[RM7]

I think lots of people stay in a mode of denial about this.

It's going to evaporate, save for a few classic cars and old stuff that continues as long as people make parts for it.

It's going to evaporate for a variety of reasons, some of which are already happening, some of which will be happening.

Most people drive automatics. They buy automatics for their wife or kids. For every person that says they prefer automatics, there are dozens of people that just use a car for transportation and many of those people that say that prefer manuals don't put their money where their mouth is, they weren't a bit enough factor for the manufacturers to keep offering them.

It's harder to hold your phone and drive at the same time in a manual. If you've observed any driving habits in the last 10 years, you'll know this is rampant and it's not changing. It's not young people, or old people, or spotted people, or tall people, it's everyone. They all do it. It's not changing, no matter how much you don't like it.

Cars are more efficient and faster with auto transmissions. There was someone that said he'll take the manual around the track and give the flappy-paddle shifting car to someone else. I'd take that bet with a good DCT or auto trans. It's not so much about the transmission IME, it's what's right. A fast shifting precise auto trans is amazing. A hunting auto trans is a PITA. Just having it be a manual doesn't guarantee it's good for the car.

But that doesn't even matter that much, since cars are moving towards electric and CVT technology. A lot of this is due to people not wanting to "drive", they want to get from place A to B. They live in a city or whatever, taking crowded freeways and streets. It really doesn't matter what car you have in a lot of these situations, you aren't going fast and you aren't impressing anyone. A manual just ends up being a lot of work for nothing.

I like my manual, but I'm not under the false belief that they'll be here forever. They simply won't. People simply do not put their $$$ where their mouth is and compromise.

Personally, I have terrible ankles, I had surgery on one already (and couldn't drive a manual for months) and will likely have similar on the other at some point and they are both degrading, so I don't see myself as being able to sustain it in the long run.