Agthatbuilds said:
There has to be a market for a dumb car.
Give me ac, radio and 4x4 and I'm gtg. Don't need a backup camera. Don't need a blind spot indicator, lane assist, auto mirrors. Don't need auto seats, seat heater, motor windows. Don't need to track mpgs, outside temperature, the direction I'm facing.
And so on. Give me the most mechanical truck that requires the least amount of cpu power.
I can't be the only one who'd prefer something like that.
Big Brother says no, at least on the backup camera. Not sure about blind spot and other crap.
Pretty sure the switch to power windows becoming a universal standard was an economy of scale thing - so many of them had that option checked it became more cost effective to build them all that way than to deal with the few remaining with roller windows. I see that sort of thing in aircraft manufacturing when an oddball type comes down the line. Parts, instructions, and tooling are a little different and it can throw off the manufacturing techs a bit.
Anyway what you want is kind of like that odd variant I mentioned. Not enough orders and using small assemblies that are a little more unique increases the build cost enough so that enough people would spend a little more to get what they think is worth it. I was in the same boat you are when I was searching for a 4 door with a manual a couple of years ago. There aren't a lot of choices and I was getting ready to get a new Civic SI when I ended up with an '07 Acura TSX with 6MT from a relative.
You should check out the automotive board. 1ags bought a low trim or contractor grade truck and added what he wanted to it on his own and it came out pretty nice.