I just noticed today that the European CX-7 comes with a manual tranny, while us Americans are stuck with the slush box

The wife and I are probably going to get one as the family car this year, and this is honestly the only complaint I have about the car. I wish they could at least make it an option or something! C'mon Mazda, not all Family-Car owning Americans are wacked out soccer moms who want to talk on their cell phone while driving!

/rant off

 

There is just not enough of a market for it. No one is going to make what they know won't sell.

Well, at least most of the time....

 

Barring the VW Phaeton, anway.

The reason why they won't import any is because 99.99997% of that target demographic can't possibly row their own gears while talking on the phone, drinking their low-fat latte, and disciplining the kids in the back seat.

 

You're funny...disciplining kids...

Oh sorry, this isn't the political forum :P

I figure most people who are buying that aren't going to want to have their hands full shifting gears, they'd rather have it full of anything else.

 

Simple economics, my friend. Europe has always had a far higher percentage of people that know how to drive manual transmissions. In fact, in some countries, you have to get a special endorsement on your license if you DON'T know how. The cost of importing MT CX-7's to the US couldn't be made back from sales, so they use the freighter space on AT models that they know they can sell.

 

I think it's a good call by Mazda. If you are that concerned about the drive and want a stick, why would get a crossover anyway? Lots of great wagons still out there available with a stick. Get one before we don't have any wagons in the states any more at all.

 

I'm not a fan of station wagons, myself. Always had one growing up, and my first car was a Chevy caprice station wagon / boat. 70k miles on that was enough station wagon to last me two life times :P

I just think it would be nice to at least offer it as an MT option to Americans if we're ordering the car. AFAIK, they come from the same plants, so why not at least give us the option? Oh well, I suppose there's some red-tape reason behind it or something like that which makes it not cost effective.

 

Some day the stick will be obsolete! Get use to it.

 

I don't know why a more complicated, expensive, and fragile system would make them obsolete, especially when most enthusiasts prefer regular manuals.

 

Even if they can with a manual I still would have bought the automatic. I just wish it had paddle shift. The bump shifter isn't that bad other then it has the normal stupidity override like you can't start from a stop in 4th gear.

 

The only replacement would be the CVT transmission, which would theoretically be faster.

It's crazy though, the Europeans get to actually learn on a stick. I was taught on a crapy auto and German friend learned on a Turbo Diesel 6 speed.