Can You Drive A Standard

[dissentowner]

Yes, everybody should learn on a manual transmission.

[TSXCman]

Yea, learned at 14 the second I had my learner's license.

Done atleast 90% of all driving in standard cars, the exception is when driving a truck of SUV. I think it's an important skill and much more enjoyable

[GP_Matt]

I am 30 and have always known how to drive standard. Even taught a few people including my wife. Her car is a standard but my truck is automatic. You can't find anything but a base model truck in standard anymore unfortunately.

You guys are all missing a great feature of a standard front wheel drive car. They are hard to get stuck. With a standard you have the ability to rock the car back and forth out of almost anything. Throw in someone pushing the car and there was never a day that we couldn't get our little Mazda 323 up and down the hill to Fortress. I live in Grande Prairie with a ton more snow than Calgary and have never got stuck in a standard.

[polak]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

How many standard drivers can double clutch or have had to drive a vehicle that needed double clutching.

I understand the concept. Clutch in - shift to neutral - Clutch out - Match Rev - Clutch in - Shift into gear - etc..

I think my dads semi is double clutch but the one time I drove it (across a 100 ft empty lot lol) I didn't have to shift or even add gas That was still terrifying.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

In addition to manual transmissions, I also prefer rotary phones, tube televisions, AM radio, and leaded gasoline.

I know you're joking, but I do think there's a correlation between people who prefer mechanical watches, fountain pens, and manual transmissions.

I learned how to shift gears on a motorcycle, so it was pretty easy to pick up how to do it in a car. I'm 31 now, and haven't had an automatic transmission since my early 20s.

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

How many standard drivers can double clutch or have had to drive a vehicle that needed double clutching.

I can, and have. Not really the most efficient way to rev match unless your trottle cable is so short that it is sensitive to the revs. New cars these days have synchros, so not really something needed anymore.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

I hate driving automatics in traffic as I find it highly annoying to leave my foot on the brake the entire time you're stopped.

So you don't keep your foot on brake with an automatic when stopped in traffic?

[moncton golden flames]

yes. my father would not let me get my drivers license unless i learned to drive manual.

[Bill Bumface]

Originally Posted by TheyCallMeBruce

I can, and have. Not really the most efficient way to rev match unless your trottle cable is so short that it is sensitive to the revs. New cars these days have synchros, so not really something needed anymore.

Throttle cable? Is this the 90s?

(I miss throttle cables... drive by wire is the least favorite part of my last few cars, and it takes a ton of practice to get used to the throttle response to perfectly rev match, which makes your deceleration extremely smooth and makes your clutch last for absolutely ever)

[Plett25]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

How many standard drivers can double clutch or have had to drive a vehicle that needed double clutching.

Double clutching is a good skill to have, but not nearly as important as being able to shift without the clutch. Saved me from a long walk a couple of times.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

$20 says you own a Toyota.....

I wish

[TheyCallMeBruce]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Throttle cable? Is this the 90s?

(I miss throttle cables... drive by wire is the least favorite part of my last few cars, and it takes a ton of practice to get used to the throttle response to perfectly rev match, which makes your deceleration extremely smooth and makes your clutch last for absolutely ever)

haha, I see we're old school folks.

[polak]

K with 30 people viewing this thread and no one laughing at my explanation on double clutch shifting, I'm going to assume I'm right lol

[Plett25]

Originally Posted by TheyCallMeBruce

I can, and have. Not really the most efficient way to rev match unless your trottle cable is so short that it is sensitive to the revs. New cars these days have synchros, so not really something needed anymore.

But it is the most fun way to match RPM to speed... and makes playing real life rally car way more fun. Its like a dance.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by polak

K with 30 people viewing this thread and no one laughing at my explanation on double clutch shifting, I'm going to assume I'm right lol

yes.

[DownhillGoat]

Yes. Age 30. Learned at age 16 on a test drive. That was interesting. The first car I bought was a standard, and I've currently got a standard (although my truck is an auto - which I prefer in a truck anyways). I feel substantially more engaged, and there's no better feeling than mashing the throttle, getting just under redline and kicking up a gear.

Can't double clutch, never driven anything that required it. Can't do the old shift with out the clutch trick either. Kind of scared to try.

I'd say about 80% of my friends can drive stick, but the industry I work in probably skews those numbers. Looking back at my group of friends in say college or even high-school it would probably be 30-50%, being generous.

The whole tiptronic/shiftomatic/automanual (whatever your prefferred brand calls it) being touted as some fancy new feature drives me nuts. You could do the exact same thing 15 years ago in an auto except now it's a push button instead of moving the shift lever up and down. It's still going to override your input if the ECU feels you're revving to high, and won't always drop down when you want it to. I'm convinced the only reason it exists is because it would be really awkward to have all the gears 6-speed auto transmission on a handle at the steering wheel or in the console.

I remember going on a test drive a few years ago and asking if that specific model came in a standard. To which the reply was "More or less - it has a manual mode". Buddy, that's no where close to "more or less".

Paddle shifting is actually pretty cool, but still not the same.

I remember when I bought my car how embarrassingly hard it was to find a used one in manual. Considering a manual transmission was one of my must-haves it was rather frustrating.

However if I were to buy a new sports car I'm not sure I'd go with a manual. With the new 8-speed double clutches the autos are now surpassing lap times over the standards.

Nah, who am I kidding. I'd still go with a stick.

Originally Posted by Old Yeller

It used to be when buying a new car, standards were cheaper than automatics... is that still the case?

I've seen a few that now charge extra for a standard, if it's even available.

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

there's no real advantage to a stick other than the fun factor,

Cost - clutch/throwout bearing replacement is around $1500, vs $4000+ for an auto trans replacement.
Power - Especially noticeable on underpowered cars. You'll get better mileage and more useable power with a stick.

[polak]

Originally Posted by Plett25

Double clutching is a good skill to have, but not nearly as important as being able to shift without the clutch. Saved me from a long walk a couple of times.

Wouldn't knowing how to double clutch prepare you pretty good for that? You'd have a good idea of how to rev match?

[Redliner]

Yup. Learned how to drive a stick when I was 16 and haven't looked back. It's interesting as in North America 90% of our vehicles are automatics but the reverse seems to be true in Europe, (at least it was in France) where only "special" people drive automatics.

It is only in the last few years that I have owned an automatic - the birth of our third child required us to purchase a "family" vehicle, which ended up being a minivan. I also have a truck which is an automatic, but I will never purchase a sedan or (god forbid) sports car that is not a manual.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by TheyCallMeBruce

I can, and have. Not really the most efficient way to rev match unless your trottle cable is so short that it is sensitive to the revs. New cars these days have synchros, so not really something needed anymore.

Some vehicle need to be double clutching, the Unimog(s) I drove needed to be, until you learned the grove of the vehicle. Oddly, each on was different.

[bigtmac19]

Yes I drive a standard, and I'm a woman. This is the second car I've owned that's standard.

Much more fun, but sometimes a pain in stop and go traffic.