Can you drive a manual car?

[Amducious]

A poll to see who here can drive a manual transmission car (stick). Since it seems less and less cars are coming out with a manual option (in the U.S that is other places manuals are quite prominent in cars). I personally love manuals and have been driving one for 4 months after switching over from an automatic (I like manuals so much now I don't want to go back to an Automatic). I personally think it's a great skill to learn to drive a manual car.

So who here knows how to drive a manual?

[Iara Warriorfeather]

I agree with you; however, I prefer automatic transmission because there are less steps to take to get the car into gear.

Provided I drive safely anywhere, anyway....

[Storm Fox]

I can drive a stick but I rarely get to as I only own automatics.

Automatics are just more relaxing to drive and I don't own anything high performance that would make a manual more worthwhile.

[Amducious]

I do agree with both, automatics happen to be more relaxing. Also newer automatic transmissions like VW's DSG transmission is crazy fast along with Mercedes and any other exotic cars. So eventually the manual is going to fazed out and be gone as far as I know in the future. However it's cool to see how far the automatic transmission has come since the 1940s

[Varg the wanderer]

 I like manuals because of the additional control you have over the vehicle. If you coast you don't have to take the vehicle out of gear like you do in a manual. If your battery is low, sometimes you can push the car and pop the clutch to get it started. Also, an automatic transmission can only react to what you have done, where as you can anticipate with a manual. I drive a pickup, so this is especially handy when pulling a trailer.

That being said, I will take an automatic in heavy traffic anyday. 

[Amducious]

Both have their advantages xP traffic sucks with a manual (lol leg work out)

[Varg the wanderer]

Both have their advantages xP traffic sucks with a manual (lol leg work out)

I made the mistake of driving once through Chicago traffic, and then had the bright idea to live in New Orleans for two years. My left leg was definitely larger than the right.

[Amducious]

Both have their advantages xP traffic sucks with a manual (lol leg work out)

I made the mistake of driving once through Chicago traffic, and then had the bright idea to live in New Orleans for two years. My left leg was definitely larger than the right.

Traffic that and hills

My dad drove in San Fransisco once in a 1988 VW Rabbit  needless to say he said it was one of the hardest things he's done while driving a stick

[Loc]

I drive both. manuals are far more common in the UK, but I can and have driven an automatic. And honestly... I don't much like it. I'd take manual every time. I also find it much easier than an automatic personally xD

[Kobuk]

Don't own or drive a car due to bad eyesight. So I really don't care about stick or automatic. 

[Fenny the Fox]

Can drive either manual or automatic. I honestly miss my old Ford Ranger with stick shift that I used to drive. But the automatic in my truck now is nice for traffic, so there's that.

[cause the rat]

The last manual trans vehicle I tried to drive was a 1968 Ford F150 truck. And that was back in the 70's.

[Storm Fox]

Both have their advantages xP traffic sucks with a manual (lol leg work out)

I made the mistake of driving once through Chicago traffic, and then had the bright idea to live in New Orleans for two years. My left leg was definitely larger than the right.

Traffic that and hills

My dad drove in San Fransisco once in a 1988 VW Rabbit  needless to say he said it was one of the hardest things he's done while driving a stick

Reasons like that is why I'd like to see the old fluid drive systems from the late 40's brought back. You use the clutch to change gears but could start and stop as if it were an automatic.

[Old Rabbit]

When I first learned to drive in the early 1960's. The school had
an automatic for the drivers ed car, but I never owned a car or
truck that had a automatic transmission. I always felt I don't
have anything better to do than shift the transmission. Also
a Manuel drive is much easier to start by pushing it. 

Now for driving in the big cities I think an automatic is
probably better with all the starts and stops required.

Here is a list of the vehicles I owned over the years. None
except some motorcycles I had were new when I got them.
1956 VW Van
1960 VW Bus
1957 VW Beetle
1965 Ford Mustang.
1966 International Scout 2WD
1967 International Scout 4WD
1977 VW Rabbit
1988 Chevrolet Pickup Truck
My vision got too bad to drive after that.

I had a 3 Honda motorcycles. 2 90cc and a 305 cc
1 1950 model Harley Davidson 66 cubic inch motor.

Almost forgot. I had a 1950 model Cessna 120 airplane.
No auto pilot by the way. 

I have nothing against automatics, just always liked the
control and flexibility Manuels  have over the automatic.

In case anyone is wondering. I sold every last one of them.

Personal favorites were.
1977 VW Rabbit
1967 International Scout 4WD
Not counting the Airplane which was a lot of fun.

Old Rabbit
 

[Firelight]

I only drive go karts at Oaks park. Does that count? 

[Old Rabbit]

My dad drove in San Fransisco once in a 1988 VW Rabbit  needless to say he said it was one of the hardest things he's done while driving a stick

That is interesting. The VW Rabbit I had ran like a sports car. Unless
you had 4 big people in it..  Dropping to 3 rd gear in passing I had
to be careful not to break the speed limit of 70 mph in a few seconds.
It did have the largest gas fuel injected engine they made for the Rabbit.
So perhaps that made the difference.

A friend of mine had a VW Rabbit diesel that was a real dog. It got great
mileage, (over 50 miles per gallon) but you had to turn the air off to pass
someone with it.

[Rocket T. Coyote]

My Dad drove a stick. Most of the vehicles in my squadron motor pool were manual. I've always had automatic transmission vehicles though I once had my eye on a VW Thing.