There was a article a while back discussing this topic. Autos were popular in the V6, and manuals in the V8 . If this car was a daily driver, I can understand why people would go with an auto- convenience. If not, then it makes no sense to me to get an auto. An auto is a conveyance, and a manual is so much more.

 

lol, the clutch keeps on getting lighter and lighter as these cars move on, the manual fox body cars IMO were a pain in traffic, the SN95 cars were a vast improvement (well at least 99+) and the current car is down right easy compared even to the SN95 manuals.

 

Because americans are gettting lazy.

 

I wouldn't say lazy, I can see where people wouldn't care for a manual if they have to sit in traffic for a good amount of time. Then there is the matter of zero exposure to manual transmissions themselves and maybe the expense of owning a manual trans car (your only really talking fluid/filter changes in an automatic - older cars required more changes which over the life of the car might cost more, but modern autos use better fluids and control the fluid temp better, reducing or negating the need to change the fluid)

During my youth, the family car was always an automatic (mom had no talent for manuals) and the few (2 manual transmission trucks) that my dad used were gone most of the time due to his job. So for the first half of my life, other than riding shotgun, no experience. Drivers Ed was no help either, since it was essentially a primer for getting a driver's liscence. They had a limited number of manual trans cars (the entire fleet should have been manual transmission) which were snapped up on a first come first get basis.

Ultimately for me a few things drove me to manuals; My job, my incredible talent at completely destroying any automatic tranmission, and the fun factor (especially when you get it all right and snap off that perfect shift in zero time). Then there are secondary things like the control you have over the operation of the trans and the way you can use a manual trans to help steer the car.

Also there are simply people who have no business driving a manual transmission vehicle (like my mom), you can't miss their cars, bad throwout bearings and clutches which chatter like crazy.

 

what are you talking about A manual trans car requires virtually NO maintenance over the life of the transmisison, and even if you do decide to change it out at 100K, the expense is actually less than a fluid change on an auto trans. Not to mention the $1000 markup on an auto car. If you don't punish the clutch, it could last well over 150K miles, and a replacement will still cost much much less than the $1000 you saved on the auto.

 

The TR-3650 takes 3 quarts of ATF. LOL. 3 quarts!!! Our 4R70Ws take 12 quarts with a drained TC and there is a $20 filter involved.

Tremec believes the 3650 should not require any fluid changes over its life, but 30k-60k intervals would not hurt the transmission at all.

 

The day that Ford stops offering manuals in the Mustang, I will go apesh** on them.

They already dropped the manual tranny from the F-150.

I swear Ford, you F my beloved car up anymore and you'll loose alot of customers.

 

Personally, I have always thought kids should be required to learn to drive on a stick. It seems like most people will never learn how to drive a stick unless they do it when they learn to drive.

Yes, I know there are exceptions...

Driving a stick just teaches you a whole lot more about what is going on with the car than an auto can. Even if those autos ARE nicer in stop and go traffic of when stopped on a steep grade!

 

Not on the 200HP V6.

 

Haven't read the entire manual on the 07, but my 02 with the 3650 required a fluid change every 24k.

 

I used the inventory search tool to find a dealer in KC with a manual with all the other options I was looking for. I was rather surprised to see the low amounts of manuals in general (Fall, 2k5). Then, I show up to the dealer to see at least 30 different Mustangs on the lot, and out of all of those there were like 4 manuals.

But, much like how Ford says 70% of all stangs sold are V6's, I would bet 70% or more are autos, too.

 

I just looked at the 02 manuals and it didn't say when to change it. However the manual does show a Synthetic Mercon ATF for the 3650 in the GT, and that the Trucks/SUVs and Lincoln LS manual trans fluid needs to be changed every 60,000 miles.

 

100% agree-everyone needs to know how to drive stick.I didn't learn until I was 21- My husband taught me. I am already semi teaching my kids- My daughter sometimes shift for me(I put in the clutch, she shifts). She can do everything but the clutch- which she will learn next year when she gets her learners permit.

 

If she can shift from the passenger seat, she's got a head start on passing the UK driving exam

 

Its in there, the number stuck in my head because I never changed trans fluid in the 80k that I owned the car. Almost wished I had kept the owners manual now, but I made sure it went with the car so the new owner would have all the info. I really hated it on a used car when it was missing the owners manual!

The rear end was lubed for life though, provided you didn't submerge the axle.

Cant find an change interval on the 07 for the trans, but the axle does have a change interval at 150k, trucks on the other hand require a change at 100k for manual trans in 07.

 

For the fun factor on the street get the manual. If you plan to drag race get the automatic. Automatics will out 60' and et a manual when set up right with the correct torque converter. Automatics are more consistent if you ET race.

As far a mileage, if you drive a manual carefully it will get a little better mileage than an automatic. But the way most Mustang drivers add the fun factory, the automatic will get better fuel economy.

I've had both and raced both. Best to have one of each. A manual for street and that auto for strip!

 

As we've discussed here many times before, the number of T3650 transmissions that Ford can get from Tremec is limited, which is why manual trannie GTs are harder to find.

Historically very few V6s are sold with manual trannies. They are hard to sell so most dealers don't want to inventory V6 manuals.

I fully agree with those comments the people should not be allowed to drive unless they can drive manual transmissions. In addition I belive that NOBODY should be allowed to drive unless they are able to rebuild engines & transmissions. The driver's tests must be changed so you have to bring in your car and completely tear down the engine, transmission, rear end, steering and brakes. The person adminstering the test would then throw all the parts into a big box. Then before you could get your driver's license you must completely re-assemble your car in less than 10 hours (or the DMV inspectors's next coffee break, whichever came first) without any help including shop manuals.

Plain and simple, if you can't build your own car you shouldn't be allowed to drive!

 

I'll add one more to the impossible driving test:

Beat Sabine Schmidt's times on the Nurburgring with the car that you just assembled for the test and shipped over to Germany. Keep in mind the person taking this test is probably 16-17 years old (depending on which US state)

 

https://www.fleet.ford.com/maintenan...ls/default.asp

Download your owner's manual!

 

Any car salesman will tell you, automatics are in demand probably 10 to 1 over a stick. Matter of fact, I KNOW for a fact that if you go to trade in a vehicle, it actually costs you money if it's a stick. People in America by far and large simply don't want to shift manually. Of course, there are pockets of die hards like us that prefer manuals, but we're out numbered significantly across the broad spectrum.