Do your driving instructors nees to know manual?
Posted by Tvrtko_Kotromanic_1@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 174 comments
Here in Bosnia its mandatory to learn on a manual car, thus the driving instructor knows manual. But do driving instructors there need to legally know manual or not?
IceManYurt@reddit
I don't know why Europe insists on sticking with inefficient manual transmissions, seems kind of wasteful.
MyUsername2459@reddit
Probably because, decades ago they were more efficient and they've dogmatically stuck with that idea even after automatic transmissions became much better.
Far_Silver@reddit
Yeah, decades ago, automatics were niche products for disabled people, because if you didn't have a disability, the manual was more efficient. In most of the world, automatics became mainstream once they became more efficient, but Europe still clings to that old idea, even though it hasn't been true for decades.
SchoolForSedition@reddit
You cannot bump start an automatic. Very worrying.
SkiingAway@reddit
...are you frequently bump starting cars? And if so, why?
YeeboF@reddit
I drove sticks for twenty years, and I think I bump started my car maybe once that entire time.
IceManYurt@reddit
Oh, I had a older Subaru that had some wacky problems, and bump starting was very effective and a very common occurrence for me.
But, for some reason stepping on the break would also either turn the radio on or off randomly... So, that was always an adventure
meeksworth@reddit
This is almost never an issue. Also, bump starting isn't always successful. I've tried it on manuals before and when it doesn't work you end up jumping it off the same way you would sn automatic.
Suppafly@reddit
They were only ever mildly more efficient at best and that's only if you were on the ball with shifting and that hasn't even been true for the last 30 or so years. Plus, it's not like Americans have ever cared about efficiency. It was originally copium for people who couldn't afford automatics and then just another excuse for car guys that want "more control" to use to justify their purchase of a manual car.
Tvrtko_Kotromanic_1@reddit (OP)
Really big taxes in most of Europe and automatics are considered a luxury so it costs more
PersonalitySmall593@reddit
Interestnmg. What distinction makes automatics a luxury..
DavyDavisJr@reddit
Manuals also got better gas mileage and petrol is much more expensive in Europe due to taxes. I don't know if this is still true since automatics now have lockup features.
PersonalitySmall593@reddit
it isn't. Automatics outperform manuals in gas mileage.
IceManYurt@reddit
I mean, only for the past 20 years or so
danhm@reddit
The were a luxury in the US too...in the 60s
StutzBob@reddit
Back in the last century, if there was a manual version and an automatic version of the same car, the automatic was the higher-end option and cost a bit more. You would normally only find a manual on base-model trims so they could be as cheap as possible (except for luxury sports cars). Automatic transmissions are more complex to produce than a manual.
PersonalitySmall593@reddit
Which is funny that its the opposite in the US. Manual cars are barely being made anymore (1%) and mainly found on luxury or sports cars.
T-Altmeyer@reddit
Where in Europe are automatics taxed more?
macoafi@reddit
Meanwhile, luxury cars are where you'll find manuals in the US. They're for sports cas, so rich people can feel like they're driving a race car, vroom vroom
IceManYurt@reddit
That's frustrating right?
It is interesting what certain regulatory bodies latch on to as a luxury.
Sufficient_Cod1948@reddit
Every time this question comes up, I like to point out that the automatic transmission was invented 80 years ago and has been the default in the US for the last 40 years.
I've had my license for over 20 years, and not knowing how to drive a manual has been an obstacle exactly once in my life.
Both_Painter_9186@reddit
I’ve literally had to drive a manual exactly once in my life and Im 40. It was in a third world war torn country, in a (you guessed it) 20 year old Toyota Hilux. Find em and grind em. Stalled out a dozen times but made it where I needed to go.
IceManYurt@reddit
The CVT was invented almost 130 years ago, which is wild to me.
doyathinkasaurus@reddit
I don’t know a lot about cars, but my understanding is this: in the US, autos look efficient because they spend hours cruising flat highways where the gearbox can lock into the perfect gear and sip fuel. In the UK our roads are short, twisty, and hilly, so the efficiency advantage you get on a US highway didn't necessarily translate to UK roads, when you're constantly slowing, stopping, and accelerating again.
So historically as I've understood it, a manual has traditionally been more suited to roads where you need control rather than cruise - though with modern electric cars, autos are becoming more and more prevalent. Happy to be corrected by someone who's better informed than me, as this might be totally wrong!
NB also the colossal difference in petrol (gas) prices
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq8kn5v37wxo
($0.92 per litre in the US vs $1.79 per litre in the UK - ie UK fuel prices are almost double)
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1266921/automotive-unleaded-premium-prices-by-country/
alexoftheglen@reddit
I think it was a perception that automatics were less reliable and much more expensive to fix than a manual transmission. The UK licence has always required passing on a manual car to get a full licence, taking a test on an automatic requires booking this specially and then being restricted to only automatic cars. I suspect until recently this has reinforced the dominance of manuals.
Now that hybrid and fully EV cars are becoming more common this may create a cycle in the other direction as people opt to not bother with a manual licence.
IceManYurt@reddit
You know, that's a really good point.
I was legit being a smart-ass when I posted originally, but I didn't consider the different terrain would have a significantly different impact on driving styles and fuel efficiency.
I know traditional wisdom was that manual transmissions were more economical in terms of fuel because of weight and you could shift early and all sorts of intelligent driving. But I know with the advent of more computerized control systems and lighter transmissions, It's a different ballgame
doyathinkasaurus@reddit
American car brands have also designed some really successful models specifically for the European market on that basis. Ford in particular have made some insanely popular cars in the UK that were only sold on this side of the Atlantic - incl the Ford Escort, Ford Sierra, Ford Mondeo, Ford Fiesta, Ford Ka and Ford Puma (Ford Focus I think maybe was in N America at one point)?
I absolutely loved my Ford Puma!
beenoc@reddit
Famously, the Ford Prefect was a UK-only vehicle, which made the supporting character in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy not land quite as well as a joke over here.
doyathinkasaurus@reddit
Ha! Ironically we also had a Ford Galaxy too - though it might have been discontinued (I've not owned a car in over 15 years so I'm def not too knowledgeable!)
Other references were very much in jokes - Hotblack Desiato was named after a local real estate company where Adams lived. However when I moved into the area and saw the estate agents signs, I thought they named themselves after the novel, until I learned it was the other way around!
IceManYurt@reddit
I know we've had both the Fiesta and the Focus on this side of the pond. But I think the focus might be more of a traditional sedan as opposed to the Puma which looks like a crossover.
And it would be interesting to look at fuel consumption and emissions ratings (then look at how different agencies test both of those, because I don't know which one's more valid).
For example, the US Smart Car was only rated for 36 miles per gallon as opposed to 65 miles per gallon for the European variant, which is problematic.
I would have happily driven a smart car if I got that high of fuel economy. But apparently, with how the US test emissions, something in the engine had to be changed to make it less efficient... But I don't think it was the correct change.
I remember doing a little bit of a dive into this a while ago and it appeared that US admission standards are based per gallon burned as opposed to per mile travel, which seems backwards
But I'm also not a car engineer nor am I a member of any regulatory boards.
macoafi@reddit
Twisty and hilly sounds like my hometown :shrug: The north part of the city is the North Hills, the south part is the South Hills, the west part is the West Hills, the part where Polish immigrants settled is Polish Hill, the Jewish side of town is Squirrel Hill, and there's a bit called the Hill District.
terryjuicelawson@reddit
I think automatic has long taken over in overall sales, but it is because cheaper small cars that would be the first pick for a teenager are manual so makes sense to learn in one. Then people either prefer it or are just used to it. Something that will die out when electric is the norm as they don't have gears.
SillyAmericanKniggit@reddit
They’re only inefficient if they’re geared poorly. A clutch is still more efficient at transferring power than a torque converter. My six-speed manual VW has a taller overdrive + final drive than its eight-speed automatic counterpart, meaning it actually revs slightly less on the highway.
I’ve tracked fuel economy for 38,000+ miles now and it has averaged 48 mpg over the whole time in spite of only being rated at 42. Its automatic counterpart is rated at 41 on the highway, but I was able to get just below 44 mpg when I had one for a week. 2023 model year, so “modern” enough.
Lidlpalli@reddit
They're significantly safer since you are actually on control of the vehicle
Minimum_Persimmon281@reddit
Automatic transmissions make up the majority if new cars sold in many EU countries.
They used to be more efficient (around 20% better gas mileage) than traditional automatics before automakers started making dct and cvt or automated manuals which didn’t really start to kick in before the mid 2010s for all automakers.
Cheaper to make, thus cheaper to buy. Why pay 2000€ more?
More reliable and less maintenance. Most automatics need fluid changes every 40-80.000 according to schedule for them to last. Manual transmission fluid doesn’t come into contact with the clutches, thus there’s rarely a need for it to be changed. The clutch does eventually need to be changed on a manual, but a good driver can make it last to 200.000 miles or more.
It’s hard to come up with a bad manual transmission with a high failure rate aswell. I can only think of one which is 25 years old at this point (02K DUU from Vw). On the other hand, it seems like every 3rd automatic transmission has some kind of design flaw that makes them fail before 150.000 miles. Cvt’s are especially awful. Manual transmission are just easier on the wallet overall.
Original_Ant7013@reddit
They aren’t necessarily inefficient. They certainly can be when the operator doesn’t drive efficiently. Automatics have more parasitic drag, more horsepower loss through them.
Joeygorgia@reddit
I don’t know how to drive a manual and this has been an issue for me exactly zero times
Much_Box996@reddit
No and We don’t have mandatory driving instructors. It is very easy to get a license in the US.
Ok_Remote_1036@reddit
No. It would be very hard to find someone who currently drives a manual car in the US. They’re out there, but very rare.
I only know one person, and he is 65 years old and owns a car that is 30+ years old.
Nicholas3412@reddit
Manuals are so uncommon in the US that you’d probably have to seek out a manual driving instructor. I don’t know how common they are but I’d say less than 1% of new drivers are learning manual at the same time.
shelwood46@reddit
I am old so I can drive a stick, but I would imagine since most driving schools are private, they can make it a condition on hiring but almost certainly don't. In fact, even when I got my NJ license in 1986, I knew and learned on a manual, but sought out a friend's automatic car to borrow to take the road test on, and I would imagine most license road tests are done on automatics. (I know how to drive a manual truck, too, but I don't think the CDL has ever made that part of the test either.)
random_tall_guy@reddit
They actually do now, as of 2023 if you take the CDL road test with an automatic transmission truck, you get an E restriction that prohibits you from driving a commercial vehicle with a manual transmission.
LiqdPT@reddit
Last I looked it was about 1% of new cars sold are manual in the US. I'd be surprised if 1% of new drivers were learning manual (at least at the time they're learning to drive)
Vivaciousseaturtle@reddit
I also wonder how many of those 1% are not sporty cars or convertibles
Neuvirths_Glove@reddit
I just traded in a Fiat 500. Basic transportation. The one redeeming value it had was a manual transmission which kind of made it fun to drive. Now I'm in an automatic but my brain still wants to slip the clutch and stuff.
LiqdPT@reddit
Right, they're nearly all enthusiast vehicles (Miata, Boxster, etc), not cheap commuters like manuals used to be. I know in Canada, manuals are/were referred to as "standard transmissions" since that's what came standard on most non-luxury vehicles, and the automatic was an about $1000 option.
greeneggiwegs@reddit
My brother drives manual on his normal car because he likes the extra control. It’s always a hassle for him when he looks for a new car because they are so rare, but they do exist. He has a Mazda 3 atm.
Western_Nebula9624@reddit
I drive a manual Hyundai Elantra. I prefer it, but I know there are very few "regular" cars still making manuals and not many people buy them, so either way, when my current car dies, I'm probably out of luck.
ClickClick_Boom@reddit
You gotta shop for the right cars and be willing to travel or ship. Each manual I've owned has been pretty easy to find in manual.
1 Focus ST (these were only sold in Manual)
2 Corvette (about 30%-%40 of the generation I bought were manual)
3 Mustang (Also commonly manual)
LiqdPT@reddit
Yup, they DO exist for some "regular cars" (I forgot my wife has both a Jeep Renegade and a PT Cruiser in manual), but it's a novelty ("wait, they made that in manual?!?!") and if you actually want manual, it takes research and drastically reduces the available models.
Deep-Hovercraft6716@reddit
Also, many of these enthusiast vehicles are off-road vehicles like broncos and Jeeps of various kinds.
LiqdPT@reddit
Annoyingly, the manual transmission frequently means getting the smallest engine and/or the lowest model. My wife was looking at the new Bronco, and I don't think we could get the combo of features she would like, and she likes a pretty basic vehicle (with just a few safety options and a decent engine)
the-quibbler@reddit
This really is the worst timeline.
On_my_last_spoon@reddit
I learned to drive in the 1990s when manual was more common and my driving classes were only automatic. My dad had to teach me manual so I could drive his truck!
I haven’t driven a manual car for 15 years now.
madogvelkor@reddit
Yep, I learned in the 90s and it was only automatic. My sister learned manual because she wanted a VW from the 70s but my dad had to teach her.
DrBlankslate@reddit
I haven't driven manual in at least 20 years, and I wouldn't be able to now because arthritis is too bad in my knees.
Help1Ted@reddit
Exactly! I used an offsite airport parking lot that was valet only. I parked my car, and handed over my keys. I came back and my car was exactly where I left it. Other cars were parked around it and I had to wait until they moved a few of them to get out. In fairness it was a 6 speed, and you had to press down to get it into reverse. I think Volkswagen has a similar reverse on the manual transmission.
Thick_Cookie_7838@reddit
I have worked valet on an off threw out my life in highschool/ college it was mandatory to be able to drive one- to get hired we had to pass a driving test ( if you failed they would teach you) applied for same company 10 years later they did t even ask. Was very common to be on shift with people where I was the only one who could drive one so they had to wait for me
The company asked if I would be willing to teach. Said if yall pay me sure. They said yes but then decided it wasn’t worth it
idkmybffdee@reddit
Some do, my Jetta and my bug were that way, my Passat is a 5 speed so reverse is in the 6 spot.
the_quark@reddit
As an Old Fart, my Mom taught me to drive on our manual 1970 VW Beetle in the 80s. My eldest kid (now 25) about four months ago decided they wanted a little manual sports car, which I strongly endorse.
They found a used Miata for sale, and I went and gave it a test drive for them. They bought it, I drove it home, and then set about teaching them how to drive stick.
Anyway, no point to this, just glad to pass on the old ways. They’re literally off to their first autocross this morning!
Express-Stop7830@reddit
I took my road test almost 30 years ago (omg, OP, I hate you...) on a manual and it was a wild accomplishment.
It is ridiculously difficult to find a manual transmission new car. I know. I still drive one :)
And it's a bitch to find a valet who can drive it when valet parking is required (side eye to Miami).
carpediemracing@reddit
I don't know about driving instructors knowing how to drive manual. It's certainly not a requirement in our state to know how to drive a manual.
Here there are so few manuals that when I worked in auto service (service!) I was one of two or three people out of 18-20 techs and front people that could drive a manual. Because of this I got to (i.e. had to) drive many different kinds of cars.
You'd think that people working on cars would love driving manual etc, but many of the younger ones didn't know how.
ccroy2001@reddit
I started driving in the 1980s so almost everyone I knew could drive manual b/c cheap cars, hand me down cars, were often manual. We didn't need to take our driver's exam in manual. I did have a motorcycle endorsement and you needed to do a shift in parking lot while the examiner watched.
Small cars of the day with Automatics often only had 3 speeds, maybe 4 and were horrible, either lugging or screaming.
I drove only manuals until 2012 when I got a Ford Escape. Now that automatics have 6 to 10 speeds I actually prefer them, but I deal with Los Angeles traffic.
My current car has a cvt and has "shifts" programmed in. It's smooth and actually a little fun to drive, it has a sport mode.
Both_Painter_9186@reddit
No. Manuals are all but dead in the US outside of sports car enthusiasts and some off roaders.
I know Im going to get downvoted for saying this but Manual transmissions are dead. EVs and hybrids don’t use standard transmissions with gears. Companies are also trying to streamline production in any way possible. When designing a new car manufacturers know 95% of customers will want an automatic so theirs no reason for them to bother with the added expense of developing and building separate manual transmissions. This is starting to creep into Europe and Asia now too. I’d say by 2035 their all but gone in the US, maybe another decade in the rest of the world.
Sleepygirl57@reddit
I learned on a Manual in 1984. Haven’t driven one since except a couple here and there that didn’t belong to me. I enjoy a manual but I’ll never buy one.
drivernopassenger@reddit
Less than 3% of new car sales last year were manual transmission. Among the general American populace, stick shift is becoming a lost art. So no, it’s not given that an instructor will know how to drive stick, nor is it necessarily expected.
maceilean@reddit
Doubt it. Manuals are pretty niche now. My driving class in the 90s was in an automatic and I only learned to drive stick because I got my mom's '87 Toyota Tercel and she taught me. My younger siblings can't drive stick.
shelwood46@reddit
Even in the 80s, they recommended you use an automatic for the road test.
GreenBeanTM@reddit
I can see why, when my ex was talking about when she got her license in like 2017 she said that if you drove a manual and stalled once it was an automatic fail. No thank you.
KellyAnn3106@reddit
I learned to drive in the 90s as well and learned on an automatic. I got stranded at parties a couple of times in high school because the person I came with was drunk and I didn't know how to drive their manual car to get us home. When my hand-me-down teen car was given to my younger sibling and I was buying my first econobox car, I insisted on a manual. I still have a manual Miata in the garage. It's been demoted from daily driver but I just love driving that type of car so I keep it around as the fun car.
Low_Attention9891@reddit
I was never taught how to use a manual transmission vehicle. The only way to even get a vehicle with a manual transmission is to buy some niche sports car or a very old car.
Midori8751@reddit
Not all of the us requires driving instructors for you to learn how to drive, or offers it as a class in school.
My parents taught me, and the DMV only cared that I passed the tests.
RevolutionaryRow1208@reddit
In the US, manual shift vehicles are not common and you mostly see them in sports cars and auto enthusiast type of vehicles. I haven't seen a normal car with a manual transmission in a very long time. The last manual I drove was a 2007 Honda Civic, and I had to special order it that way
BW271@reddit
Most of the people I know have no idea how to drive a manual. I only learned how when I went to truck driving school.
MemeManThomas@reddit
I’ve been wanting to try a manual car ever since I finished truck school just so I can understand the difference, but I don’t know anyone with a manual car. Can’t even rent a car yet since I’m still 23
uwagapies@reddit
no one but enthusiasts drive manual here, and even thats decreasing
Impressive-Safety191@reddit
I think automatics should be the default… primarily because I’m in a town where auto theft is a sport, and my car is safe from the idiot teenagers who can’t drive it.
Parking_Champion_740@reddit
I doubt it’s required. Stick shift cars are quite rare now
RobotShlomo@reddit
Not really. Manual transmission aren't that common anymore. Less than about 10% of the cars sold in the US are manuals.
xXxjayceexXx@reddit
I got a little booklet with the laws of the road and then "learned on the job" with my learner's permit and my parents. No paid instructor. The test is performed in the car you came in so if you came in a manual you better know how to use it.
spitfire451@reddit
A few years ago I called around to instructors because I wanted to learn how to drive a manual for fun. None of them in my area even knew how to themselves.
No_Difference8518@reddit
I was warned by my drivers ed instructor not to use a manual for the drivers test. They will trick you into failing. This is in Canada.
IanDOsmond@reddit
I can't even find someone to teach me manual. I have been looking. None of the driving schools have instructors who know, or manual vehicles to learn on.
pppalexjack@reddit
Have you asked in your locals city's subreddit? Just offer some money for some one to teach you
meeksworth@reddit
Are you based in the USA? I'm surprised that you can't find driving instructor. In my area most driving instructors are older men, most of whome learned to drive on manuals. So they know how even if they don't teach that most of the time. Keeping the clutch and transmission of a manual in good shape at alright school sounds expensive though. Some truck driving schools still teach manual as well because the fleet still has many manual vehicles.
pppalexjack@reddit
No, we don't differentiate between manuals and autos or stick shifts, in the test or licencing
Complex_Solutions_20@reddit
The "normal" driving schools would never use a manual transmission car. They have a higher learning curve, easier to break (clutch, gear synchros), and don't really add anything to benefit the purpose of training how to drive.
There are some niche ones like off-road training where they'd cover how to drive a manual in a Jeep or something but not for your typical driving school.
Deep-Hovercraft6716@reddit
We don't drive manual cars in the United States. That's just not a thing people do regularly. You have to specifically look for a manual car and that's really only something enthusiasts do.
Antioch666@reddit
No, not legally. And if you are after a manual car, you will probably learn by doing yourself or by someone you know that can show you rather than try to find an official manual instructor.
The few newer manual cars in existence in the US are almost exclusively enthusiast cars like sport cars or off-roaders.
The irony is that while the average American joe wants autos in their cars, our truckers tend to prefer manuals more than autos compared to European truckers.
Salty_Permit4437@reddit
Definitely not. In every US state you can test on an automatic then you're able to drive pretty much any vehicle up to about 26000lbs GVWR for non commercial purposes.
OJK_postaukset@reddit
Honestly if my driving instructor didn’t know manual I wouldn’t trust him lol. Especially the basics are so damn easy
rikityrokityree@reddit
My new car has a manual option. Haven’t tried it
abstractraj@reddit
It’s actually somewhat difficult to find manuals in the US now
firemanmhc@reddit
When I learned to drive in ‘92, manuals were still pretty common. A lot of cars offered both manual and automatic options, with manual usually being a little cheaper because the transmission was much simpler. My dad had a Camry that was manual, so I learned to drive it. But most of my contemporaries never learned manual back then either.
Nowadays, you just don’t see manuals unless it’s a high end sports car. And don’t those mostly have paddle shifters on the steering wheel now? Do they even have a clutch anymore? Clearly I cannot afford such a car so I don’t have firsthand knowledge lol.
75r6q3@reddit
I decided to take some driving lessons in Massachusetts when I prepared for my US licence (previously licensed in my home country already but I still needed to take the full driving exam), and coming from a country where manual and auto licences were issued separately, I learned to drive in a manual. Yet my driving instructor saw me shifting to neutral in the automatic Camry at every stop light and asked if I mostly drove a manual, I said yeah, and she said she didn’t know how to drive one. I guess my story answers your question perfectly lol
Vegetable-Star-5833@reddit
My dad bought a manual car because my sister can’t drive them and he didn’t want her driving his car
Overall_Chemist1893@reddit
No, not any more. When I was growing up in the 50s and 60s, manual cars were much more common-- mostly for sports cars, and some taxis and buses used manual too. But by the late 60s, automatic transmissions were the most common, and when I took driving lessons, I learned on an automatic. But when I first took lessons, they still wanted us to at least be familiar with the manual transmission cars. Today, other than for race car drivers, I seldom see or hear anything about manual cars.
macoafi@reddit
I called over a dozen driving schools in my area, and not a single one was able to provide instruction for driving with a manual transmission.
MasterOfPuppetsMetal@reddit
My driving instructor was my dad (😱) and he knows how to drive manual. My dad taught me to drive shortly before I turned 18. however, we didn't have a functional M/T car at the time so I only learned in automatic.
As I'm sure the comments here will tell you, it is increasingly difficult to find any M/T vehicle in the USA. Hardly anyone drives them anymore.
There is no distinction in your driver's license between manual and automatic. Again, hardly anyone drives manual so it wouldn't make sense to test for something that very few people will ever drive.
I learned to drive M/T on my dad's 1971 Datsun truck. I then practice on my younger brother's 1990 Mazda Miata and then his 2015 Mazda3. Last year, I bought myself a M/T WRX.
As much as it pains some people to hear it, manual transmissions are going the way of the dodo bird at least in the USA. Very few manufacturers still offer M/T, and for the trims and models they still offer, they make so few of them that it is very difficult to find them.
Syndromia@reddit
No, manuals are really uncommon here. Mom wanted my sister and me to know how to drive one in case we ever got stuck with one as a rental, so, she called every rental car place she could find. Not one had a manual to rent on purpose, let alone on accident.
Trick_Photograph9758@reddit
I wanted to learn how to drive a manual, but I don't own a manual car, and I could not find any instruction place that could provide this service for me.
PsychologicalBat1425@reddit
Most cars in the US are automaritic. I can drive manual because back when I started driving manual was much cheaper to buy used. I drove manual until i was nearly 40. My own kids don't know how to drive manual. You can take lessons from an instructor to learn manual, but if you don't have access to a manual transmission there isn't much point to taking a lesson.
_Smedette_@reddit
Manual transmissions make up 1% of production in the US. I don’t know of any states that require a seperate manual exam. It’s just not necessary.
Of note, it’s about 5% in Australia, and Canada has similar numbers as the US.
Disc0rdium@reddit
About a decade ago I leased a Honda and had to specifically request a manual. 3 years later, my lease ended. I got a new car, requested another manual, and they did not have them available anymore.
seancookie101@reddit
Manual driving lessons are a niche thing in the US. It will cost around 3-4x more per lesson than a regular automatic driving lesson.
I still haven’t driven a manual car yet even though I really want to because it’s hard to find a manual car to learn on for a reasonable price. My plan is to buy a manual shitbox in the future after my current car dies and learn on it and maybe sell it after a year or two.
kenmohler@reddit
I learned to drive in automatic cars in the 60s. I don’t remember my parents ever having a manual transmission car. I learned to drive manuals in the Army and I have owned three manual transmission cars. One in Germany, one in England, and one in the U.S. The one in the U.S. was sporty.
Academic_Profile5930@reddit
Manuals are not that common any more. Even in the 1960s our school drivers' ed car was an automatic. I did learn to drive a manual. My dad insisted that we all learn because "any idiot can drive an automatic." He was going to teach me, but after I shifted his brand new truck with a shift on the steering column into reverse instead of 2nd, the lesson ended. He had me stop the truck, got out and walked around to the driver's side and told me to scoot over. He didn't speak all the way home until we got into our house where he handed my mom the keys and said, "You teach her." As far as having to know how to drive a manual to pass a driver's license test, it's not an issue. You provide your own car and the examiner is just interested in seeing that you know and follow traffic laws, look both ways, check your rear view mirrors, etc.
MrbaconWrapped@reddit
Google says no
SabresBills69@reddit
I learned to drive on manual.
Its much much more common to drive sutomstic.
Into-Imagination@reddit
Not in any state I’m aware of. I caveat this with the fact that there is 50 states and they all have their own laws on licensing, so it’s possible there’s one I haven’t heard of out there (but I doubt it.)
Manual is a very small % of cars in the US (unlike Europe) - in the US manual is mostly a thing in higher end sports cars, and with enthusiasts who love it.
I adore driving a manual transmission but even I’ve thrown in the towel and embraced automatic, as it’s actually more expensive for a car in manual (given the rarity, has to be custom ordered often.)
Constellation-88@reddit
You do not need to know manual to get a drivers license here. You have to go out of your way to find a manual car. Everything is automatic.
BoS_Vlad@reddit
I (73) learned to drive using a manual car and I took my driver’s license test in one and I still drive one so it’s never been an issue for me.
DrBlankslate@reddit
Manual cars are really uncommon. Only enthusiasts learn how to drive them anymore. So no, it's not mandatory to know how to drive a manual-transmission car here. Nobody drives them.
Nancy6651@reddit
I took driver's ED back in 1972, and all the cars we used were automatics. I later learned manual because 1) my dad loved manual, and 2) when I bought my first new car, I couldn't afford ANY options (auto transmission, radio, AC). I like driving manual, and still have a 5-speed fun car.
blipsman@reddit
Very few Americans know how to drive manual. We don’t learn it in drivers ed. It’s maybe something one might take after getting their license or learn from a family member who has a stick vehicle.
Original_Ant7013@reddit
They were the standard, pun intended, up until autos started becoming increasingly popular in the 50’s and 60’s. Then when Japanese brands began increasing in popularity they were again common in the 70’s, 80’s, and into the 90’s
They were an option on some models of cars but considered a downgrade up until the last few decades.
Today they are mostly only available in sports cars and heavy duty trucks where they are most appreciated. Otherwise Americans want their hands free to unfortunately multitask while driving.
HegemonNYC@reddit
As others have answered the question, I’ll turn it back around and ask you - why do you lean on manual? Manual was the minority of cars in the US 40 years ago. They are slower, less fuel efficient, harder to learn and harder to control. Literally the only positive thing about them is they are fun in specific cars and scenarios (I drove a manual for 20 years just for these moments), or maybe for certain heavy work trucks. Why do they remain so common decades after being obsolete?
bryku@reddit
In the USA there isn't a legal/license difference between Manual and Automatic. However, automatic is the most common and most instructions/tests are done using an automatic.
That being said, there are different "Classes" of licenses.
There are a bunch more and it can depend on the state.
Dilapidated_girrafe@reddit
Varies from country to country. In the US probably not. I’ve had valets not know how to drive a manual and the other day my tow truck driver didn’t know how to drive it and asked me to drive it up onto the bed of the truck.
Dazzling-Low8570@reddit
You mean my parents?
Quicherbichen1@reddit
No, it's not a requirement. As a matter of fact, there was a post on my city's sub/r just last week that was asking for someone who could teach them how to drive a stick. I taught my son back in the '90s because I had a car that was a stick. Most cars here these days are automatics.
SnowblindAlbino@reddit
Only 1-in-100 new cars sold in the USA have manual transmissions now. It's been <10% for 40 years almost, so most people under \~50 don't even know how to drive a manual. I have actually had to drive my own car onto the lift at a tire shop because none of the employees could drive a manual.
Suffice it to say that driving instructors likely cannot drive a manual either. Most of the ones I've seen/met are barely qualified to teach at all.
Weekly_March@reddit
It was such a pain to find a car let alone an instructor that would drive manual. I ended up learning on a tractor. Manual is very uncommon..
glendon24@reddit
I learned to drive in a manual but that was the 80's.
TheRealDudeMitch@reddit
I was born in 1990 and by the time I was learning to drive my dad didn’t own a manual anymore so I never learned how.
TheKiddIncident@reddit
No. Almost nobody in the USA uses a manual. When you learn, it's always on an automatic.
If you want to learn a manual, you normally do so after you get your license. My friend's mom lent me her Datsun 510 four speed to learn on.
Tron_35@reddit
They are uncommon here.
Merad@reddit
When I learned to drive in the 90s drivers education provided the car and it was an automatic. Anyone who wanted to learn manual would be learning from family.
TeamTurnus@reddit
Idk i just learned to drive with my dad. Not every state even requires a driving ed class/an instructor as long as you pass the written/practical tests.
That said manual cars are pretty uncommon in the US so its jot nessecary to learn and its not tested.
IPreferDiamonds@reddit
I'm 57 and learned to drive in the 1980s. We were not taught to drive a manual transmission. We were taught to drive an automatic transmission.
My father taught me how to drive a manual.
q0vneob@reddit
I learned to drive around the 00s and we did have a manual as part of the school-run driver training course. I was terrible at it, and the instructor was bad at explaining anything to me. Fortunately that part had no real impact on passing.
Madrona88@reddit
About the same age. Drivers Ed in High School. Our cars were old Crown Vics that were hand offs from the city. We just happened to have a Ford plant in town.
My parents never had a manual in my lifetime. I learned from friends ( badly) and from hubby (clutch saver)
IPreferDiamonds@reddit
My older brother had a manual. That is the car my Dad taught me on.
Your memory is better than mine. I can't remember the cars we were taught on in Driver's Ed. I do remember my Driver's Ed teacher was one of the coaches in high school though.
Madrona88@reddit
Mine was a history and track coach. My driving instructor was my first period biology teacher with a strange resemblance to Harrison Ford. Drivers Ed was 0 period. I even remember who I took the driving class with.
RachelRTR@reddit
Drivers ed was such a fun class. It felt like skipping school going on errands with the teacher. He let us get slushes at sonic usually too.
atheologist@reddit
I’m in my early 40s, but same. My parents always had one manual and one automatic; the automatic died when I was in my late teens and they replaced it with a second manual, so I had to learn to drive it pretty quickly if I wanted to be able to drive anywhere.
ATLien_3000@reddit
No one in the US drives manual (manual transmissions account for around 1% of new car sales in the US).
There is no such thing as a license that disallows manual driving.
That said, one of the best anti theft devices you can get on a car in the US is a manual transmission, because they're so rare - you may end up with a broken window, but the thief won't be able to drive your car away.
loweexclamationpoint@reddit
Many American drivers ed cars have a passenger side brake pedal so the instructor can stop in case of an emergency. Not sure how that would work with a clutch.
Nice_Point_9822@reddit
Mmy dad was my driving instuctor (35 yars ago) and told me "It's no use learning to drive if you can't drive every car" And I taught my daughter
tlonreddit@reddit
Nope. In our family you learn how to drive a stick on the farm with an old Jeep.
Sonoma_Cyclist@reddit
I actually rented a car in Mostar and the very nice rental car company owner was very hesitant to rent me a manual because I’m an American. lol. She said she’d had Americans ruin clutches. I assured her that I was old enough to have learned and owned manual transmission cars. 😂
royalhawk345@reddit
Nope. They also don't need to know how telegraphs work. Even my parents never owned a manual car and they're both in their 60s.
OceanPoet87@reddit
I only know automatic.
Used manual cars are cheap because many people like me can't drive them. People also joke that manual cars are insurance against theft because the thieves don't drive stick shift.
I'm also a fan of the show Amazing Race and whenever they go to Europe, they try to do a self drive with stick shift and its fun to watch people struggle with it.
Eric848448@reddit
No. They’re extremely rare. I’ve never driven one and I’ve had a license since 1998.
neomoritate@reddit
No. Any person in the US can be a Driving Instructor, there is no official status, and there are no legal requirements.
Most Americans don't go to driving school. Either you take Drivers' Ed(ucation) in High School, or you get an Instruction Permit, practice driving with friends, and go take the test. It is easier to get a Driver's License in the US than anywhere else in the world.
heatrealist@reddit
Even when I learned how to drive 30+ years ago, manual was small minority of cars here. I took drivers education in highschool and the cars were automatic.
My first car in college was a manual. The person that taught me was the sales man on the test drive. He said do this. Do that. You are set. Sold!
I stalled my car maybe twice on the way home from the dealer lol.
Minute-Of-Angle@reddit
Manuals are now so rare in the US that nobody learns how to drive them in driver’s ed.
Spiritual_Lemonade@reddit
No
We don't really have cars with a manual transmission anymore.
Yeegis@reddit
No. There simply aren’t enough manual cars in the US. I do wish there was just a simple chapter in driver’s ed courses on manual operation, even if it’s not a behind the wheel requirement.
These days, automatic transmissions are actually just as light and fuel efficient as manuals. It’s not like 30 years ago where the second you install a torque converter, the car suddenly goes through twice as much fuel and gets put into a different tax bracket.
pinniped90@reddit
Not in Kansas.
Everybody learns on automatic and gets their license that way.
That some people go learn a stick on their own.
I still have an '06 Honda manual that we kept around just to teach our kids how to drive it. Although they'll never have to buy one unless they really want to, I've run into too many places where it's the only thing to rent - so knowing how to drive one is an asset.
Apocalyptic0n3@reddit
I don't think so, but this would be something regulated at the state level so it's possible it's required in one/some of the 50 states.
Definitely worth noting that we basically do not use manual here at all. In most cases, you have to special order a manual from a manufacturer (or buy used). I've only driven a manual once - a Geo Tracker 20 years ago. The vast majority of people do not know how to drive them. We also do not have separate licenses for them.
GoCardinal07@reddit
I learned to drive almost 25 years ago, and the car the driving school provided was an automatic even back then (I'm referring to the special car that allows the driving instructor to intervene using pedals from the passenger seat). In regular cars, I'm not sure I've ever been a passenger in a manual transmission car, and I definitely have never driven a manual transmission car.
nasadowsk@reddit
I learned manual when I learned to drive. Was actually told by the driving instructor to not take the road test on a manual. Took it on a manual, passed.
My 2020 RAM 1500 is the first new car I ever bought with an automatic. I fucking hate the transmission in this thing. It's got 8 speeds and can't make up its mind.
Only automatic that I drove that was worse like that was my dad's Honda Odyssey. That thing shifted gears like it was on the kill screen for Pac-Man. I think there was a TSB to address what Honda calked "shift busyness"
LifeApprehensive2818@reddit
As a total derp of a driver, I'm curious: what's the downside to shifting gears frequently?
WFOMO@reddit
Transmissions with 8 speeds are designed to stay within the optimum operating RPMs of the engine. In typical city driving I would expect them to shift constantly.
Ad-hocProcrastinator@reddit
Manual transmissions have become the more costly option in the last 10-15 years or so due to low demand, higher R&D costs, emissions ~~restrictions~~ regulations and the attempted ~~forcing~~ shift to electric vehicles.
As far as American auto makers go, Caddy offers the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing, Ford offers the Bronco and Mustang GT, and Jeep offers the Wrangler with manual options on new vehicles.
Antitenant@reddit
Since we don't have separate licenses for manual transmissions, most driving schools are probably only going to use automatics for instruction. My driving school didn't even have a choice, I learned with their automatic car then learned manual driving my parent's car.
Ok_Sentence_5767@reddit
Its very rare to find manual cars, no reasonable person in the states is expected to even know how to drive stick.
lemonprincess23@reddit
I never learned now to drive manual, hell I never even needed to know how to parallel park. Neither are needed really where I am.
NoKing9900@reddit
I got my license in the early 80s, driving an automatic. And I learned to drive using an automatic (family car and school drivers ed car). Standard transmissions were still common back then, and I learned to drive since some of the first cars I owned were standards.
But there was no requirement to learn to drive a standard to get your license (in NJ at least)
atlasisgold@reddit
I learned from my mom and never took a drivers ed course. It wasn’t required at the time. Vast majority of Americans do not know how to drive a manual
machagogo@reddit
No. There is no difference in lice sing for .manuals and automatics. There's just not that big a difference. Source. Drive manuals and automatics for 30+ years.
dwyoder@reddit
Can't answer your question, but just wanted to say that a recent Croatian vacation, where I rented a stick, reminded me how much fun driving stick is. I don't understand why they have lost popularity. Shifting up and down around those coastal twists and turns was lots of fun.
Tvrtko_Kotromanic_1@reddit (OP)
Probably traffic? Manual in traffic is not fun, especially uphill
dwyoder@reddit
I loved it all. Traffic, open road, up hills. And, I only forgot that I was driving stick twice. 🤣
AdLiving1435@reddit
In the US, manuals are considered an anti-theft system.
therealdrewder@reddit
American drivers licenses make no distinction between manual and automatic cars. Although you may be able to hire an instructor to teach you manual, it isn't a normal thing taught to drivers.
river-running@reddit
Not when I learned 20 years ago.
ZaphodG@reddit
Less than 2% of new cars sold in the US have a manual transmission. Fleet fuel economy requirements, temporarily suspended under Trump but surely to return in 2028, push manufacturers to CVT. The estimate is that in 5 years, more than half of new cars will be CVT.
I drove manual transmission cars from 1974 until 2007. I learned to drive in a 1957 Willy’s Jeep utility wagon that didn’t have synchromesh. You had to put the car in reverse and back up a few inches to disengage 4WD. To engage 4WD, you had to get out and turn the Warn hubs on the front wheels.
I’ve had CVT since 2015. I had a VW GTI with the DSG automated manual transmission and an SUV with a conventional automatic transmission before that.
I really don’t care. If I want engaging, i ski moguls, go sailing, or zip around on my powerboat. My car is an appliance. I just want to turn the key and go for 100,000 miles. In 7 years, my next car will probably be electric and I expect it will be self driving. I’ll be able to surf my phone legally.
Retiredpotato294@reddit
50 states, 50 sets of rules. And there are probably no rules for what a driving instructor needs to know.
GoodbyeForeverDavid@reddit
Driving tests are administered by state DMVs - so it's not national. I doubt anyone requires manual training though. I got my license about 30 years ago when manuals were much more prevalent and it wasn't part of the test. I learned and was tested in an automatic. I learned manual later after we got an old manual truck. Since then manuals have become offered less and less by manufacturers. It used to be they were the bargain version base model of a car. Now all of them are automatic too.
ShipComprehensive543@reddit
Its probably not required for driver ed instructors to know manual but I am sure many do. Mine did as I learned on a manual.
bucketnebula@reddit
When I took my driver's ed class and road test it was in an automatic car. I later learned to drive manual due to necessity, but knowing manual is rarely needed in America. Something like only 11-15 percent of the population know how to drive stick.
It's likely that most instructors know manual. I don't think it would be a requirement to know it, though it would be easier to get an instructing job with that knowledge.
Vivaciousseaturtle@reddit
In America there is no separate license to drive manual. For cars there is only one license which allows manual or automatic without separate testing. In most or all driving schools these days they’ll drive automatic cars and learn that way.