Razor I agree with you 100%. I learned on a Jeep TJ with a 5 speed and a straight 6. NOT a forgiving vehicle to learn stick. When people start out driving a manual it's often intimidating, especially if they have no knowledge of how the system works.
I find working in the automotive trade (parts, service, tech; all apply) and gaining the knowledge of exactly how your clutch works; be it hydraulic pedal, electric shift, wet disc/dry disc etc, really helps to ease people into a manual. My girlfriend for instance has just started driving on her own and I cannot convince her to take the wheel in my Mazda, she's too afraid she will stall out or cause damage.
IMHO both systems have strengths and weaknesses. Anyone who has ever had to replace the clutch on a 2001-2004 Pontiac Sunfire or Chevy Cavalier knows what I mean, those Gertrag transmissions use expensive parts. And a Pontiac Grand Am, 2nd & 3rd gen Mazda Protege or 93-01 Nissan Sentra chew through automatic transmissions like they're going out of style.
I have driven 3 speed Borg Warners, 4 speed Muncie M40s, 5 speed Mazda G & F series and Chrysler\AMC's NV3550 5 speed and let me tell you, the difference a couple synchros can make when making the shift from 2nd to 3rd or even 1st-2nd is amazing. Muncie and Borg-Warner T's (high gears, T-10s often had synchros in between 1st and 2nd) yeah, you can cause a lot of damage if you don't know when to shift, but modern manuals make life so much easier. They aren't indestructible of course but most do not feel like you're shifting a cement mixer or crushing rocks and they won't take your hand off when you shift into the wrong gear.
Anyway that's it, I'm done for now. I use a manual for the daily driver, and my Apollo is still rocking her TH350 auto. Wouldn't have it any other way.
I find working in the automotive trade (parts, service, tech; all apply) and gaining the knowledge of exactly how your clutch works; be it hydraulic pedal, electric shift, wet disc/dry disc etc, really helps to ease people into a manual. My girlfriend for instance has just started driving on her own and I cannot convince her to take the wheel in my Mazda, she's too afraid she will stall out or cause damage.
IMHO both systems have strengths and weaknesses. Anyone who has ever had to replace the clutch on a 2001-2004 Pontiac Sunfire or Chevy Cavalier knows what I mean, those Gertrag transmissions use expensive parts. And a Pontiac Grand Am, 2nd & 3rd gen Mazda Protege or 93-01 Nissan Sentra chew through automatic transmissions like they're going out of style.
I have driven 3 speed Borg Warners, 4 speed Muncie M40s, 5 speed Mazda G & F series and Chrysler\AMC's NV3550 5 speed and let me tell you, the difference a couple synchros can make when making the shift from 2nd to 3rd or even 1st-2nd is amazing. Muncie and Borg-Warner T's (high gears, T-10s often had synchros in between 1st and 2nd) yeah, you can cause a lot of damage if you don't know when to shift, but modern manuals make life so much easier. They aren't indestructible of course but most do not feel like you're shifting a cement mixer or crushing rocks and they won't take your hand off when you shift into the wrong gear.
Anyway that's it, I'm done for now. I use a manual for the daily driver, and my Apollo is still rocking her TH350 auto. Wouldn't have it any other way.
