[US Navy Vet]

How many here can drive a "Stick"?

[Myrddin]

I still own and can drive my 1974 Porsche 914 with 5 spd stick. Ditto for the 1994 Saturn SL2. My 4x4 trucks all have automatic transmissions with all the fancy ABS and auto-hubs so they are safer in the snowy conditions of an Idaho Winter. All of my motorcycles are standard clutch/gear shift arrangements. My wife has a "twist-and-go" Piaggio BV500. Some days that looks tempting as many years of navigating heavy traffic while operating a fairly heavy clutch pull is doing some repetitive stress damage to my left hand. Honda makes a new, high performance touring bike with an automatic transmission. It uses a double auto-clutch to smoothly shift. Far more efficient than the CVS transmissions on the Piaggio bikes.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

Love it!

Wife won’t even try.

Best part is the valet at our favorite restaurant won’t touch it either - saves me the tip and I get a good spot by the door to boot.

[China Clipper]

How many here can drive a "Stick"?

I can.

I learned to drive (like all my 8 brothers and sisters) in a 1963 Chevy Bel Air Station wagon,"three-on-the-tree", with a clutch that took all your strength to depress. Dad would watch my left foot on that clutch and G*d forbid if you EVER rode that thing.

"Brake first, then clutch at the very end only. Get your foot off the clutch. I can't afford to keep putting clutches in this thing."

Dad used to say if you could learn to drive THAT clutch you could drive ANYTHING. He was right of course. Amazing how smart that man became when I moved away to college...but I digress.

I have found that most people have NO IDEA what a clutch is and how a clutch works, and thus have NO IDEA how to drive one. Get the learning driver to understand the basis of what it is and how a clutch works, THEN you can teach them how to drive one.

Oh, BTW, never, EVER under ANY circumstance, try to teach your wife or girlfriend how to drive a clutch. Let a father or disinterested friend do it.

Ask me how I know....

[mombonn]

Nearly all my cars have had manual transmissions. Current MINI included. At 63, I'd have a hard time having to drive an automatic.

Old dogs, new tricks you know!

[Born to Conserve]

I learned to drive on a manual (”three on the tree”), and I can drive pretty much anything. But I’ve never been able to juggle a manual and a beer on a winding road. Did I say “beer”? I don’t drink and drive, I meant cell phone. Did I say “cell phone”? I don’t text and drive, I meant makeup. Did I say “makup”? I’m a guy, I meant, um, map! Did I say “map”? I have gps, I meant.... ah f it, I meant beer.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

I’ve got a sports car and an SUV. The sports car is a 6 speed manual. The SUV is auto transmission.

[stevio]

Well if any auto reps are reading this, put me down as one that would rather drive manual than an automatic. And that’s heavy traffic or open road. There is no connection to the road with an automatic.

[this_ol_patriot]

Never drove anything but a stick, ever, on the column or on the floor.

[tacticalogic]

I’ve done floor, column, left foot, right foot, 3, 4, and 5 speeds, one with an overdrive unit and a couple with more gears in the rear end. And some tracked equipment with 3 clutches.

[Woodsman27]

I enjoy them but the wife cannot drive them and therefore I cannot buy one.

One advantage of stick shift cars used to be that they were more fuel efficient and were a fair amount quicker. That isn’t the case anymore with a good modern automatic.

[Melas]

No problem. I don’t particular care for them, but driving one is no problem. My wife won’t drive anything else.