this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2023
379 points (93.4% liked)

Asklemmy

48645 readers
1270 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy ๐Ÿ”

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_[email protected]~

founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
 

And where are you from? And how old? Not "do you" but just if you know how.

I'm in the US, mid 30s and can (and do) drive a manual transmission.

(page 3) 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

I can drive a manual yeah, I don't feel like I'm in total control when driving an automatic, I'm 20 and live in the Netherlands

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

36, Canadian, 10/10 would recommend. Winter driving is way more fun with manual, and it can be a lot easier on gas if you're in the mood.

  • 5 speed '93 Suzuki Sidekick 2006-2009
  • 6 speed '05 Jeep Wrangler 2009-2021
  • 5 speed '10 Mazda B2300 2021-Present
[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I'm in my 40s and live in Europe (NL), and in my country, if you don't take your driving exam in a manual transmission car, you receive a restriction on your license that prevents you from driving manual transmission vehicles. As a result, both I and nearly everyone I know can drive a manual. Automatics are also a fair bit more expensive, so most people don't opt for them. Tho I expect this will change with the rising popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

US late 20s. Yes I can and every car I've owned for the last 8 years has been manual

I go out of my way to find them.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

Yes, 29 from Belgium. I got my first automatic transmission in January. Everyone around me drives a manual

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

US, mid thirties, and I not only drive a manual transmission, I go out of my way to insist upon it. For example, I own a truck and an SUV made in the '90s because it's difficult to find newer ones without an automatic.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Nope, I'm scared to even use the paddle shifters on my auto

load more comments (1 replies)
[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

From India, late 30s and I drive manual. I learned to drive less than an year ago in a manual that I own. Manual cars are cheaper and I bought one since I believe switching from manual to auto would be easier than the other way around. I don't feel comfortable driving an automatic; and it is only recently that I realised that ALL of my friends and family drive automatics! I live in a large crowded city with terrible traffic problems and I sometimes wonder if driving an automatic would be easier.

load more comments (1 replies)
[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

37, Eastern PA. I CAN drive a stick, but I don't like to. It's another distraction I don't need while driving. Can pay attention to all the other idiots on the road when not worrying what gear I'm in or when to shift.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

I'm in my 30s grew up in FL and I can

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

Yes Midwest, U.S. 40y

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

Italian, 45 here. Always driven manual.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

Yes, almost 40, USA. I don't currently own a manual, but used to. It was a great way to save a few thousand on a car and it's a lot more fun to drive. But very few cars in the US have a manual option these days.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Nope, manual transmission isn't common in Ontario,, I lived in the US for a bit and everyone seemed to drive stick, but I never figured it out. I don't understand why anyone wants to drive it.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

It's fun. Of course that's more true in a sporty car on a mountain road than in an SUV in city traffic.

It used to be that manuals had better fuel economy and acceleration. That changed about a decade ago.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

You have more control over the cars throttle. Like using the gears to actually slow the car down rather than just using the brakes.

load more comments (1 replies)
[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

All my cars, bar one, have been manual transmission, as is my current one. To be honest, as I'm lazy, I do prefer auto, but it's easier to buy a car with manual transmission here in the UK, as you have more options.

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

My brother always use to tell me that driving manual is just driving with extra steps. Lol

[โ€“] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

Nope.

Some people in my family tried to teach me when I was young, but I didnt immediately and perfectly absorb the knowledge of how to master it from the atmosphere, so obviously I was just a piece of shit that was trying to ruin their transmission/car/life and cant appreciate a single fucking thing anyone does for me and that i'm an ungrateful piece of shit and to just get the fuck out of the car and never ask them for anything again (not that I asked them to teach me stick in the first place.. They insisted, i suspected then, and continue to do so to this day, that it was just a trap.)

Which really helped my desire to drive, much less drive stick.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

51, I can drive a semi, but before I took some training for that I learned on a standard from my grandma.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

US, 37, been driving a manual since I was 16.

load more comments (1 replies)
[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Yep, early 40's here. At 19 I lied about knowing how to drive stick to get a job as a (non CDL) flatbed lumber delivery driver. I'd ridden motorcycles and such before, so it wasn't to hard to get the hang of it. However, my first delivery I unknowingly drove with the e-brake on for 15 miles or so thinking "damn this is hard" luckily I realized wtf was up before I got back to the yard, kept that job for 2 years lol.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

37, Switzerland, and I can drive a manual as much as I enjoy an automatic from time to time. The former is still the most common type of transmission even though the trend has been reversing over the years.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

38 Ireland, yes, it's the main transmission type here, the same as most of Europe.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

US, 40s. Gave up my manual a few years ago to get a bigger car when I became a single dad. The ol Mazda 3 wasn't cutting it

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Germany, 20s, yes (and up until recently exclusively drove manual transmission cars from like before 2010)

[โ€“] kent_eh 3 points 2 years ago

My first 4 cars were standard. As is every motorcycle I have owned.

Learned on a farm truck when I was 13.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

France, early thirties, I can. Automatics are still pretty new on the market, most people I know cannot operate one. It's easier of course, but kinda throws you off at first. My wife owns one and it's great for traffic and keeping a low fuel consumption, since the thing is made to shift gears exactly when necessary. The tradeoff is no sportsy driving, of course, but I can live with that for some time.

load more comments (2 replies)
[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

I only learned on a riding lawnmower but I can do it. I actually went looking for a car with a manual, figuring that it would be cheaper up front, cheaper to fix and cheaper to run. I couldn't really find one in any model of car I wanted, so I ended up having to go with a manumatic with paddle shifters, the worst of both worlds!

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Yes, 46, my first car that was "mine" (my mom's old car) was a manual. The first car I ever bought had a shitty automatic (I think the seller may have pulled one over on young me). Since then I only buy stick shifts for myself. (My wife's is an automatic.)

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

I'm 42, and can drive manual, but I've had an automatic the last 5 years.

My son is now learning to drive, but he will most likely not need to drive a manual ever.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

I'm from the UK and after driving one about 100 metres I refuse to drive an automatic car, it's one of the main reasons why I don't want an electric car either. Automatic cars are horrible twitchy things that just aren't enjoyable to drive and you can't change gears to anticipate a change in the road before you're already on that bit of road.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Yes, I'm from the UK so pretty much everyone here can even if they own an automatic. It's not seen as a big deal here, it's just normal.

I prefer manuals, I won't be buying an automatic until my leg falls off.

load more comments (1 replies)
[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Scandinavian, mid-40's. The vast majority of cars in Europe have manual transmission, in my country you can't even get a driver's license if you can't handle it. I prefer manual, whenever I drive automatic I feel like there's something missing.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (3 children)

I drive whichever vehicle doesn't get my data harvested.

load more comments (3 replies)
[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

First time I drove anything but a manual was driving the shitty trucks of the Swiss army. It felt weird and wrong, but then again driving with standard issue boots makes using the pedals a bit harder sometimes, so it's probably good I didn't have to use the clutch.

These days I mostly drive rented cars so it's whatever is available, who cares.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

the great thing about manual transmission is it almost doesn't matter how big the motor is, or whether it's front/rear/AWD, as long as the platform is balanced you can have fun on it.. EVERY car nut appreciates a Golf with a stick, no matter how muscular a hot rod you drive..

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

I have had only manual transmission cars for the passed 19 years except for 4 years, at which time I had a manual transmission motorcycle. I don't know what I'm going to do once internal combustion cars are phased out. I need a manual tranny. Luckily, my new car only has ~12k miles on it, and it's a make that is typically known for lasting over 200k miles. My only threat is accidental damage.

Edit: I live in the USA

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Yes. European. It's the norm.

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

German, mid 20s, can and do

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

I drive an automatic but I learned with a manual and used it for years. I find manual impractical for daily use but I can use it if I need to.

32 years old, Italy

[โ€“] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Big yes! Mid 20s and currently daily drive my miata

load more comments
view more: โ€น prev next โ€บ