Can you drive a manual transmission?
And where are you from? And how old? Not "do you" but just if you know how.
I'm in the US, mid 30s and can (and do) drive a manual transmission.
And where are you from? And how old? Not "do you" but just if you know how.
I'm in the US, mid 30s and can (and do) drive a manual transmission.
In Germany nearly everyone can drive manual. Used to be that if you didn't learn how to drive manual in driving school, you weren't allowed to drive manual with your license.
AFAIK that is still the case, no?
I can vouch for Belgium, where this is still the case. I have yet to meet someone who can only drive automatic (except for people with disabilities ofcourse)
Oh, I can confirm I have met a person in Belgium who could only drive automatic.
Still the case in France, although you can upgrade your "automatic-only" driving license to a regular one by following an additional 7 hour course.
It's possible to do an automatic only license, but for most people it doesn't make sense to do so, so no one does.
Prettty sure that's still the case. I talked to a young person two weeks ago who said she's not allowed to drive a manual transmission car.
Same in Sweden. Most people get a license for manual and then buy an automatic.
Still the case, got my B197 driving license last week in Bavaria. You have 10 lessons with manual as part of your education, then the rest + exam on automatic. B197 allows to drive both, B allows automatic only.
Thatโs still the case all over the EU since rules for driving licenses are more or less the same all over the EU. Even the licenses look the same except maybe some minor details
31,Sweden
Yes, and I prefer a manual car to an automatic. It keeps me a lot more dialed in while driving.
35, living in Europe, I had to re-learn manual. I had only automatics in Latin America. It is certainly more fun and I feel I'm actually driving.
Where in Latin-America?
I'm from Europe, I was taught on manual transmission and drove with it for 10 years. But I switched to automatic (actually not on purpose, I didn't notice the car I was buying had it), and now vastly prefer it.
I don't care what people say, automatic is superior.
I wouldnโt buy an automatic bike, coz I ride bikes for fun.
The daily get-to-work shitbox? I donโt want to babysit the gearbox, just do your thing while I chill to some tunes.
I can, not well, but I can. damn hill starts.
Not sure how common it is now but some cars had a "hill holder" feature that would hold the brake for you when starting on a hill. Makes that whole process much, much easier.
Just pull the parking brake and accelerate until you feel the car slightly raising and then drop the parking brake.
Eventually you get a feeling for it and drop the parking brake before it's "fighting" the accelerator.
This might sound trivial to some, but I know several people that never use the parking brake in these situations and instead do a manic race with their feet and the car drops a couple meters back and they over accelerate to compensate.
The parking brake method is how I learned. But I grew up here, where you are always on a hill and always in stop and go traffic. So I eventually just give up on stick shift.
Yes, this is how I do it. I also do this when reversing out of parking spaces. Because my car's reverse requires pushing down on the stick and is close to 1st, I've saved myself from driving into polls a few times.
Yeah, I learned the parking brake method.
A couple meters, you say? Sounds like a great way to trash your transmission.
This is the way. Drove a tiny 4cyl manual in SF for way to long
23, US. Yes, but I find them pointless for daily driver cars. Modern automatics are more fuel efficient and just make more sense because they're much easier to operate and less annoying in stop and go traffic.
They're great for off-roading and racing, but outside of those use cases automatics are just better.
I'm almost 30, living US and don't know how to drive a manual.
I just don't understand the purpose of learning or the superiority complex around those that drive manual. In my region of the world, the vast majority of cars are automatic to the point where you might have to straight up custom order a vehicle to get manual.
Sure, if I'm outside of the US, manual might be the standard in some areas...but I have no interest in attempting to drive a vehicle in a foreign country where I don't know their local laws of the road. I'd rather take public transport or use services like taxis, Ubers, Lifts, etc.
It's the year 2023. Automatic cars nowadays are more efficient than manuals in a majority of cases.
If you want to drive a manual or you prefer manuals, that's great! More the power to you and I'm glad you like it! But to have a superiority complex about it is just odd.
It's like some boomer making fun of a gen Z kid for not knowing how to use a VCR. So what? You don't to learn how to use a VCR in 2023.
Again, this is in terms of my region. I get that manuals are common in other regions. But again, I have no interest in driving in a region where I don't know the local rules of the road.
Any spirited drive is better with a manual.
That's true of course, but most people don't drive in "spirited" way.
5-speeds are definitely a pain in the ass in stop and go traffic, but the benefits of driving a manual transmission goes beyond use cases. For example, manual transmissions will always be cheaper to repair and easier to diagnose than automatic ones. Similarly, basic 4-cylinder engines will always be easier to diagnose and repair than the highly complicated CVT engines in all the new automatic cars.
Note too that a 5-speed Honda civic made 20 years ago will easily get 45 mpg, simply because by the time you get to third gear, the car is light enough that you can just ride the clutch for the next 1,000 feet. My 05 manual civic ex gets around 40 mpg combined easily, and I'll never have to worry about potentially paying a third of the car's out the door price if the engine ever decides to self destruct. I know we're discussing transmission and not engines, but since you brought up the newer fuel efficient automatics, it seems worth noting.
It's all preference at the end of the day, though. I personally like how connected to the car you feel with manual transmissions, use cases/utility arguments aside. I also kinda wonder if manual drivers are less likely to crash, since it's difficult if not impossible to be on your phone while driving.
My car has a manual transmission. I learned to drive on a manual transmission. I prefer it. When I drive a car with automatic transmission, I step on its nonexistent clutch.
I still instinctively press the non-clutch when I have to slam on the brakes
And when youโre in an automatic and you reach for the phantom gear shift. At least once every time i drive one.
Yes.
In Europe you basically have to be handicapped to not learn to drive manual. Most people get the manual driving license because it allows you to drive both, whereas the automatic one doesn't.
Manual transmission was and often still is cheaper, often cheaper to repair, often more reliable, often uses less fuel, and in cheap and less powerful cars the combination is often better. Because there are so many manual cars here, including at rental places, it's a no brainer to learn to drive manual.
This being said, that's changing. Also, less and less young people are getting a driving license due to affordability and cars no longer being the status symbol they once were.
That's changing though, I see many people taking their driving lessons in EVs, which in turn means they'll only be able to drive automatics. I guess that won't bother them too much as they'll probably only want to drive EVs anyway, or else they would've chosen to take their lessons in a regular manual like most people
More likely that it's often their parents' car, I suspect. Depending on where you live, practising in your own car can save thousands in driving school fees.
But for the non-Europeans reading, the thing is that with the manual license you get to choose. You can drive both. Automatic license, you can never drive a manual.
Rental companies are almost certain to replace their cars with EVs sooner rather than later. But if you want to rent a bigger van, those'll likely be ICE for a while longer. A van like that can easily do hundreds of thousands of kms. That's a lot for a van that does the occasional move.
31, Germany, I can't drive at all. City kid.
Yes. Europe. We pretty much all do. Automatics are becoming a bit more common in recent years, but 90% of cars here are still manual. Especially the old beat-up cars we learn to drive on are all manual. And if by chance you learned on an automatic, and pass your driver's test on automatic, it says so on your driver's licence and I think you're not actually allowed to drive/rent manual cars.
Of course, 28, French. 99,99% of people here drive manual (or at least know how to).
I'm pretty sure North America is the only part of the world where automatic is the default.
I'm American and learned on a manual, which I drove for a decade and a half. But I'm one of the few people I know my age who can drive a stick.
Plenty of Boomers can drive stick though.
Germany, 25, yup
Yes, but only on motorcycles. That's because there's no such thing as an automatic motorcycle[^1][^2][^3][^4][^5], so you have to learn manual if you want to ride one. Unfortunately this skill doesn't transfer well to manual driving because on bikes you operate the clutch with your hand and the shift with your foot. I'm not terribly worried about that, though... I've literally never even been on the inside of a manual drive car before!
For context: I'm mid-20s from the American south.
[^1]: No, electrics don't count. [^2]: No, semi-autos don't count. [^3]: No, three-wheelers don't count. [^4]: No, the 2006 Yamaha bikes don't count because that line was a sales failure. [^5]: Ok, fine. Honda's DCT bikes do count, but holy shit are they expensive!
I don't think I could ride a dct anyway. It feels like you would need superhuman throttle control. Maybe honda inveted some magic for that too?
Mid 30s Aussie living the the US. Yes I can drive a manual, yes I do drive a manual and yes I think it should be mandatory for 100% of learning drivers regardless of whether they plan to daily drive an automatic or manual when licensed.
The quality of driving here is considerably worse here than what I've experienced in Australia or Europe and I'm convinced requiring people to drive in a machine that forces them to consider the next ~100m leads to higher quality, more mindful drivers.
UAE, mid 20s and I know how to drive a manual but went with an automatic.
Majority of people do in Europe.
Because it is better to also know how to drive manual, than to only know how to drive automatic.
Yeah because if you only pass on an automatic that's the only type of car you can buy.
Why limit your market? Especially if you're buying cheap secondhand cars.
Yes, unless you want to still have an engine, then no.
This thread is an amusing display of sample bias. Only people that want to respond yes and brag about it bothering to respond.
In reality only about 2/3rds of people in the US can drive stick and almost no one owns manual cars.
I've never driven a manual car. I've had people be like "You can't drive manual?!" and then I would respond "So are you going to teach me?" The answer is always No, of course not, not in their car (assuming they even owned a manual, which none do anymore). My parents had manual cars but sold them 10+ years before having me.
I understand how a clutch works. It wouldn't be difficult to learn. But what reason or motivation is there to learn when almost no cars are manual? They total something like 2% of new car sales. If you're buying something like a 718 GT4 RS or a 911 GT3 RS for maximum driving engagement that's great, but those cars are priced for the 1% of the 1%.
Even if you had a fun car, which I do, the drive to work is stop-and-go, roads are full, even the fun country backroads are filled with traffic on weekends, forests are burned down, gas is eye-watteringly expensive if you have a slightly performant vehicle. The time to have fun driving cars was 40 years ago.
While I have noticed that Americans do like to brag about driving manual, it should be noted that outside the US being able to drive manual isn't bragworthy in the slightest. You're just part of 99% of drivers. From boy racers to grandma.
Hell, my driving school even taught a guy with down's syndrome to drive manual. It took longer, but he passed all the tests, so off he went. Apparently it wasn't even a close thing, and the driving test is quite stringent here in the EU. There's no need to make fun of people with down's syndrome, but if they can manage to drive manual with practice anyone without a disability can too.
It's not difficult. It just takes practice. If your parents drive a manual, which is likely in the EU, you can practice in their car. If your parents have an auto, which is likely in the US, you can't practice shifting gears so why bother?
Agree that fun driving is essentially over, but I don't think automatic cars are as common outside North America.
In Europe ~80% of cars have manual transmission, mainly due to the (in the past) better fuel efficiency.
Modern automatic cars have often slightly better fuel efficiency, but they cost quite a bit more to buy and maintain, and very nearly everyone knows how to drive stick, so people usually don't bother.
Edit: As we stop having fun driving cars, should we finally also say goodbye to race biking, and fun motorcycling, once and for all?
I got a manual for a few reasons, but the big one in my mind was fewer moving parts, and something that I can actually maintain myself. I've actually rebuilt a transmission before, and while it's not the easiest thing to do, I already have the tooling required to pull a transmission and disassemble it.
I'm not redlining my 2002 v6 pickup truck so it's not a performance thing. It's just something I like. I like the engagement even if it's a pain in the ass sometimes.
Damn thats some sobering real talk. I don't know how to drive manual, and frankly you make a strong point about how little point there would be to try
24, always driven manual, EU.
From my experience most people in the EU can or at least could: This is because many (if not all, not sure) countries make a distinction between manual and automatic licenses (see e.g. https://www.learn-automatic.com/qualified/automatic-driving-licence/).
I.e. if you want to drive manual, you have to take the test manual, but if you take the test on manual transmission, you are allowed to drive automatics as well.
Yep. 27, Finland. I learned on a manual (in the EU, if you learn on an automatic, you're restricted to automatics only until you pass the driving exam in a manual) and drove manuals until a few years ago when my late grandma's health started declining and her car got passed down to us because she could no longer drive.
Female, 34, from Indiana, USA. Currently driving a 2020 Honda Civic SI and I love it. My bro taught me to drive stick at 16 so that I'd never be in a situation where I needed to leave but couldn't because I didn't know how to drive manual. I've had both automatic and manual transmissions, manual being my favorite.
India, been driving manual since 20 yr old , been a while and planning to get an auto
Early 40s from Australia. I can drive a manual, but my present car is automatic. My motorcycle is manual though. :p
29, Poland/Germany. Yes, like almost everyone in Europe. Although, it is getting more popular to be automatic-only. I like driving manual, however prefer automatic due to convenience of it. I don't have a car at the moment (public transport serves me well), but if I had, I'd go for automatic.
This is exactly my sentient.
Canada mid 30s. A car is essentially required outside of a major city but after my first two cars were manual the incredible inconvenience of crawling traffic got to me and my current car is an automatic.
I found I had to constantly hug the car in front which meant always feathering the clutch, if I didn't and the gap grew just large enough for a car to fit someone always jumped lanes into the gap.
I can and do drive a manual transmission. I'm 34 and in the US Midwest. It's just more fun to drive. My car isn't even fast, but dropping a couple gears to pass someone never gets old.
I canโt. Lots of people my age can. My teenage years there was only one car in the household and itโs an auto. I couldnโt afford to pay for extra lessons to learn manual with their car.
I was into cars and really wanted to get a manual car later on. But just never needed it. Auto cars are just more available so 10+ years later I still canโt drive manual and hasnโt affected my life at all
Germany, mid 30s, all the cars I've owned were manual so I would say - yes :D
First time I drove a rental automatic I did an accidental hard stop at about every second crossroads as I intended to hit the clutch with my left foot and lacking one just hammered the breaks instead >.>
When driving combustion I prefer manual but I've recently driven some EV, I could get used to that feel :)
France, 30s, and I almost always drove manual transmissions. But I rent an automatic, and now I don't understand why manual cars still exist.
No, on account of I cannot drive at all. I'm 25 and live in Vermont. The particular part I live in, everything's accessible by bus, so I've just never felt the urgency to learn.
US. I can and have. Learned on a crappy stick shift truck where I had to nudge the clutch up with my toe. Launched boats with it.
Drove drunk friend home in his stick shift car. VW because of course he did.
Swapped cars with Mom when she hurt her clutch leg. Drove stick for a summer, a little Echo that shifted nicely.
So I can and will if I need to but I have no desire to. I have never really liked cars, just used them for utility. Now that I drive hybrids I do like them more. CVT, no gears at all!
My parents forced me to learn in case I ever needed it.
I'd buy one again in a heartbeat if I could. Love the fact that it was easy AF to rock myself out of snow banks
German, late 30s. Automatic cars are rather uncommon in Germany, we sure like our manuals. Not being able to push my car into high RPMs when needed to overtake or accelerate quickly takes the fun out of driving. I'd never switch to automatic as long as I still have both arms and legs. And yes I know kickdowns are a thing, but it really doesn't compare.
Germany, 25. Always driven manual, don't even know how to drive automatic.
Italy. 21, We only drive manual here
Yes. Early 40s, USA, both mine and my wife's cars are manual Subarus.
I'm 237 years old, a retired phosphate miner in Nauru. I learned to drive on manual transmissions but now refuse to drive anything not powered by a turbo-encabulator, with the exception of Starfleet shuttlecraft. I also hate questions that encourage people to give away personal or census data without considering that is what's happening.
Your stripper name is City Where You Weโre Born + Can You Drive Stick Shift + The Last 4 Of Your SSN.
Damn they got me again
28, Germany. Yes I can and I dont know anybody with a drivers license who cant.
I can from Texas. Just turned 40. I was taught on a manual transmission and have owned several vehicles with one. I prefer it, except for in traffic!
UK, always driven manual. I just enjoy it more.
Yes (early 30s) drive a manual VW polo. Iโm from Australia. I have always had a manual car.
Mid 30s, used to drive stick all the time but I wouldn't go out and get one anymore. This seems like one of those things people clutch onto (pun intended) because it was at one time a useful everyday skill not everyone could do but now is completely antiquated.
i am a manual transmission
i dont even know what manual transmission means if that tells you anything about me.
I'm Danish and I drive a manual transmission car every day. Most cars here are manual transmission and you legally can't take driving lessons in an automatic transmission car here so everybody who knows how to drive knows how to drive manual.
I don't get why so many Americans try to make it seem like some amazing feat of traditional blue-collar masculine excellence to able to do it. It's not that hard, anybody can learn it in an afternoon.
I'm in my 40s and live in Europe (NL), and in my country, if you don't take your driving exam in a manual transmission car, you receive a restriction on your license that prevents you from driving manual transmission vehicles. As a result, both I and nearly everyone I know can drive a manual. Automatics are also a fair bit more expensive, so most people don't opt for them. Tho I expect this will change with the rising popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles.
Yes, I learned to drive in one, got my license with one. I'm 38.
Yes. 44, Australian, drove a manual until very recently actually.
In Australia (Queensland at least) you have to pass a manual driving test in order to be legally allowed to drive a manual vehicle. At the time I was getting my license (1995 - 96) manual vehicles were still extremely common, plus I like driving a manual so it made sense for me.
Yes, it's very common here (Czechia), in fact I don't know a single person who doesn't know how to drive manual.
Until recently I even preferred it, but nowadays I'd like automatic more. Well, my next car is gonna be automatic, that's for sure.
I'm Italian and it's mandatory to learn how to drive stick in order to get a license. This could explain why we think driving at 16 is absurd: it would probably be difficult for a 16 years old to learn stick.
Yes, I'm 45 and from the US.
Unfortunately, although my current car (Mazda3) is available in a manual, I was looking to buy a 2018 model in 2019. My options were limited to remaining inventory, which did not include any manuals. Will be looking for a manual next time, but it's becoming almost impossible to find here.
I have a civic manual. Same problem. If I want a manual I have to go far more premium than I care to.... I want an upgrade with the refresh but not double the cost... Seems like Honda has shifted (ha!) to only putting the manual in the type R, which the base cost is nearly double that of other similarly sized vehicles.
I can drive a manual yeah, I don't feel like I'm in total control when driving an automatic, I'm 20 and live in the Netherlands
Yes I am 25 and in Germany that is the default so nearly anyone can drive with a stick shift.
Same in the UK.
Late 30s, Canada, and absolutely I can.
Mid 20s, Poland, very much can, but currently driving automatic.
Fun fact: in Poland you normally take the driving test in a manual gear shift car, but you can optionally take it in an automatic one. The deal is you have to provide the vehicle for the testing center yourself (driving schools lend them) and your driving license will have an annotation that it's only viable for this type of gearbox.
In Finland synchronization in gearboxes is starting to become a thing nowadays. Double clutching for 20 years now (38).
Just kidding, got my first automatic two years ago, so yes.
40 Florida I drive a manual everyday. My mother insisted I learn on a manual. I'm grateful
I'm in the US and drive manual.
Belgium, 48. I drive a manual transmission. I never had a car with an automatic transmission.
Yes, 28, Northern europe, dad taught me how to drive when I was 16. In my country you have to do your driving test in a manual, unless you're fine with a limited license that only allows you to drive automatics. Nobody that I know has that kind of license.
I'm 42, and can drive manual, but I've had an automatic the last 5 years.
My son is now learning to drive, but he will most likely not need to drive a manual ever.
Big yes! Mid 20s and currently daily drive my miata
Yep - been driving for around 30+ years here in Australia (I'm late 40s). Grew up driving manual, have owned several manual vehicles, including my current one.
Nope, never learned. I'm 31 in the US. Never had the need to learn as I was raised with automatics only.
Yes, 40, Germany. And I actually do.
35, Canada, and manual is my preference although my current car is an automatic.
I learned to drive on an automatic, but bought a manual for my first car and got my ex to teach me how to drive it. It was important to me that I be able to get into pretty much anything and drive it. After driving an automatic exclusively for the last year, I miss having that level of gearing control, especially on hills and corners.
France, early thirties, I can. Automatics are still pretty new on the market, most people I know cannot operate one. It's easier of course, but kinda throws you off at first. My wife owns one and it's great for traffic and keeping a low fuel consumption, since the thing is made to shift gears exactly when necessary. The tradeoff is no sportsy driving, of course, but I can live with that for some time.
At one time, manual transmissions were more efficient than automatic. But that's been almost half a century ago now, and you still hear people in the US saying that manual is more efficient.
It's not half a century ago, more like 10-15 years. Basically the old style with 3-4 speeds and a torque converter wasted power, and I still had one of those (brand new) from '06 to '09. Most automatics now have mostly the same innards as a manual, often a 6 speed, but with automatic actuators.
Does a motorbike count?
does it have a clutch, then yes 100% of the time i think
I'm 36, I live in the UK, and I've driven a manual car since I was 17. I've only driven an automatic twice in my life and I'll probably never own one.
30 years old. US. I can and do drive a stick shift.
Really hard coming from a family with only automatic cars. Very few people have stick cars, and even fewer are willing to teach you in their own car.
Can't even rent a stick shift to practice on. Your best bet is to sign up with a driving school that offers stock shift lessons, which I almost did.
Instead, a buddy of mine was kind enough to let me practice for 2 hours with him in a beater he had. Then I went and picked up my brand new WRX. Stalled like 12 times on the way home. But I figured it out!!
Yes, 29 from Belgium. I got my first automatic transmission in January. Everyone around me drives a manual
I'm 19-20 and I'm from the eastern part of the US.
In a car, I have about 8 hours of experience and could do it in a pinch, although I'd feel unconfident with it.
On a motorcycle, I have about 20 hours of more recent experience and I feel fairly comfortable with it.
All my cars, bar one, have been manual transmission, as is my current one. To be honest, as I'm lazy, I do prefer auto, but it's easier to buy a car with manual transmission here in the UK, as you have more options.
US late 20s. Yes I can and every car I've owned for the last 8 years has been manual
I go out of my way to find them.
41, can and have been driving manuals exclusively for the last decade. I only learned about 15 years ago when I picked up a beater Datsun 720, but once I went manual I was hooked. Every car I've bought since has been a manual. Keeps me awake and engaged while driving.
Italian, 45 here. Always driven manual.
...american; when i learned to stick-and-clutch fourty years ago (driving fifty-year-old used cars) we still called it a standard transmission...
...we like to say that i married my wife because she drove a standard, but when she traded in my last hatchback the manufacturer only offered automatics in the new models; would've been a dealbreaker for me but she liked the car...
Nope, manual transmission isn't common in Ontario,, I lived in the US for a bit and everyone seemed to drive stick, but I never figured it out. I don't understand why anyone wants to drive it.
You have more control over the cars throttle. Like using the gears to actually slow the car down rather than just using the brakes.
It's fun. Of course that's more true in a sporty car on a mountain road than in an SUV in city traffic.
It used to be that manuals had better fuel economy and acceleration. That changed about a decade ago.
Edit: I'm almost 50.
I am 17 and don't even have a driver's license (I already could). However I don't want that in the first place. I don't feel comfortable about being in control of a heavy vehicle moving at relatively high speed. I know I'd drive over a pedestrian the first month because I got lost in my thoughts and completely forgot to pay attention to being in a damn car.
Or just fall asleep. Being in a train, bus, or even just playing a bus simulator on my phone immediately makes me sleepy. Sleeping driver is not a good driver.
Additionally there's the high prices of gas to consider, low prices of bus transport, and for me as a student non-existent prices for trains.
Why pay extra to create additional traffic and kill people?
Even if you don't plan on driving it's still a decent idea to learn and get a license. You never know when you might need to apply those skills and it might even come in handy when applying for work.
You should learn to drive regardless; you never know when you're going to be called on to drive a friend's car or need to hire a vehicle to e.g. move house.
I've had to teach several people in their 20s to drive through lack of opportunity or willingness when they were younger.
A car is not a heavy vehicle. :)
You won't.
Knowing how to drive doesn't mean that you'll immediately go out and buy a car, then start exclusively using it.
Late 20s and in the Midwest US. I daily drive a manual 1994 Mazda Miata.
37, Eastern PA. I CAN drive a stick, but I don't like to. It's another distraction I don't need while driving. Can pay attention to all the other idiots on the road when not worrying what gear I'm in or when to shift.
Nope, I'm scared to even use the paddle shifters on my auto
The car won't let you break it. Give it a try.
Iโm 26, from the US and I learned manual when I was 22. I live in Mexico now and im glad I learned because manual is still very common here, and thatโs what Iโm driving now
Yes. If I hadn't learned to drive manual while getting a license, I wouldn't have been able to drive them legally, which I figured would have been unnecessarily restrictive.
That being said, I prefer driving automatic, since you don't really gain anything from driving manual anyway these days. Also I don't own a car and drive maybe 4 times a year, so it's really whatever.
23, German, yes I can and I do
As nearly any German...
I'm in my 30s grew up in FL and I can
US, mid thirties, and I not only drive a manual transmission, I go out of my way to insist upon it. For example, I own a truck and an SUV made in the '90s because it's difficult to find newer ones without an automatic.
Yes because here you can't get a driver's license without learning how to drive a manual transmission. All your lessons and final driving exam are always in a manual transmission vehicle. (Portugal, 28 years old)
However I know many people who switch to automatic after they're done with their exam because they don't want to deal with it. I've always heard that manual is for people who like to drive and auto is for people who just need a car to get from A to B.
Yes, but after having an electric car for about two years, I never really wanna go back to ICE, manual or auto. The acceleration is addictive
And electric cars don't really need manual transmissions.
I drove ICE auto for about 8 years, then 3 years manual and electric for the last two.
Nope.
Some people in my family tried to teach me when I was young, but I didnt immediately and perfectly absorb the knowledge of how to master it from the atmosphere, so obviously I was just a piece of shit that was trying to ruin their transmission/car/life and cant appreciate a single fucking thing anyone does for me and that i'm an ungrateful piece of shit and to just get the fuck out of the car and never ask them for anything again (not that I asked them to teach me stick in the first place.. They insisted, i suspected then, and continue to do so to this day, that it was just a trap.)
Which really helped my desire to drive, much less drive stick.
Yes. European. It's the norm.
When I was 15 my grandfather took me out into the woods to teach me to drive stick in a 30,000 lb dump truck. I had never driven anything bigger than a golf cart before. My space to work with was a clearing maybe three times the size of the truck. I did not learn to drive stick that day.
Yes Midwest, U.S. 40y
USA, 33, daily drive a stick.
Bought my first car with my own money in 2013, a 2014 WRX, it only came in manual. I've been driving it since.
From India, late 30s and I drive manual. I learned to drive less than an year ago in a manual that I own. Manual cars are cheaper and I bought one since I believe switching from manual to auto would be easier than the other way around. I don't feel comfortable driving an automatic; and it is only recently that I realised that ALL of my friends and family drive automatics! I live in a large crowded city with terrible traffic problems and I sometimes wonder if driving an automatic would be easier.
American, Mid 30s, and all cars I've owned so far are Manual Transmission.
The shitposty part of me wants to call it a giant stim toy
Yes, almost 40, USA. I don't currently own a manual, but used to. It was a great way to save a few thousand on a car and it's a lot more fun to drive. But very few cars in the US have a manual option these days.
Yes, I'm from the UK so pretty much everyone here can even if they own an automatic. It's not seen as a big deal here, it's just normal.
I prefer manuals, I won't be buying an automatic until my leg falls off.
The only benefit to an automatic is being able to eat a burrito while driving.
Still doesn't outweigh the niceness of driving a manual.
36, Canadian, 10/10 would recommend. Winter driving is way more fun with manual, and it can be a lot easier on gas if you're in the mood.
My brother always use to tell me that driving manual is just driving with extra steps. Lol
Yes, Italy, 36 (since I'm 18).
US, 37, been driving a manual since I was 16.
I mostly use index trigger shifters, but I'm open to trying non-indexed friction shifters. Supposedly less maintenance due to cable stretch with them. I guess those are both considered manual though.
Oh you mean on automobiles?
I learned to drive stick in a very hilly and traffic congested city. It was pretty intense. Haven't driven a stick vehicle in a while though.
I drive a manual transmission to work every day. [20, US]
38 Ireland, yes, it's the main transmission type here, the same as most of Europe.
I can operate manual gear shifters in other contexts (namely bikes), but I've never driven a car with one.
Yup. Learned from my dad. Actually, for a little bit, I taught folks in the military to drive stick as well. US mid 40s
I'm from the UK and after driving one about 100 metres I refuse to drive an automatic car, it's one of the main reasons why I don't want an electric car either. Automatic cars are horrible twitchy things that just aren't enjoyable to drive and you can't change gears to anticipate a change in the road before you're already on that bit of road.
Yes, 46, my first car that was "mine" (my mom's old car) was a manual. The first car I ever bought had a shitty automatic (I think the seller may have pulled one over on young me). Since then I only buy stick shifts for myself. (My wife's is an automatic.)
I only learned on a riding lawnmower but I can do it. I actually went looking for a car with a manual, figuring that it would be cheaper up front, cheaper to fix and cheaper to run. I couldn't really find one in any model of car I wanted, so I ended up having to go with a manumatic with paddle shifters, the worst of both worlds!
Yes, 43 year old in America. Work in the DMV.
I've only owned one automatic. Currently drive a Fiesta ST. I can heel toe brake too.
Here in Italy we only drive manual
In the UK it's pretty standard to learn in a manual. I currently have an automatic and honestly I don't want to go back. I like to think I'm a pretty good driver and gears were never an issue for me, but man is it nice to have one less thing to think about when driving.
Oh and I'm 39.
As a fellow UK-er, the only real criticism I've heard about automatics is that it can be difficult to pull off quickly from a standstill - Have you found that at all?
I drive whichever vehicle doesn't get my data harvested.
First time I drove anything but a manual was driving the shitty trucks of the Swiss army. It felt weird and wrong, but then again driving with standard issue boots makes using the pedals a bit harder sometimes, so it's probably good I didn't have to use the clutch.
These days I mostly drive rented cars so it's whatever is available, who cares.
Scandinavian, mid-40's. The vast majority of cars in Europe have manual transmission, in my country you can't even get a driver's license if you can't handle it. I prefer manual, whenever I drive automatic I feel like there's something missing.
Germany, 20s, yes (and up until recently exclusively drove manual transmission cars from like before 2010)
US, late 30s. The answer is "yes" but I've only spent a few hours behind the wheel of a manual car. I wouldn't feel comfortable with it without more practice. I don't prefer it as it's more thinking and stress for me in a commute that is already stop and go traffic. Automatic requires less work from me. Just my opinion and I know more people prefer manual because of the extra work it takes to drive. I'm just not interested in adding that to my driving experience.
I have had only manual transmission cars for the passed 19 years except for 4 years, at which time I had a manual transmission motorcycle. I don't know what I'm going to do once internal combustion cars are phased out. I need a manual tranny. Luckily, my new car only has ~12k miles on it, and it's a make that is typically known for lasting over 200k miles. My only threat is accidental damage.
Edit: I live in the USA
Yes, I even have a class A CDL. However, I donโt do it much so Iโm not the greatest in a big truck and am competent in a regular vehicle
Yes and here in the UK if you fail your test enough times with a manual transmission you get to try with an automatic.
I'm in my late 40's and have been driving manual transmission since I got my license at 16. But I'm also one of those freaks that always loved driving manual cars in any situation, I used to drive one daily in downtown Chicago rush hour traffic.
Cars were always a passion of mine, my family had two cars when I was a teenager, one auto and one stick. I begged to be taught the stick as soon as I got my license. I definitely fall into the "enthusiast" category of car owners. In the last 25 years I've had 6 cars, all of them manual transmission, and all of them I take to the race track for HPDE events whenever I can.
Currently learning, it's useful for a lot of the light industrial jobs here
30, german, yes I can, no I do not. I drive a hybrid, so no manual transmission.
Yes. Itโs my daily.
Canada.
31 โ Learned how to drive manual at 18.
the great thing about manual transmission is it almost doesn't matter how big the motor is, or whether it's front/rear/AWD, as long as the platform is balanced you can have fun on it.. EVERY car nut appreciates a Golf with a stick, no matter how muscular a hot rod you drive..
It's like a family tradition that the first car is a cheap manual, I am definitely continuing that with my daughter.
If you go to take your drivers license test in a manual in the US, the moment they see the stick they completely relax and already know your going to pass and barely even pay attention.
Yes, early 40s, midwest.
My mother wouldn't let me take my driver's test without leaning to drive manual. My first car ended up being a manual, which ensured that no one ever borrowed my car.
No. Midwestern United States, elder millennial.
I'd be willing (even curious) to learn, but manuals just aren't as common here, so it never came up. Meh. It's not a pride or identity issue for me. It's just driving. Whatever.
I get the gist of it, though. I imagine I'd just have to get into the habit and muscle memory of it. Then again, maybe I'm underestimating it. Again, I don't particularly care. It's just a machine to get me to work.
UK, early 20s, can and do drive manual.
The UK has a separate driving license for auto and manuals. If you pass your test with an automatic car, you get an automatic only license. If you pass eith a manual car you get a licence to drive both types, so most people decide to drive manual (although there is a slow increase of people getting auto only licenses). I prefer manual because they're more fun to drive in my opinion.
Yes, 29m from Hong Kong, where our license are categorised as manual or automatic, with the latter restricting people to driving only automatic
Yes. Learned to drive with one. Got my license with one.
Sadly, don't own one right now, but, will prob get one in the future again. Every 2nd or 3rd car I have picked up, has had a stick.
I'm from the mid-west USA.
Yes, Australia, 20 years old. A lot of cars around where I live are still manual, newer ones tend to be auto though.
Yup, I daily a 2021 MX-5 RF (Miata). Luckily I work from home most days so it's not too bad.
In the bay area, 26yo
German, mid 20s, can and do
Yes, manuals are incredibly common here in Sweden.
No one I know owns an automatic.
Yep, I'm 36, mid Atlantic US, started driving stick when I was 18. I inherited this little Geo Metro for college, so it was learn stick or no car. (I really liked that car dispite it not having air conditioning, no tachometer, and manual everything)
Next car I bought was a manual. Now since my spouse can't drive stick we only have automatics.
Whenever we need a new car it'll be electric, which unfortunately (by design) are not manuals. So no more stick for me.
In Norway where hills are common I prefer either manual or fully electric. Automatic tends to wear down the breaks down hill, and you often forget to enable the manual mode on automatics
Yes, late 50's US and I drive a 6 speed Jeep daily. Taught my 23 year old son to drive a stick and he just bought a Tacoma stick shift.
I learned on my grandfather's 3 on the tree 1968 Dodge camper van. If you can drive a 3 on the tree, you can drive anything.
Yes. 39 y/o male. But 99% of the people I know, don't know how. So now it's easy to guess what country I live in.
Mid 40s from the Midwest USA. Ever since my first car in the mid 90s every daily driver of mine has been a manual. I just flat out enjoy driving them.
Gonna miss it when I eventually go electric after my current car dies and needs replaced.
Zoomer from Mexico, I can and I prefer it. I daily drive a manual car.
UK, early 30s only ever driven manual, automatics are still more expensive here than manuals but are slowly becoming more common esp with the rise of electric cars. Although I doubt ill get one any time soon.
Nearly 40, male from Canada- I can but Iโm rusty.
Yep, early 40's here. At 19 I lied about knowing how to drive stick to get a job as a (non CDL) flatbed lumber delivery driver. I'd ridden motorcycles and such before, so it wasn't to hard to get the hang of it. However, my first delivery I unknowingly drove with the e-brake on for 15 miles or so thinking "damn this is hard" luckily I realized wtf was up before I got back to the yard, kept that job for 2 years lol.
Yes, US, mid twenties, I learned when I was 16 and I've really only driven manuals since. I taught myself how to heel toe four years ago. I'm not under the impression that I can shift gears quicker than a performance auto or more efficiently than a modern auto. I don't think either has been true for at least a couple decades, not for driving in a straight line. It's just fun. Manual transmissions make shitty cars bearable. I was surprised after leaving my home town to learn that hardly anyone knew how to drive stick. Not all of my pears growing up dailied a manual, but they all knew how.
51, I can drive a semi, but before I took some training for that I learned on a standard from my grandma.
Mad respect for my 60+ aunt in the UK; when I visited she drove me around various hilly roads for sight seeing and some stop and go traffic uphill. She definetly mastered the handbrake, clutch, gas combo for uphill stops/starts. Meanwhile my mom has smashed into a few storefronts in an automatic in flat Canada.
Amusing to read this as I'm in my 50s and my wife's in her 60s. Along with almost everyone in the UK we drive manual, and in very narrow and steep lanes like your aunt. Reversing for a long distance when you meet another vehicle is normal - most roads here (Devon) were made from sheep tracks and follow contours. We both also drive larger vehicles like a 3.5 ton horse lorry and big trailers around here. I say it's amusing because... everyone does it, it's normal.
As for why - I think it's because Americans (and maybe Canadians?) always have had cheap oil so have adopted very large engined cars. Automatic gearboxes on small engines like we had, especially before the 80s, are painful - always hunting for the right gear and tend to be uneconomic and high revving. Drive a 1 litre mini automatic from the 1970s and it's just horrible compared to manual.
Yes! I'm in my early 20s, and bought a manual transmission car just 2 weeks ago. It was also my first time driving alone, so it has been quite stressful
US, 40s. Gave up my manual a few years ago to get a bigger car when I became a single dad. The ol Mazda 3 wasn't cutting it
Mid-late twenties, US, I know how but have only ever done it on a motorcycle. I don't even know anyone who owns a manual car.
I think I'd like a manual sports car. Automatics are boring.
Yeah man. Australia. Mid 40s. My nieces have just started learning (we start here at 16). When I asked whether they were going to learn manual they said what's that?
37, Switzerland, and I can drive a manual as much as I enjoy an automatic from time to time. The former is still the most common type of transmission even though the trend has been reversing over the years.
I'm from Mexico I'm 22 years old and I have been driving since 14 or so (rural Mexico). My family has not own a manual since I started driving and I gues we will not buy one soon lol
55M, Australia. I have a manual license, always drove a manual until my new-to-me car. I have osteo-arthritis and my knees hurt when I drive a lot, but I drive it like a manual with automatic clutch.
Late 30s, learned to drive in NL and now live in SE. Initially learned about transmissions by running around on four wheelers. I drive a manual car every day. There's a lot of fun and connection to driving manual, though I see the ease and efficiency of the automatic transmission as well as the general trend.
Netherlands, thirties, own a manual transmission car. In fact, I have only ever driven manuals.
Yes. Although automatic transmission is more efficient, I still prefer manual.
Almost 50. Southern US. I use one every day that I ride my motorcycle.
British, Yes, Most people here can, In fact in my 47 years I have only met 2 people who had automatic only licences. And I ran a garage for 7 years so met a lot of drivers. I have personally only owned manuals and haven't done more than 100 miles in Automatics.
Yes i can, but I don't
Yeah, here in South Africa most cars are manuals so you need to know how to drive them to get a full drivers licence. If you do your driving test in an automatic car, your licence only allows you to drive automatics. I'm in my mid 20s.
Yup, although I don't currently. It's my preference, but not a strong one. I'm 48 and American.
I don't really have a good reasofor preferring it. I guess I just feel more involved and in control. Fun story, I didn't learn to drive a manual until I was in my mid thirties.
Yes (US, 35), and itโs something I can do autonomically in appropriate situations. I also enjoy being an integral part of my carโs operation.
And when youโre flogging it on a nice mountain road or a track, thereโs nothing quite like nailing that heel-and-toe downshift as youโre clipping the apex.
US, mid 30s, and nope. (I learned on a friend's car but didn't spend enough time for the muscle memory to build in, even way back then)
Midwest US, 48, and it's all I drive.
Yes. F, mid 50s, West Virginia.
Yes, California, late 30s. I drove a manual transmission when I was a teenager. I was proud of how practiced I got with it. I don't drive manual anymore, but my dad recently switched back after some decades driving automatic. He found out he's out of practice lol
Yes, early 40s from the UK so most people here learn in a manual car. I drive electric now so it only has forwards and backwards to choose from. Can't say I miss the old manual much, it's just so much more chill driving an auto.
I learned how to but haven't been behind the wheel of a manual transmission car since the 90s.
In my family you couldn't get a drivers license until you know to drive any car and also the basics of maintenance. Other things I have't done since (roughly) the 90s: change my oil/coolant/brake/transmission, change various filters, replace pump seals, or replace hoses/belts. But I have to admit, its handy to know how to do all that.
My first 4 cars were standard. As is every motorcycle I have owned.
Learned on a farm truck when I was 13.
Yes. (I live in Europe)
Yes. I'm from the USA and in my late twenties. I learned how to drive on an old Jeep Wrangler on a farm.
Yes. im a 26 year old from sweden.
Yes Dominic Toretto taught me
I learned on a manual when I was 17 but only had that car for maybe 6 months before I got an automatic and haven't had one since. I'm now in my 30s. Was in the USA west coast.
Yes. 40, Canada.
No, but I also don't have a drivers license.
Does shifting on my bike count?
EU and I most definitely can (that may not be surprising). But funnily enough, I bought my first car a few months ago (I drove family cars only before - all manuals) and that one is the volume knob automat. I wanted to stick with manual (pun intended), but my fiancee convinced me and I have to agree that there's a certain comfort in automat.
25 years old, I live in Alberta, Canada. I learned on automatic and then my first car was a manual. I have only owned cars with manual transmissions since. So much more fun to drive imo
Canada, 36M, can and do.
Sweden, late 40's. Manual since I had my driving license (18). Driven automatic maybe 2-3 times in my life
I learned manual on a car with a fucked up transmission.
20โs, Canada. Only ever owned manual transmission vehicles.
Yep, I'm in Sweden, 30 and both know how to and do drive a manual car.
Can drive manual, 30s, USA.
I had a particularly bad automatic transmission in my first car and went with a manual shortly after.
Yes, only ever driven manuals. Wouldn't have the slightest idea how to drive an automatic though!
Drove a manual for 15 years before I got a more family friendly car.
Everyone who can't is too shy to answer the question.
Yes, I even passed my driver's test in a manual while needing to do a 3 point turn on a hill. I am almost 30, born and raised in the suburbs of New York.
I haven't driven manual in years, ever since that car fell victim to black ice and a guard rail, but I have done recent test drives of manuals without stalling, so I guess it is something you never forget once you know how.
I made it to 39 without ever learning to drive a manual. At that time though my girlfriend had a manual. And one night she was too drunk to drive. So I managed to make it work well enough to drive us maybe a mile through luckily mostly empty nighttime streets home.
I later learned to drive her car for real.
Don't answer these. They're attempts at pinning ur account with a specific demographic and or phishing attempts.
Lemmy doesn't even have ads. If you're that paranoid why even bother commenting on anything?
Nah I'm just curious after seeing the meme post about manual transmissions.
If you're implying OP is mining data for guerilla marketing, their post and comment history doesn't look like it.
Yes, 47, Georgia, USA. I've only ever bought manual transmission cars for my personal use. I just think they're neat!
Old guy in the USA. My first car was a sport motorcycle so six speed with clutch and shifter. I have a sedan with an auto trans, but also a 4WD truck with manual. When I learned to drive in my teens automatic transmissions were not as nice as they are now, just three speeds and not very smooth. Now they're typically six speed and much nicer. I really dislike a manual trans in heavy traffic, quite a chore.
US, 30s, Can (don't)
39, Philly. Up until my current VW, yes. Couldn't get a manual GLI when I was buying in 2021 and needed to make a decision. At least the dual clutch 7 speed DSG auto is fun as hell to drive and feels like a manual.
US, 35 - yes can and do drive manual.
USA, mid-40s. My husband made me buy a manual car 20 years ago and taught me how to drive it. Iโve been driving manual since and love it.
USA, 40, and...it's complicated? Haha. I've never driven a manual car, but I have ridden a motorcycle which generally has a manual transmission.
And because this is as good a place as any--I suspect once self-driving vehicles are common, the number of people who can drive even an automatic will plummet.
Why? Because kids will be born, then grow up with parents driving them places for their entire life experience, and then will go into their teens using driving services (like some futuristic Lyft company) with automated driverless cars that drive for them. And if that works fine to get you everywhere you need to go...why bother to learn how to drive a car? Do you really NEED it?
I think there'll be a generational divide, with older generations boggling that the damn kids on their lawns are "so lazy" they never even learned to drive, and I think there'll be an urban/rural divide where rural kids might not have access to AI cars that can drive for them so are forced to learn in order to be able to get anywhere, while city kids can have a car summoned to them by their phone at a drop of a hat to get wherever they want to go.
But I think the younger generations, once one is born where self-driving vehicles are ubiquitous and being able to summon such a vehicle to you using your phone is commonplace (I think it'll be a generation or two after the Zoomers...we're on the horizon but not there yet), will not see why THEY have to drive when they can instead be driven. Driving is a waste of your time that you could use to be doing work, schoolwork, or something fun like a game. I know I would ditch it if I could go exactly where I need to go anytime I wanted while reading a book or something.
Edit: Self-driving cars would also be a HUGE boon to the elderly, giving them some sort of independence even once their reaction times dull. "No, grandpa, I can't let you drive yourself, but the car will totally take you wherever you need to go. Just put in your destination." There'll be a lot of bitching at first from some of the older people, then they'd figure out how easy it is to go places without worrying about their eyesight or something, and give in.
I suspect my generation might be the first in this position, of giving up keys and instead just ordering a car to take me somewhere without me being a danger of running someone over because my reaction times have degraded. I think it's reasonable to suspect in 40 years, when I'll be 80, cars will drive themselves.
We have 'self' driving cars over here. They're called busses, trams and trains.
I don't see them catching on soon in the EU, those cars. I suppose they'll only get allowed if the risk is reduced to 0 over here.
Yes but rusty since haven't done so in few years but it's not hard. In metropolitan US as a 30yr old.
My first car was a manual, drove that thing an additional 150-170,000 miles over 7 years. Been 2 years but I'm sure I could pick it right back up
Us (Arizona) yes I can, though I haven't in some years because my wife won't, and we don't need 2 cars... But I ride a motorcycle so I do get to handle a clutch still.
US - 30s Yeah, but only once and I was like 16 Could I still today? The phrase grind it til you find it comes to mind
My friend taught me for the most part in college when I was 22, and then when I bought my first manual it was 5 hours from my house. If I didn't figure it out I wouldn't have gotten home ๐ซฃ
Only killed it a couple times, and only when I was getting on/off the freeway. And once in stop and go traffic, but I don't think anyone noticed
37m, USA
I can. The first new car I bought was a manual, because it was less expensive. I embarrassed myself for a bit, but that's when I learned.
Yes. Mid thirties UK. I've actually never driven an automatic.
US late thirties
I can but haven't in few years. Never been great at it though.
Yes, but switched to auto for ease of use.
The worst manual gearbox, other than my MK1 Golf, was a single seater Formula Renault I did some track days in. Tiny little gate and very easy to hit 1st when going for 3rd
Yes, early 20s USA. Learned at 18 and drove manual every day until I sold my last car in November
Western Europe, and yes I can drive manual. Mostly because that's how I practiced for my driving exam.
I switched to hybrid, and later electric, driving and haven't really used manual transmission anymore.
The only exception is when I have to borrow my mother's car. Then it's a lot of grinding gears before the muscle memory comes back to me :)
Yes, 30s, USA (Midwest)
My first car I got when I was 16 was a manual transmission so I learned on that.
In Australia, near 40.
Love a car I can push start and I have more control over power.
That being said, I want an EV for my next car when they have 1000km or more range (which isn't far off at all)
35, American, can only drive automatic but have been trying to learn manual. My barrier is never having a car available to me to practice on. ๐
In the US, in my late twenties, and yes I learned how to before I was even legally allowed on the roads here. I do still infrequently drive manual cars as I'm a bit of a car enthusiast. I prefer automatic for a daily driver, but any sports cars or older vehicles are more fun with a manual transmission!
Mid-30s. Yes. I used to daily drive a manual when I was in college, but I haven't touched one in like 10 years so I'd probably be pretty rusty.
Yes, 32, USA Started learning to drive on my dad's old early 70s Chevy C20. My first car was an automatic but second car was a manual 89 camaro and that's where I really learned manual. The only time I drive manuals now is at work and it's only around the lot
wasn't real common to find that Camaro in manual i don't think, that was a pretty cool car to learn on.. i'm jealous..
if it had the 350 in it i'm crazy jealous
No. I'm 25 and from Florida.
I can drive manual, but I hate it. I don't want to worry about releasing the clutch just right to avoid jerk, so I bought an electric car. Certainly was expensive, but it's infinitely more smooth than a manual transmission could ever be. 23 year old, living in Germany.
I learned to drive on a 1942 John Deere in the early 70s. No on-the-fly shifting but the basics of steering, clutch, and throttle were there.
In 2017 I bought my first automatic; that vehicle was not available in manual or I def would have bought it that way.
Yep, I actually learned how to drive on a manual. Before I got married all my cars were manual transmission as well. In my late 30s from Midwest USA.
US, 36, and I've only ever owned manual vehicles. I think I've drove automatic maybe 5 times in the past 20 years I've had my license.
Mid 60's in the US. I've always driven manual transmission cars. Fairly common for folks my age to know how to drive manual transmissions, since most of us had economy cars in the 70's and 80's. At that time, automatic transmissions were an expensive option and had a negative impact on acceleration and mileage.
My daughter is 29 and doesn't know how to drive a manual transmission and I don't think most of her peers can, either.
EDIT: Accidentally a manual.
My daily is an automatic but my old Magirus-Deutz is a special kind of manual. Iโm 37 from Germany.
I don't really drive at all, but I can and mostly because of hardcore racing sims that have a clutch lol
Yes. German. When I learned to drive, it was mandatory to do so on a stick.
My dad made me learn on one and take my test with one. I've had a few over the years, I really like them. Looking for a cheap one now so I can teach my partner how. Mid 30's Canada.