyone knows how to drive a manual because everyone has their license done on a manual car
3 - it’s fun!
4 - during decades automatics were shit in European roads, sluggish and slow. It’s ok on big open roads, not so much in narrow city roads… the stigma that autos are shitty remains…

[AquaValet]

I think a key reason missed is the "enjoyment" factor of being in control of a machine. There are people who just use cars as a tool to get from one place to another, but there are people who want a bit of enjoyment out of even a mundane journey, even if they don't realise it. People like pushing buttons, people like turning dials, people like being in control. Having automation do the job takes away some of the enjoyment. You may ask why the difference between North America and the rest of the world? My answer would be that North American roads are tedious and boring. Speed limits are relatively slow compared with Europe, and that makes driving more boring. It also means you have less need for progressively going through multiple gears, because the speed limits are so slow you end up maxing out at a low gear, so not very fulfilling. America also has a fetish for stop signs and the infamous four-way stop. This is a big deal. Start stop driving is less pleasant with a manual. If in Europe we were forced by law to stop and start at every intersection I'm sure we would have switched to automatics sooner. Instead, junctions mostly have a system of priority and give way (yield) which means often traffic can travel through somewhere between a second gear crawl and full speed. If I lived in America, I would have an automatic, as the road infrastructure makes it a better choice. But I don't, and in anything other than stop-start traffic congestion, changing gear makes a journey that little bit more engaging.

[matteofalduto]

I believe the main reason for driving manual is: because you can.
Once you acquire a skill, you feel good and somehow proud of yourself for continuing using and affining it (it can take years of practice to be able to execute perfectly smooth shifts quickly and consistently). Especially knowing there are people around the world that don't possess that specific skill ;)

[liveroy]

Engine brake and having an actual clutch is the key.

[clover]

Why I prefer manual:

1. "Direct" engine feel and response. No torque converter that takes forever to lockup.
2. Control over Shift Points. No gear hunting. No "WTF were the engineers thinking?" when I listen to the cars strange upshift points, and no surprise downshifts or refusing to downshift when you try to accelerate harder.
3. Gives me something to focus on while driving.

Nicer things about manual:

1. You can push start a manual.
2. Manuals are typically more reliable than their automatic counterpart if driven properly/not abused, although a clutch replacement will be necessary sooner or later if driven enough.
3. No need to disconnect driveshaft if you want to tow a manual behind another vehicle.
4. Engine off coasting if you want to and even find a good enough time and place.
5. Could be an anti theft device.

Things that suck about manual:

1. The clutch replacement if it happens to you while you own the car.
2. The gear ratios can be a hindrance (more so on newer models trying to meet EPA standards)
3. Rev hang on newer models
4. Not as consistent as automatic.

[seckinbilgic]

An Italian friend of mine told me: We Italians want to be in control. We would like to dominate the vehicle. That's why we prefer manual transmission. What was surprising was hearing this from a woman.

[Edwinbraun]

Cars with small engines are more fun to drive when manual. Plus manual transmissions last forever if shifted well. Manual transmission gives a bit of a extra control to driver. These small cars can be quite quick with manuals. Very good fun to drive.
Small curvy roads and small manual gearbox cars are perfect

[timpauwels]

Americans tend to spend far more time in slow/mid speed highway traffic in long rush hour commutes. Without other good travel options, driving is a daily necessity, a chore. I think this is why Americans seek to automate the driving task more and more. It’s no coincidence that self driving car development is mostly happening in the US.

[vista]

In the UK (and I think most of Europe), there are a distinction between manual (full) or automatic licenses with the former you're licensed to drive any car while the latter restricts you to an automatic so most people would choose to learn in a manual as it means you can drive both when you pass.

[trc]

Another reason is clutch control is a safety feature. When you skid on ice or aquaplane you use the clutch to gain control more easily and safely. Can't do that in an automatic! The rest was very well summed up!

[TheStealthBoarder]

If you drive in winter conditions with ice and snow on the roads, especially in the mountains, then a manual transmission gives you much better control of the car.

[achandler]

At around 7:50 you said driving manual makes you more of a disciplined driver. I like how you brought that up. Because USA and Canada has the least disciplined drivers, and I think a big reason is because they don’t drive manual. I’ve noticed MUCH better driving habits with people that drive manuals than automatics

[reneagac]

Yes Karleem you have missed a reason. Manual is more involving to drive. Thats why Porsches didn't have cruise control while other brands did. If you enjoy driving you want to be involved. For typical American their 2 hour commute each way all on straight roads daily is tiring and already inconvenient enough. but for us Europeans our 30 minute commute through bends and corners is much more fun with manual where you get to do the decision making and get rewarder for it.

[MyValki]

What I like about a manual is that it gives your gearbox foresight. An automatic gearbox doesn't know I'm about to floor it to accelerate form 80 to 130 to get away from behind a truck. I shift back to 4th or 3rd gear (depending on car), rev it back up, and then instantly have maximum acceleration. An automatic will have an amount of delay because it isn't probing my brain and I have no way to tell it what I am about to do.
This might be what you meant with getting more out of weak cars, but I always do it not just with weak cars.

[rayneilaquino]

Here in the Philippine Manuals are still one of the best selling vehicles, since most roads that you can find in our country are hilly or sometimes mountainous, having a manual transmission helps your to control which gear is capable of climbing the hill. Also since most of the vehicle available in PH are small displacement vehicles having a manual means you can force the vehicle to give extra boost in horsepower when you needed to like what you said in the video.

[Dreyno]

There’s a couple I think you’ve missed. It’s a point of pride. Driving an automatic is seen to be for old women and fat businessmen. It’s not very fair but there’s a stigma. Like it’s not “proper” driving.
Another reason is the roads. Winding narrow roads are fun to drive on in a manual. An automatic (unless it’s a super car) just isn’t as fun.
And the second car issue. If a household has multiple cars, they all need to be the same because switching between manual an automatic frequently is horrible.
And driving long distance, you sit in top gear most of the time anyway so manual is a relaxing drive like an automatic once you’re on the open road.