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Can you drive a stick shift car?
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robbieduncan
Moderator emeritus
Maybe they are rare where you live. In the UK and the rest of Europe they are more common that automatics.
I sure can. Learnt on a Massey 35 before I was 10!! My last car, a 2000 sunfire was a stick. I would not own a small auto car.back in my trucks again: I would not mind a ZF6 Dmax/8.1 truck. But those days are gone, so autos are fine for me.
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Dalton63841
macrumors 65816
In many parts of the U.S. manuals are becoming less and less common. For the record I very much prefer a stick shift. More control, more power, and better fuel economy. That is, if you know how to drive them properly.
I learned how to drive one on an old gravel road. They are surprisingly easy to learn.
I learned how to drive one on an old gravel road. They are surprisingly easy to learn.
KeriJane
macrumors 6502a
Yes, I can drive manual.
My father was too cheap to buy an automatic car and the cars I could afford when I was younger were all manual.
I didn't actually start with a car. My first motor vehicle was a Yamaha 60, which was a full-sized motorcycle with a 60cc engine and a... manual transmission!
1st car= 1968 SAAB 96 with 3 cylinders and a manual transmission! It was loads of fun and sounded like nothing else except maybe a very angry snowmobile.
Nowdays, 2 of my last 3 Toyota Tercels were automatics. I wish for manual a lot as the autos are a bit sluggish and not as economical.
Have Fun,
Keri
PS. I may have a really fun manual car pretty soon.
My father was too cheap to buy an automatic car and the cars I could afford when I was younger were all manual.
I didn't actually start with a car. My first motor vehicle was a Yamaha 60, which was a full-sized motorcycle with a 60cc engine and a... manual transmission!
1st car= 1968 SAAB 96 with 3 cylinders and a manual transmission! It was loads of fun and sounded like nothing else except maybe a very angry snowmobile.
Nowdays, 2 of my last 3 Toyota Tercels were automatics. I wish for manual a lot as the autos are a bit sluggish and not as economical.
Have Fun,
Keri
PS. I may have a really fun manual car pretty soon.
r1ch4rd
macrumors 6502a
iJohnHenry
macrumors P6
Same here.
I've had a flat-head Ford (stearing column shift), Chevy Cavalier, Porsche, Chevy Corvair Corsa 😱, with some autos in between, and ever since.
When you drive to/from Toronto all the time, standard just makes no sense, now that autos are much more efficient.
flopticalcube
macrumors G4
Yes. Left or right hand drive. I prefer a right hand drive manual as I'm left handed. Lucky for me they moved the stick shift to the middle of the car from the outside many years ago.
quagmire
macrumors 604
Conventional torque converter auto's still sap more power and fuel than sticks. But, with DCT's entering the market, the advantage of the manual transmission went out the window.
That has killed interest for me at least for a stick. Unless you like rowing your own gears, DCT's are the way to go. They can get the same or better in performance and fuel economy.
smithrh
macrumors 68030
Sure, I learned on stick-shift and drove several years with a variety of cars and trucks, including 3-on-the-tree 1978 Suburban (manual steering, manual brakes, what a bear that was!)... never drove a double-clutch though.
Manuals - while they absolutely can be a fun riot - are losing their advantages over automatics, including fast-locking TCs and DCTs and such.
Car manufacturers have to certify each car type - if they offer an automatic and a manual, that's two different cars to the US government's eyes, and both have to be tested.
Plus, of all the major auto racing circuits, only NASCAR still uses stick shifts. That ought to tell people something...
Manuals - while they absolutely can be a fun riot - are losing their advantages over automatics, including fast-locking TCs and DCTs and such.
Car manufacturers have to certify each car type - if they offer an automatic and a manual, that's two different cars to the US government's eyes, and both have to be tested.
Plus, of all the major auto racing circuits, only NASCAR still uses stick shifts. That ought to tell people something...
alust2013
macrumors 601
I'm not sure what that should tell people. None of the others have space for a traditional stick shift, and they all still use some form of manual.
Anyhow, I love driving stick. Never been to UK, so no RHD for me (not sure if I could handle that, my hands are very used to their positions in a LHD car) I love the control you have over the car, and while you can have a lot of fun with it, you can also save a good bit of gas when driven right.
eawmp1
macrumors 601
This.
I learned on a manual, and drove 20 years before acquiescing to the realities of commuting in stop and go traffic. Besides, knee on wheel, drink in one hand, and cell phone in other hand makes driving a manual impossible.
I kid.
People do it every day, It does make sense. Everything from VW, to cobalts/G5 to trucks. Small car autos are junk, and do not have the longevity of larger autos , like in trucks. If I ever own a car (not gonna happen.). It will be a handshaker, or nothing at all.
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RITZFit
macrumors 65816
Ha! I get terrible gas mileage. I'm too busy winding the damn thing out to redline 😀
I learnt to drive manual on my brother's 1989 Honda CRX. Haven't drove stick in years though, sadly. 😱
AppleScruff1
macrumors G4
I learned on a stick, a one ton GMC dump truck. I've driven everything from 4 speeds to an 18 speed Fuller Roadranger.