Your brain is a muscle, you have to use it.

It’s frustrating because “the consumer” doesn’t want manuals, yet car makers add all these things that keep people from paying attention to the road making it - in my opinion - too easy to get distracted. I like that I can’t hold my phone in my hand and drive because I need to shift.

Last summer I was in Ireland, and I was peeking in a few cars on parked on the side of the road just out of curiosity. Almost every one was a manual, it seemed like. It’s not that we COULDN’T have fun, manual cars here. But Americans are lazy.

I got in right before Subaru went that way and ended up with the best of both worlds: a touchscreen for CarPlay and knobs for…everything else. I still have knobs for the radio if need be.

Plus it’s a six speed manual (Crosstrek).

I get a flyer from the dealership every other week asking if I want to “upgrade.” Sorry, fellas, nothing you have is an upgrade to me. You can’t get a manual gearbox here any more.

Imagine using a Meta product. Woof.