If I was driving 8-10 hours per day I’d want an auto… I know manuals used to be cheaper and are still a little cheaper, but I’d have thought the reduced effort would be appealing.
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As a former taxi driver working on commission for a few years, here’s my two cents:
Cheaper cars, with cheaper repair costs, available in cheaper trim levels. The maintenance costs on a MT mostly(but not exclusively) depend on the driver. Those are relatively cheap. All mechanics know how to work on them, at least when it comes to change a flywheel, a clutch or a bearing. Not many mechanics now how to change clutches on a AT. MT is traditional.
Lower fuel consumption. A lighter car and more controllable gear changes lead to lower fuel consumption. This is especially important because when your life’s spent on the same roads every day, at the same time of the day, you predict a lot of your driving. You learn to observe the 4/5/6 cars ahead of you, and constantly adjust your gear and drive accordingly.
Not many taxi owners actually drive them. Yes, there is a large number of self-employed taxi drivers. But there is also a huge percentage of them pertaining to a small amount of people who own 4/5/6/10/20 taxis. Those usually don’t work with any of them.
So… On one hand you’ve got a car that’s way more inconvenient to work with, but it’s cheaper in every way, has better mileage and just about any shop can work on it.
On the other you’ve got a more expensive car, with more expensive maintenance costs down the road, that burns considerably more fuel and whose only upside is the driver’s comfort.
Guess which one will the owner(the same one that pays for all costs, including fuel, and never actually drives it) choose. If it isn’t obvious: fuck your left leg cramps!
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