Yes. Yes I can. In fact, I'll only drive an automatic transmission if I have no other choice.

Oh yea! And I enjoy every minute of it. Every man should be able to drive stick. It's one of those thing in life that every man has to do: plant a tree, have a son, build a house, drive stick, ride the motorcycle. Currently I've got 2 out of 5.... need a motorcycle...

BTW, driving manual transmission = indescribable joy

The 3 cars I drive are all stick, the 3 I just sold were all stick, and the car coming apart in the shop right now is stick (and was converted from automatic).

I (and a few friends) taught my wife how to drive stick while she was in college so she could buy an affordable car in Austin (hard to do if all you want is automatic) and now she refuses to drive anything without a clutch pedal.

People that like automatic transmissions are the same people who like straight roads, cup holders and having more than two seats (and less than 200hp). I don't understand those people.

You should learn how to drive stick just in case of emergency, even if you own an automatic. My friend had to drive an incapacitated friend's car (stick shift) to a hospital during a trip to Brazil. He learned how to drive stick when he first started driving and never drove it again, but luckily he had a general idea of what to do. Probably saved his friend's life.

I would recommend also learning how to ride a motorcycle for the very same reason.

Only ever owned stick shifts since i started driving

I <3 my civic si and it's lovely 6 speed transmission!

My dad taught me how to drive a stick on a 1970 VW camper van (which was way older than I am). I had to stand up to push both the brake & clutch at the same time.

I hate driving automatics now.. I won't drive one unless I have to.

I feel like everyone should learn how to drive a stick, it's a good skill to have and it's very frustrating when someone can't drive one in an emergency situation (and i'm not just talking about for designated driver purposes either). It's not hard to learn, you just have to take the time to do it.

I was taught to drive on an automatic, but when I was stationed in California all that was available on the sales lots were manuals. An enterprising salesman trying to make a sale taught me to drive stick in about 30 minutes. Sadly for him, I didn't buy his overpriced RX7, but every car I've owned since has been manual.

rprebel wrote:People that like automatic transmissions are the same people who like straight roads, cup holders and having more than two seats (and less than 200hp). I don't understand those people.

I concur!

I've yet to drive a stick, but I do ride motorcycles and quads, which have the same concept. So I imagine a stick won't be much harder to drive. I think I want both worlds - a true manual transmission with a clutch, but then the added ability to switch into automatic when I just want to cruise and not worry about the drive.

devildog7 wrote:I concur!

Are we talking 9,10,13,15 or 18 forward gears?

I used to drive semi's. Depending on the transmission, you can have up to 18 gears forward, and 2 reverse.

Keep on truckin! We keep your stores loaded. Without us you wouldn't be eating

Some people drive. Some people only steer.

My last car was a stick. I got pretty good at it. I would sit at a light at the top of a hill and make the car roll back a few inches then go up hill a few inches then repeat, freaking out the other people in the car.

I tried to get a stick when I bought my current car but all the cars I looked at if it had a stick and I could afford it I couldn't fit in it. If I could fit in it and it had a stick I could afford it. So I kind of got stuck with an automatic.

rprebel wrote:People that like automatic transmissions are the same people who like straight roads, cup holders and having more than two seats (and less than 200hp). I don't understand those people.

I do...when you drive high it's way better to have less that you need to control. (uh me along time ago and I traded in a stick for an ahtemattee, then I got just as you say "like straight roads, cup holders and having more than two seats "we all gotta grow up sometime, dangit.

Shame on Woot! for using polls to gather information about the gender of their users . . .

I need a 'Of course, is there any other way to drive? I don't know of one' option

Sure, it's the only way to kill a vampire.

davidleekersey wrote:My last car was a stick. I got pretty good at it. I would sit at a light at the top of a hill and make the car roll back a few inches then go up hill a few inches then repeat, freaking out the other people in the car.

I tried to get a stick when I bought my current car but all the cars I looked at if it had a stick and I could afford it I couldn't fit in it. If I could fit in it and it had a stick I could afford it. So I kind of got stuck with an automatic.

Same with me. All of my previous cars/trucks were stick shift, but the only vehicles on the lot where I purchased my new truck only had au-bu-matics. I also only buy brand specific vehicles. but that's not what this poll is about.

Yes. I also ride a motorcycle. Both car and bike are manual.

I learned on a corvair 3 speed on the floor. then i had my sister's saab for the summer- it had a shift on the column. I love driving a standard except in heavy stop and go traffic

I won't drive my friends cars because there all automatics and there is nothing more boring then an automatic...and who wants to be seen driving a four door.

kimcee wrote:I <3 my civic si and it's lovely 6 speed transmission!

That's my feeling exactly!! I have a 6-speed Civic SI also - LOVE IT!!

I learned to drive in a 1962 Mercury Comet on an informal airstrip in a field. My dad showed me how and left me to it - said come back when you can drive this thing!! Took a few hours, but I got the hang of it, and have always preferred a stick.

I have a '95 Eclipse gsx, and I just got a 350z last year. I learned on my buddies old 85 toyota corrola. LOL that car was so raggedy that it had a hole in the floor. But it was a fantastic car to learn on. Light, clutch was good, so you could feel the catch, and not to powerful so you could learn to shift the proper way. But I wish he still had the car, Its impossible to teach people to drive stick on the cars we have now. Supra's and turboed cars are way to powerful to teach someone "clutch management".

I just got the new Honda CR-Z and I made darn sure it was a 6-speed! I also have a motorcycle and eventually I want to learn to fly a plane. I'm making it a goal in life to learn how to operate as many vehicles as possible, that way when the zombie apocalypse comes I'll be prepared.

P.S. When I do have to reluctantly drive an automatic, my foot still instinctively hits the floor where the clutch should be and my hand goes right for where the stick should be. :=]

I may be a minority here, but I believe that ALL drivers should be able to do 3 things before they get their license.
1. Drive a stick
2. Change a tire
3. check and add all fluids to their car.
Being able to do those 3 things would cut down on stranded motorists by at least 50%. It would be more, but just because people know how to do those things doesn't mean they would.

You go! I would like to learn to fly as well, just one issue though...small planes scare me a bit. I flew in a 10 seater jet from Palm Springs to LAX and was freaked out because I didn't realize small planes fishtail in cross winds.

CaptRobThePirate wrote:I just got the new Honda CR-Z and I made darn sure it was a 6-speed! I also have a motorcycle and eventually I want to learn to fly a plane. I'm making it a goal in life to learn how to operate as many vehicles as possible, that way when the zombie apocalypse comes I'll be prepared.

P.S. When I do have to reluctantly drive an automatic, my foot still instinctively hits the floor where the clutch should be and my hand goes right for where the stick should be. :=]

Yes, and I get better gas mileage then friends that drive the same year and model of vehicle.
I've owned more than 10 cars in my life, and only one had an automatic transmission.

In order to survive in adulthood you need to know how to play cards, drink coffee, and drive a stick...or at least that is what my mom told me...I still can't play cards.

My first new car (1985 Celica) was a stick. I bought it having only driven manual once in a Citation that had a cable clucth. My dad drove the Celica home. I loved the hydraulic clucth and have been buying stick ever since. Love it.

No, but I can throw one.

A proper driver's automobile has two doors, two seats, a removable top and a manual transmission.

There is no such thing as a "sports sedan."

I will never drive an automatic again. I like the ability to choose what gear I want the car in and control what the car does.

Plus who'd want to steal my car then. A thief would look at it and go "Bundle of Crops, I can't drive this" They'd close the door and steal the automatic version.

I've never owned one but a friend taught me how on his car. I don't know if I could do it now, but the theory behind it was simple.

I have taught three people to drive stick on my car, a 1992 Porsche 968 which is lovingly referred to as the Ghetto Porsche. It has a super heavy clutch, so if you can learn on that, everything else is easy! I got a motorcycle last year, and now I want a car with a true sequential manual transmission (not an "auto-stick").

By drive do you mean fly, and by stick do you mean broom? Yes.

I love driving manual trans, I drove one for a few years then had to sell and get something cheap so now im stuck with an automatic, got 08 ninja 650R and 80 GS550 though so I still get my fix every once in a while! :]

Yeah... and can double-clutch too.

314edpiper wrote:I may be a minority here, but I believe that ALL drivers should be able to do 3 things before they get their license.
1. Drive a stick
2. Change a tire
3. check and add all fluids to their car.
Being able to do those 3 things would cut down on stranded motorists by at least 50%.

I would amend "change a tire" to include "change a tire without lying under your car and sticking your legs out on the highway, you OMGOMGOMGPONIESOMG PWNIES OMGOMGOMGPONIESOMG. I can't believe how many times I see this.

I don't get the love for manuals. Maybe I'm just too utilitarian with my cars, but I've never cared about shifting gears.