Good morning! Today’s Shitbox Showdown competitors might seem like an odd pairing, and I suppose they are, but there is a thread of connection: They’re both manuals, and they’re both at dealerships who really make it a point of telling you that they’re manuals. I guess they got tired of potential buyers showing up and not knowing how to drive a stick.
On Friday, I threw you all into a fit of confusion, apparently, and for that I apologize. But in my defense, the instructions were right there, as plain as day, in the paragraph right before the poll. You were supposed to vote for the car you thought was worst, not best. I’m assuming that all of you who voted for the LeBaron mis-read the instructions.
I do get the feeling, however, that the majority of you understood the assignment, and placed that trashed Land Rover at its rightful place at the bottom of the heap. That thing is just too far gone to be anything but a beater trail rig. It’s cool that it’s a stickshift, but really, if you’re looking for a cheap 4X4, just get a Cherokee. You’ll hate life a lot less.
Speaking of stickshifts, have you ever gone into a car dealership and asked for one specifically? I have, many times. They look at you like you’re from Mars. When I bought my one and only new car, a Mazda Protegé, I was specifically looking for a DX model with a manual. Out of probably fifty Protegés on the lot (it was a big dealership), they had exactly two manual DXs: One in white, and one in … white. I chose the white one. That was twenty years ago, and even back then I was told, “We just don’t stock manuals much, because we can’t sell them.”
Used car dealers have it worse, because they have less control over what hits the lot. And with fewer and fewer people (here in the US, anyway) able or willing to drive a stick every year, three-pedal machines just get harder and harder to move. Worse, since buyers aren’t expecting a car to be a manual, they sometimes show up to look at a car, only to discover they don’t know how to drive it. The dealerships selling today’s cars have taken drastic measures to get the message across. Let’s take a look.
2006 Mini Cooper S – $3,995
Engine/drivetrain: Supercharged 1.6 liter dual overhead cam inline 4, six-speed manual, FWD
Location: Hurst, TX (well, of course it’s a stick!)
Odometer reading: 82,000 miles
Runs/drives? Yep
Usually, I avoid ads like this. Dealers like to add banners to their photos to keep their name in front of you, and they always seem to do it in such a way that I can’t crop it out. But the big “Manual Transmission” badge caught my eye on this one, and I immediately knew what led to it: someone called about this car, set up a “By Appointment Only” test drive, and didn’t know how to drive a stick. Maybe more than one someone.
Now, I don’t know what the take rate for manuals was on R53 Mini Coopers, but I bet it was pretty high. This is not a car I would expect to have an automatic transmission. This is not a car that is supposed to have an automatic transmission. It’s a hyperkinetic, supercharged, six-speed pocket rocket for those who want to have an absolute blast behind the wheel – in between bouts of infuriating down-time for maintenance and repairs.
This Mini has almost unbelievably low miles, though I get the feeling it’s been wrung out for most of those. I don’t know why, but this car is giving off track-toy vibes. The back seat is missing, for one thing. And there’s a tow hook, though I realize that doesn’t mean much; they’ve become a fashion accessory among certain crowds. But it just feels like this car has been driven hard.
It does run and drive well, according to the seller, except for worn-out rear struts, but it sounds like replacements might be included. It’s nice and straight, and the interior looks good too, except for the missing back seat. You’d want to go over it with a fine-toothed comb, I think, but this car with this mileage for this price feels like it could be a good deal for the right person.
2009 Hyundai Sonata GLS – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.4 liter dual overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Pflugerville, TX
Odometer reading: 166,000 miles
Runs/drives? Sure does
Just after I found the ad for the Mini, I found this Hyundai, with its own “Manual Transmission” text emblazoned across the photo. This one makes more sense; Hyundai Sonatas with manual transmissions can’t be too common. They’re out there, sure, but a person looking for a Sonata is more likely to be shopping for an automatic, I would imagine.
In this generation of Sonata, the manual gearbox was only available with a 2.4 liter “Theta II” twincam four, Hyundai’s spoils from the Global Engine Alliance. Certain versions of this engine have a less-than-stellar reputation, but I believe most of the problems were with later ones than this. This one, at 166,000 miles, seems to be holding up all right.
The same can’t be said for the dash top; the Texas sun has not been kind. The rest of the interior is all right for the mileage, and it looks fine outside. One photo shows the dashboard with the car running, and the tire-pressure warning light is on, but we all know how those sensors can be.
This car is priced quite a bit lower than other ’09 Sonatas I found with automatics, so I think it fits David’s “Ugly Stick” definition: a car that’s not in demand with a manual transmission. Though if I’m honest, I don’t think this car is ugly. Dull, maybe, but clean and straightforward. Maybe it’s just a sign of how fussy modern car shapes have gotten that something as generic and NPC-looking as this feels like a breath of fresh air.
I’m not part of the “no automatics ever” crowd, at least, not anymore. But I do prefer manuals when it comes to cheap cars, primarily for durability reasons. You have no idea how many ads I see for sub-$3000 cars with automatic transmission problems, and not one of them is worth fixing. Being willing and able to drive a manual is the best way to get by with cheap cars. One of these is a good daily-driver candidate, the other is more of a toy, but could be an everyday car for the right gearhead. Both feel like decent deals. Which one is your choice?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
What’s going on with the groin harpoon inside the mini’s passenger seat?