Asklemmy

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

Germany, 25. Always driven manual, don't even know how to drive automatic.

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.

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 can’t. Lots of people my age can. My teenage years there was only one car in the household and it’s an auto. I couldn’t 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 can’t drive manual and hasn’t affected my life at all

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.

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.

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 I am 25 and in Germany that is the default so nearly anyone can drive with a stick shift.

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.

India, been driving manual since 20 yr old , been a while and planning to get an auto

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.

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.

Yes, I learned to drive in one, got my license with one. I'm 38.

40 Florida I drive a manual everyday. My mother insisted I learn on a manual. I'm grateful

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.

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'm in my 30s grew up in FL and I can

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!!

Does a motorbike count?

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.

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.

Nope, I'm scared to even use the paddle shifters on my auto

Yes (early 30s) drive a manual VW polo. I’m from Australia. I have always had a manual car.

...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.

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.

23, German, yes I can and I do

I’m 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 that’s what I’m driving now