Does anyone drive a Stick Shift car/truck?

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This is likely an odd question. I wondered if anyone on here actually drives a car or truck that is stick shift (manual transmission) and do they have any problems with it?
My gf likes Stick, yet i am afraid about too much multitasking going on at once and that i won't be able to drive a stick well.
So i've always had automatics.
This stick shift issues only applies to cars or trucks.
I can ride motorcycles, dirtbikes with no problem.

Yet the idea of driving a stick shift vehicle (i was also one of those that the driving instructor screamed "you were sightseeing back there" at, so i don't always have best focus, i tend to sometimes move around, yet i do stay in the proper lane.

I prefer a manual transmission. Shifting is a stim for me and it keeps me from spacing out too much. I have been told by multiple people and friends I am the best driver they know. I also do SCCA racing from time to time.

After driver's ed, the first car I used regularly was a no-frills 1979 VW Rabbit with a manual transmission, so I'm very comfortable with it (though I haven't owned a manual auto in several years).

It's not a big deal to learn unless you're a brand-new driver, IMO. Especially if you've ridden motorcycles, then you already understand the necessary relationships between the clutch, brake and accelerator. I taught an adult friend who had never driven stick before, and he had it down in an afternoon. All you need is some time, patience with yourself, and an empty parking lot.

I believe driving stick gives a feel for how the car runs. Makes you more cognizant regarding traction, fuel economy and stuff like that, even if you're piloting an automatic transmission. If you live in a city with a lot of stop-and-go traffic, your left leg will become very muscular.

Sometimes, in urgent situations, I occasionally find myself stomping the floor of the car with my left foot while braking with my right. Old habit dies hard, I guess.

i learned to drive a stick, and i still prefer it over automatic, it is a feeling of control.
i have driven an automatic before, but i kept catching myself wanting to shift while driving (which would turn out bad on the highway, as the clutch pedal is the same as the brake in an automatic car )

Right now I'm driving stick but I've had cars with both kinds of transmissions. I probably prefer stick because I feel I have more control. I drove a mercedes slk 320 for a while and it had auto stick where you can drive it as an automatic or use the shifter to change gears by moving the selector right and left for + and -. No clutch involved. I really liked that setup, best of both.

I don't have any problems with driving stick. It's handy for driving in snow/ice and on hills. I have always driven smallish front wheel drive cars and I have gotten away with winter driving in a cold winter climate, hilly terrain area without snow tires. Honestly, I can go as well as 4-wheel drives do on the hilly winding roads here.

I struggled learning it in my early 20s, five years after learning to drive automatic. Correction; learning to do it was quick/easy, but I struggled getting the car moving on steep hills from a dead stop for about a year.

You might find that driving stick shift actually helps your focus in the task of driving. It adds an extra dimension of driving sensation; you feel the acceleration/deceleration of the car more keenly.

Here in the UK the highest percentage of cars by far is manual gears.

Which transmission is better for a highly congested traffic?.

I commute in traffic all the time in my manual beetle. As previously mentioned it helps me stay focused on driving. When I drive my parents auto truck I feel like I have no control at all.

I've driven a stick shift for 2/3 of my driving life, but driving it in heavy traffic always made me wish for an automatic. I think an automatic is better in those conditions, due to the frequent stopping and going, it's a PITA with a manual.

However in most driving situations, including heavy traffic, you do have a lot more control with a manual. It was a lot safer to be driving a manual the time my brakes went out.

This is true for me too. I wrecked my first 3 cars (all automatic) but learning to drive manual taught me to fully engage with the vehicle and I haven't had an accident since (15 yrs!)

That is awesome that so many of you can drive stick! My gf wants to teach me sometime. I am intimidated by the having to multi-task bit of it, however i guess i could get used to it.

Hearing all these good things about the stick shift, more control, better on transmission, better control, this is good. Eventually i will
have her try to teach me.

We live in the country and there's a lot of off roading (muddin') and very little traffic here. I've enjoyed off roading, yet i always had a automatic. I can only imagine with a manual... eventually! My ADHD makes me a lil nervous

Thanks guys

Road truck, auto
Race car, Stick, need the stick to go fast, my co-ordination is very bad however once its in 3rd its good for the duration of the race, what I need is practice I think. Hardest thing is loading the car on a trailer and not stalling so maybe i'm not so bad after all.

drive stick. lol I have no idea how to use those US gear levers where i expect indicators but love manuals.

I have always had manuals because I want to choose the gears.

I have only ever driven a stick shift car; I have never driven an automatic or a car with flippy gear levers. I don't think I would like to drive an automatic. I am very much the kind of driver who does not use the brakes as a first measure - to slow down I mostly just take my foot off the accelerator/throttle and then downshift as the revs drop to the appropriate level for each gear. The brake will provide the final little adjustment to my speed or be used in an emergency or unusual situation. Sometimes I also find it desirable to drive in a gear other than that which would usually be indicated by my speed. In some situations being in a lower gear provides an extra level of control of the vehicle which allows you to accelerate and decelerate more effectively. I worry that an automatic will not provide me with that same level of control. Personally I think I will stick to shift stick manual cars until something radically better is invented.

edit: Probably until I can just get into my car and say "take me to X" and it takes me there while wirelessly communicating with all the other vehicles around to ensure there are no crashes. Until we are talking about a system of that level of sophistication I probably trust myself more.

edit again: Cruise control is another example of car technology I don't like because I feel as if I am surrendering control. I drive my mum's car more than my own and it has cruise control. I very rarely use it - probably the only time I would use it would be a long, deserted road late at night when nobody else is around to make my slight loss of control a danger.

Last edited by invisiblesilent on 13 Jan 2013, 12:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

I want to learn ot use manual but have only done that in video games because most of the time I drive automatic. I don't like the US column shift it is hard to get into the right gear.