“It has a stick!”
This statement, uttered by one of my colleagues one dreary April afternoon, reflected equal parts bewilderment and joy. Even more surprising was the paint: Lime Squeeze Metallic, which all of us thought was a Fiesta exclusive. Quite the rare combination, don’t you think?
Best anti theft device on the market, Manual transmission cant say I like the colour though vomit green has never been a favourite of mine.
Trifecta if it doesn’t have AC.
This is a test, Ed. This is the car all of us here on CC SAY we love: stick shift, sort of a station wagon, and a bright color that is not silver or white. Now is where reality sets in. I say you will have to discount the crap out of it to move it off the lot. Too bad, because I kind of like it.
I hereby nominate thee for “Comment of the Day!” 🙂
My wife drives a 2006 Honda CR-V with the 5-speed stick. We really like it. (Unfortunately it is silver.) We bought it used from a Honda dealer. It had been sitting on their lot for awhile after someone returned it at the end of their lease, and I think the dealer was happy to see it finally leave.
If this was TTAC, everybody would be falling all over themselves with excuses as to why they wouldn’t buy it, despite it being the car they claim to desperately want to own.
If this was TTAC, we’d all be on the wrong website, Syke.
TTAC commenters generally do not claim they want to own CUVs. They think they want wagons, meaning they’ve never actually tried to carry people and luggage at the same time. The wagon must be no higher from the ground than the lowest version of the car it is based on and should have rear wheel drive for the 11/10ths driving that people usually engage in while carrying their kids to school or eggs to market. The engine should be a diesel, since we all know that nothing sharpens handling like a couple hundred extra pounds on the front axle and an engine that goes full asthmatic at 4,500 rpm. This Edge only has one item on their wish list, making it as relevant to the keyboard product planners as a Smart car.
Let’s not forget that said wagon has to have 400hp and a soft touch interior. Finally, it has to cost $15,000 and be a Hyundai.
How can a wagon not carry people and cargo? I’ve had 5 people and their stuff on multiple occasions in both my Subaru and V70R.
And this is precisely why I’ve pretty much given up on all the new car websites and magazines.
I wouldn’t mind this car.
I would drive this. I’ll bet it drives better than my 5-speed PT Cruiser, which has the misfortune of being silver.
I recall that – at one time in the past – one of the big three was rumored to quietly allow a customer to order just about any color that was available on just about any of its models in the given model year, even if it wasn’t listed as an “official” color. Can’t tell you which company, or when this was the case…and it smacks of one of those stories passed around among the old guys at the barbershop. Since Vega bodies were made at a different plant than those for De Villes, you were left to wonder how Cadillac paint got to the Vega line, and vice versa.
But maybe, just maybe, this is such a case…or a repaint, or one of those solid decal jobs that Mary Kay now uses.
I can think of one case in particular. There is an early-60s GM color commonly known as Honduras Maroon or Titian Red (GM code WA2670). Chrysler gave it a Chrysler paint code (DT3220), presumably so that those in-the-know could special-order a Chrysler painted in this color.
Studebaker also licensed the color as “Avanti Red” on original models. Technically, the paint was owned by PPG and licensed to the manufacture to be used on the cars. Each manufacture was allowed to created a “Marketing Name” for the color, hence why you have “Honduras Maroon or Titian Red”. Like many items that were manufactured by a supplier, the assembler (GM, Chrysler, etc.) purchased them but did not necessarily have the patent or trademark on them.
The catch is that Chrysler code DT3220 was never factory-applied to ANY Chrysler vehicles of any model year, according to the database at http://www.paintref.com.
Back in the day, it was not impossible to mix and match product codes on GM cars as long as you bought from a friendly dealer who knew what they were doing, had your money lined up, and was willing to wait a bit and did not mind leaning on things if necessary. We did quite a few COPO orders at Oldsmobile for various reasons, mostly for people who wanted a non standard color or a particular piece of optional equipment usually found in a package but the buyer didn’t want the whole package. My 79 Cutlass was ordered this way as I described in a previous post – it was a Calais model with 350 Olds V8, T-Tops, and W30 suspension without the Hurst package.
Also, another issue that complicated the color system was that when cars were painted by hand, paint was mixed at the factory as needed. When robots took over, paint was premixed and loaded into cartridges specifically for the robots and thus there was no way to alter the order once it already hit the system.
Up until 1985 or so when C body Cadillac production moved from Clark St to Hamtramck, you could order any color that was used by GM via Code 99 which would be stamped on the data plate then reflected on the broadcast sheet. For MY1984, GM started using a computerized Service Parts Identification System (courtesy of EDS) that resulted in the label being affixed to cars beginning that model year that listed all of the RPOs for the car. A consequence of this was it made is a bit more difficult to COPO specific options as instead of being manually entered, they were keyed by computer and packages were automatically uploaded into the system as a group. The upside was the computerized system virtually eliminated mistakes of transcription but also eliminated “intended” mistakes of people wanting unusual combinations.
Mary Kay cars were listed in the paint catalog separately like WA9601 or 08 in the color guide. They were painted at the factory like that and ordered specific.
Special paint jobs used to be walked down the line along with special panel selections and trim options at the GMH plant in Trentham if you knew who to talk to any combination could be obtained, GM salesmen were the worst culprits and often stray panels were painted for some reassembly at home and Voila a genuine new Statesman station wagon with Monaro powertrain options. Surely that kinda thing has stopped so this must be a factory colour.
Such things used to happen in the U.S., as well. Years ago, one of the collector car magazines featured a documented, factory, original-owner ’67 Country Squire with a 428, four-speed, bucket seats and console. The owner, Adrian Clements, has a copy of the paperwork requesting approval of this unusual combination from Ford’s head of the car and truck group at that time, Lee Iacocca.
This thing would be such a good buy. Listing a manual SUV mommy-wagon on Craigslist is sure to cause buyers to beat a path to your door.
Can someone explain why Europeans all drive sticks and Americans don’t? Automatic trannies on the Euro mainland are considered something for elderly or disabled. Being 39 years old I have never driven an automatic, and don’t know someone owning one either.
Because Americans don’t drive cars, they steer (or aim) them. Seriously, European procedures for getting a driver’s license are a lot harder than American, so driving is taken a lot more seriously over there.
I first noticed this manual preference in Europe on my trip there, aside from some diesel taxis and luxury cars, it is predominantly a stick shift land. I think it’s a number of things. First, is cost. Cars are typically much more expensive in Europe (even before the exponentially more expensive registration, taxes, insurance, etc), almost twice as much as the same car in the US in some cases. So that decision to fork over an extra $1500 for the auto might make you think twice if it was a $3000 option on your already $30k Focus.
Two, economy. Since fuel can be drastically more expensive in Europe, people want to get the best MPG’s possible. Until fairly recently, that meant almost exclusively the manual transmission version of whatever compact car you were buying.
And I think third is where Syke’s point comes in, if you’re spending $25k on a 90 hp Fiesta, you’d probably opt for the manual just so the car has some hope of successfully merging into traffic. Since points 1 & 2 mean the average commuter car is a 1.0-1.4 liter hatchback making 90 hp, and not a 190 hp Camry or a 300hp Tahoe, the stick allows you to get the most out of the smaller engine, where it makes a much bigger difference than in a more powerful car.
Yes, little engines & automatics usually make a poor mix. And little engines were/are common there because of higher fuel taxes & taxes based on engine displacement, still unheard of in America. The U.S. Fed gas tax is about 18¢/gal & has been for years, & will probably stay there unless our politicians get a death wish. States add their own taxes to this.
Germany has all these Fahrschules, usually with a translucent drivetrain featured in their street windows. I assume this is an indication of what’s in the curriculum. Unthinkable here.
Yet it hasn’t always been this way: Oldcarbrochures.com has one for 1935 Ford which today would be considered insanely gearhead, getting into details about pistons, valves, crankshaft, & bearings in the flathead V8.
In fairness, I think that we in the states were spoiled by lots of flat, open space and a history of torqey engines that were well suited to a minimum of shifting, even without automatics. Then we got spoiled in the 50s and 60s and 70s by a big batch of cheap, durable, reliable automatics that mated well to the torque curves of American engines. Add the cheap gas that made the mileage penalty no big deal. In Europe and elsewhere, taxes and fuel prices led to small, peak-y engines that were absolutely awful to drive when bolted to a 2 or 3 speed auto. Plus, there would be a costly fuel mileage penalty, and finally, driving conditions with lots of variation in speed that would make driving a European car with an automatic sheer torture.
Bingo. My dad is quite accomplished at driving a manual transmission. He even claims that “back in the day” his buddy with a 340 4-speed ‘Cuda occasionally got him to drive when the guy talked himself into a grudge match. He got going on this a few weeks ago and I commented that it’s funny that he never owned a car with a stick himself. His reply was that the 727 is virtually bulletproof, and you never need to worry about missing a shift and blowing the engine when you’re racing, so he saw no advantage to a manual.
This was particularly true with 60s-70s Mopars. With a Ford or a Chevy, you absolutely had to shift for yourself if you wanted anything out of the car. The cruise O matic was a power-seive, and the Powerglide only had 2 gears. The TF was so good that it took a real pro to make a stick car outpace a TF car, and there were so many more opportunities to blow a shift, just as your dad mentioned. I recall reading in some car mags from back then that TF cars had 0-60 and quarter miles right up there with the manuals, and often better.
Yep, that’s why the Ramchargers switched to running 727s in their dragsters.
The take rate for automatics in Germany is 28%. It’s very low in the smaller classes of cars (except the Smart, of course), at around 7-8%. In the popular Golf class, its 17%. The middle class (Passat, Mondeo, etc). it’s 38%.
72% of all Mercedes sold in Germany have automatics, as do 84% of Porsches.
As others have said, due to lower average wages and higher ownership costs, cars bought with personal funds (not company cars) tend to be small, cheap cars with small engines. Automatics cost quite a bit more there ($1000-$1800), and generally aren’t as fuel efficient.
The percentage of automatics is probably even lower in many other European countries, to the extent that income levels skew sales to more smaller cars.
28%? That high?
I haven’t been there in 30 years but there was active disdain then for anyone who bought an automatic.
Yes; those are recent statistics. Much has changed in 30 years :). In 1980, 35% of cars still had sticks in the US; now it’s like 6%
I suggest one possible reason for this shift away from sticks, aside from mere laziness: My wife is 5`2″; thus, she must sit very close to the steering wheel in order to reach the clutch, which would be fatal if the [Federally mandated] airbag deployed. One is supposed to be at least 8″ from the steering wheel. This was why we bought an auto Civic, even though I prefer stick, because I want her to be able to drive it as well.
I understand only a few vehicles have ever had adjustable clutch pedals, like the Ranger & Porsche 911. Surely others have as well.
There’s more – emissions controls, yep, even the electronic ones, ESPECIALLY the electronic ones…make a stick less drivable.
I have a Toy Yoda Stick. It’s got a rheostat accelerator pedal; as do many GM cars and probably Fords. You goose the throttle to double-clutch a downshift, and it just says, “Who, me? You try to feather the throttle to ease it into 1st while rolling, and it first ignores the input, and then takes off racing.
Getting off the throttle, the engine winds down, seemingly, in steps. This is not just my ear; I have a tach on this thing.
I’ve given up on manuals. I’m replacing this car…with an automatic (already bought it). I’m older; I’ve got hip issues and after 38 years of driving manual gearboxes, I’m ready to join the shiftless demographic.
I was also one who worshiped at the Alter of the Stickshift but as I have gotten older, and the automatic transmissions have become better, I’ll never have a manual daily driver again. The traffic where I live is simply too heavy to push a clutch nineteen billion times a day.
Good question. Also, every taxi I was ever in in Beijing 2 years ago was a stick, and there were literally tens of thousands of them. Bumper to bumper all day long.
Ah, Lime Squeeze. I thought this color was only offered on Escape Hybrids, which would make this a bit of an odd duck even before talking about the tranny.
Manual transmission Escapes are pretty rare, especially of this generation. In the U.S. the stick was offered only on FWD four-cylinder XLS (base) models from 2008-2012. I think you could still get a stick-shift midlevel XLT in Canada.
Both my cars are manual the Hillman couldve been had with a Smiths Easidrive auto transmission the first available that did not suck power from small engines.
My other car was not available in automatic if you got a turbo only the naturally aspirated diesel or petrol engines came in automatic my little diesel wheelspins in the wet apparently the torque was too much for what was available at the time so PSA didnt bother which was a better option than what most makers did with their biodegradable trans.
Lime Squeeze was on all Escapes in from 2010-12 at least. Usually a lime, stick Escape was at Auto Show, for a ‘price leader’.
Regarding color, I’ve seen a few lime green ‘Scapes at Ford dealers, but usually they didn’t move for months.
And I agree about ‘car guys’ who complain that sticks are disappearing, but have never bought a brand new car with one. Name any excuse in the book. “Wife won’t let me”, “I only buy pre-1996 cars”, “Traffic”….
…add to the list: “I searched in fours states, and all they had were automatics,” and “I don’t intend to keep this one that long, and a stick really tanks your trade-in/resale.”
Love manual tranny. Too bad car makers aren’t selling more than that. Automatic is boring 😉
Too bad people such as you don’t buy them, Seb. If you did, you’d see lots of manuals available.
To ROb… Yes Manual was available on FWD 4 cyl XLT. We had no XLS here. Test drove one and was quite decent. Local dealer near Quebec City had a blue onet with options such as leather, sunroof and big stereo 🙂
My company has a small fleet of these in this color. They are all automatic 4 cylinders, but not hybrids. Must have gotten a good deal on them? 🙂
My 11-year-old daughter loves this color and wants her first car painted in it when she gets one. Might actually work out – by the time she’s old enough to need a car they should be cheap on the used market.
My good friend’s wife recently bought one of these, but in blue. She has never owned an automatic and hopes never to.
Her ’98 Golf (bought new), an outstanding reliable car (funny how everyone’s watercooled VWs are junk when most everyone I know has had great luck out of theirs, but I digress) although still running fine, she was just tired of it and wanted a small SUV sort of like the Bronco II she had before the Golf. It took some searching but they found a 5-speed Escape. She loves it.
Cool car for Mrs. Junqueboi. I’d probably be borrowing it occasionally 🙂
Funki Green FTW
Manual was 2WD only at this point, I think the only crossover you can get with stick and AWD is the Subaru Forester (and XV Crosstrek, but that’s a jacked-up hatchback not a CUV).
Stick shift. Destroys both resale value & chance of carjacking.
And the destroys classic case of “I mistook the gas for the brake” 🙂
I was letting my brother drive my Ranger 5-speed to school the past couple of months and someone (maybe my grandmother) mentioned something about it being stolen. He said “Nobody’s at that school is going to steal that truck. Most people couldn’t even get it out of the parking lot.”
My brother isn’t normal though, he’s 17 and drives a manual like a pro. I started letting him drive my split-window VW Buses when he was 12. I told him if he learned to drive those, he could drive anything out there. It was comical when he tried to drive our grandmother’s Explorer when he was 15 with his permit. He didn’t know how to drive it. He thought it was broken because it wouldn’t come out of park. She tells him to pull the lever back and then down, he says it still won’t work, she exclaims, “Well you have to push the brake pedal!” He said something like “I don’t know how to drive this automatic stuff!” It was pretty awesome.
During my brief stint in car sales in 2011, we had one or two of these in stock. One was very odd in that it had the tan interior instead of black. There were/are a lot more Lime Squeeze Fiestas about.
And I think this color would look pretty good on a new Mustang too! With white interior, of course 🙂