Asklemmy

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.

Yes (US, 35), and it’s something I can do autonomically in appropriate situations. I also enjoy being an integral part of my car’s operation.

And when you’re flogging it on a nice mountain road or a track, there’s nothing quite like nailing that heel-and-toe downshift as you’re clipping the apex.

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?

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.

Yep i can. 30 Male Canada. Grew up in the praries just outside a small town. All we had for fun growing up besides games was old cars and dirtbikes. Currently drive a automatic however.

Austria, late 20s, I currently own a manual transmission car, so obviously yes.

43, US - can and do drive a manual.

35, WI, can. Haven't had one in a while because the wife doesn't want to learn.

I tried twice and it went poorly.

Yes. As someone from the UK where near enough everyone I know knows how to drive a manual. If you learnt auto only you'd get absolutely hammered by your mates. However this will probably start to change now hybrid/electrics are mostly auto or single gear

US, 35 - yes can and do drive manual.

Late 40s, from the US. My mom drove a manual so I learned on her car. Then my first car was an old VW Bug, and my next couple of cars were also manual.

Now that I live in a city with soul crushing traffic and a completely broken public transit system, I drive an automatic. Driving a manual in stop and go traffic is just not fun. Plus, it's gotten hard to even find a manual transmission anymore. But when we went on vacation to Costa Rica a few years ago they gave us a car with a stick shift and I had a blast bombing that thing around.

37, US, and yes. I prefer manual for keeping my attention actively on the car and driving.

30, Chile, yes, I prefer it.

Yes. I bought a manual car a few years ago having never driven one before. I taught myself how to drive it in my driveway and with the help of YouTube videos. I really enjoy it and hope that even in the future when EVs are the final nail in the coffin for manuals that I still have at least a "fun" car with a manual. I'm in the US and a millennial.

US 28, can and do. only time I prefer automatic is when traffic is really bad, otherwise manual is more engaging end enjoyable imo

US, yes but haven't owned a manual for years. If Honda sold an Odyssey Si with a 6-speed and a turbo I would drive the hell out of it.

35 and haven't owned/driven a standard in over a year. Yet I still frequently stomp on my own foot trying to downshift or find myself mindlessly searching for the shifter exiting turns.

US (Midwest), 40, maybe? I know how to but haven't driven one since I was probably 19.

29, USA, can drive stick

First car was manual transmission, I miss that thing dearly

Yes. Germany, 20 years old

I'm in Mexico at the moment and my first car was manual transmission. I didn't know how to drive manual when I bought it, so I just learned on the fly.

Yep, own a manual, driven manuals prior, and learned when I was young (conceptually at least, I grew up racing motorcycles, and the idea of clutch+shifting became a thing when I was about 8). Never formally was "taught" in a car, just got in and started driving one. Am 32 in Appalachia.

Yes, I have never owned anything else. I really struggle to drive auto/CVT, honestly, it's so confusing for me.

Early 40s. Murica.

Yes, Poland, 18 and I prefer (and drive) it

I haven't tried in over 10 years, but I was able to back then. It would probably take a bit of practice to get it back, but I'm sure I could figure it out again.

Since then I have owned two cars with paddle shifters, which I think is the best of both worlds for a casual driver who likes playing racing games, but has never driven on a track and doesn't really plan to.

US, learned to drive on the east coast, early 40s, and I can and prefer to.

My wife, however, does not, so I live in the auto world.

Yes. Mid 30s in the US, but my first car was also a manual. Glad I knew how to do it when my wife accidently booked a manual rental car during our trip in Portugal last year.

20s, asia, and can do manual.

Northeast USA, 41 years old at the time (50 now), previous car to current one was a manual Honda Civic because it was what we could afford. My husband took me to a parking lot to show me the basics on a Saturday (he'd learned to drive on a stick shift), then off I went to work that Monday.

NGL. first month I cried a lot because I stalled out often, especially between first and second gear. After a while, though, I grew to love the control--especially in winter conditions--and that I could now drive any car. Eventually, the transmission burnt out, and we got a hybrid C-Max, which is nice, fuel-efficient, but I would drive another manual again if given the opportunity.

Like many people of the Lemmy-verse, I know how to drive a manual (can't say I am best, or better than average even).

Cannot afford to own a car in this economy. Have a geared motorcycle tho.

Yes, 30s, USA (Midwest)

My first car I got when I was 16 was a manual transmission so I learned on that.

I’m a boomer, of course I can, haha.

Yes. Almost 50 in US. Owned over 100 manual vehicles.

Had to be able to start on a hill to get my license.

Mid 30s, US. First car was a manual, but I have an automatic now. I do miss it, but I probably drive much safer now that it's less fun. Even though it was just a beat up old passat I always felt like I was in forza driving the manual

30s in the US and I can't drive a manual. I honestly don't even know where to go to even get a manual transmission vehicle. My dad had one 25 years ago and that's the last time I've been in a personal vehicle with manual transmission. I don't see why anyone would want one either. Who wants to make driving even more difficult and tedious than it already is?

I just didn't have the need for driving licence. So no, automatic or electric or manual.

With good public transport and cost of car ownership it didnt make sense. But now I will probably do it just in case.

Yeah. US midwest, 46, learned in an '86 Toyota 4Runner nicknamed The Blue Beast. It was my only vehicle for a number of years.

Yes, US, early 20s, drove one until recently when I had to get a new car.

When I got married, my wife moved up to live with me in Canada in the dead of winter. Our only car was a manual rust bucket my brother gifted us with. For some reason, it was always freezing cold in that car. I eventually squeezed an old pizza box in front of the rad and it helped retain a modicum of heat. But man what a junker...

At any rate, we'd get off work and it would of course already be dark and I'd take her to a parking lot to teach her stick. She'd be trying to do donuts in the snow while the car was lurching around or spinning the tires. She just kept getting angrier and it didn't help when I'd yell "you're gonna stall! give it more gas!" Our marriage was seriously tested at that point but by some miracle we're still together?