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Can you or your family members drive a stick shift?

In the U.K, if you pass your test in an automatic, you can't legally drive manual until you pass in a manual. There's so much more to driving a stick, I'm surprised the same law doesn't apply here. I've driven manual's ever since I passed my test, and will continue to do so until I die.
I'm forced to drive an automatic as my works vehicle. How anyone gets any pleasure from driving an automatic is genuinely beyond me!


#FiberLaunch
 
I learned to drive on a stick and up until a few years ago I owned a jeep that was a manual.
 
Thats all I have ever driven, I have never owned an automatic.
 
I learned to drive around 13 in my mom's stick shift Maxima. I've driven alot of sticks since, and owned a couple. I taught my sister as her first car was stick, and taught several friends and exes as well. My wife can't drive one. She pretty much refuses to let me teach her anything so I guess it will stay that way.
 
Every vehicle I've owned since the mid seventies has been a manual until I bought the Tundra I now drive. This Toyota is the only vehicle that shifts gears better than I can.
 
Me and my wife can.

But my kids will grow up without ever driving one most likely
 
I drive a 5-speed manual, rear wheel drive car.

I learned to drive manual from my wife.

One of my big motivations to keep my car running is so my children can learn to drive a manual transmission car. There's a good chance it would be a deal-breaker for whatever car I get next if my Mustang doesn't make it another 7+years. I love driving stick even at its most annoying, and I think it's one of those things that just facilitates a connection to the act of driving.
 
So either there is something really weird about golfers (a decided possibility) or all the "automatic-only" folks on this site are hiding. You'd think everybody can drive a stick by the responses here!
 
I learned how to drive a stick when my cousin sold me his car, an 84 rx7. He came to pick me up and I drove him home, badly and then had to go back 35 miles to my house. Nothing like learning just by having to do. Currently have a stick as well now and am very used to it. Most of my cars have been a stick.
 
Re: the can't text argument of driving a stick. Once you get up to speed you don't need to shift anymore. Then they can text away.
 
I adore manual. Just doesn't make a ton of sense with the wife incapable of learning and me being distracted a bit by the kiddo.

100% miss it.
 
Learned on automatic, dad bought a manual my last car was a manual and my current car is a manual, I hate that they're getting harder to find, wife can drive but hates it due to hills and traffic etc - she can though as she helped me drive cross country

I want to keep them as long as I can as i find it much more fun than automatic - the tesla is the only car that blew me away though


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I have driven many stick shift cars, starting with my very first car, a 1950 Ford that I inherited from my grandfather.
It had a "3 on the tree".
 
I can, and love to drive stick except on long drives--i twisted my left knee 20 years ago skiing and too much clutch work makes it really ache. My wife has never learned and is afraid to! I still want a mustang gt with a stick though. Maybe one day.


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Grew up on a farm, been in some form of construction pretty much entire working life so a manual transmission is my roots. Slightly sad how few young people and women don't know where to start with a manual shift. To the point we buy a lot of our smaller commercial trucks with automatics just to accomodate.
 
Drove a stick for 6 years and loved it. Thank goodness I knew how because I would have been hosed in Europe.


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OITW said:
…wife can drive but hates it due to hills and traffic etc - she can though as she helped me drive cross country
Click to expand...
My 2014 Mazda stick shift has something called 'hill start assist.' I pull up to a red light on a hill, slide the stick into first gear, the light turns green, I take my foot off the break and the car holds for 10 seconds.

Some days I'm glad I have it, most days it feels a bit amateurish. Haha.
 
O'Carroll said:
My 2014 Mazda stick shift has something called 'hill start assist.' I pull up to a red light on a hill, slide the stick into first gear, the light turns green, I take my foot off the break and the car holds for 10 seconds.

Some days I'm glad I have it, most days it feels a bit amateurish. Haha.
Click to expand...

My new car has that as well - does take a bit away from the experience - she would like it though
 
It's been awhile since I last drove a stick but I think I could figure it out again.


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Learned to drive in a pickup with 3 on the tree. My current toy is a stick. My wife has driven it a few times. Manual steering and brakes. At nearly 20 feet long it's a b*tch to parallel park.
d6558bc2c8d903c8cf52a4402f0169b9.jpg


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Been about about 6 or 7 years since I've owned a stick shift. I know I could drive one with no issue. My wife, on the other hand, no way.
 
The_Dude said:
Learned to drive in a pickup with 3 on the tree. My current toy is a stick. My wife has driven it a few times. Manual steering and brakes. At nearly 20 feet long it's a b*tch to parallel park.
Click to expand...
But fun as hell to drive.
 
I know how and my entire family does too. Nowdays, I think its becoming less and less common because theres so few cars nowdays that have manual transmissions.
 
The_Dude said:
Learned to drive in a pickup with 3 on the tree. My current toy is a stick. My wife has driven it a few times. Manual steering and brakes. At nearly 20 feet long it's a b*tch to parallel park.
d6558bc2c8d903c8cf52a4402f0169b9.jpg


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Click to expand...
That's got to be a heck of a fun ride!
 
KEV said:
That's got to be a heck of a fun ride!
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It's a big car but moves out pretty good. 383 4-speed with 3.23 gears so I can still take it on the highway.
 
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