Manual car sales are rising again in the US

Although I’m still fairly young and have lived through the golden age of automatic cars, I still hold on to the idea that a manual car is better. Not only because it’s cheaper and offers better performance, but because it makes driving more fun. And yes, you have to enjoy driving.

And that’s something most Americans do. Their passion for motors is well known, isn’t it? Now it seems that, little by little, manual gearboxes are gaining ground on automatics: in the first quarter of 2012, 6.5% of the cars sold were manuals.

Okay, I admit it, the figure sounds laughable. But we have to keep in mind that only 19% of the cars on sale are available with a manual transmission, with a clutch pedal. And that’s not bad at all when we compare it with previous years:

In 2011 only 3.8% were sold with a manual transmission; in 2010, 3.9%; in 2009, 4.4%; 3.7% in 2008; and the almost pitiful 2.9% in 2007. Obviously this hasn’t been the case in this new millennium, since, sticking to the first-quarter data, a total of 8.5% was produced in 2002, for example. Admittedly, back in those years of plenty, a higher percentage of cars with a manual gearbox option were probably built.

So USA Today’s study shows us that the manual, the traditional way, still appeals to people. And you, what do you prefer?

Via | Usatoday.com