BMW may be coy about it, but there's no denying that manual transmissions are dying a fairly ignominious death in most cars. It's a shame. Manuals are more often found as slushboxes in econo-drones with cloth everything paired to a remedial engine.
Cheap manual transmissions aren't worth saving. In 20 years, when everything except your mountain bike comes with an automatic transmission, will you look fondly on the Chevy Cobalt's 5-speed guessing game? Probably not.
A good manual transmission feels as sharp and precise as a bolt-action rifle. Slotting in a gear in a Corvette feels wholly different than grabbing a cog in the Subaru XV Crosstrek that I just drove 500 miles across Wyoming. I'll miss Porsche's manual. I won't miss Nissan's.
As the debate swirls around "Will the manual transmission fade away?" the question is better posed as "Why keep it around anyway?" Less than one in 5 new BMW M4 buyers opts to row their own for good reason — the dual-clutch transmission in that car is very good. Owners recognize that BMW's M-DCT isn't merely an automatic, it's an automated manual and it's incredibly precise at confidently swapping cogs. Ditto for Porsche's PDK. Ferrari is even on board. The list goes on.
So B&B, what manual in particular is worth saving?
The post QOTD: What Manual Transmission is Worth Saving? appeared first on The Truth About Cars.
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