You ma have noticed that getting a 2010 Fit sport Manual is pretty impossible right now. Two dealers told me this week Honda pretty much cut allocations of them for the US down to ZERO. When I asked why, they both said Honda didn't feel there would be a market as VSA is not available with manuals currently. Both said the 09 Sport Manual with Navi models flew off the lots when the 2010's showed up. There is ONE 2010 manual in the entire state of California right now.... the lots are FILLED with automatics. Seems like a blunder of immense proportions on Honda's part to ditch that model. I mean, a stripped toyota YARIS comes with stability control standard for Pete's sake.

 

for some reason all manufacturers seem to think the US wants either automatics or dual clutch with flappy paddles.

Meh, give me a manual gear box any day!

 

That's sucks. If I was in the market for a new Fit that would be a deal breaker for me. I will never buy an auto, well at least not until I'm old and lazy.

 

Aye. Went to a dealership. They found two Manual Black Sports in the State of NY. Called the salesman back two days later, and he blew it. Both were gone because the schmuck procrastinated. Found another one in the Washington DC area. Pulled the trigger on it. I was about to make the 7-hour drive down, when they called me and said "Your car didn't come in yet. Just come out next weekend instead." As if I was gonna travel to DC on Thanksgiving Weekend. FINALLY found a dealership in Utica NY. Was supposed to pick up the car on yesterday, but- surprise- the accessories didn't come in.

Getting a Fit Sport Manual is like pulling teeth, man.

 

What percentage of Americans set out for a manual transmission when they buy a (non-sports or sporty) car? Not buy it with a manual to save money, or happen to find a used car and get the manual, but no joke go out in pursuit of a manual.

 

That excuse about nobody wanting a manual without VSA is a load of hogwash, since it was Honds's decision NOT to offer a manual with VSA in the first place.

What I believe, is that since there is an $800 upcharge for an automatic, and much of that is pure profit for Honda and the dealer, Honda would rather create a scarcity of maunuals. They probably figure the dealers will just talk potentilal cutomers into buying an automatic, anyway.

The other problem is that there just aren't really very many Americans who can drive a manual or want to anymore. I suspect very few cars are going to be avalable with a manual from here on out.

For the record, I haven't owned an automatic transmission car in over 30 years, and consider an "auto only" car to be a deal breaker.

 

Aways liked manuals... In fact my lady and I had a '92 Plymouth Voyager minivan with a 5-speed stick. Not many people knew they made them, and I guess we owned maybe about one of perhaps a dozen sold in the entire USA?
And our other car, the Echo, is a 5-stick...

But we're both getting older, and ease and convience have now become more important now than extra effort for "fun"! ("Fun" that no longer even appears as much fun anymore, -such as shifting alla time in suburban traffic!) -So the 2010 Fit is an auto.. (Which also seemed to make more sense to us when given the MPG ratings on the basic Fit models?).

And. alack, alas, my beloved old-style shift motorcycles have gone the way of CVT Vespa GT200cc and Buddy 125cc scooters! (Which are, even with CVT trannys, still probably a helluva lot more fun than a lot of you Fit-shift guys are having!)

 

I was told I purchased a rare car, but that it was BS...guess I'm wrong. We had 2 09 sport w/ navi in 5spd. I didn't think it was that big of a deal but they had no clue when they would be getting another one in.

 

main reason is that there are just too many girly guys in Japan who wont even consider driving MT to actually enjoy "motoring" their cars like how most guys (and some girls) did in the past. they are more concerned about how their hair looks and making themselves look pretty.

so manufacturers are cutting back on MT production and concentrating on AT cars. it's pretty sad. cars of this size and nature should be MT standard and AT as an option...these days it's backwards.

 

I've heard a lot of reasons here about why manufacturers aren't making manuals anymore and I gotta say, it sounds like a lot of bs to me (not all however.... much of it).

Anyone can draw conclusions but here are some tidbits of info which probably weigh in on why Honda (and all the other manufacturers) are limiting production of Manual Transmissions.

• Autos these days are almost as (if not more) economical for he majority of the drivers out there. CVTs do even more to decrease the difference between auto and manual.
• The majority of kids grow up learning on their parents car. Parents usually have at least one auto and that's usually what kids learn to drive on because it is easier. (and their parents feel safer about it)
• The US has some serious population density issues without decent mass transit (New Jersey - ouside of NYC & Philly, Los Angeles, etc...) and driving a manual trans in stop & go traffic just glazes over the clutch. Autos make much more sense.
• The big Behemoth cars of the late 70s Early 80's weren't offered in a manual trans and most countries outside of the US, didn't go through the "bigger is better" phase that the mid 70's Cadillac was king of. - US drivers just got used to Autos.
• SUV's and Minivans were the craze in the US for almost 20 years and Very few of them were even offered with a MT (Kind of hard to swat the kids while shifting)
• The majority of people looking in the FIT segment are not looking for performance but for economy. The majority of the people here on this forum would be considered enthusiasts (compared the the number of owners) and enthusiasts have a tendency to lean towards manual trans.

Only the manufacturers really know why the market for Autos seems to be up but for whatever reason, it is. Other markets continue to have a high demand for Manual Transmissions (Europe) and that may have more to do with Price or some other reason but the US is largely an auto market. That said, there are still a Large number of people who drive manual trans (or know how).

I grew up on VW manual Trans. I got to borrow my dad's 81 VW Rabbit Diesel Pickup (4MT). I also got to drive the VW Vanagon (5MT - 2'+ long Shifter). My best friend had a manual trans 1st gen Integra (87) and after driving that, I was hooked on the Honda Gearbox & Clutch. My first car was an 86 Prelude Si 2.0 5MT and after that were the integras. The First auto I owned was our Ridgeline and we picked up the 3.5SE Altima CVT after that. Traded the Altima for our FIT because we didn't need such a big car, wanted lower payments, wanted back into a honda, and my wife and I both missed a small car with a 5MT (wish it was a 6MT). In the winter, for me the 5MT makes more sense than an auto or the CVT in the Altima as there is much more control with the manual. Here in VT, with Snow Tires, the FWD 4Cyl Hondas we've had have been champs. The ridge is obviously better than any of them but with a 25 mile commute each direction, I've had no issues.

~SB

 

It was the same for me when I bought my 08 Sport. The dealership on several occasions tried talking me into an AT because they were so much easier to get. I'm glad I waited for the MT

 

Got mine today! Selection was about 10% 5 speed, 90% autos around me

 

I'm anti automatic but must because of the slushiness. I would very seriously consider buying a VW GTI with the DSG (dual clutch automatic gearbox). It's faster than the manual and has flappy paddles for those times when you want control. It also has launch control.

 

I guess I got pretty lucky. I went in 2 weeks ago and put money down on a 2009 manual sport. Went in 4 days later to pick up the car and it was an automatic. I got angry requested a refund, they told me they would make it up to me and make the deal sweet so I let them hang on to the down payment. and 4 days later they brought in a 2010 BSP manual sport and gave it to me for the same price as the 2009.

 

I just checked it out - of the 28 cars at the 4 dealers within a 45 minute drive (Seaside, Salinas, Santa Cruz, Gilroy), all 28 are automatics. There were 2 or 3 manuals floating around when I bought mine 3 weeks ago.

It's always been a tradeoff for me: I like the extra legroom with an automatic (that leg stretching space where the clutch would be lets me pop my left knee) and an automatic is nice when you're schlepping along in stop-go-stop-go rush-hour traffic. However, I always hated being unable to hold a gear as I wanted, or manually select a gear as I wanted. The man-machine interface is fun, but I have a sportbike for that*.

In the Fit, the paddleshifter automatic basically meets enough of my stick-shift desires without too many traditional automatic drawbacks (limited gear ratios in a 4-speed, unwanted downshifting on the highway, unexpected shifts, poor fuel economy. The last Auto I'd owned was a 2001 CR-V, and with a gutless 2.0L engine pulling tall boxy shape around, its 4 spd auto felt like a disaster. As a teenager, I learned to drive in a Jeep Cherokee, and that 4-speed was worlds behind a modern autobox, even if it was a Japanese unit.

*The very fact that the Fit feels *FUN* after putting 10,000 miles sportbikes over the past couple of years is a terrific testament both to its entertaining nature, and just how boring an Element is to drive!

 

i used to say this but i have a real fast m/t crx (boost and i bought a fit not for the power but for the mpg, and i ordered my fit in an auto because of the paddle shifters in 2006 before we even had one on the ground to test drive. At first the paddles were kinda weird but now after three+ years of driving with them i get pissed when i'm driving anyone elses car mt/ of a/t cause i'm so used to the paddles for down shifting, i'm not old, and i'm not lazy, and this car is no stinking rocket that i need a m/t in

i do think honda didn't do themself a favor not offering a m/t in the sport navi - but hey they are honda and they do what they want and it seems to work for them

 

Well manuals is pretty much all I will drive. I threw a fit when I was 16 and my dad tried to buy be an SUV with an automatic transmission after I had told him for months I wanted a manual. Finally I got the grand vitra with a manual in it kept it until I was 19 and then C4C it for the Manual fit I have now but finding that was no walk in the park....I test drove on earier that day then went to go test drive some other brands of cars I was interested in....came back the manual was gone. It took them tons of phone calls to get the one I wanted....kinda wish I would have gotten silver it is easier to keep clean but red looks better.

 

I learned to drive on my parent's cars '67 Chevelle and '69 Plymouth, both automatics. I bought my first new car in '79, a Dodge Omni 024 manual, and taught myself to drive it on the way home from the dealer. Of course, in the meantime, I'd learned to ride a motorcycle, so I knew the principles involved.

My manual Fit Sport GE is the only one I've seen in central New York. The local dealer had 21 Fits in stock the day I stopped in last March, but only ONE Sport manual. I went home with it. I haven't seen another Sport manual since.

 

i had the same problem. they were like "who wants manual anymore? just get an automatic".... and then i walked out of that dealer ship and went to another honda dealer.

 

I might have gotten the manual but then I learned it hits about 3k at highway speed in 5th. The AT happily cruises at 2.2 - 2.4. Besides I need 1 hand for the steering wheel and 1 hand for my music, passenger, soda, rubik's cube, etc.

If I was serious about going fast I probably wouldnt have 120lbs of subwoofers, box, and amps in the back. (although it does make for a free 1/2 in drop)