A question about transmissions Options

[trainfun]

If you want a manual, it is worth the trouble to find one. My son and I both were fortunate to find 2013 manual GLS models with few additional options at Savannah Hyundai. They actually had a few others on their lot. We bought our cars a few months apart. A dealer closer to us had no manuals, and we would have had to go to Jacksonville, FL or St. Augustine, FL (2 1/2 and 3 hours away) if Savannah didn't have any. We got price quotes from the internet manager which were excellent (out the door for $16,300 for one car; $16,600 for the other which had a few options on it.)

We are both very happy to have manuals, even though 6 speeds means lots of shifting in suburban driving. The payoff is being in the gear you want, not waiting for a kickdown or getting that mushy slop when you let off the gas then accelerate at low speeds while the auto trans hesitates as to what gear it wants to be in. We also get excellent gas mileage (38-42 in suburban driving). The engine pulls from 1,500 rpm without bucking in the upper gears with very slow acceleration which is really good for a 4 cylinder engine.

If you truly want a manual, search inventories online and you will eventually find one. The silver lining is that this is one case where the rarity costs less than the common variety (the automatic). I'm surprised there aren't more 6-speed manuals out there, but most folks (my wife included!) prefer automatics, so that is what the automakers will build.

While the Elantra is not a sporty car, it is still fun to blast through the gears now and then and the car picks up quite nicely in 2nd gear. Keeping the rpms between 4,000 and 6,000 makes it a more lively ride, though I wouldn't do it as a steady diet as your gas mileage will drop off and I doubt the engine was designed for it. It also makes a healthy snarl at those rpm's! So most of the time I enjoy the quiet engine and smooth ride and now and then I blast through the gears and enjoy the upper rpm snarl.

[RPW00Mirage]

you guys are also forgetting the colt vista / dodge expo vans


MITSUBISHI POWERED

[Jaco D]

Had to wait to get the car I wanted in late 2012 (2013 GLS). Don't know because it was white or because it was a manual. Never was a fan of automatics.