Grew up on an acreage and learned on my own at 13, up and down the driveway. Dad told me the basics and then gave me the keys to the car and told me to give it a go. I remember the first time putting it in gear, letting the clutch out not too badly, and then driving away. When I got a little ways down, I hit the brakes and the car stalled. Ran back to the house "dad, it just died!"
He shook his head "put the clutch in when you're stopping"
Durrr.
I can operate a manual gearbox without issue. I learned when I was 21ish, and would never go back to owning an Auto (I have to drive Auto from time to time, because work vans are auto, and my parents cars are auto.)
Here's the weird thing though. I don't know what it is, it's likely pure coincidence, but most of my female co-workers that drive, drive stick, and the there are some that own autos but know how to drive stick.
Yes, 22.
I bought my first car at 20, and made sure it was a manual. We weren't friends for quite a while, but now I wouldn't choose an automatic over a standard.
The attitude against sticks is very North American. When I was living in Australia and New Zealand, it would have been weird if you didn't drive a manual. I assume Europe is very much the same.
I can't drive standard. Wish I learned for emergency sake...or if I ever go on The Amazing Race.
I don't get car sick in an automatic...but always seem to in a standard...doesn't matter who is driving. I've never been in a standard that was a smooth ride.
Grew up on an acreage and learned on my own at 13, up and down the driveway. Dad told me the basics and then gave me the keys to the car and told me to give it a go. I remember the first time putting it in gear, letting the clutch out not too badly, and then driving away. When I got a little ways down, I hit the brakes and the car stalled. Ran back to the house "dad, it just died!"
He shook his head "put the clutch in when you're stopping"
Durrr.
I've never bought a vehichle for myself that wasn't a standard. But I haven't bought a vehichle for myself in over 10 years. So I know I can drive. 5 speed, haven't tried anything with more gears. Learned when I was 16, if you've ever been to Kamloops, the hill start on first avenue is the test you need to pass.
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Nah, as long as it's legal to manually drive a car I think some brands will stay pure with at least a model or two. For example I can't see Subaru making an auto-only STI
Yeah. In fact, it should be easy to market them to the "driver's crowd" as well. I'd still only get a manual for a winter car as well if do-able, but any company that concentrates certain cars as "drivers' cars" would be hurting their sales by removing a manual option in their cars (or even one or two models of a certain make for example).
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My experience with a standard was trying to back my parents car out so I could use the automatic to see a friend....lets just say YouTube only goes so far, oh I'm 24.
I drive a standard, but I don't mind the SMG/DSG type gearboxes. Those are the ones that have the computer controlled clutches. After driving my M3 at the track, then driving my friend's M3 with SMG at the track, I was able to get faster lap times on the SMG because I only had to focus on my racing line rather than come to a corner, brake, rev match, downshift, gas. All I had to do was brake hit the paddle twice, hammer on the gas, perfect rev matches every single time.
I drive a standard, but I don't mind the SMG/DSG type gearboxes. Those are the ones that have the computer controlled clutches. After driving my M3 at the track, then driving my friend's M3 with SMG at the track, I was able to get faster lap times on the SMG because I only had to focus on my racing line rather than come to a corner, brake, rev match, downshift, gas. All I had to do was brake hit the paddle twice, hammer on the gas, perfect rev matches every single time.
Yeah, for track cars these new double clutch gear boxes are phenomenal, but like I said earlier, once you take them off of the track into day to day driving I think it would become a bore.
Haven't driven a standard in years, learned backing Greyhound buses up. I have no doubt I could do it again, but outside of a sportscar, I really wouldn't prefer it on anything I would drive.
I wonder if the manly men who drive standard and put down auto drivers are the men who get their air filter changed at minit lube.
Probably hard to say. But while air filter...maybe not. I think most people who at least know how to change out their own brakes (and are comfortable doing so) know how to drive manual.
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"Correction, it's not your leg son. It's Liverpool's leg" - Shankly
