Where are manual transmissions?

BlueNevi

New member
Joined
Apr 26, 2017
Location
Washington, DC
TDI
2013 Passat TDI SE 6-SPD MAN
I'm still undecided about whether to trade-in my Passat or keep it. I love my car - it's roomy and fast and handles well. Great trunk space for storing all the camping and going to the beach gear. And it's a manual transmission. I actually like to feel like I'm driving the machine and woe-is-me, apparently, not many others in America feel the same because I can't find many manual transmission cars. It was hard when I first got my Passat and it's even harder now to find in my price range. Slim pickings, indeed.
I test drove a new Jetta, manual, not TDI, and it was ok. Had everything (sunroof, backup camera, etc) that I should be happy to have...but didn't get the yeah! feeling like I do when I test drive a car and just know it's mine.
But I don't want to keep my TDI and have it essentially ruined after the fix. Phase 1 seems to be ok. But what about Phase 2 next year? If I am dissatisfied what can I do about it then? I know in the documents it says something like the car won't be reasonably affected but by who's standards? They are having issues with the fix in Europe and I'd be so upset to keep my TDI only to have her be a mere shadow of her former self after Phase 2.
Also, I was told by the dealer that VW isn't making Passat's with manual transmission at this time. Anyone have suggestions? :confused:
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Find a leftover '15 TDI with a manual. They're going pretty quickly, but there are still some out there.
 

Mike_04GolfTDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Nov 19, 2003
Location
Richmond, BC, Canada
TDI
Mine: 2019 Golf R DSG, Wife's: 2015 Golf Comfortline TDI
95% of Americans prefer automatics.
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Only 5% are still using revolvers.

;)
 
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jason_

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 2, 2014
Location
michigan
TDI
2015 s wagon dsg
I gave up my hunt. I really did. Either gearbox is great fuel mileage.

And the dsg isn't all that different. You still feel the slip, and engagement is impressively quick.

But I acted fast, dealer had a handful, and all but one had names within hours. I grabbed the last wagon.

But if you're not needing a wagon, you might have better luck. I needed one.

Sent from my One using Tapatalk
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
Come on guys, automatics are just proof that stupid is the new smart.........
 

bennybmn

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2012
Location
Long Island, NY
TDI
(Formerly) '11 Jetta 6 speed, Alltrack 6MT
It's a self propagating cyclical problem... Less people buy sticks, so dealers order less, plus they push what they have ON HAND, and people compromise, which drives down the numbers further, then someone publishes a report saying only X% of Americans "prefer" sticks, when really it means that's all that were sold... Plus they're hard to find used, because enthusiasts hold onto them knowing they're hard to find...
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
And no one learns to drive on a manual, at least not in driver's ed. I learned on an automatic more years ago than I'll share. My dad taught me to drive a manual, as that's all we owned at the time.

I insisted my kids learned to drive manual, and was almost successful. My daughter has managed to avoid that. But my sons wouldn't drive anything else.
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
My wife taught me to drive her 67 (?) ford fairlane 500 with a three on the tree before we were married. Maybe that was a weeding out process. for the past 35 years, there have been very few where we did not own at least one manual. My oldest took her driver's test in the 2000 beetle with the 5 speed. I gave her the 03 Passat as a wedding gift and her husband has still not learned how to drive it.

I taught the youngest to drive the truck with a manual but her legs are about an inch too short and she wasn't comfortable driving it on the streets.
 

pkhoury

That guy with the goats
Joined
Nov 30, 2010
Location
Medina, TX
TDI
2013 JSW, 2003 Jetta Ute, 2 x 2002 Golf, 2000 Golf
Find a leftover '15 TDI with a manual. They're going pretty quickly, but there are still some out there.
That's exactly what I was going to say - they're in donor cars waiting to be transplanted. My goal on the JSW is to swap the DSG with a 6MT. :)
 

BeetleGo

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 21, 1998
Location
Cambridge, MA
TDI
5-door, 5-speed Golf GLS replaced BeetleGo.
Which makes it better than Lo-Jack.
As even thieves don't know how to drive them anymore!

Added benefit, you have a great excuse when someone want to borrow it. If they DO know how to drive one, chances are they're also a better, more involved (evolved?) driver!

Not going automatic until I go to a 1-speed ELECTRIC. But not before the electric is charged inductively. I want a car that never needs manual fueling. Drive over an induction terminal and the car pays for the charge (if there IS a charge!) :cool:
 

gerry100

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
Location
NY Capital Region
TDI
2011 Jetta sedan MT
where are they going?

We turned in our '11 Jetta TDI MT w 28K miles, ( 15 minute process, very friendly and professional).

Great car but we couldn't pass up getting 95% of our money back after 5 years and moved up to a premium gasser.

Just curious as to what happened to the vehicle?

Seems like a waste for such a good vehicle to be taken off the road or destroyed as a result of Govt overreach on marginal emmisions?

Any news on this?
 

ezshift5

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2003
Location
West Coast
TDI
2013 JSW TDI (Enroute BB).......2017 Jetta 1.4 turbo 5M ....................
Sure agree that my JSW TDI 6M will be difficult to replace without a -yet unrealized - large amount of buyer's remorse.

What's the best guess on the 2018 GSW 5M becoming available.

(I saw on VW Vortex that the 2017 Alltrack may no longer be ordered)



all the best, ez
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
Seems early to stop the 2017 orders but maybe VW is retooling the plant for the new tigaun.
 

PlaneCrazy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 3, 2000
Location
Province of Quebec, Canada
TDI
Gone...
I insisted my kids learned to drive manual, and was almost successful. My daughter has managed to avoid that. But my sons wouldn't drive anything else.
My kids themselves (well, 2 out of 3) insisted on learning. My third (22) doesn't even have his driver's licence and has no intention of getting one :shrug:

My oldest son drives our old 2005 Passat TDI, approaching 300k km. He can't wait for it to die so he can get a manual. His roommate has a manual Mk IV Jetta with the 2.slow that he drives when his roomie is away on a business trip. More gutless, but more fun, than the Passat he says.

My second son drives his late grandmother's '99 Civic hatch, 5-sp manual. It's in excellent shape, being a west coast car that never saw road salt until he brought it up to Prince George a couple of years ago.

His grandmother (my wife's mother) bought the car when she was 71. She had asked for my help to pick a car for her after her previous Civic was totalled. I made the mistake of saying "I'm guessing you want an automatic"... and she quite firmly told me that an automatic was out of the question, she drove manuals most of her life and she wasn't about to try getting used to an automatic at her age... my kind of gal!
 

BeetleGo

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 21, 1998
Location
Cambridge, MA
TDI
5-door, 5-speed Golf GLS replaced BeetleGo.
That's a terrific eulogy! A grandmother who knew how to drive! So, does your wife follow in her footsteps?
 

PlaneCrazy

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 3, 2000
Location
Province of Quebec, Canada
TDI
Gone...
That's a terrific eulogy! A grandmother who knew how to drive! So, does your wife follow in her footsteps?
She sure does. We're turning her TDI back in on June 27th. Her current TDI is a 6-sp manual. We ordered a new GSW for her, 2017 TSI Trendline with Connectivity+ package (CarPlay, multi-function steering wheel) with, you guessed it, a 5-speed manual.

My wife and I both hate automatics. We'll drive one when we can no longer get a manual or become somehow physically handicapped and need an automatic. I'd rather get the base model with manual than a fully-loaded version with automatic. Cars are for driving, not for having infotainment system sessions. I almost never listen to the radio/music in my car; but I do appreciate nav for driving in unfamiliar places, but especially for navigating around the traffic jams in Montreal using the real-time traffic info on Maps.

I'm reminded here of a late pilot colleague of mine who flew a basic, VFR-only taildragger (a Citabria). Another pilot was showing him his beautiful IFR radio stack in his plane. My friend quipped "oh, so you go for radio rides instead of plane rides"...
 

BeetleGo

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 21, 1998
Location
Cambridge, MA
TDI
5-door, 5-speed Golf GLS replaced BeetleGo.
I'm holding on to my 5-speed until I buy a Tesla in 2022 or so. My car is young! It's a 2005 with 122,000 miles on it. I can last until I change to a 1-speed eLECtric automatic! By then we'll have induction charging, so no pesky plugging in.

I'm also waiting for the model Y from Tesla (S3XY, right?). Think 3/5 scale Model X. :cool:
 
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