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Can you or your family members drive a stick shift?

I cannot and the only one from my family who can is my pops.
 
ddec said:
I actually can't. My father always had at least 1 car that was manual shift, and one way to keep me from driving it was to not teach me how I guess. I'll be honest though, I don't see it as a need.
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These days it's definitely not a need. I don't think I would want it in my daily driver but for something just to have fun in I would love it.
 
Both I and my wife. Daughter's not old enough to drive, but I suspect she'll be automatic only.
Current vehicle is the first non-standard in...30-odd years. And that's because I wanted a standard but the dealership wanted around $1500 more for the standard than the automatic. Used, so I don't know if that's a thing now on new cars, I do know it agitated me at the time. Only other difference was about 15000 km.

I learned to drive stick when I bought my first car. That day. The test drive was a bit lurchy.
 
First car was a stick.... as well as my current car, dad can drive one, mom isn't terrible. Gf can't though


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My current commuter is a 5 speed stick. Sucks in traffic and hills, but that's not much of an issue around here. I'm not saying that this will be my last manual shift car, but it's starting to look that way. With modern electronics, most cars will be automatic with a manual paddle shift option's. In fact, I recently rented an Audi A4 and had a blast manually shifting without a clutch.
 
Sure...I drove a 6-speed GTI until a few years ago. I miss it except for the days when I'm stuck in 2.5 hours of ATL traffic
 
I took my driver test when I was 16 with a stick (1988) and have owned some sort of manual trans car or truck my entire life up until a few years ago. Sadly, my wife does not know how to drive a stick. She wants to learn, but none of the vehicles I've owned with a manual trans (since we've been together) have been very beginner friendly. lol

Seriously considering building her a bug so she can play around with that.
 
I can. My wife, well not so much. I taught her how to so I think in an absolute emergency she could get to a hospital if needed. I know 2 of my three brothers can, one of my 2 sisters can, my mom, dad and step mom can for sure. Not sure about my stepdad.

I always said growing up the first car I bought was going to be a stick shift so no one else could drive it. So I bought a well used 1989 Chevy S-10, 5 speed. I loved that truck.

I was working for a local Saturn dealer as a lot attendant. Simply put, my job was to get the cars that customers brought in for service. I also would shuttle cars back and fourth from the 4 other dealerships that were owned by the same company. My first day on the job the guy training me asked if I could drive a stick shift. I said no. He grabbed a car from the back lot and I learned. Once out of first gear I was golden. Getting out of first sucked. The starter got a work out that day. LOL

I haven't driven one daily for about 10 years now, but my brothers both have 6 speed Camaros that I've driven. Man those cars are fun to play in. I'm afraid of what my insurance would look like if I had one.
 
I learned to drive on a early 70's Chevy pickup with a 3 speed manual transmission with the shifter on the column (3 on the tree). I had an advantage in that I've been riding motorcycles since age 7, so I already had using a clutch and shifting down.
 
Yes, and every member of my family as well. I learned long before I had a drivers license. My Wife learned early, too, by driving her father's VW dune buggie. I've had several sticks over the years. We bought a manual Ford Ranger for the youngest stepson's first vehicle (to inhibit phone usage while driving), and I had to teach him to drive it. Apparently, it's no longer taught in public school drivers' education classes.

We've been buying autos lately, though, as sticks are much less fun in stop-n-go rush hour traffic as you get older. Sometimes I miss it. Most of the time not.
 
Drove manual trans most of my younger days. I grew up in Chicago. It was cool driving stick.
I moved to Los Angeles and driving stick was not an option with all these heavy traffics.
Non of my family know how to drive it. I don't think my kids even know what that is.


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Dad was a big proponent of making sure my first car was manual, learned how to drive manual when I was 15 or 16. Owned my first car for 9 yrs that was a 5 speed. Only my younger sister isn't very proficient in driving manual, mom/dad/older sister all can drive with ease. Have also had my fair share of driving vintage cars that were 3 speed and 4 speed. Not to mention, can drive motorcycles as well (have my motorcycle license).
It honestly is a great skill to have, not to mention if your traveling abroad most cars are manual.
 
Yep, we both can do it.


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Funny story here but my dad gave me some $$$ to get a car in college when my car broke down. So I took the $$$ and bought a standard because they were cheaper and could get more for the $$$. Guy asked me if I wanted to test drive it, I said nope! Had them deliver it to where I was staying and spent the rest of the afternoon learning how to drive a stick. After a few hours was good to go! Love that story.
 
I love driving stick. My wife is mechanically challenged, so she refuses. She tried to learn. It didn't go well.

One day I will have another stick shift car. It will be all mine. Oh yes, it will.
 
Nate said:
Funny story here but my dad gave me some $$$ to get a car in college when my car broke down. So I took the $$$ and bought a standard because they were cheaper and could get more for the $$$. Guy asked me if I wanted to test drive it, I said nope! Had them deliver it to where I was staying and spent the rest of the afternoon learning how to drive a stick. After a few hours was good to go! Love that story.
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That's definitely one way to learn to drive a manual!

Although I prefer the old fashioned way, try getting your dad to teach you and make him pull his hair out by killing it 43 different times before finally making it to 2nd gear.
 
Nate said:
Funny story here but my dad gave me some $$$ to get a car in college when my car broke down. So I took the $$$ and bought a standard because they were cheaper and could get more for the $$$. Guy asked me if I wanted to test drive it, I said nope! Had them deliver it to where I was staying and spent the rest of the afternoon learning how to drive a stick. After a few hours was good to go! Love that story.
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Awesome story! I learned to drive stick on a good friends' Acura Integra. He and I learned together. He got it as a 16th B-Day present from his family, so he and I took it out as he never drove stick before and neither had I. We figured, between the two of us, we could figure it out. Was hilarious.
 
Yes, I know how to drive a stick. In 1976, my brother-in-law took me out to one of the many dead end roads outside of Tucson and taught me how on a early 70's big block Vette with a Muncie 4-speed that he and his buddies were prepping to sell (side business). It wasn't pretty at first (neck hurts thinking about it) but it sure was a blast once I eventually figured it out. The most fun manual transmission vehicles I've owned (in order of ownership) were a 67 Chevelle, 76 FJ40 Landcruiser with a Chevy 350, and a "tuned" 72 911E targa.

My wife tried, but for the well being of the vehicle she exchanged it for one with an automatic. Our daughter might have seen a manual transmission in the movies...
Deano said:
It's funny how here in the UK it's the complete opposite as most people learn to drive a manual rather than an automatic. I would guess that it's upwards of 90% of drivers that use a manual or at least learnt how to drive in one.
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It's true. Those of us here in the Colonies are contrarians. :act-up:

KEV said:
On a side note I've always wondered if I went overseas how hard it would be to shift using my left hand. I'm not overly coordinated with my left side.
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Good point. My left arm's function is to hold my watch. I'm sure that the mechanic wouldn't like the result if I tried shifting with my left hand.
 
Yep Ive owned 4 or 5 cars that were stick but Im the only one in my family that knows how to drive one.
 
Yep I can. Used to have a couple manual cars, but being in my 20's, I know I am in the vast minority there. My wife does not know how, and most of my friends do not either.

Most of my family actually does know though.
 
I was pretty much taught how to drive stick shift as I was learning to drive. We used to go out driving late at night, so the roads were empty and I could practice on hills. My Dad only wanted manual transmission in cars, but found it harder to find them in the car he wanted as time went on. The first two cars I owned were manual transmissions and my current car is the first one without. I miss it, but I know Dawn had no interest in learning how to drive on.
 
First vehicles I drove were dirt bikes and farm trucks, so yeah. Last manual car I had was an A4, and I honestly have no desire to every have another stick as a daily driver.

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Of course I do and so does pretty much my whole family, my 17 y/o daughter does not however. We had considered getting her a manual so she couldn't text and drive, but there's just not a whole lot out there anymore.

As for myself, I was driving tractors by the time I was 10, so learning a manual transmission wasn't really an option. It was a duty.
 
Both the wife and I do, we have an old Miata we use in the summer that is a blast to drive. My younger son has a WRX STI so he drives a stick. The only hold out is the older son.
 
Learned on a 3 on the tree, both my wife and I can drive manuals. Taught both my kids to drive a manual as well.
 
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