Stick Shift Ford Fiesta

So, the least reliable car in the world (my Volkswagen New Beetle) died a couple of weeks ago. I probably could have fixed it again, but was sick of it, so its gone. Last week, I went to the local Ford dealer and bought a new 2012 Fiesta SE. I was very pleased when I found out that they had Fiestas with manual transmissions available.

When we were in Sweden and Denmark two summers ago, I spent six weeks driving a Volvo with manual transmission, which reminded me of how much fun it is to drive stick shifts.

The folks at the Ford dealer told me that even with the Fiesta, many drivers want automatic transmissions. I got a good deal on the car, which may have had something to do with the fact that they were having a hard time selling the manual transmission cars. I don't know.

We also saw a lot of Fiestas in Scandinavia when we were there - Ford was selling Fiestas there for a few years before introducing them here earlier this year.

In any case, I like driving the stick shift and the Fiesta quite a bit. Here's a gallery of photos of the Fiesta. 2012 Ford Fiesta | View Full Gallery of Photos | Ford.com

Anyone else prefer a manual transmission or interested in the Fiesta?

will always drive a stick.

will never drive American.

I much prefer driving a car with a proper manual gearbox. I will say the Fiesta quickly caught my eye, but the new 2012 Beetle is really getting my attention.

Currently driving a 2000 Mazda 626 2.5L V6 with a manual gearbox. It's a driver's car.

Big manual transmission fan too. Can't stand automatics.

Cambone said:

. . . but the new 2012 Beetle is really getting my attention . . .

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I can't overstate what a giant pile of carp my 2003 Beetle was - and not just in little annoying ways, but in big "the car won't run" ways.

Manuals are way more fun. Except in traffic, the I-15 through Las Vegas during rush hour every day makes me glad i have an auto now.

Jota21 said:

will always drive a stick.

will never drive American.

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We bought a Nissan in 1998 when we traded in our Ford Taurus (which was a good car for us) and haven't had another car from an American car company until now. But the reviewers seem to like many of the products coming out of Ford and Chevy these days. In addition to the Fiesta, I also considered the Ford Focus, the Chevy Cruze and Sonic.

you think its tough to find a manual in a economy car I had to look for weeks to find a nice 3 series BMW with manual. I just don't get the point of owning a sports sedan with a automatic. if automatics is what drivers want they might as well buy a buick.

Same here, love manual. I've driven a manual car most of the time since I learned in the Army, even here in NYC where most people think a manual transmission is an annoyance. Both of my Jeeps have been manual and I also have had two Mitsubishi Eclipses and a Suzuki Samurai in stick.

Hopefully soon we are moving to upstate NY and I'm going to have to get a commuter car. The Fiesta is one of the cars I am considering. Family members of mine have had great experiences with Hyundai's though so they are high up on the list too.

Both my wife and I learned how to drive on manual transmission vehicles. When we bought our Hyundai Elantra Touring, we would have preferred stick, but one salesman I spoke with said he had never seen a Touring with anything but automatic. We LOVE the car...but hate the automatic transmission!

And my Ford F-150 pickup is automatic, as well. I would much rather have had four--or even five--on the floor!

glenn514

Love a manual...but when we went to by our Focus, they said that manual trans was factory order.

Enjoy your Fiesta, especially if you got it with the Sync option.

Love manual here as well. It's so boring driving automatic.

Learned on stick, and most vehicles I've had have been stick.

Sadly, my next vehicle will probably have to be automatic.

I love driving manual, but only for fun. Everyday driving is on automatic. I don't want to be bothered to have to use the clutch and an extra arm when an auto will do it for me.

Since I don't own a sporty car, there is no point.

But there won't be an automatic in my mustang.

I won't own an automatic (at least not for my car.) I taught SWMBO to drive manual when we were first married but due to physical issues, she can't drive one on a daily basis now so her cars will always be automatic. It is nice that she knows how in case there should ever arise a need for her to drive mine if for some reason I can't!

I agree that driving a stick in rush hour traffic can be about on par with say, a root canal, but as soon as I make it off the freeway and onto the back roads, it is so worth it. There is a connection between you and your machine with a manual trans that (for me) just can't be beat.

BTW, I have never owned a Ford and probably never will, but I certainly wouldn't kick one of these out of my driveway...

I also drive manual transmission cars. Only automatic I've ever owned was my very first car, way back in 1978. Manual transmission's since then, including my 94 Camaro z-28 6-speed, T-tops, teal that I bought new and still have (it's in great shape). My daily driver is a Subaro Outback.

The "Don't buy American" thing doesn't hold a drop of water these days. Cars are made all over the place, assembled all over the place.

I ordered (and waiting on) a 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI. It's made in Tennessee. Go figure.

MC

I drove one in the UK years ago on the wrong side of the road sitting on the wrong side of the car. What a hoot, especially the round abouts. This was a Ghia model and had some nice pep.

Last three work trucks went a million miles plus, all American, all sticks. I'm probably screwed on my next one unless I buy used, as no one wants to make a truck anymore with a stick, the automatics are actually rated to tow higher than sticks these days. My current truck is an 05, and they had to get it from out of state, Tennessee didn't have a stick shift in the whole state.


_

Living in a major metropolitan area, I wouldn't even think about driving a stick, traffic here is just too bad for it. I went ahead and bought a 2012 Mustang last August anyway, but chose the automatic, which limited some of the upgrades I could get. So, I took a convertible instead of the higher end engines.

EdWort said:

I drove one in the UK years ago on the wrong side of the road sitting on the wrong side of the car. What a hoot, especially the round abouts. This was a Ghia model and had some nice pep.

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Shifting with your left hand must take a bit to get used to . . . I assume the clutch is still on the left?

Pappers_ said:

Shifting with your left hand must take a bit to get used to . . . I assume the clutch is still on the left?

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Yes, the pedal arrangement is the same, but the shift is on the left.

I've done it a couple times-- once in Scotland, in an Audi A6 (a boat compared to the rest of the cars there, and on narrow roads, too), and once in Ireland in a BMW 318d. With the BMW, I was a bit tired when I arrived into Dublin, and had a five hour drive to Cork, and was completely confused when I was sitting at a stoplight and decided to leave it in neutral and let out the clutch-- the car stopped! I figured I had forgotten to shift out of gear and stalled it, so I went to re-start it. When I pushed in the clutch pedal, the bloody thing started again. I had to try it three more times to figure out that it was a "feature".

I love a manual but the price was right on my Jeep so it is an automatic. If my wife changes jobs and has to commute I can pick up a new Fiesta and pay less in gas for it and the payment than what I am currently putting into gas a month with the Jeep when I can't snag my wife's Accord...

Oh yes, I already thought it through lol!

i have a ses fully loaded stick and i love it... but i fear no red line so i have a good time... but alas i dont ever get near 40mpg. but i love the sync and all the car
its a hatch

It took weeks to find my wife's 07 Accord. It had to be low mileage (32,000) and a stick. It really throws the sales guys when a woman demands a manual trans.

When I bought my 2005 Audi A4 I was also looking into BMWs or Audis. I was gonna get either one...didn't care. I couldn't for the life of me find a BMW with a stick though.

My last vehicle was an F-150. I was looking for a manual but settled on an automatic. Drove that truck for 8 years and hated it the whole time.

I've only had 2 automatics out of all my cars. Hated them both. Besides the truck I had a 67 Mustang fastback that was auto. Loved the car but hated the tranny.

Unless I get my leg amputated or something I will always drive a manual.

Diaperload said:

When I bought my 2005 Audi A4 I was also looking into BMWs or Audis. I was gonna get either one...didn't care. I couldn't for the life of me find a BMW with a stick though.

My last vehicle was an F-150. I was looking for a manual but settled on an automatic. Drove that truck for 8 years and hated it the whole time.

I've only had 2 automatics out of all my cars. Hated them both. Besides the truck I had a 67 Mustang fastback that was auto. Loved the car but hated the tranny.

Unless I get my leg amputated or something I will always drive a manual.

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I have a "grocery getter"... or, as Audi calls it, an "Avant", which is a station wagon to the rest of us, with a manual transmission. Completely shocking to my co-workers and friends as to why a machine made for suburban housewives has a manual transmission.