Thread: Small Runabout Car

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

And here in lies the crux of the problem, so many people say they want their kids to learn manual yet are not prepared to buy one hence why they are getting so hard to find.

Even if you wanted to buy one new, you basically can't at the moment. Demand doesn't really have anything to do with it unfortunately. We're basically the last generation to learn manual driving as standard. Even small vehicles like 4 wheelers and sxs ATV's are going auto. It's driven by the large purchasers like rental companies and fleet and lease outfits - they've effectively banned any manual purchases unless there isn't an auto option and it's a special purpose vehicle for a particular customer. Also a lot of companies are going away from manuals to lessen the burden of new hire training and sign off...

Manuals are limited to things like Suzuki tow-behinds for the white snail brigade now and that's only because the sales would basically die right off due to not being able to tow an auto behind a camper without the transmission input shaft rotating to lube the transmission's transaxle. Eventually they will end up with a little flatbed trailer and an automatic runabout sitting on it as well...