And if you can, do you? My dad is a car guy, so I learned when I was 14 to drive a stick. And I've had a manual vehicle most of the time ever since. There's a certain satisfaction to be found in rowing your own gears.
Can you drive a vehicle with a manual transmission?
- Thread starter Kinnick.At.Night
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Sure. Sold my little Izuzu truck a year or two back, so we are stickless for the first time ever…
No pic daughter was pretty much a rock star in high school due to driving a stick. She never worried about her car getting stolen.
No pic daughter was pretty much a rock star in high school due to driving a stick. She never worried about her car getting stolen.
hawkeyetraveler
HR All-American
I learned on a stick in the 80’s and drove them until the late 90s. Had to drive one in Europe a few years ago. Was like riding a bike, no issues.
My first three cars were sticks. The DSM freeway during its construction convinced me to be switch to an automatic, I’d love to have a stick again.
They are the bomb for snowy driving, gravel roads, off road driving, etc…
Of course. And I've taught everyone in my household. It's an important skill if for nothing more than to understand how a car / drive train work. I own a lot of vehicles - three of which are manuals. It's getting harder and harder to come by for new ones though. A shame.
Yep I drive a 6 speed Tacoma and haven't actually owned an automatic, although obviously have driven them plenty.
It is a shame. They've made a bit of a comeback though. At least among performance cars.
Nice! 228K and counting on mine with the original clutch still going strong, and nothing more than a couple wheel bearings replaced (besides the tweakers who drilled my gas tank because tweakers freaking suck!)
It's what I learned to drive with. Dad had four on the floor pick up and three on the tree Plymouth Fury 3. Couldn't believe how easy a automatic was when I drove one the first time.
I can, but I don't currently.
Back in college I was the guy that could drive a standard that could get other people home drunk who were more drunk than me, and couldn't drive themselves. So I'd drive their cars back to wherever we were going. Also had a buddy in college that had a standard Isuzu Trooper. He'd let me drive it on e the weekends sometimes when he'd go back to Dallas. I don't want one now though - too much traffic to have to deal with always changing gears - much prefer to "set it and forget it".
Back in college I was the guy that could drive a standard that could get other people home drunk who were more drunk than me, and couldn't drive themselves. So I'd drive their cars back to wherever we were going. Also had a buddy in college that had a standard Isuzu Trooper. He'd let me drive it on e the weekends sometimes when he'd go back to Dallas. I don't want one now though - too much traffic to have to deal with always changing gears - much prefer to "set it and forget it".
The ole three on the tree was a rite of passage back in the day. My buddy with a VW bug thought he could speed shift like he did the bug. Naw
You had to basically stop to get into first gear.
The trade off was that first had some legs to start off with.
It's my second manual Tacoma. They're fantastic. I miss how raw my old one was, mechanically. It had all the sounds of an old sports car, without the performance! There are definitely benefits to the newer models though.
Yes, unfortunately there are only a handful of vehicles today that has the option.
I got rid of mine about 15 years ago and still regret it.
We just had our second kid and you couldn't really fit car seats in it as it was the 3/4 cab.
Plus, I commuted cross town in it and after stop and go traffic for an hour each way every day my hip hurt from the stiff clutch.
Yes, it’s what I first drove, but haven’t had one since early 2000s. But I tend to drive them when on vacation in foreign countries… like riding a bike.
The car will eventually move down the road, if you call that driving then hell yes.
I have owned multiple stick transmission cars and trucks, and loved them. I loved the extra bit of control, and I think being more actively engaged as a driver keeps you more focused on what you are doing. I've had SUVs for the last 15 years due to family obligations, and wish I could graduate back to a manual.
Same here.
Last vehicle I owned with one I traded off in 2003. After that I got to drive a friend's Vette with a 6 speed quite often but alas he traded it off a few years ago.
Yes and both of my cars are currently manual.
Man, you reminded me of the old slap of skit work and rental trucks over the years. You could abuse the heck out of them without much concern, but they paid you back with stiff clutches, poor brakes and turning radius, little or no AC, hard ace bench seats, AM only radio, crank windows, inefficient wipers, etc…
Did I mention slap of skit trucks you could abuse?
I learned to drive on Dad's Land Cruiser, but never owned a manual.
Is it like riding a bicycle?
Is it like riding a bicycle?
She did. For as long as I knew her. She had an E36 M3 too, that she adored.
You waited until 14? Must not have been a farm kid 😊
I learned on a 3 on the tree. Had 1 of those until about 10 years ago. Thanks for the post. Brought back some nice memories
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