Can you drive a stick shift car?

[OhWiseOne]

Learned to drive on a manual but have been in a automatic for some. One thing I realized is you never forget how. I can jump into a manual and its like old times. zooooom....

 

[joyboytoy79]

I learned how to drive in a stick shift, and prefer that mode of transmission. Unfortunately, in our household, Masked_Marauder and I share our vehicles. He doesn't know how to drive manual. Thus, I'm stuck with an automatic. One day, I'll be getting a manual again.... when we can afford to have multiple cars!

 

[Drifterwood]

I can drive a tank. Most cars are pretty easy after that.

 

[D_CountVonBhigBohner]

Yes I drive a manual Mustang GT. Automatic was too confusing for me...kept getting the D and R confused....lol

 

[VernalTiger]

Australia here - seems to be a pretty good mix of manuals & autos. I don't think I've met anyone who can't/refuses to drive manual - most people are fine muddling through some crunchy gear changes when required. My family has always driven manuals, but we also do a lot of long range trips or through hilly areas. Ever watched a dinky 4-cylinder automatic hatchback climb a hill in second? No thanks!

And gearing with the left hand seems normal to me. Plus it means you can operate the windows, door, ignition and (usually) indicators all on the right.

 

[ghb69]

I can drive either prefer a stick in winter driving better control. Besides a stick anyone still use a steering column shift?

 

[Autofellatio]

I presently can drive both, but prefer manual - the fun is in using the clutch

 

[D_Ariva_Derci]

Hell yeah i can drive a stick! not only that, but i can work on em too lol my most recent car is an '01 hyundai tiburon 2.0, 16 valve dohc. Runs great and pretty quick too. Speedometer goes to 150 but it tachs out in 5th at 135.

 

[B_subgirrl]

Here in the UK if you take your driving test in an automatic you don't get a license to drive a stick shift,

It's the same here.

so the vast majority of us learn to drive stick shift.

But in my experience, this isn't the same. Unlike VT, I've known quite a number of people who can't drive manuals. Not as many as there seems to be in the US, but still a lot.

Personally, I've only ever owned manuals.

And kisses to Riven because I haven't seen you in practically FOREVER!!! I promise you will get a loooong PM from me once uni is over.

 

[Dave NoCal]

I learned to drive in Jeeps on dirt roads. I mean 1960's jeeps that didn't even have syncromesh on first gear. Always prefer a manual transmission. Current car is a BMW 325i Convertible. Stick shift, of course. In our household we have two other vehicles. Both also have manual transmissions.

 

[Pandora77]

Here in the UK if you take your driving test in an automatic you don't get a license to drive a stick shift, so the vast majority of us learn to drive stick shift.

The same here in Germany. I have only ever driven manuals and don't think I would want it any other way. I would be too bored if I didn't have to shift, plus I wouldn't know what to do with my left foot :biggrin1:

 

[mattflanders]

I've never driven car with an automatic transmission. But from what I've heard, you can get far more mpg with a manual and you can squeeze the last bit of power out of every gear with a manual as well. It's up to the driver to decide whether he wants better mileage or better performance, not the transmission itself.

 

[8x8xFAKE]

Hell yeah i can drive a stick! not only that, but i can work on em too lol my most recent car is an '01 hyundai tiburon 2.0, 16 valve dohc. Runs great and pretty quick too. Speedometer goes to 150 but it tachs out in 5th at 135.

I will always dislike a Hyundai Tiburon and their drivers all because a dipstick kid tried running me off the road in one after acting a fool trying to get me to race him. I finally take the bait and he, literally, tries to destroy my car.

I've never driven car with an automatic transmission. But from what I've heard, you can get far more mpg with a manual and you can squeeze the last bit of power out of every gear with a manual as well. It's up to the driver to decide whether he wants better mileage or better performance, not the transmission itself.

The whole MPG thing isn't as relevant with the technology today as it was in yesteryear's cars. And as always, a fully built automatic will run with if not faster than a manual, even with the best driver.

 

[Enid]

yes, i drive a 5 speed car. i can't switch to driving auto without some effort, as i keep treating the brake like it's the clutch.

 

[Remington]

Every last one of my cars has been a manual.

Not a fan of automatic transmissions. Especially in performance cars.

Kind of funny, I've had several people ride with me, and they had no idea what a manual shift was. One of the people actually asked "why do you keep putting it out of drive?" as I was shifting.

Made me chuckle.

 

[Viking_UK]

Hell yeah i can drive a stick! not only that, but i can work on em too lol my most recent car is an '01 hyundai tiburon 2.0, 16 valve dohc. Runs great and pretty quick too. Speedometer goes to 150 but it tachs out in 5th at 135.

You'll never reach top speed in fifth. Drop down to fourth for that. (And watch out for the law.)

 

[easytoremember55]

I can generally ace a stick shift and clutch but I do enjoy also automatics - they're not just a stick it in gear and accelerate ordeal! There's a bit of skill involved in getting the most out of a slushbox, particularly figuring out how they're programmed and driving appropriately to make them work efficiently. Stick shifts become more interesting when you do not use the clutch to change gears and start rev matching!

What i hate is boring cars.

 

[ManlyBanisters]

I love the way loads of people are saying they can 'drive stick' like it is some special hero skill. It isn't. It is very easy. Ma wee old Scottish Granny learned to do it in her 50s when she had to ditch her bicycle.

Come on, people - a bit of realism here, please.

 

[Autofellatio]

Interestingly enough, locally, manual cars are still very much loved despite automatics becoming more popular.

It's mandatory to know how to handle one for the driving tests, unless of course you bribed the examiner

Although frankly, the horrendous traffic jams here make it a nightmare for manual car drivers sometimes - especially those jams that move up slopes.

 

[Calboner]

I learned to drive with an automatic transmission, and when I first tried to drive a manual transmission, I thought I would never learn. For the first three drives, I could not get the car moving without killing the engine. I was near despair. Then, on the fourth try, everything just fell into place at once. Since then, the manual transmission has always been my preference. The only cars with automatic transmissions that I have driven have been borrowed or rented. (In the US, if you rent a car, no matter how small it is, it will have an automatic transmission.)

Maybe I'm way off and the exception, but it seems like especially younger people it is considered uncool not to know how to drive stick. My friend's younger brother is in HS and he said the general consensus is even if you have to get a cheap car, if you get stick it will at least be fun to drive, so he is learning. He said his friends feel the same way.

This is the first encouraging news that I have heard about young people since . . . well, since I ceased to consider myself one of them.

I can drive either prefer a stick in winter driving better control. Besides a stick anyone still use a steering column shift?

I remember those from my childhood. Didn't they disappear in the 1970s?