Can You Drive a Manual Transmission?

I'm one of those weird people who prefers to drive a manual transmission. My dad taught me how to drive a stick shift before I went through drivers education, and I've never looked back. I love the feeling of pushing the clutch in and grabbing a higher gear, or heel-toe downshifting into a corner on a winding road. It's so much more fun than that paddle-shift crap found in most modern cars.

Anyway, my question is, how many of you know how to drive a stick shift?

 

I had an old truck for decades that had a manual shift and did a LOT of driving. My left knee started hurting from using the clutch all the time. I learned to shift without the clutch while rolling.

 

That's the one thing I haven't tried....shifting without the clutch. I know how to do it, but I'm kind of terrified of messing up and grinding the gears or damaging the transmission otherwise.

 

Driving a Lamborghini with an automatic would not be fun.

My Cadillac is automatic but you can also pull it through the gears if you want to. It has 4 speeds forward so is pretty similar to stick shifts. When humming along at over 140 mph, you do feel the need for speed.

 

Yeah I prefer them but those are goin the way of the dodo.

 

A stick shift can be kind of a problem with a pickup loaded with bricks and an uphil stop sign.

 

Unfortunately everything is about numbers in today's world. Aston Martin and Porsche are the only exotic car makers still offering stick shifts in their cars, and even then, their models that do have three pedals are somewhat hard to find.

 

My dad did the exact same thing. He said it is easy to move from manual to automatic later on, but not the other way around. I do prefer automatic though.

 

Does anyone remember the 3 speed on the column?

 

I know how to drive a stick shift. I drove a 2009 Honda with a stick for 6 years. It was fun.. except on hills.

 

3 on the column is what I learned to drive on

 

Yes, my hubby had one and taught me to drive it

 

Is that what they used to call a "3 in the tree?"

 

Yes, exactly.

 

I thought so. My uncle had an old 1963 Ford Falcon and it had a 3 in the tree. 2nd gear didn't work and he used to say he had a broken limb! Lol

 

It is about numbers, but also efficiency. Automatic transmissions are to the point that they outperform even the best drivers.

 

I figured Ferrari and Lamborghini still had stick shifts. Are you positive they have automatics today?

The modern automatic is fantastic though.

 

Lamborghini was at something like 98% automatics when they announced they were not even going to offer manuals. Ferrari no longer offers manual.

 

The way I did it...take foot off the accelerator, just then pull the shifter to neutral if shifting say from 2nd to 3rd head toward 3rd slowly until the gears slip in. If going from 3rd to 2nd, raise the rpms until it slips into 2nd. Gotta be real careful on newer cars though that old truck had a tranny you couldn't hurt with a sledge hammer.

 

I never cared much for a shifter on the column. And now I like an automatic. I am lazy I guess.

 

In this country, almost every car on the market can be bought in manual OR auto. There are also a number of vehicles which only come in a manual. There are a few exceptions where only auto is available, but there is still a very steady demand for manual here, so manufacturers won't retire them from our market for a long time yet. Besides, auto is $3000 more expensive in any given model. That does limit their appeal.

 

What model? I like Honda....two of the (realistic) cars on my bucket list to own are the 1999-2009 S2000 and 2007-2011 Civic Si.

Unfortunately I am 100% positive.

Lamborghini currently offers two model lines, the Huracan and the Aventador. The only available transmission in the Huracan is a seven-speed dual clutch automatic with paddle shifters, and the only available transmission in the Aventador is single-clutch seven speed automatic with paddle shifters.

Ferrari has five model lines: 488; F12; GTC4Lusso; California T; and LaFerrari. All are sold exclusively with dual-clutch automatic transmissions (seven speed, I believe) with paddle shifters.

 

Yeah but not well.

 

Yeah, that's what I learned to drive. I went from that to stick shift and then automatic, back to stick shift and now because of leg problems, automatic . . . period.

 

Three on the tree.