Poll: Can you drive with manual transmission?

[Psypherus]

I dont have my license yet so no I can't. I will definately be learning though

 

[Daveman]

On Topic: I can drive manual, but im still not good at going from N to 1st, and slowing down fast.

tbh those are the only hard bits about driving stick.

 

[ILPPendant]

I don't see the point in learning to drive manual, seems like a waste of time considering I'd only ever buy an automatic. I don't know the advantages of a manual and I'd go as far to assume any advantages that do exist wouldn't apply to me.

Yeah, who needs silly little things like fuel efficiency and actually being in control of the car?

 

[la-le-lu-li-lo]

Yes, of course, i'm irish. only our farm vehicles have automatic transmission. is american now the default nationality for the human population or sumthing? i think i was having a smoke when that memo came in...

What the man above me said, everyone in Scotland owns a maunal as does most of europe and Asia probably, why would you learn to drive in an automatic anyway? If you can drive a shift you can drive anything.

simple. because americans are lazy. duh.

and i say that as an american who just bought an automatic, well, techtronic so the manual is sort of available... i do miss stick-shift though. there's something satisfying about it.

 

[la-le-lu-li-lo]

On Topic: I can drive manual, but im still not good at going from N to 1st, and slowing down fast.

just smash the clutch in. though once you learn to go from neutral to first the rest comes easy.

i always thought calling gears was the trickiest part.

 

[Gruthar]

Yes, of course, i'm irish. only our farm vehicles have automatic transmission. is american now the default nationality for the human population or sumthing? i think i was having a smoke when that memo came in...

What the man above me said, everyone in Scotland owns a maunal as does most of europe and Asia probably, why would you learn to drive in an automatic anyway? If you can drive a shift you can drive anything.

simple. because americans are lazy. duh.

I don't think it's quite that simple. I think it has more to do with how roads are typically laid out in the US. Americans in general do quite of bit of driving, thanks to sprawl. Most of that driving is stop-and-go driving, in traffic, from stoplight to stoplight. Driving with a manual transmission can get old real fast when you're crawling along from light to light in a straight line.

I suppose if you live farther out in the country, with open winding roads and far less traffic, then a manual transmission is much more practical and fun. Within the city/suburbs, there's really no incentive, you just have the added hassle of mashing gears while you advance 100ft. Fuel mileage is crap either way.

The downside to automatics is that people do everything but drive in them. Talking/texting on cell phones, doing makeup, eating, etc...

 

[Agent Larkin]

Of course I can but then I'm European so it is second nature.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

I don't think it's quite that simple. I think it has more to do with how roads are typically laid out in the US. Americans in general do quite of bit of driving, thanks to sprawl. Most of that driving is stop-and-go driving, in traffic, from stoplight to stoplight. Driving with a manual transmission can get old real fast when you're crawling along from light to light in a straight line.

..and of course Europe is nothing but empty, open country roads.

 

[Harlemura]

I can't legally drive so I'm out of the question really.

 

[Rhayn]

Yes, I can drive stick. I do however prefer driving our automatic, mainly because it's a Volvo.

...and because on the manual one, a Renault Laguna, the transmission is damaged.

 

[Gruthar]

I don't think it's quite that simple. I think it has more to do with how roads are typically laid out in the US. Americans in general do quite of bit of driving, thanks to sprawl. Most of that driving is stop-and-go driving, in traffic, from stoplight to stoplight. Driving with a manual transmission can get old real fast when you're crawling along from light to light in a straight line.

..and of course Europe is nothing but empty, open country roads.

Obviously Europe has cities, but you guys aren't as sprawled out as we are, nor do you have as many cars per capita and, by extension, as much murder-inducing heavy traffic.

 

[Zykon TheLich]

Obviously Europe has cities, but you guys aren't as sprawled out as we are, nor do you have as many cars per capita and, by extension, as much murder-inducing heavy traffic.

True, we aren't as sprawled, but we are far more densely populated and urbanised (especially the UK). We may not have as many cars per person, but those cars are squeezed into a much smaller area...and by extension just as much murder inducing heavy traffic. Not to mention most of our roads are cart tracks compared to yours.

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

I can drive stick, i find it much easier than automatic. Stiil havent passed my test yet though XD

 

[PureChaos]

i learned to drive in a manual and i currently drive a manual.

 

[MontyGommo]

I answered 'Yes', though i'm not sure the manual cars we drive in Australia are what you are talking about...

 

[fix-the-spade]

Yes, of course.


If you can't drive a manual car you can't drive, it's like saying you can ride a bike if there's no pedalling involved or you can draw as long as it doesn't have to look like anything, it may be close but a basic and fundemental skill is missing.


Also, how do you correct a slide in a front wheel drive automatic? In manual you shift down and give it the beans, I've always wondered how you would do it in a car that decided the best gear for you.

 

[fix-the-spade]

and to all you euro ........ people, if you built cars instead of oversized golfcarts you wouldnt be needing to shift down going up hills

Yeah.. well.. um...

If you Americans built proper cars instead of oversized wallowy V8 bathtubs thousand of your people would get to keep their jobs, so there...