this post was submitted on 29 Aug 2023
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And where are you from? And how old? Not "do you" but just if you know how.

I'm in the US, mid 30s and can (and do) drive a manual transmission.

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[–] ChrissieWF@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Germany, mid 30s, all the cars I've owned were manual so I would say - yes :D

First time I drove a rental automatic I did an accidental hard stop at about every second crossroads as I intended to hit the clutch with my left foot and lacking one just hammered the breaks instead >.>

When driving combustion I prefer manual but I've recently driven some EV, I could get used to that feel :)

[–] PostMalort@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

40 Florida I drive a manual everyday. My mother insisted I learn on a manual. I'm grateful

[–] SoyViking@hexbear.net 4 points 1 year ago

I'm Danish and I drive a manual transmission car every day. Most cars here are manual transmission and you legally can't take driving lessons in an automatic transmission car here so everybody who knows how to drive knows how to drive manual.

I don't get why so many Americans try to make it seem like some amazing feat of traditional blue-collar masculine excellence to able to do it. It's not that hard, anybody can learn it in an afternoon.

I’m 26, from the US and I learned manual when I was 22. I live in Mexico now and im glad I learned because manual is still very common here, and that’s what I’m driving now

[–] d41@startrek.website 4 points 1 year ago

I'm 36, I live in the UK, and I've driven a manual car since I was 17. I've only driven an automatic twice in my life and I'll probably never own one.

[–] ratofkryll@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

35, Canada, and manual is my preference although my current car is an automatic.

I learned to drive on an automatic, but bought a manual for my first car and got my ex to teach me how to drive it. It was important to me that I be able to get into pretty much anything and drive it. After driving an automatic exclusively for the last year, I miss having that level of gearing control, especially on hills and corners.

[–] candle_lighter@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

i dont even know what manual transmission means if that tells you anything about me.

[–] dusty@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 1 year ago

I can drive a manual yeah, I don't feel like I'm in total control when driving an automatic, I'm 20 and live in the Netherlands

[–] coffee@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

German, late 30s. Automatic cars are rather uncommon in Germany, we sure like our manuals. Not being able to push my car into high RPMs when needed to overtake or accelerate quickly takes the fun out of driving. I'd never switch to automatic as long as I still have both arms and legs. And yes I know kickdowns are a thing, but it really doesn't compare.

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[–] grue@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

US, mid thirties, and I not only drive a manual transmission, I go out of my way to insist upon it. For example, I own a truck and an SUV made in the '90s because it's difficult to find newer ones without an automatic.

[–] nudnyekscentryk@szmer.info 4 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Mid 20s, Poland, very much can, but currently driving automatic.

Fun fact: in Poland you normally take the driving test in a manual gear shift car, but you can optionally take it in an automatic one. The deal is you have to provide the vehicle for the testing center yourself (driving schools lend them) and your driving license will have an annotation that it's only viable for this type of gearbox.

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[–] SuperSpruce@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

I'm 19-20 and I'm from the eastern part of the US.

In a car, I have about 8 hours of experience and could do it in a pinch, although I'd feel unconfident with it.

On a motorcycle, I have about 20 hours of more recent experience and I feel fairly comfortable with it.

[–] frankhorrigan@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

Late 30s, Canada, and absolutely I can.

[–] Chriskmee@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

USA, 33, daily drive a stick.

Bought my first car with my own money in 2013, a 2014 WRX, it only came in manual. I've been driving it since.

[–] kava@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

US late 20s. Yes I can and every car I've owned for the last 8 years has been manual

I go out of my way to find them.

[–] OceanSoap@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

Yes, I learned to drive in one, got my license with one. I'm 38.

[–] nik282000@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

36, Canadian, 10/10 would recommend. Winter driving is way more fun with manual, and it can be a lot easier on gas if you're in the mood.

  • 5 speed '93 Suzuki Sidekick 2006-2009
  • 6 speed '05 Jeep Wrangler 2009-2021
  • 5 speed '10 Mazda B2300 2021-Present
[–] JSens1998@lemmy.ml 4 points 1 year ago

My brother always use to tell me that driving manual is just driving with extra steps. Lol

[–] Gort@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago

All my cars, bar one, have been manual transmission, as is my current one. To be honest, as I'm lazy, I do prefer auto, but it's easier to buy a car with manual transmission here in the UK, as you have more options.

[–] GeminiFrenchFry@lemm.ee 4 points 1 year ago

Yes Midwest, U.S. 40y

[–] Sombyr@lemmy.one 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

No, on account of I cannot drive at all. I'm 25 and live in Vermont. The particular part I live in, everything's accessible by bus, so I've just never felt the urgency to learn.

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[–] m_r_butts@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm 237 years old, a retired phosphate miner in Nauru. I learned to drive on manual transmissions but now refuse to drive anything not powered by a turbo-encabulator, with the exception of Starfleet shuttlecraft. I also hate questions that encourage people to give away personal or census data without considering that is what's happening.

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[–] gingerjoos@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

From India, late 30s and I drive manual. I learned to drive less than an year ago in a manual that I own. Manual cars are cheaper and I bought one since I believe switching from manual to auto would be easier than the other way around. I don't feel comfortable driving an automatic; and it is only recently that I realised that ALL of my friends and family drive automatics! I live in a large crowded city with terrible traffic problems and I sometimes wonder if driving an automatic would be easier.

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[–] thedoginthewok@feddit.de 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yes, but after having an electric car for about two years, I never really wanna go back to ICE, manual or auto. The acceleration is addictive
And electric cars don't really need manual transmissions.

I drove ICE auto for about 8 years, then 3 years manual and electric for the last two.

Yes, almost 40, USA. I don't currently own a manual, but used to. It was a great way to save a few thousand on a car and it's a lot more fun to drive. But very few cars in the US have a manual option these days.

[–] Hadriscus@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

France, early thirties, I can. Automatics are still pretty new on the market, most people I know cannot operate one. It's easier of course, but kinda throws you off at first. My wife owns one and it's great for traffic and keeping a low fuel consumption, since the thing is made to shift gears exactly when necessary. The tradeoff is no sportsy driving, of course, but I can live with that for some time.

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[–] theory@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago

Yes (early 30s) drive a manual VW polo. I’m from Australia. I have always had a manual car.

[–] foosel@feddit.de 3 points 1 year ago

Yes, 40, Germany. And I actually do.

US, late 30s. The answer is "yes" but I've only spent a few hours behind the wheel of a manual car. I wouldn't feel comfortable with it without more practice. I don't prefer it as it's more thinking and stress for me in a commute that is already stop and go traffic. Automatic requires less work from me. Just my opinion and I know more people prefer manual because of the extra work it takes to drive. I'm just not interested in adding that to my driving experience.

[–] 0ops@lemm.ee 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Yes, US, mid twenties, I learned when I was 16 and I've really only driven manuals since. I taught myself how to heel toe four years ago. I'm not under the impression that I can shift gears quicker than a performance auto or more efficiently than a modern auto. I don't think either has been true for at least a couple decades, not for driving in a straight line. It's just fun. Manual transmissions make shitty cars bearable. I was surprised after leaving my home town to learn that hardly anyone knew how to drive stick. Not all of my pears growing up dailied a manual, but they all knew how.

[–] oranki@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 year ago

In Finland synchronization in gearboxes is starting to become a thing nowadays. Double clutching for 20 years now (38).

Just kidding, got my first automatic two years ago, so yes.

37, Switzerland, and I can drive a manual as much as I enjoy an automatic from time to time. The former is still the most common type of transmission even though the trend has been reversing over the years.

[–] root@aussie.zone 3 points 1 year ago

Early 40s from Australia. I can drive a manual, but my present car is automatic. My motorcycle is manual though. :p

Yes, late 50's US and I drive a 6 speed Jeep daily. Taught my 23 year old son to drive a stick and he just bought a Tacoma stick shift.

I learned on my grandfather's 3 on the tree 1968 Dodge camper van. If you can drive a 3 on the tree, you can drive anything.

[–] johnthedoe@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago

I can’t. Lots of people my age can. My teenage years there was only one car in the household and it’s an auto. I couldn’t afford to pay for extra lessons to learn manual with their car.

I was into cars and really wanted to get a manual car later on. But just never needed it. Auto cars are just more available so 10+ years later I still can’t drive manual and hasn’t affected my life at all

[–] cowfodder@unilem.org 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes. Early 40s, USA, both mine and my wife's cars are manual Subarus.

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[–] mrsgreenpotato@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

29, Poland/Germany. Yes, like almost everyone in Europe. Although, it is getting more popular to be automatic-only. I like driving manual, however prefer automatic due to convenience of it. I don't have a car at the moment (public transport serves me well), but if I had, I'd go for automatic.

[–] Cerothen@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago

This is exactly my sentient.

Canada mid 30s. A car is essentially required outside of a major city but after my first two cars were manual the incredible inconvenience of crawling traffic got to me and my current car is an automatic.

I found I had to constantly hug the car in front which meant always feathering the clutch, if I didn't and the gap grew just large enough for a car to fit someone always jumped lanes into the gap.

[–] BonesOfTheMoon@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Nope, manual transmission isn't common in Ontario,, I lived in the US for a bit and everyone seemed to drive stick, but I never figured it out. I don't understand why anyone wants to drive it.

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[–] spike@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

30, german, yes I can, no I do not. I drive a hybrid, so no manual transmission.

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[–] noim@feddit.de 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

23, German, yes I can and I do

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[–] dosse91@lemmy.trippy.pizza 3 points 1 year ago

I drive an automatic but I learned with a manual and used it for years. I find manual impractical for daily use but I can use it if I need to.

32 years old, Italy

[–] tryagain@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 year ago

Yes. European. It's the norm.

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