Can you drive stick? (Inspired by that other post)

You might have to. In 2019 I needed a new car, but wanted to keep it manual. I had to really search, and had to sacrifice a lot of bells and whistles to make that work. I'd bet it's only gotten worse.

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Sharessa84@reddit

I don't have a car right now but my last two were stick. Been driving stick since 2007 or so. Had to learn in a one hour crash course when my friend gave me her old car.

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96385@reddit

I still would, but my wife can't and refuses to learn. Then she complained that she couldn't drive my car.

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87th_best_dad@reddit

Sorry babe, thank goodness for that bus pass while your car is in the shop

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Hippadoppaloppa@reddit

I've never driven a automatic, on account of living in the UK, where manual cars are the default.

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weightyinspiration@reddit

Me too. They dont advertise, but new cars usually come with the manual option. You just got to special order them cause they arent on the lot.

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Kalel42@reddit

Very few models even have the option anymore.

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SomeRando8386@reddit

This isn't really accurate. Manuals sell 1:100 to automatics and there are less than 30 models across all manufacturers available in the US with manual options. While what you describe was accurate in the 80s and early 90s, there are very few options in 2026.

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Jdevers77@reddit

Not only this, but the cars available as with a manual aren’t exactly the ones you would think either. Yeah, Ford still sells manual Mustangs but Chevy doesn’t sell manual Cameros in the current model. Dodge doesn’t sell manual Charger either they do sell manual Challengers. After that it gets weird with a mix of sporty cars, compacts, and trucks and several manufacturers have said that when the next major redesign of their cars are released they will be automatic only.

I love driving manual, but the truth is modern automatics can be very very good.

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fermentedradical@reddit

Yup. The few that still exist are mostly expensive sports cars and a few hot hatchbacks.

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Zyste@reddit

My current car is a 2019 Subaru CrossTrek manual transmission bought new in late 2019. And man was it hard to get a hold of. Had to contact every Subaru dealer in my area of the state to find one. And now, the new CrossTreks don’t even come in standard anymore.

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-SandorClegane-@reddit

I live in the 3rd most populous state in the nation and I had to order my '22 WRX from Arkansas.

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-SandorClegane-@reddit

Fellow Subaru driver identified

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The_Abjectator@reddit

I finally sold my manual car in 2021, before my 2nd kid was born. But I had bought it in 2013 and they had to bring it in from another dealership.

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Jupitersd2017@reddit

I just sold my last manual a few months ago and already miss it!

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goofytigre@reddit

Ah, you're probably still in the 'occasionally stomping on the break trying to shift' stage of the ex-manual transmission driving progression. Passengers LOVE this stage.

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Individual-Schemes@reddit

gif

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projectkennedymonkey@reddit

In my country a car manufacturer said they didn't import manual versions of their cars because they just didn't sell and that you can only really get manual versions in China or something. It was probably just this specific model but still.

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winobambino@reddit

Still driving stick daily!

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SwitchbackHiker@reddit

2010 manual Forester here

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winobambino@reddit

That sounds nice- 2010 is a new car in comparison 😆

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CasualEveryday@reddit

91 Loyale was my first car and I miss the hell out of that thing.

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winobambino@reddit

I love those cars!!! I'm amazed at how well mine is still running. I will drive this car until the wheels fall off.

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weightyinspiration@reddit

Me too. My cars a 2013, stick options exist!

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Automaticman01@reddit

I had to special order my 2012 mustang to get a stick.

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xrelaht@reddit

That’s insane for a car like a Mustang.

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Automaticman01@reddit

I know, I thought of all cars, there would be plenty of sticks around, but they were still automatic. Maybe if I had been looking for the GT they would have been easier to find.

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FelisCorvid615@reddit

2017 manual checking in. Subaru still makes a lot of them!

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TheBr0fessor@reddit

I don’t know if I’d consider one model a lot, but as a WRX owner I’m glad they do

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RevolutionaryEcho460@reddit

2 if you include the BRZ

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Exciting-Argument-67@reddit

I don't think that's still true. Around 2020 is when it became much harder to find a stick shift. And they're all more expensive.

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FelisCorvid615@reddit

Boo, only their motorsport models have manual anymore....that really sucks.

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Bourbon-No-Ice@reddit

I have a Dodge Magnum. I love my wagon a good friend of mine has a Subaru wagon, stick. It's find to drive.

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Rustymarble@reddit

'91 Legacy was my first car! It was automatic, though.

I took over my mom's daily driver when I turned 16 and she got a new Miata (manual) for herself. Joke was on her, my senior year, she broke her ankle, so I drove the Miata the whole year.

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BeenisHat@reddit

Still do. Motorcycles as well.

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mr_weathervane@reddit

Yes, is still common in the UK

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cacecil1@reddit

I'm 1976 but still voted yes

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Eazy12345678@reddit

still do 42. but honestly i should have just got an auto for ease of everyone in the house being able to drive it easy with less stress

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Spartan04@reddit

Nope. Never learned since the driver’s ed car I learned in was automatic and so was our family car at the time (a minivan). The cars we had before the minivan were stick but those were long gone when I learned to drive. Never felt like I needed to learn and I wasn’t interested in buying a manual car anyway since most of the driving I did back then (and still now) involves traffic. I’m fine letting the computer handle it vs having to constantly work a clutch.

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rialucia@reddit

Same. My mom drove a stick when I was learning to drive, but I was living with my dad and stepmom by then and they both had automatic transmission cars. Mom was also still in the military then and stationed in Germany, where you had to be 18 to legally drive. So even if I did want to learn how to drive stick on her car (which I super didn’t), I technically wouldn’t have been allowed to.

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elphaba00@reddit

Same. The driver's ed car was a Dodge Caravan. My dad also drove a minivan, and my mom had a Chrysler. I remember my dad bought my mom a manual in the early 80s, and she took it back so quickly.

My dad said he learned to drive a manual growing up, but he said he only got better at it when he joined the Army. He said that didn't mean he liked it.

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Alien_Nicole@reddit

I've only ever even been inside maybe 5 or 6 manual transmission vehicles and I definitely never drove one. In my life they've been so rare, it seemed a pointless thing to learn.

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AstuteStoat@reddit

Barely, I had someone teach me when I was in my 30s so that if I got stuck somewhere where there was only manual transmission, I could figure out how to drive. but I never got good at it.

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Triple516@reddit

83 and my daily driver is a 6 speed.

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DontYuckMyYum@reddit

In video games, yes. In real life, no.

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cranialvoid@reddit

Currently own a stick shift fun car.

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-mudflaps-@reddit

We call it manual

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Sirtriplenipple@reddit

Can I? Yes. Do I like to? Hell no.

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Sudden_Discussion306@reddit

Same!

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Imawildedible@reddit

Agreed. I’ve owned a couple and don’t understand the people that act like driving a manual transmission is some flex. We’re not race car drivers and the majority aren’t hauling huge loads. Automatics are insanely more convenient.

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MiniRems@reddit

Exactly. I'm in Pittsburgh. It's literally uphill both ways everywhere I go, and odds are there's a light or a stop sign at the top, and in the middle, of all the hills.

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toasterb@reddit

I learned stick in 2000, and got pretty good driving around Boston. However, the 10,000 miles I put on working in Pittsburgh for four months in 2004 really made me an expert.

Haven’t had a stick car since 2013 though sadly. I taught my wife — and she was pretty good — but when we had to get a new car, she didn’t want it.

I still miss it.

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TheVonSolo@reddit

This. I just bought a used car and found a Jetta at a steal of a price but it was manual. Took it for a test drive but figured: am I going to want to drive this now that I will be going to work downtown in stop & go traffic?

I can do it because my dad made be learn as soon as I got my license. But i kind of hate doing it (short of it looking cool).

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dumbass_sempervirens@reddit

I like to when I'm outside the city. But in Atlanta traffic? Screw that.

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juniper3411@reddit

Right? Stick is awesome…in the sticks. (Little dad joke/pun couldn’t help myself). Driving in Chicago? Shoot me now.

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yodellingllama_@reddit

I'll see your Chicago and raise you Seattle (or San Francisco, or any other city with heavy traffic and hills).

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CasualEveryday@reddit

I've noticed that people around you drive in a way that makes it even less enjoyable. The whole stopping 5 car lengths back creeping forward at 0.5 mph at stop lights. Getting right on your butt when stopping on a hill. Constantly slowing down and speeding up.

I swear it would be half as annoying to drive a stick in traffic if people would just drive like they have a clue what they were doing.

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KnowNothing_JonSnoo@reddit

I just keep my distance anyway and put stickers on my rear window saying I drive stick and that I have dashcams.

Most people leave me space, some act like idiots but honestly since I started doing that, traffic hasn't been so bad.

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LoetherS@reddit

The last stick I had, had an awesome feature for hill starts. It would auto break on a hill just for a couple seconds, but you could get it going and it would click off. If you pushed in the clutch and waited a few seconds it would start to roll back.

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CasualEveryday@reddit

I've never had a manual will hill start. I just used the handbrake if it was steep enough to need it.

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bgva@reddit

I've mentioned on this sub before that my goal in life is to own a mid-80s JDM sports car/hot hatch, manual. But it's gonna be for stuff like Cars and Coffee, because I do too much daily driving to wanna shift gears.

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rollem@reddit

I love manual on a clear 2 lane highway, which is like 5% of my driving. Everywhere else it's either the exact same or far, far worse than automatic.

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ommnian@reddit

Yup. I learned on stick. But, I never liked it.

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KrayzieBone187@reddit

This is a great answer hahaha

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BasicReputations@reddit

Yup. Drove one for a couple of years. Pain in the ass.

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Sudden_Discussion306@reddit

My dad made me learn how to drive with a stick shift (before learning on an automatic). It was a traumatic experience and I’ve rarely driven one since. I “technically” know how but would probably have a panic attack if I had to do it again.

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lastraven85@reddit

Know yes, am legally allowed to ...no. failed my first test prices went up couldn't afford the second and by the time I could too much time had passed

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One-Earth9294@reddit

Sure but it's been a while. Think I sold my last stick shift car in like 2002. My little Nissan Pulsar. Can't see myself getting another unless I strike it rich and splurging on classic cars is a thing. And I mean significantly rich because the first classic car I'm getting is an 86 Buick Grand National and those are automatic lol. So it'll have to be something down the priority list from that.

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87th_best_dad@reddit

All I ever wanted was a black grand national, fuck being rational.

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spaceporter@reddit

That’s not that long. I haven’t since 2002. If I had to go rent a manual in Europe, I probably could get back in the grove after an hour of embarrassing stalls and doing the beginner tricks, but I answered “no” here.

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bascule@reddit

I’d like to believe muscle memory would kick in

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bgva@reddit

I said elsewhere in the thread that I only seem to drive stick once every few years, and it's really just to remind myself. I wanna think it's like riding a bike and yet I still find myself watching Youtube videos to remember the basics. One of these days I'll splurge and buy a manual beater just for kicks.

To me the hardest part is getting back in an automatic and stopping my left foot from looking for a clutch.

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theUmo@reddit

Quick test: when driving an automatic or CVT, and you see traffic conditions changing up ahead, does your right hand still automatically go to the shift lever in preparation?

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StaceyPfan@reddit

It does. I had to drive my grandpa's old farm truck a few weeks ago and I hadn't driven a stick in 10 years. Did just fine.

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xrelaht@reddit

I have always driven stick, but had to drive auto rentals last year while fighting with insurance. When I finally test drove my new vehicle, I was embarrassed how many times I stalled. That was only a 10 month break. 20+ years, you’d probably have some serious difficulties.

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mander00@reddit

I had to rent a car in Scotland last year and the majority are standard drive. You pay extra for.an automatic. I thought about it for about 30 seconds but my first time driving on the opposite side of the road, in mountainous areas with narrow roads... I paid the extra fee for auto.

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aliie_627@reddit

I thought this was the poll sub and was so confused why OP is only addressing the elderly lol. I know stick/manual in the US is rare but like it's still common out side of the US plus I just say a 2005 civic hybrid for sale in my neighborhood that is a stick for 1500. I've been thinking about it.

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Main_Paramedic_292@reddit

Yes. I don't trust anyone who can't.

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KrAEGNET@reddit

I think I could, but horribly. I have only driven stick one time only and I was getting a lesson while drunk in parking lot driving large circles (after hours, no other cars but our friends) never reaching 2nd or 3rd gear. I know enough about shifting to think i could pick up where I left off, but really find it impractical for stop n go daily driving on the grid.

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Mysterious-House7815@reddit

Like a broomstick?

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bethivy103@reddit

My current car is standard

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concreteghost@reddit

Traveled a long distance to find my 2016 manual

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markuspeloquin@reddit

Mine was at a dealer 1245 mi away. 2018 A4, the final year for Audi manuals.

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concreteghost@reddit

Okay don’t quote me on this but my way younger brother, 12 yrs, moved to Germany. He can’t drive there bc they’re all manuals. So mayve they just stopped sending the Audis to the US

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markuspeloquin@reddit

I thought I looked it up at the time. I was fantasizing about bringing a manual Audi wagon from Europe, but found out that wasn't possible because it was the same there. They've also got other brands like Renault, Skoda, Peugeot... Maybe their situation is different?

Europe may be a bastion of manual transmissions, but they are on the decline. If nothing else, they are statists and love passing laws. Manual transmissions just aren't as efficient as CVTs, there's literally no downside except they're less fun. And then you have hybrids and EVs. And I think also hybrid/EVs?

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col_akir_nakesh@reddit

Yes 85

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beeurd@reddit

Yes, but I'm in the UK where something like 70% of cars are manual transmission. I've never driven an automatic.

Most brand new cars sold here these days are actually automatic, but the majority of drivers still learn manual because if you pass a driving test in an automatic car then your licence doesn't cover manuals, but learning manual does cover auromatics.

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rearwindowpup@reddit

US here, drive manuals pretty exclusively, had a buddy from Ukraine years ago comment how surprised he was when he hopped in my 4Runner and saw a manual, he assumed Americans didnt know how to drive them.

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xrelaht@reddit

Old 4Runner at this point! One of the main reasons I’ve never seriously looked at them is I’d have to get a 3g or older to have a stick.

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rearwindowpup@reddit

Yep, mines a 97, just shy of 300k miles and runs like a swiss watch

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Kairis83@reddit

I passed first time here but haven't driven in the UK for over 20 years since (there is no need in London tbh)

Only drove in Lithuania, Sweden, Denmark and Germany and then it was only a single road trip

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Moving_Fusion@reddit

Had to scroll pretty far down to find someone commenting from the UK! It's a weird difference, we all learn manual and growing up automatics were rare, and many automatics were known for having lag. I feel like that might shift with so many cars now being automatics, but it was a given back then.

My wife's from a rural part of New York state and it seems like driving a manual there was the standard too, because of the hills, apparently.

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External-Praline-451@reddit

Yes, there are more automatic driving schools now, but they tend to be used by people who are a bit nervous of driving and find it easier and less intimidating. The majority still get manual licenses, around 70% I think.

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Selmarris@reddit

Sort of. I learned but then I never practiced so I’m really rusty.

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timsea99@reddit

We should have a 'kinda' option. Its been a looong time for me

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muthermcreedeux@reddit

I prefer stick but I made the switch with my most recent car because I have a real bad left knee and I couldn't press the clutch anymore without it swelling up like a balloon.

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sator-2D-rotas@reddit

Yes I do. And it’s on my midlife crisis wishlist car. Now if only I can afford it.

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grunge615@reddit

I learned to drive on stick. I didn't get a car with an automatic until college.

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mog_knight@reddit

People who can't drive stick and born in 1980 can't vote twice.

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Extra-Blueberry-4320@reddit

Yep! I still drive a Honda Civic manual transmission. I prefer it over automatic, especially in snow.

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spaltavian@reddit

I can but it's been 20 years. Going to need an empty parking before the stores open for a bit.

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sabby55@reddit

Damnit I’m jussssst outside the voting window but 86- drive stick. Still would if I could find a new family vehicle with a standard transmission! I learned on stick and every car I had was a standard until my mom-mobile

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big_ringer@reddit

You know, a lot of parents are teaching their kids how to drive stick, so it's not as lost an art that we think it is.

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rainy-brain@reddit

My first car was a VW beetle. :D
Most of cars since then were also stick. Current car is auto. May go back to stick cause it's fun and maybe a theft deterrent at this point haha. certainly will make it so no one wants to borrow the car...

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xeonicus@reddit

When I was younger, I drove a '97 Mustang Cobra and had to learn stick to drive it.

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kayla622@reddit

My parents had stick shift cars when I was really little. By the time I was old enough to drive, their car was an automatic. I never had the opportunity to learn.

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baybridge501@reddit

These polls tend to be pretty biased since people who drive stick are way more likely to respond.

Less than 20% in the US can drive stick yet this poll would make you think otherwise.

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plantsplantsplaaants@reddit

My thoughts exactly. Stick drivers are slamming that yes button while those who can’t yawn and keep scrolling

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PokesBo@reddit

I'm a rare breed of Millennial that can.

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Kurigunde@reddit

Yes I can and I still prefer it. It’s so much more fun than automatics

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Mission_Fart9750@reddit

My dad taught me to drive on a stick shift. The last 2 cars I had were both stick (I had to acquiesce with the most recent vehicle). If possible, my next car will be a stick.

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StaceyPfan@reddit

My dad made sure I learned how to drive a stick as soon as I got my license. And he taught me on one of the most difficult vehicles to do so, 1989 Ford Bronco II. Then later I taught my Gen X husband (1975).

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No_Practice_9597@reddit

Yes. My first car was stick so I drove for a decade, I don’t think I lost knowledge on how to drive

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ezbutneverconvenient@reddit

I miss my little Honda 5-speed. It was so good on gas and it made it well over 200,000 miles before I couldn't afford to keep it anymore.

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Party-Cup-9386@reddit

I don't actually know. I haven't had access to one since 1996.

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Adventurous_Pin_344@reddit

I learned to drive a BMW 2002. Not the year. The car model. Stiff clutch. But that was the right thing to learn on... The main car I got to drive in HS was a 1984 Volvo 240 Station Wagon, which also had a stiff clutch.

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sirloot3@reddit

Car no ,motorcycle yes

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sinenomine83@reddit

I never owned a manual, but my dad made sure that I learned stick when I was in driver training. He had me drive him around in his truck for months on my level 1 license when I was logging hours for my full license. He always joked that I'd owe him a new clutch by the time we were done.

I'm obviously a bit rusty, but I'm sure I could do in a pinch.

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pertain2u@reddit

My kids can drive a stick too. Pretty embarrassing for the 16yo to have to move the car for the adult tire guy because he can’t drive a stick.

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Relative_Progress946@reddit

Yes I can although I'm glad I don't have to

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minkrogers@reddit

Being in the UK, I always find this fascinating. Although automatic gearboxes are more popular now, especially with electric cars gaining pace, but generally, people are still choosing manual (stick) cars. Also, our drivers licence test is mandatory gearstick.

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star_b_nettor@reddit

My current car is a manual.

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OldBanjoFrog@reddit

Does three on the tree count?

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Primary-Strawberry-5@reddit

I’m technically left out via my birth year

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Furballprotector@reddit

I would really love to see if gender affects this poll. I was specifically not taught because I was a girl and women didn't need to know how to drive sticks.

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jesusmansuperpowers@reddit (OP)

Interesting, that never occurred to me. My wife can do it.

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CHNLNK@reddit

Still do.

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Traditional_Entry183@reddit

Never once tried. I dont see the point.

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jesusmansuperpowers@reddit (OP)

If you ever travel abroad rental cars cost significantly more with automatic transmission. It’s basically an american tax

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Traditional_Entry183@reddit

Worth it though. When I was in Scotland, driving on the other side of the road and parking in tiny spaces was enough stress.

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shyguy1953@reddit

My kids all have manuals. Usually get them cheaper because they're harder to sell since no one knows how to drive them.

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Three4Anonimity@reddit

My current daily driver is a manual Ford Fucking Ranger 💪

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jesusmansuperpowers@reddit (OP)

I have one of those in my driveway but it’s more of a twice a year vehicle.

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Accadius@reddit

84 & I can drive a stick. This is one of those questions designed to make the creator of the question feel like they accomplished something.

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jesusmansuperpowers@reddit (OP)

It’s in response ti the other post with a bumper sticker “millennial anti-theft device” and a picture of a stick.

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hangryvegan@reddit

I’ve had 4 different people try to teach me how to drive stick and I never could get the hang of it.

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ExistentialDreadness@reddit

I learned how to drive with a stick shift.

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CTMechE@reddit

'80

Can and still own a manual sports car. But I didn't learn as a teenager, I learned in my 20s because I'm into cars and really wanted to.

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I_am_Forklift@reddit

I gave a manual driving lesson to someone in their 20s yesterday. Did not go well 😂 Ironically saw this car while we were at it

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mujovic7@reddit

Every car I've owned as an adult has been manual, and I average 19,000 miles/year

1992 Toyota Camry
2012 Mazda 3
2024 Toyota GR86

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water_bottle1776@reddit

Technically, I know how to do it. But I've never owned one and I've only tried to drive one once. I'm not opposed to owning one, but I just don't see the benefit unless we're talking about a classic sports car.

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RedSolez@reddit

Yes, but only because my husband's car when we were first living together was a stick. He only got into stick shift because his dad loved it so he'd had experience on those cars. It should be worth noting though that neither my mom nor my MIL born in the 50s knows how to drive a stick. My dad only knows because he briefly worked as a garbage man- neither of my parents have ever owned a manual transmission vehicle.

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7shades@reddit

When I first got my licence, you could only apply for 'Automatic Only' if you were physically disabled. Everyone else learned in manual, and did the practical test in a manual.

That changed a few years later, auto only licences became a thing for anyone who couldn't be bothered. Which is fine, but its worth noting having that condition on your licence means you are not allowed to drive manual.

An interesting thing ended up happening. A lot of people got an auto licence "Just for now, I'll learn manual later" but of course never did. Mostly because they'd have to redo the practical driving exam. This in turn spiked demand for automatics at the cheaper 'first car' end of the used car market, which were much less common at the time... A half-decent auto Corolla for example could cost twice as much as its manual equivalent.

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AwkwardlyTwisted@reddit

I can't get away from manuals. My '99 B3000 stick, 2012 GSX-R manual, 2018 Kenworth better believe that's a stick.

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bgva@reddit

I know it's like getting back on a bike, but I seem to only drive a stick shift once every few years and therefore my brain tells me that I forgot the basics. The last time was when I rented a Slingshot in June 2023 so I'm overdue. One of these days I'll buy an old Prelude or something that I can drive semi-regularly. But I dunno if we have the space right now.

(looks up Slingshot rentals)

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Solid-Hedgehog9623@reddit

Learned on a stick. Mom had a 90 Subaru loyale.

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brucecampbellschins@reddit

Yes, of course.

Anyone else make their kids learn to drive in a manual as well?

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Kinetic_Silverwolf@reddit

Yes, however, I learned in a VW Jetta, which uses a terribly different shift pattern than just about anything else.

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Hippy_Lynne@reddit

I learned in a '73 bug. 🤣🤣🤣 Reverse was to the left of second gear.

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rearwindowpup@reddit

Wtf, thats an odd duck place for it, but having had cars where reverse was left of first I would have prefered it there. Nothing like accidentally going backwards at a traffic light to pucker things up.

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weightyinspiration@reddit

I learned in a VW Rabbit. Germans really figured it out, the car was held together with duct tape, but it still ran.... if you were careful to never have to back out of anywhere!

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ShillinTheVillain@reddit

I love the sound of the old VW manuals in reverse. They sound like wind-up cars

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elgarraz@reddit

Same! My first car was my dad's old Rabbit. I've had a few Honda Accords, a Jetta, and an Elantra. I think about half of the cars I've owned were manual transmission & lasted at least to 250,000 miles.

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MitchMcConnellsJowls@reddit

So, if I was born in 1980 and I cant drive a stick, which option do I choose?

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pikababy_10@reddit

Yes, 6-speed everything!

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habitualtroller@reddit

I prefer the 5 speed to the 6 speed but it could just be the Jeeps I had.

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rearwindowpup@reddit

Insert Mr Incredibles meme here... CLUTCH IS CLUTCH!!!

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mindsunwound@reddit

I've driven just about everything between 3 gears and 13, and the sweet spot is 8.

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ST_Lawson@reddit

My first car was a manual, so I'm sure it would come back to me, but it's been probably 25 years since I drove one.

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rearwindowpup@reddit

Of my 47 vehicles Ive had, 40 or so have been manuals 💪💪💪

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mindsunwound@reddit

Not only can I drive stick, I can double clutch, and float gears.

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kyuuketsuki47@reddit

86 can drive stick, but don't because it was cheaper to get auto. I learned on stick though

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PoulsenTreatment@reddit

Learned on stick

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PrudentOwlet@reddit

I said yes because I learned how and drove a manual as a teenager, but I haven't driven one in 25 years now. So like, do I know how? Yes. Might I get stuck at a few green lights trying to get the hang of it again? Also yes.

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HuntersMoon19@reddit

Ha, that’s what I always say. Might take a minute to blow the cobwebs off the muscle memory. I haven’t driven stick since I sold my Trans Am 20 years ago.

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psilosophist@reddit

I’m May 76 but you’re not sending me over to GenX land those folks are miserable.

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AFWolverine@reddit

I will probably never own another one as a daily driver, though. I don't know how I loved it as a pizza delivery guy. Stick in traffic as a 40-something is maddening. I'll own a dream car one day and it'll be manual, but won't be my daily.

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JaredUnzipped@reddit

Nope, unfortunately I can't. I've tried to learn at multiple points in my life, but I just can't get the hang of it. I'm simply not coordinated enough to master it. It shouldn't come as any surprise, though. I can't play an instrument, I can't dance, I can't do anything that requires physical coordination.

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Scalytor@reddit

My dad made me learn on stick shift, but then never let me drive any of his cars that had it. I had my "mid-life crisis" a bit early at 30 and bought a sports car and could finally drive stick daily. I didn't drive it much after I had a kid so it got traded for an Outback. My wife can't drive stick so I'll probably never have another manual car again. The Outback has paddle shifters and a turbo charger but it's not the same.

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small___potatoes@reddit

I learned to drive on a stick. Haven’t done it in 25 years though.

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Runningman787@reddit

No one who had one wanted me to ruin their transmission. I did drive a concrete mixer truck simulator, which was a manual (for fun at work when I was an intern). I could handle the shifting pretty easily, but I ran into a bank...

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Fianna9@reddit

I learned how, and probably could in an emergency.

But you wouldn’t want to trust me with your clutch

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Jadedraven1366@reddit

Should've added "can you drive it well?" Cause I learned on my mom's F150 many years ago and still CAN drive stick but I was NEVER good at it even when I drove her truck daily. She always asked how I didn't make myself car sick with all the jerking lol

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mocitymaestro@reddit

Stares in southpaw

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FemaleMishap@reddit

Most cars in the UK are manual still. Though with the move to hybrid and EV, the number of new manual cars is plummeting

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Long-Station7566@reddit

6 speed personal vehicle 15 speed work vehicle. Have only owned one automatic.

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_ism_@reddit

My mother wouldn't teach me to drive stick because she said only men needed to know how. When I moved out for college I got a high school friend to teach me. He had a very significant speech stutter and let me learn on his own personal car. had a crush on me or something I realized later, but I was oblivious at the time and managed to learn when to shift and clutch through his speech impediment just fine. Somehow we got through it. A skill I don't practice in my current cars but I might need it in survival scenarios so I am eternally grateful and proud of myself for meeting that challenge.

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_ism_@reddit

I don't even know why I wanted to learn. But it bothers me that people these days don't even want to learn to drive at all. I know 25 year olds who are in no hurry to get licensed. It blows my mind. I was 19 when I learned manual

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SyntheticScrivner@reddit

Nobody in my family drove stick and apparently driving stick in LA traffic is a fucking nightmare.

Fuck stick

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IdioticPrototype@reddit

My last manual vehicle was a 2013 Kawasaki Ninja ZX636R - sold that in '21.

Still miss it. 🥲

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Hynch@reddit

Yes I can, but it would be a bit difficult for me. I haven’t driven one in over 20 years now.

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min_mus@reddit

I can drive a stick, but I'm an EV owner now so I'll probably never drive a stick ever again.

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LAffaire-est-Ketchup@reddit

My gas powered car is a manual, but I drive my ev more because the price of gas is ridiculous

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min_mus@reddit

We have a gasoline-powered vehicle but it's our rarely-driven back-up vehicle; our primary vehicle is an EV and it's awesome. Going forward, all my cars will be EVs.

I'll never own a car with a manual transmission ever again, simply because EVs don't have the option.

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nucl3ar0ne@reddit

I love my EV because it has over 800hp and is fast af.

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pikababy_10@reddit

Saaaame. The EV is kinda my beater while I retire/weekend the convertible.

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moredustythandigital@reddit

The car I own (Civic Si) only comes in manual which is one of the reasons I wanted it. It became a problem though when my daughter needed to learn to drive lol.

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hey_suburbia@reddit

Yup, I learned in an Isuzu Rodeo on the hills of San Francisco

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Negative-Midnight681@reddit

Yes 1982

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Gold-Lion-8855@reddit

Have and can. Live in an urban area and don't want to. Now motorcycles on the other hand..... Love that

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DreadPirateR2891@reddit

Drove stick when I learned to drive in '98 until '14. Found I truly missed the fun of it, so in '20 I bought a sports sedan with 6-spd to enjoy again. Been loving almost every mile with it since.

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Asleep_Onion@reddit

I strongly prefer manual, but it's so damn hard to find it in modern cars, only a handful of specific models have that option and if you don't want that model then you're out of luck. Last time I owned a car that was manual was a 2003 Passat that I sold 12 years ago.

I travel to Europe a lot for work and I love it whenever the car rental place says "we only have cars with manual transmission, is that okay?" And in like "that's perfect!!"

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Remy0507@reddit

Technically I know how, but I only ever tried it on a friend's car when I was first learning to drive. Every other car I've ever had access to was an automatic, and at this point I don't have much reason to really learn it better.

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RodinKnox@reddit

I can. First vehicle I ever drove was a stick. But honestly, I hate it. Deep down inside, I always thought the people who said they preferred it were LARPing lol

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981GTSF90M5F87M2C@reddit

Still have and occasionally drive a manual 2000 Tacoma 4x4. Have had it for 23 years and driving it brings me back to a more simple time. Pop CDs into too!

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manawydan-fab-llyr@reddit

Nope, never had a car to learn on.

However, thanks to my fathers penchant for big cars, I can drive and maneuver a land yacht much better than nearly everyone out there can drive a modern compact.

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Kinky-Bicycle-669@reddit

85 but yes. I learned when I was 19.

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danelle-s@reddit

I currently own a manual so yes I can drive a manual transmission.

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reillan@reddit

I lack the coordination. My best friend growing up drove a stick and tried to teach me, but I couldn't get it. My dad tried to teach me but got really angry when I didn't immediately perfect the skill and would just yell his head off. And the fear of grinding the gears made it too stressful to keep trying.

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Separate-Parfait4995@reddit

I wanted to learn on a standard when I took driver’s ed in the late 90s but the driving school told me they didn’t own any standard vehicles. I found that to be incredibly lame. I had a boyfriend try to teach me when I was in my early 20s but neither of us had the patience.

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val0ciraptor@reddit

No, but to be fair, I didn't get my driver's license until my 20s and didn't start driving on a regular basis until my 30s.

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pinkrobotlala@reddit

Not really, I have been successful a few times but I wouldn't really trust myself without someone helping me.

I was born in 80 so I wasn't sure which No to pick.

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aspect-of-the-badger@reddit

I can drive anything with wheels.

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mightbetheproblem@reddit

I never learned on a car but I did drive a manual semi truck. Then I attempted a manual car. The skull does not transfer

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oldbel@reddit

In the US, people who can drive stick are going to vote disproportionately because it’s a rare skill here.

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noronto@reddit

I’m sure I can figure it out, but none of the cars my parents had were standard. This was definitely an issue when I tried to rent a car in Costa Rica in 2002.

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GoshDarnMamaHubbard@reddit

I'm British. We pretty much all have manual licenses.

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Jupitersd2017@reddit

Do you have to have a special license for manual there? Oh I just looked it up and it seems like you do. That’s smart actually, I’ve witnessed multiple people in the US claim they can drive stick and proceed to tear up a clutch because they in fact can not drive a manual lol

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GoshDarnMamaHubbard@reddit

Its more that if you take your test in an automatic you can not drive a manual. But if you learn and test in a manual you can drive auto.

Automatic cars are pretty common in the UK but no where near as common as manual.

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MinivanPops@reddit

Hell yeah I suck toes

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crazycatlady331@reddit

When I was a teen, my mom bought a stick car specifically so my sister and I would not drive it.

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PokerbushPA@reddit

Yes and I never understood the appeal.

"It gives you more control over the car"

More than the steering wheel, gas, and brakes? How much more control do you need? You want it to wash dishes and cook your dinner too?

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LimerentLotus@reddit

My first car, my brother’s first truck and bestie’s first car were manual and I’d drive them all. One of my employer’s trucks I would drive in the early 2000s was manual. I don’t remember driving any since.

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CantaloupeAsleep502@reddit

I'm an 85er, registered as 84, can drive stick

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fave_no_more@reddit

Nope, was never taught.

But i do listen to my engine and can hear when it should shift, etc. And I've put my car in sport mode and used the paddle shifters. The listening came in handy in college when, on my way home, the check engine light came on. I could hear that the engine didn't shift when speed increased (highway driving), so I called my folks and could explain exactly what went wrong.

I've never had to fuss with a clutch and whatnot

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instant_ramen_chef@reddit

I prefer it.

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InMyHagPhase@reddit

Same. I miss my Mazdaspeed 3. Although I have a GTI now, if I could get an additional car for fun I'd get that. We can still get the joy of shifting with motorcycles though!

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kimchiman85@reddit

Me too.

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HuckleberryHappy6524@reddit

Same here.

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Laserablatin@reddit

Didnt learn it growing up but had to learn in my 30s for some overseas travel.

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Adventurous_Cloud_20@reddit

Yes, we grew up with them. Started out on tractors and then the grain trucks driving them in from the fields. Nothing like an old C70 with a 5x2 coupled to a tall deck 427 to build confidence when learning, in low range you'd be hard pressed to kill it.

My first truck was (still is) a 1973 Chevy Cheyenne C30 with a 4 speed, and it was all I had until 2007 when I bought an 04 Malibu for a commuter car.

I still drive a manual daily, my work truck is a Freightliner 114SD with an 8LL Eaton (8 speed with under drive) and that probably won't change in the future just because of the unique needs of the railroad industry.

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absentlyric@reddit

They had their pros and cons. When I was young, I loved them because they were always cheaper by several thousands of dollars, and fixing them was also cheap as well. I also liked how instant the response was when you would shift to pass cars or pull out into busy traffic.

But the cons were they were a pain in the ass in city traffic, and you always had to have one hand on the shifter, which meant ( in todays world) good luck taking a drink, or doing whatever else with that hand, and shifting back and forth to get out of a stuck snowbank or mud rut was a pain.

Also, I had to plan out my long road trips to make sure there wasn't any traffic backups, because nothings worse than being in stop and go traffic for hours, feeling your leg slowly cramp up and getting a charly horse from the constant clutching.

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antisocialnetwork77@reddit

I’ve had my license since 1997, and I’ve only had two cars that were automatics. I’ve had eight cars total.

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dragon34@reddit

Gave up my manual a few months ago for an electric and I still miss it. My left foot has a mind of its own.

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Elizibeqth@reddit

My 2004 manual gave up on me in 2016 after 500,000km . I miss that car.

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Spirited_Storage3956@reddit

Well I learned it when I was 16 but I didn't like it. Does it come back to you lol

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HighSeasArchivist@reddit

I only want stick cars. My daily is a turbo hot hatch, and I'm converting my inherited truck and my Monte Carlo SS I've had since I was 16. I'm decades away from wanting an automatic.

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elgarraz@reddit

I used to specifically buy manual until I got married. I haven't driven stick in a while, but that was my preference. The car I learned to drive on was a stick shift.

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Exciting-Argument-67@reddit

I only own a 2nd car because I couldn't give up my old stick-shift after I bought my newer car. Plus it's a brand that's known for longevity, so while it's really beat up, it just keeps on going. I use it to haul things.

I love driving stick, though. The people who taught me to drive it are all gone, so I feel sentimental about it, too.

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averageduder@reddit

Yes, but the last two times I’ve tried to buy a new car was told they no longer make them with manual transmissions. Seems like a mostly antiquated thing. I enjoy driving stick, especially in the winter.

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ACorania@reddit

Yes, and I still drive them. I volunteer as a firefighter and some of our older, backup rigs are manual. I do train others to drive them as part of drover training.

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papercranium@reddit

Poorly and under duress. It's basically a skill I only maintain because I'm frequently the DD and you never know when you'll have to drive somebody's car home for them.

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Chunklob@reddit

I drive a manual right now

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riverguava@reddit

GT-86 was a LOT of fun :D

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sjp1980@reddit

Yes but I will be truly honest...I have never driven above 3rd gear in a manual. I started to learn in a manual then bought an automatic and continued learning in that. Ever since I have driven manuals at various points but never 4th or 5th and definitely never 6th gear!

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Gusbuster811@reddit

I learned on a forklift when I was 18.

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RagnarokRosie@reddit

Yes. I am 86 though

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Notchersfireroad@reddit

I never owned an automatic until about a year and a half ago when my uncle gifted me a cherry 91 Jeep XJ. All my other vehicles have a wiggle stick. It's nice driving the auto sometimes especially in traffic.

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ashleysaress@reddit

‘85- and yep! Its been a hot minute but its like riding a bike. Miss it but LA traffic was a killer. .

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markuspeloquin@reddit

I honestly think traffic driving is easier in a manual. I don't think of it as a chore, it's just natural at this point. I'm just moving the car.

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Rustymarble@reddit

Its the left leg fatigue that killed me when driving a manual in traffic.

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Apprehensive_Hat8986@reddit

Other: [Yes|No] but I don't give out my age online.

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Maniac1978@reddit

Yeah, my daily driver is an Acura Integra Type S 6 speed.

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chadwickipedia@reddit

I’m a yes, but 85, so added to the 84 yes

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HugeElephantEars@reddit

We take the piss out of people who can't drive a manual here.

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Albedo101@reddit

I'm from central Europe. French and German car industry. Along with euro-centric Toyotas, Kias, Mazdas. Almost nobody buys automatic ICE cars here. You can't get a license except on manual. It's hard to run into an automatic unless it's hybrid or EV. First automatic I ever drove was a hybrid, a few years ago.

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-WhichWayIsUp-@reddit

Drove stick until about 8 years ago so I'm confident I'd be fine if I got in one again. I loved it but I don't think I'll ever see one again

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KrayzieBone187@reddit

I can't anymore. Back injury also screwed up my left leg, so clutching just can't be trusted anymore.

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GameHat@reddit

This was not the smartest financial decision of my early 20s, but I bought a Mustang GT in 2005 in my first real job. An older friend had let me try his shitbox manual transmission for an hour or s but I basically bought the Mustang with very little experience driving a manual. Literally learned it on the drive home. No regrets, it was so fun to drive and I miss it to this day.

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CorporalCabbage@reddit

I used to have a 2000 Mustang GT. Fucking awful gearbox. The distance between gears was like an NBA free throw.

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Abpoe77@reddit

Yes, I can drive a stick shift in a car and an 18 wheeler. Do I? Absolutely not. Hald a CDL in the 90s until around 2010. Last year my job made me a supervisor and a driver and I went back to get my CDL. I drove a stick shift for a week and did just fine. Was a little rusty the first couple days but by the third I was getting fussed at for floating gears and not double clutching. I went with the automatic restriction because most modern commercial trucks today are autos and I've been driving longer than my instructor has been alive. He may not have lived much longer if he kept fussing at me for floating gears

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AetheriaInBeing@reddit

Can I? Yes. Do I? No. When you buy used you but what you can. Didn't vote.

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bife_de_lomo@reddit

Every car I have ever owned has been stick, apart from my most recent family runabout that's an EV.

I'm not an evangelist for one or the other, but manual transmission just comes so naturally I don't even think about it.

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Passtenx@reddit

First car was manual 86 Prelude with 350k on it. A guy sold it to me for 500 bucks.

I put another 100k on it before I scrapped it.

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Dunnersstunner@reddit

1979 here. I learned to drive late - in my early 20s. But I made the decision to learn on a manual because it gave me more options when buying my first car. Which, as it happened, turned out to be a 1988 Subaru Justy - not only was it a manual, it had a choke.

The hardest part was mastering the coordination for hill starts.

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Cromasters@reddit

I learned briefly at one point because my dad had one of those small Nissan pickups.

I could do it, but never drove it enough to be good at it. Never driven another manual car in my life.

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mix0logist@reddit

I answered yes. My first two cars were standard, but I have driven stock in nearly 20 years now.

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HopelessMagic@reddit

I used to be able to drive a manual car. Then I learned how to double clutch a semi truck. Now if I drive a manual, I'll likely kill it out of double clutch habits. 😂

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markuspeloquin@reddit

I don't know what it's like to actually double clutch, but I definitely speed match my gears when I can. Just to make it smooth. When down shifting, I keep my foot on the gas to let the engine speed up; when braking, I might heel-toe to downshift. Up-shifting, I pause to let it spin down a bit, though it depends on the RPM; at high RPM, you don't need to wait as long, the engine slows itself down much faster due to drag forces. And when coming out of neutral when I'm already moving, I try to speed up the engine first.

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HopelessMagic@reddit

Well, in a semi, you need to clutch, shift out of gear, clutch, shift into gear. You also need to match the RPMs. If you don't get it just right, you will grind the hell out of the clutch. You can skip entire gears if you need to. Just as long as you get the RPMs correct.

I remember when I was in training, my mentor was sleeping in the back. I was grinding the hell out of the gears trying to get the right one. He half woke up and mumbled "4th gear". He was right. 😂

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Dashcamkitty@reddit

I drive stick because about 70% of cars in the UK are still manual cars. I've never driven an automatic before!

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Evendim@reddit

I mean I learnt at 30, but I can! And much prefer to in certain situations

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three-sense@reddit

I am American and have owned 3 MT vehicles and 0 guns

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katiespecies647@reddit

Yes, I learned to drive on a stick and drove one for years, but I hated it. I test drove one last year while car shopping (I liked the car and hoped it wasn't as bad as I remembered) and couldn't wait to get it back to the lot.

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Pickles_McBeef@reddit

Yes, because my dad insisted on driving manual when I was growing up, so if I wanted to drive the family car I had to learn. First car I bought as an adult was a manual Honda Civic. Drove it 17 years, until 2016. Been driving automatics since and I prefer them, don't see myself ever buying another manual.

My dad taught my Zoomer kid to drive a stick a few years ago. I don't imagine too many young people know how to drive them.

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Theamuse_Ourania@reddit

I've always wanted to learn how to drive a stick shift. But our cars were always automatic, and I never knew anyone else who could drive stick to teach me. 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Adorable_Goose_6249@reddit

My sister tried teaching me. I bucked the car once, cried and never tried again. lol

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statistacktic@reddit

I learned on manual and miss it.

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MaestroLogical@reddit

No. The one time my dad tried to teach me in his truck, all it took was the gears grinding once before he got fed up and stopped letting me try.

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jackfaire@reddit

I broke my mom's clutch the first time but yes. I hadn't learned how to drive stick and I got home from work to find out my mom had been rushed to the hospital from a neighbor and her car was the only one we had at the time.

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wrel_@reddit

Thy are there years associated with the responses?

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LeftHandedGuitarist@reddit

I've never even encountered an automatic! (European)

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_ficklelilpickle@reddit

Yes. And I miss it. Not with this vehicle as such but my last car that I owned BC (before children) was a little manual Mazda RX8, which wasn’t lightning fast but it was such a fun thing to drive.

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Less_Likely@reddit

Have I ever? No. Do I have a basic understanding and think with a quick training I could? Yes.

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dl_mj12@reddit

I can, question is can I still! I can't remember the last time I was in a manual. The last one I owned was 20 years ago now. I think I've driven the odd work vehicle and rental truck here and there. I do miss it.

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Moxie_Stardust@reddit

I have two cars, both are stick shift.

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methodical713@reddit

Came in super handy when I rented a car from a dude on a tiny island in French Polynesia. He delivered the car and it’s a stick, it hadn’t even occurred to me that it could be and he hadn’t mentioned it.

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HugeTheWall@reddit

No. Also there are 2 options for 80 so I can't choose

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MTJ5@reddit

Always manual before automatic

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YEMolly@reddit

I need a response that says, “I use to know how in the 90s but have since forgotten.”

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OhTheHueManatee@reddit

I acknowledge that it's the superior way to control a vehicle but I prefer an automatic.

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weightyinspiration@reddit

Any place with traffic at all and an automatics the way to go.

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UbiquitousBot@reddit

I can drive a manual motorcycle but not a car. What do I click? lol

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weightyinspiration@reddit

Sticks still a stick, even if you got to use your feet instead ;)

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concreteghost@reddit

Question asks “stick”, bike has a pedal. So it’s a car

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arcxjo@reddit

As I told everyone who ever asked me that when I was a valet, "No but I'm a quick learner."

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protossaccount@reddit

My first car was a manual and I learned by driving from Colorado to California with my brothers. The mountains were kinda terrifying by I got used to it. Now I’m one of those people that talks about how much I miss it.

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SummonBahamutZero@reddit

Yes, my truck is manual.

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Insomniac_80@reddit

Should say 81-84

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sakkadesu@reddit

and I have vivid memories of my dad yelling at me and my brother while teaching us. the only difference was that I yelled back 😄 even now my boomer dad always tries to have a manual car, which is increasingly difficult to get. it's insane that they are more expensive than auto now (in Europe rentals, manuals are cheaper)

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