Does a motorbike count?
I’m 26, from the US and I learned manual when I was 22. I live in Mexico now and im glad I learned because manual is still very common here, and that’s what I’m driving now
Yes, 29 from Belgium. I got my first automatic transmission in January. Everyone around me drives a manual
Yes. If I hadn't learned to drive manual while getting a license, I wouldn't have been able to drive them legally, which I figured would have been unnecessarily restrictive.
That being said, I prefer driving automatic, since you don't really gain anything from driving manual anyway these days. Also I don't own a car and drive maybe 4 times a year, so it's really whatever.
Nope, I'm scared to even use the paddle shifters on my auto
The car won't let you break it. Give it a try.
Late 20s and in the Midwest US. I daily drive a manual 1994 Mazda Miata.
36, Canadian, 10/10 would recommend. Winter driving is way more fun with manual, and it can be a lot easier on gas if you're in the mood.
- 5 speed '93 Suzuki Sidekick 2006-2009
- 6 speed '05 Jeep Wrangler 2009-2021
- 5 speed '10 Mazda B2300 2021-Present
Yes Midwest, U.S. 40y
I'm in my 30s grew up in FL and I can
From India, late 30s and I drive manual. I learned to drive less than an year ago in a manual that I own. Manual cars are cheaper and I bought one since I believe switching from manual to auto would be easier than the other way around. I don't feel comfortable driving an automatic; and it is only recently that I realised that ALL of my friends and family drive automatics! I live in a large crowded city with terrible traffic problems and I sometimes wonder if driving an automatic would be easier.
All my cars, bar one, have been manual transmission, as is my current one. To be honest, as I'm lazy, I do prefer auto, but it's easier to buy a car with manual transmission here in the UK, as you have more options.
USA, 33, daily drive a stick.
Bought my first car with my own money in 2013, a 2014 WRX, it only came in manual. I've been driving it since.
When I was 15 my grandfather took me out into the woods to teach me to drive stick in a 30,000 lb dump truck. I had never driven anything bigger than a golf cart before. My space to work with was a clearing maybe three times the size of the truck. I did not learn to drive stick that day.
Yes, almost 40, USA. I don't currently own a manual, but used to. It was a great way to save a few thousand on a car and it's a lot more fun to drive. But very few cars in the US have a manual option these days.
Italian, 45 here. Always driven manual.
Yes, 40, Germany. And I actually do.
I'm 19-20 and I'm from the eastern part of the US.
In a car, I have about 8 hours of experience and could do it in a pinch, although I'd feel unconfident with it.
On a motorcycle, I have about 20 hours of more recent experience and I feel fairly comfortable with it.
I'm 42, and can drive manual, but I've had an automatic the last 5 years.
My son is now learning to drive, but he will most likely not need to drive a manual ever.
American, Mid 30s, and all cars I've owned so far are Manual Transmission.
The shitposty part of me wants to call it a giant stim toy
Nope, never learned. I'm 31 in the US. Never had the need to learn as I was raised with automatics only.
37, Eastern PA. I CAN drive a stick, but I don't like to. It's another distraction I don't need while driving. Can pay attention to all the other idiots on the road when not worrying what gear I'm in or when to shift.
Yes, I'm from the UK so pretty much everyone here can even if they own an automatic. It's not seen as a big deal here, it's just normal.
I prefer manuals, I won't be buying an automatic until my leg falls off.
France, early thirties, I can. Automatics are still pretty new on the market, most people I know cannot operate one. It's easier of course, but kinda throws you off at first. My wife owns one and it's great for traffic and keeping a low fuel consumption, since the thing is made to shift gears exactly when necessary. The tradeoff is no sportsy driving, of course, but I can live with that for some time.
35, Canada, and manual is my preference although my current car is an automatic.
I learned to drive on an automatic, but bought a manual for my first car and got my ex to teach me how to drive it. It was important to me that I be able to get into pretty much anything and drive it. After driving an automatic exclusively for the last year, I miss having that level of gearing control, especially on hills and corners.
Big yes! Mid 20s and currently daily drive my miata
Yep - been driving for around 30+ years here in Australia (I'm late 40s). Grew up driving manual, have owned several manual vehicles, including my current one.
30 years old. US. I can and do drive a stick shift.
Really hard coming from a family with only automatic cars. Very few people have stick cars, and even fewer are willing to teach you in their own car.
Can't even rent a stick shift to practice on. Your best bet is to sign up with a driving school that offers stock shift lessons, which I almost did.
Instead, a buddy of mine was kind enough to let me practice for 2 hours with him in a beater he had. Then I went and picked up my brand new WRX. Stalled like 12 times on the way home. But I figured it out!!
...american; when i learned to stick-and-clutch fourty years ago (driving fifty-year-old used cars) we still called it a standard transmission...
...we like to say that i married my wife because she drove a standard, but when she traded in my last hatchback the manufacturer only offered automatics in the new models; would've been a dealbreaker for me but she liked the car...
I am 17 and don't even have a driver's license (I already could). However I don't want that in the first place. I don't feel comfortable about being in control of a heavy vehicle moving at relatively high speed. I know I'd drive over a pedestrian the first month because I got lost in my thoughts and completely forgot to pay attention to being in a damn car.
Or just fall asleep. Being in a train, bus, or even just playing a bus simulator on my phone immediately makes me sleepy. Sleeping driver is not a good driver.
Additionally there's the high prices of gas to consider, low prices of bus transport, and for me as a student non-existent prices for trains.
Why pay extra to create additional traffic and kill people?
I'm 36, I live in the UK, and I've driven a manual car since I was 17. I've only driven an automatic twice in my life and I'll probably never own one.
My brother always use to tell me that driving manual is just driving with extra steps. Lol
Yes. It’s my daily.
Canada.
31 — Learned how to drive manual at 18.
30, german, yes I can, no I do not. I drive a hybrid, so no manual transmission.
Yeah man. Australia. Mid 40s. My nieces have just started learning (we start here at 16). When I asked whether they were going to learn manual they said what's that?
German, mid 20s, can and do
Yes, 43 year old in America. Work in the DMV.
I've only owned one automatic. Currently drive a Fiesta ST. I can heel toe brake too.
Netherlands, thirties, own a manual transmission car. In fact, I have only ever driven manuals.
UK, early 30s only ever driven manual, automatics are still more expensive here than manuals but are slowly becoming more common esp with the rise of electric cars. Although I doubt ill get one any time soon.
I can operate manual gear shifters in other contexts (namely bikes), but I've never driven a car with one.
Asklemmy
A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions
If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!
- Open-ended question
- Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
- Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
- Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
- An actual topic of discussion
Looking for support?
Looking for a community?
- Lemmyverse: community search
- sub.rehab: maps old subreddits to fediverse options, marks official as such
- !lemmy411@lemmy.ca: a community for finding communities
~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~