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http://www.caranddriver.com/features/save-the-manuals-official-headquarters

After hearing about this on NPR and seeing some posts about US/UK driving habits, I was wondering how many people out there are not just able to drive a stick shift, but are proficient, and prefer driving one.

As for myself, I have never owned a car without a manual gearbox. When I drive an automatic, I tend to forget myself and before I know it, I'm speeding.

Of course I can. I do not carry a purse, nor do I wear lipstick.

I've only driven one automatic for a few weeks (a 2009 Vauxhall Corsa) and wasn't very happy with it. Maybe it was a poor example but my main issues were that I didn't feel safe and it was noticeably more thirsty on fuel compared to my manual Corsa.

I couldn't pull off or accelerate particularly quickly which made joining motorways and pulling out of junctions onto fast roads rather scary, and it seemed to struggle with hills where it would make odd gear selections leaving the car at a crawl or over reving the engine. On the flat it was ok, but it didn't make for a smooth ride or make me feel safe, it made me feel like a passenger sometimes. It took away all the control you have with a manual, which are more enjoyable and give confidence. I actually like being able to select the gears as the roads near my last home were quite twisty and uneven, if I want to quickly change down and maintain a certain speed I want to be able to do it when I need it.

And I can perform smoother gear changes than that automatic which was disappointing, I thought it was going to be better than a person but no matter how I drove it always gave a little kick when changing.

Maybe it was a particularly poor example of an automatic but it's put me off for life because it was so awful, I was glad to see the back of it. *Shudder*

I only know how to drive automatic. Driving isn't something enjoyable for me, it's transport from point A to B. Learning to drive manual is an extra effort in something I just don't care about.

I've only ever driven a manual - automatics are the exception rather than the rule in the UK. A couple of friends haven't liked them when they've had hire cars or replacements.

Firstly, no, as I'm not 17 yet.
However, as an outsider, I can't really see why people would drive automatics unless they're particularly bad at driving and would find it far easier: They're far less efficient for very little in return. When you're driving, you (supposedly) have to be concentrating the entire time anyway, so adding something that requires you to concentrate on driving wouldn't be too much of a hassel?
Anyway, I expect I'm about to be brutally murdered by people who say that it's totally different and if I'm going to post an outsider's perspective I should never have been born. Ah well.

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
I've only driven one automatic for a few weeks (a 2009 Vauxhall Corsa) and wasn't very happy with it. Maybe it was a poor example but my main issues were that I didn't feel safe and it was noticeably more thirsty on fuel compared to my manual Corsa.

I couldn't pull off or accelerate particularly quickly which made joining motorways and pulling out of junctions onto fast roads rather scary, and it seemed to struggle with hills where it would make odd gear selections leaving the car at a crawl or over reving the engine. On the flat it was ok, but it didn't make for a smooth ride or make me feel safe, it made me feel like a passenger sometimes. It took away all the control you have with a manual, which are more enjoyable and give confidence. I actually like being able to select the gears as the roads near my last home were quite twisty and uneven, if I want to quickly change down and maintain a certain speed I want to be able to do it when I need it.

And I can perform smoother gear changes than that automatic which was disappointing, I thought it was going to be better than a person but no matter how I drove it always gave a little kick when changing.

Maybe it was a particularly poor example of an automatic but it's put me off for life because it was so awful, I was glad to see the back of it. *Shudder*

Sounds like there was something wrong with the car, it might have had low transmission fluid or some other problem. A well-maintained automatic shouldn't give you any kick when changing gears. And even with an automatic you should be able to downshift, I do that a lot if I'm driving an automatic up a hill in snowy conditions.

I can drive a manual if I need to, but I don't prefer it. If I drove a manual more often I'd probably have no preference. At the end of the day, I'll drive what's available to me, so I don't really overly care one way or the other.

 p_gray99 wrote:
Firstly, no, as I'm not 17 yet.
However, as an outsider, I can't really see why people would drive automatics unless they're particularly bad at driving and would find it far easier: They're far less efficient for very little in return. When you're driving, you (supposedly) have to be concentrating the entire time anyway, so adding something that requires you to concentrate on driving wouldn't be too much of a hassel?
Anyway, I expect I'm about to be brutally murdered by people who say that it's totally different and if I'm going to post an outsider's perspective I should never have been born. Ah well.

Spend a week commuting in DC and your mind'll change quick.

 Seaward wrote:

 p_gray99 wrote:
Firstly, no, as I'm not 17 yet.
However, as an outsider, I can't really see why people would drive automatics unless they're particularly bad at driving and would find it far easier: They're far less efficient for very little in return. When you're driving, you (supposedly) have to be concentrating the entire time anyway, so adding something that requires you to concentrate on driving wouldn't be too much of a hassel?
Anyway, I expect I'm about to be brutally murdered by people who say that it's totally different and if I'm going to post an outsider's perspective I should never have been born. Ah well.

Spend a week commuting in DC and your mind'll change quick.

Yeah, that's a good point. An automatic is more convenient if you're driving in traffic that is constantly stopping.

Seaward wrote:Of course I can. I do not carry a purse, nor do I wear lipstick.

I also stand when I pee.

I've never driven an automatic and don't really see what is hugely difficult about driving manual. From what I understand in the UK you can learn in an automatic and take a test in an automatic, but then you can't drive a manual car unless you pass an additional test.

I don't really see what the attraction is to automatic cars... after driving a manual for even a short time, gear changes become pretty much automatic anyway

And regards the article - I think less young people are learning to drive now because their parents have less money and everything is more expensive, rather than them thinking driving is "lame"... I don't think I've ever heard a conversation between 16/17/18 year olds about cars that wasn't along the lines of "really want to pass my driving test/just passed my driving test/was driving like a total spaz the other day but I thought I was cool and you should think I am cool too".

I can but I prefer an automatic. It's a personality thing. I get really frustrated driving a stick in traffic and that gets me agitated and that gets me stupid. Stupid + car = bad.

So I prefer to drive an automatic.

 Breotan wrote:
I can but I prefer an automatic. It's a personality thing. I get really frustrated driving a stick in traffic and that gets me agitated and that gets me stupid. Stupid + car = bad.

So I prefer to drive an automatic.

This is pretty much me. I can but i'd rather not.
I'm not a good multi tasker and having to change gears is just one more thing to distract me from driving safely. Inclines are the death of me in manual cars. I cant work the clutch and gear stick smooth enough to take off properly on even the slightest incline which can sometimes lead to a mild panic attack. Hilarity often ensues after this.

I'm from Ireland and living in the US, I also happen to be in the process of obtaining my licence. Right now I drive both. The instructor's car is automatic and my wife's car is manual.

All the driving that I did before I moved over was in a manual. I will say that manual gives me a better feeling of control over the car and the gear change (sometimes with an automatic I feel that I have to over rev the engine). However I can see the pros to automatics too:
When you're learning it means you can focus more on the road, the traffic and the handling of the car
It makes navigating six lane rush hour traffic easier as you can focus more on your surroundings and not focus on gears
It's easier to operate for people with certain kinds of physical disability/limitations
Long stretches of highway driving with cruise control

I'm a girl. I wear make up. I have a purse. Etc etc etc I've only ever owned manual cars and I also work on my car and I also go to the Raceway and drift occasionally. Automatics bore me to death and as has been mentioned, I always find myself speeding when I am forced to drive one.

 Seaward wrote:

 p_gray99 wrote:
Firstly, no, as I'm not 17 yet.
However, as an outsider, I can't really see why people would drive automatics unless they're particularly bad at driving and would find it far easier: They're far less efficient for very little in return. When you're driving, you (supposedly) have to be concentrating the entire time anyway, so adding something that requires you to concentrate on driving wouldn't be too much of a hassel?
Anyway, I expect I'm about to be brutally murdered by people who say that it's totally different and if I'm going to post an outsider's perspective I should never have been born. Ah well.

Spend a week commuting in DC and your mind'll change quick.

Or in a place with decent hills. Nothing is as 'fun' (for certain values of 'fun' ) than being stopped at a red light on a steep slope with the guy behind you 6 inches off your bumper, hoping you don't slide back into his car, or stall out, as you try to massage the clutch and throttle when the light turns green.

Having said that, yes I can drive a manual, though right now the truck and van are automatics (but the 'vette isn't). I also ride motorcycles which are manual but use a different combination of hand/feet for the clutch/gear/throttle.

Nope i cannot, But then again I have failed my drivers test 5 times(in a week im going again)

Been driving since 1994, and have only driven an automatic once. It was quite difficult to adjust to, and once I had gotten the hang of it was quite boring. I dare say there are benefits to using an automatic, but I just prefer manual.

I prefer manuals to automatics. That being said, my daily driver is an automatic (for my fiancee's sake), my fiancee's car is an automatic, and my beloved 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator is an automatic, because when I was looking to buy, that's what was available and affordable. However, I have an '89 Mustang GT Convertible, currently on blocks and awaiting warmer weather and some more work, that is a manual.

I can. My first 2 cars were manuals.

A stick shift in Houston rush hour traffic gets old, though.

I only drive automatics. My Dad tried to teach me to drive his manual truck once, but I couldn't even get out of the driveway (probably didn't help that I had to go in reverse, first) before I gave up. Of course, I have a 45 mile commute to and from work in traffic, so I like using cruise control when I can.

I learned in a manual back in the early '90s
I've driven an auto now and again over the years.
It's not really fun (with the exception of the 911 turbo, which was mental).

Only manaul for me. Automatics just seem a little dumbed down in comparison...

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Nope i cannot, But then again I have failed my drivers test 5 times(in a week im going again)

Maybe you should just get a bus pass and/or move to New York.

I only drove manual (AKA "standard") for the first 15 years or so, and generally prefer it. I only wound up getting an automatic because I got a good price on a nice Saab at the same place we were buying a car for my wife, when I happened to be in the market for a better winter car and wanted to get rid of my manual Saturn coupe.

Overall I like the automatic for the purposes of letting my wife drive us home if I've been drinking while we're out, and for stop & go traffic (rush hour and/or accidents). Those can be murder in a manual, especially if it goes on for an extended period (hour+).

I learned to drive a manual via tractors and work trucks when I did groundskeeping at a boy scout camp way back in 2008. I got my first vehicle at 20 and had it for 2 and a half years before I took it in to get some brake work and a new side view mirror (a bird hit my old one and cracked all mirror part out of it). I currently drive an automatic, but only because I deal with rush hour traffic twice a day, and I'd rather not drive a stick in that sort of environment. Though I do miss it

I can drive a standard, but all the cars I've owned since about 2002 have been automatics. Growing up in Hungary, they forced you to take your licensing test in a standard, and I think that's a great policy.

Driving a stick is fun, for sure, but not in the burbs or in the city. Unless you have wide open roads without any stops for miles, it's not worth it.

I know how to drive a manual, but prefer an automatic.

Never have and suspect I shan't unless for some reason it becomes mandatory. It doesn't really matter to me one way or another. If it gets me where I'm going and gets me there in one piece, that's really the only important part.