POLL: can you drive stick shift ?

[KokomoGSTmp]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
I've been able to since I was 15. I think everyone should know how....sad that most americans drive autos and most europeans drive stick.

Evidenced by the fact that Mercedes doesn't offer manuals on most models (esp AMGs) here in the US. They do in Europe though! ARGH

 

[Andres3605]

yes, my 240 is stick

 

[essasin]

yes but i think manual transmission is going out the door

 

[Piobaireachd]

Originally posted by: essasin
yes but i think manual transmission is going out the door

I wouldn't have anything but a manual transmission in a truck.

Automatic is for girlie men

 

[Scarpozzi]

Originally posted by: KokomoGSTmp

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
I've been able to since I was 15. I think everyone should know how....sad that most americans drive autos and most europeans drive stick.

Evidenced by the fact that Mercedes doesn't offer manuals on most models (esp AMGs) here in the US. They do in Europe though! ARGH

I don't remember seeing one mercedes automatic when I was in Italy or France....I thought it was interesting to see so many manual transmissions. Not only were there a lot of them, but people can actually drive them too. It's sad to think how many people don't know how to drive properly even without having to deal with the shifting....their brains would have a meltdown if they had to do that.

 

[NissanGurl]

I can in an emergency situation. In other words if you have something more important to worry about than your transmission then sure I can drive stick

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: psteng19
Here's the test.
If you can drive a stick in the local roads of SF without stalling, burning your clutch, or slamming into the guy behind you, then you can say you can drive stick.

I've done that, and what a pain in the ass that is. I visited my friend and drove his Z. Man, some of those hills are STEEP near the convention center.

 

[aatf510]

Originally posted by: NissanGurl
I can in an emergency situation. In other words if you have something more important to worry about than your transmission then sure I can drive stick

No, newbie stick drivers would definately not be able to drive stick under stress.
They would have stalled the car 30 times before they can move a bit if they are nervous.

 

[nweaver]

took the driving test on my 16th birthday in a stick shift. Oh, and I borrowed the car from my mom's friend, so I had about 30 minutes experience driving it before the test.



Nice thing about Nevada, once you pass the sobriety test, it's all pretty much downhill for a drivers license

EDIT: And I taught my brother in my old 1970 Plymouth Belvadere with a 3 on the tree....Cost me a tranny job, but now he is better then me (CDL w/tanker/hazmat and tons of ther endorsments)

That car was fun, and almost no one asked to drive it, most couldn't even get out of the lot.

 

[m2kewl]

Originally posted by: psteng19
...So in other words, after 10 minutes, you were comfortable enough to drive around without crapping in your pants stopped at a light on a 10 degree uphill incline with a Ferrari Enzo 4 inches away from your rear bumper?

i did that all the time w/my friend's beemer at Edgewater.

where's my cookie?

 

[Chiropteran]

I love driving manual. I hate auto.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

don't drive

 

[macwinlin]

No. It would be nice to know, however.

 

[liquidblue]

I'm learning on my ...:sigh;... girl's car. How pathetic is that? She has stick and I don't. I did learn before, but when I was buying my Mazda 6s, the manuals were rare. I needed a car fast so I bought auto.

So to answer the poll... I'm learning still. And I'm not bad.

 

[PricklyPete]

yup...had to wait 2.5 extra months for my 2005 Tacoma to come in with a manual transmission on it. Was a frustrating wait...but worth it once I got the truck.

 

[wbresson]

started on a auto for a couple years, swtiched to a manual and have stayed there ever since

 

[Reckoner]

Originally posted by: KokomoGSTmp

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
I second the "makes you think about driving more" bit. Something tells me that if automatics didn't exist, the majority of ricers around town would be too busy stalling off the line to blast their stereos for more than an instant.


->>That or they'd slam into a tree.

- M4H

Well, they tend to get into accidents regardless. All that street ricing you know.

I've driven a WRX and it's not really any harder than a typical manual trans car. The only thing different is that it's a tad easier to bog the car with AWD. My current car is an AWD Talon from a FWD Eclipse.

It still surprises me how many people do not rev-match when downshifting a manual.

Seems like the days of the manual trans with a clutch will be numbered as more tech like Audi's DirectShift and SMG and whatever become more popular and mature.

Methinkds it'll become a niche option... already starting to see it with the fact that the Getrag 6spd is an OPTION on the GTO.

I learned on my first car, a 90s Honda Civic with no tach. If you want to learn you can probably rent a car to beat on. I do second freebee's post though, if you work at a dealership or parking garage or anything that involves constantly moving around cars, you'll get used to it quickly.

Hmm, now that I think about it, I've never daily driven a car without a manual.

How long did you drive the WRX for? I have found it to be a lot more challenging then say, a Honda Civic.

 

[cbehnken]

autos are comfortable buy stick is much more fun and worth it.

 

[Toasthead]

Sadly I think driving a manual transmission is going to become a lost art. Im glad I know how...When we moved last I had to drive a HUGE moving truck and it was a six speed. I would have been screwed without knowing how to drive a manual ( this size truck didnt come in Auto)

 

[psteng19]

Originally posted by: m2kewl

Originally posted by: psteng19
...So in other words, after 10 minutes, you were comfortable enough to drive around without crapping in your pants stopped at a light on a 10 degree uphill incline with a Ferrari Enzo 4 inches away from your rear bumper?

i did that all the time w/my friend's beemer at Edgewater.

where's my cookie?

Shens!
There are no hills in Edgewater!

 

[geecee]

Never drove in a stick in my life (grew up in the city) until a few years back when the company I worked for had several company vehicles that were stick. If someone was driving the autos, I had to figure out the stick. So the answer is now yes, I can drive a stick, just very badly.

 

[nolson1]

Stick is the only way to go. I'm never gonna buy some automatic.

 

[murphy55d]

Nope. I have a Sportronic shift thing though, and i can sort of shift that way. Hardly the same though.

 

[phreakah]

i have no other choice, since my car is a 6-speed

 

[Britboy]

I can drive a stick with both hands, beat that!