Only 18 Percent Of Americans Can Drive Manual. :(

[Phirewriter]

At least having a manual will increase your odds of NOT having your car stolen or jacked. There is a recent upsurge in my area of these crimes. After a brief discussion with my neighbor (who is a police officer) he mentioned that alot of the would be criminal types avoid anything that may have a stick. 

I learned how to drive a stick in my dad's '41 Ford, 3 on the tree with a Columbia 2 speed rear end.

Edited March 26, 2017 by Phirewriter

[Tom Geiger]

Bill, my father had no patience to teach anyone to drive!  He'd sit in the passenger seat with his arm out the window and drum his fingers on the roof.  That freaked out my younger sister so I taught her how to drive. 

A few years later my sister had a boyfriend that my parents didn't like.  He had a pickup with a clutch so my father had me teach her how to drive a clutch just in case the boyfriend got drunk, she could drive his truck home.  It kinda backfired on my dad....  she learned to drive the truck alright... they took off and she drove it all the way to California!   

[High octane]

At least having a manual will increase your odds of NOT having your car stolen or jacked. There is a recent upsurge in my area of these crimes. After a brief discussion with my neighbor (who is a police officer) he mentioned that alot of the would be criminal types avoid anything that may have a stick. 

I learned how to drive a stick in my dad's '41 Ford, 3 on the tree with a Columbia 2 speed rear end.

Let me put it to you this way, if someone wants your car, they're gonna get it no matter what kind of tranny you have, what kind of alarm system, armed guards, etc.

[Tom Geiger]

At least having a manual will increase your odds of NOT having your car stolen or jacked. There is a recent upsurge in my area of these crimes. After a brief discussion with my neighbor (who is a police officer) he mentioned that alot of the would be criminal types avoid anything that may have a stick. 

There was an item on the news not too long ago about a car jacker that pulled someone out of their car at an intersection, and couldn't drive the clutch.  So he ran away. Kinda like the clowns who robbed the jewelry store in Las Vegas this weekend..  big planned out heist until the get away car refused to start!

Edited March 27, 2017 by Tom Geiger

[Phirewriter]

Most of the car thefts here are for using the car in another crime, drugs sales, robbery, etc... Some are just for giggles by young idiots who think that's a good way to give themselves street cred. The type of car is immaterial as long as it's an easy theft. Luckily we also have CCP law which is a deterrent in some areas known for a higher percentage of gun owners.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Phirewriter

[Rocking Rodney Rat]

When my oldest daughter turned 16 (about ten years ago now) and got her license I handed her the keys to a sweet E36 BMW I saved for her. She learned to drive on that car, a five speed. After owning it (well, technically I still did) for about 16 months she totaled it. She insisted that her next car be a manual tranny. When she was in college, I asked her if she ever let friends drive her car. She said "No, no one knows how to drive a stick". Perfect, I thought to myself. -RRR

[cowboy rich]

Interesting conversation, the first vehicle I drove was a ten wheeler farm truck with an old five speed. The second would probably really detour theft these days as it was a '69 Pete twin stick and the the clutch is for getting it rolling only, the ol'man reminded me more than once! To this day I don't use the clutch once I'm moving, and most people don't notice. 

[Lunajammer]

Until two years ago, the only daily driver I'd owned (since 1981) that wasn't a stick shift was a '76 AMC hornet and that was only for about two years. I went from '76 Astre, '76 Vega, '82 Camaro, '83 Nissan 200SX, '96 Mustang... all rear wheel drive manuals until my current PT Cruiser two years ago, so about 35 years of driving manuals and I miss it dearly in the winter.

[CometMan]

I'm not surprised by that stat. Driving is a necessity of my job, I'm constantly having to drive manuals for almost all of my co-workers who are under 30, it's been that way for quite a few years now.

[Dragline]

As for me, I learned to drive my Uncle Steve's mid 70's Capri with a manual. I was also 12 years old. Everyone in my family can drive a stick. My brother Rick bought a Dodge Dart sport 2 years ago and taught his wife in one day.

 

then there was the incident where I was making a fuss at a restaraunt. I was sent to the car where I promptly took it out of gear and gently tapped the car in front. that might have been the first time I got behind a wheel. I was about 7.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Dragline

[PARTSMARTY]

I've driven stick all my life-I'm an old school hot rodder/muscle guy and love it.We have a town and country -automatic and would die for a stick again.!!!

[dublin boy]

If you like manuals and know someone that has an MX-5/Miata beg borrow or steal it, lovely gearbox.

[High octane]

I've driven stick all my life-I'm an old school hot rodder/muscle guy and love it.We have a town and country -automatic and would die for a stick again.!!!

Driving stick shift everyday to and from work in bumper to bumper traffic can loose its charm real easy. It's not like being on an open stretch of road and bangin' the gears at all.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I bought my first pickup with a manual back in 1988 having no experience at all with them.

I had ridden a motorcycle for several years at that point, so I had the basics down.

With the truck, I had to learn fast.

I bought it as a work truck on a Saturday & had to be to work on Monday.

My wife was raised with manuals, so she knew how to drive one long before me.

She actually taught my son to drive our 6 speed '05 S-2000 several years ago, & just taught my now 27 year old daughter how to drive a stick last summer.

Needless to say, my 22 year old son thinks he gets to drive the S-2000 every time he comes home now!

 

Steve

[MrObsessive]

Driving stick shift everyday to and from work in bumper to bumper traffic can loose its charm real easy. It's not like being on an open stretch of road and bangin' the gears at all.

You got that right! It's one of the reasons I don't miss a manual in my Challenger. I thought I'd never say that, but as the knees hurt more than they use to, and the 60 mark gets ever closer I don't knock automatics at all. Sure, a manual is nice on those days when you want to go cruising a twisty country road (PA is full of 'em), but for everyday driving back and forth to work------at this point in my life an automatic is more practical, and much more knee friendly.

[StevenGuthmiller]

You got that right! It's one of the reasons I don't miss a manual in my Challenger. I thought I'd never say that, but as the knees hurt more than they use to, and the 60 mark gets ever closer I don't knock automatics at all. Sure, a manual is nice on those days when you want to go cruising a twisty country road (PA is full of 'em), but for everyday driving back and forth to work------at this point in my life an automatic is more practical, and much more knee friendly.

My knees are fine but I think at this point in my life, I'm done with manuals just because they're a pain to drive in every day traffic.

I have a 2007 Honda Civic coupe that I bought new & I thought it would be fun to go back to a manual after a few years of an '03 Dodge 1500 pickup with an auto.

I was right, it was fun......for about 3 months.

I got tired of it real quick!

My next one will be an automatic.

 

Steve

[Tom Geiger]

Driving stick shift everyday to and from work in bumper to bumper traffic can loose its charm real easy. It's not like being on an open stretch of road and bangin' the gears at all.

That's why my Geo Tracker 5 speed lasted this long!  I started working in Pearl River, New York in 2001.  That was a 1.5 to a 2 hr drive in stop and go traffic every day.  The Tracker lasted a few weeks in this service, until my left hip started hurting and throbbing.  So the Crown Vic got pressed into commuter service and the Tracker became a weekend fun car.

[Kit Basher]

The result of that statistic is it's hard to find a new vehicle with a stick. I managed to find a 2013 Focus with a manual, but my 2015 F-250 4x4 is automatic only.

Ford doesn't even make a manual for that truck!  I'm pretty sure that's true for the F-350 as well.

[69NovaYenko]

I learned to drive my buddies 3 speed in the column Ford Econoline van the mid 70ties when I was living in New Orleans...and truth be told I wasn`t that good at it.  Have not been near a stick since then and that was is about 49 +++ years ago. One of my closest friend LOVES driving sticks. He just purchased a 2016  Toyota Mark X and loves it. But, in my circles of friends, he is the ONLY one that drives a stick.

[bamadon]

This is an interesting topic. I bought my first car in 1965 and have owned 26 till now. 12 of those 26 were manuals. I enjoy the feeling of being connected to the car, listening to the rpm's and trying to match them for smooth downshifts. Luckily I don't get in heavy traffic much anymore but would probably still own a manual. My current daily driver is a C5 Corvette and I absolutely love driving it. By the way, I'm 72 and again, lucky I don't have the physical problems some of you are suffering from.

[69NovaYenko]

 Luckily I don't get in heavy traffic much anymore but would probably still own a manual.

 

I have no issues with those individuals that enjoy a manual. However, the 25 minute stop and go highway traffic I encounter going to and from work on daily basics is my reason I do not enjoy manual shift cars.

[High octane]

I have no issues with those individuals that enjoy a manual. However, the 25 minute stop and go highway traffic I encounter going to and from work on daily basics is my reason I do not enjoy manual shift cars.

Twenty five minutes, that's all? I used to be "gear jammin" for 'bout an hour to work, and another hour back home. It got old real quick.

[Pete J.]

25 Minutes??  An Hour??  Try the 405 from Irvine to Huntington beach on a Friday in a MR2!  A 5 lane parking lot both ways.  I still love the 5 speed and I'm 67.

 

[peteski]

25 Minutes??  An Hour??  Try the 405 from Irvine to Huntington beach on a Friday in a MR2!  A 5 lane parking lot both ways.  I still love the 5 speed and I'm 67.

 

And you drive on this route every Friday?  Good for you! 

If you had to drive under those conditions 5 days a week, you would probably change your opinion.

Edited March 29, 2017 by peteski

[David G.]

There is one thing that I'm glad to see and that the use of the term "manual" transmission instead of "standard". Manual transmissions haven't been standard equipment in most American cars since the 70s.

And, yes, I can drive one.

David G.