Poll: Escapist: Can you drive a Manual?

[shootthebandit]

If I didn't have people pulling up an inch behind me when stopped at a light going up hill then I would be fine driving stick. But since I can't control other drivers I'll stick with automatic which doesn't stall out or roll backwards on hills until it catches.

But that's probably because most people have automatics now. I imagine Europe would have a more manual experienced drivers who take more caution on hills.

Hill-starting is a skill you have to pick up while learning to drive in the UK. Basically if you roll backwards while trying to start during the test, that's a major fault (you're not allowed many of them), possibly even a fail right there, depending on how bad it is.

Even on a steep hill, I can get it going in first gear without moving backwards or stalling (think I might have stalled two or three times doing it in the years since I passed), it's pretty much second nature now as I've done it so often.

Hmm, I see people roll all the time. I'd always just assumed that it was a flaw with the vehicle rather than a skill.

But two or three times. Any of them accidents or close calls? That'd be two or three situations more than I'd have with an automatic. Safer, smoother rides from what I've seen and not always that much less gas efficiency.

From what I gather from these replies you can pass your driving test in an auto in america then jump into a manual without knowing what to do. Whereas in the UK if you pass in an auto you cant drive a manual.

Stopping on a hill in an auto is the opposite for me. I feel as if its going to roll back on me.

A manual is fairly easy and for those who don't know you put your handbrake on, rev your car a bit higher than usual (if its really steep you'll need more revs) then lift the clutch till it bites and at the same time release your handbrake

Another bonus of a manual is the wheel spin. All you do is rev your car really high and then release your clutch really quickly. Your wheels will spin. Automatics dont really like you doing that to them

n.b. I do not condone wheel spins ;P its is infantile and ruins your tyres (it is fun though)

 

[AnarchistFish]

yeah but I haven't passed my test yet


they're a huge pain

 

[Weaver]

Where is the option "No, but I'd like to learn"?

Simply put, I don't know a single person with a manual transmission car so I have no way of learning how to drive one really. Most cars here are automatic.

 

[RoonMian]

I actually can't drive automatic. Every time I've been in an automatic I did lots of accidental emergency brakes when my foot tried to find the clutch and accidentally stepped on that frying pan of a brake pedal instead.

 

[Nimcha]

I actually have more trouble driving an automatic car. It never shifts when I want it to and it'll always end up either giving me too many revs or too little. Also getting used to the brake pedal is a pain.

 

[Brutal Peanut]

My husband tried to teach me, I just couldn't get it. I didn't even manage to get my license until the beginning of this year, because it finally became necessary - I'm 26 and just popped out a baby in May. I just needed to learn to drive, so automatic was the fastest and easiest way for me so I could get the baby around to her appointments and running errands. Also, the car that we had for me to learn on, that I would be driving the most, was an automatic. So, *raspberry*

 

[Funyahns]

I prefer to drive a manual car. Even more so in winter, if you get stuck in snow its easier to move a manual.

 

[SerBrittanicus]

I can drive a manual since I am from the UK and did my test in one, but switched to auto since they are so much more comfortable with all the driving I have to do - best decision I ever made.

 

[Alfador_VII]

Hill-starting is a skill you have to pick up while learning to drive in the UK. Basically if you roll backwards while trying to start during the test, that's a major fault (you're not allowed many of them), possibly even a fail right there, depending on how bad it is.

Even on a steep hill, I can get it going in first gear without moving backwards or stalling (think I might have stalled two or three times doing it in the years since I passed), it's pretty much second nature now as I've done it so often.

Hmm, I see people roll all the time. I'd always just assumed that it was a flaw with the vehicle rather than a skill.

But two or three times. Any of them accidents or close calls? That'd be two or three situations more than I'd have with an automatic. Safer, smoother rides from what I've seen and not always that much less gas efficiency.

I said I'd stalled only a couple of times, out of hundreds of hill-starts, but I always used the brake (and handbrake) to avoid rolling backwards when that happened. Never a close call caused by it.

I do however give learner drivers a lot of space on hills if I'm behind them, just in case

 

[shootthebandit]

Where is the option "No, but I'd like to learn"?

Simply put, I don't know a single person with a manual transmission car so I have no way of learning how to drive one really. Most cars here are automatic.

Its not really that difficult. When youre driving along just change gear (clutch in select gear) when the revs get relatively. 2500-3000rpm if you are being conservative and redline if you want to go fast

you can use your clutch to control your car. When maneouvering instead of letting go of the gas you can put your clutch in and then slowly bring it out again to move the car.

If you leave it in the default auto yes its a slug, flip it into 7 speed and S mode and it will accelerate far better, nothing will cure its under-steer, but then its not a sports model. You have to remember that its only the UK that views the Jazz (Honda Fit to Americans) as an old persons car.
To be fair, the Clio has always been a go-kart/dodgem because it is a nippy little sod even in the older 1.0 models. Before I had to move over to auto I did briefly own a Clio, and loved it. Living in Teesside though it was a typical target for thieves so I only had it for about 18 months.

So its a semi-auto then? Or it just changes to a 7-speed auto?

To be fair my mate loved his jazz and he says it was a lot more responsive than his subsequent 1.2 corsa (but then again vauxhall/GM are a pile of shit).

The clio sport is amazing though. Its so much fun. Its just enough power for it to be fast but not too much for it to be uncontrollable. You can just rev it to 8000 and chuck it into corners and it keeps asking for more. The MPG is a very low (I can get low 30s sat at 70 in 6th gear, usually I get around 25) its fast and its nimble and I dont think it would be anywhere near as fun if it was an auto (mainly because I wouldnt get my satisfying little beep and green light that tell me to change gear on the redline)

 

[Grimh]

Yes, it's the default here in Sweden. You have to specifically request to get a automatic license I think.
However as I don't really care for driving I prefer automatic so I have to do as little driving as possible.

 

[Crazy Zaul]

Wheres the 'Yes because all cars are manual except ones for disabled people' option for the rest of the world except America?

 

[clippen05]

Manuals are tiring for long trips. In the US, many individual states are larger than the UK

If by many you mean Alaska and Texas, lol.

OT: I only know how to drive automatic. Have thought about trying to learn manual, but there's no real reason to for me.

 

[Daygall65]

Well. This exploded more than I thought it would >_<

As for can I?

Yep, started driving when I was 10 on stick tractor, got to drive parents cars on driveway *1.2KM driveway* both sticks. One was a 80s Honda Accord, the other was a 96 Subaru Legacy Wagon. So two completely different cars in terms of how the clutch reacts *also different wear levels* So I got used to different pedal feel.

My cars have been an 01 Legacy Wagon and an 07 Legacy Wagon *I like my Subys* Both manuals. Every time I drive an automatic I feel like I can't control the car... I don't like how sluggish the transmission feels, and I habitually try to hit the clutch at a stop sign and reach for my shifter...

I like my stick shift!

ROCK ON STICK SHIFT DRIVERS!

 

[Chemical Alia]

I live in the US where it's not that common these days for people to drive manual, but yeah. One of my old cars from college was manual. I like it better than automatic except for in traffic and on long trips. When my boyfriend first bought his car, I had to drive it across New Jersey for him cause he didn't know how to drive it yet, it's kind of rare to see manual these days, especially with new cars.

My car has that feature where it's automatic but you can put it into a mode where you can manually switch gears, and I actually have no idea how to use that and never bothered to try. Maybe it would be better for gas, I dunno.

 

[Robert Marrs]

Never had the opportunity. I would like to learn just so I know how if I ever need to but I think I will still prefer automatic. Im not a race car driver I just need to get where I am going and its generally within reason of the speed limit.

 

[x EvilErmine x]

I learnt to drive in a manual and I have driven one ever since. I've had a go of an auto a few times but I really don't like it. I feel like I don't have full control of the car. I like my gears, they let me control the car in a way that just feels natural, that's probably because I've been driving manual for over 10 years now though. My last two cars have had six speed boxes and honestly six speed is the way forward.

Once when I was driving an auto I nearly caused a crash coz I pushed the brake (thinking it was the clutch) to change gear[footnote]When you drive a manual you learn to change up or down based on the sound of the engine, so in my mind I was like 'oh revs are sounding high...time to change up'[/footnote] so I'm really not a fan of them.

 

[DefunctTheory]

Manuals are tiring for long trips. In the US, many individual states are larger than the UK

If by many you mean Alaska and Texas, lol.

There are eleven states that are more expansive then the UK. Six more are in spitting range of it's size. The US could fit thirty-three UKs in it, if you only count the continental 48.

 

[bartholen_v1legacy]

Can I drive manual? Do I live in Europe?

Yes.

I've been getting back to it due to my job at the moment, and find it actually kinda fun. It adds another layer of thinking into the driving process when you can assess whether or not you should shift to higher or lower.

 

[sneakypenguin]

Yep but I'm under no illusions that they are better. gas mileage is pretty much the same nowdays some autos even get better hwy. Performance humans can't shift faster than a dual clutch and even slushboxes with the manual mode are pretty much insta shift(ie I hit the paddle and its in the next gear before I even release it)

That said while I my drive an SMG for my next car all my bikes with be traditional. Nothing like upshifting at 13k rpm so crisp like a fine gun trigger or rev matching downshifts before laying it over into a turn.