Asklemmy

US, 40s. Gave up my manual a few years ago to get a bigger car when I became a single dad. The ol Mazda 3 wasn't cutting it

Yep, early 40's here. At 19 I lied about knowing how to drive stick to get a job as a (non CDL) flatbed lumber delivery driver. I'd ridden motorcycles and such before, so it wasn't to hard to get the hang of it. However, my first delivery I unknowingly drove with the e-brake on for 15 miles or so thinking "damn this is hard" luckily I realized wtf was up before I got back to the yard, kept that job for 2 years lol.

I'm 42, and can drive manual, but I've had an automatic the last 5 years.

My son is now learning to drive, but he will most likely not need to drive a manual ever.

Germany, 20s, yes (and up until recently exclusively drove manual transmission cars from like before 2010)

Yes. Although automatic transmission is more efficient, I still prefer manual.

Almost 50. Southern US. I use one every day that I ride my motorcycle.

Yes i can, but I don't

Late 30s, US, nope.

Mid-30s. Yes. I used to daily drive a manual when I was in college, but I haven't touched one in like 10 years so I'd probably be pretty rusty.

Yes. (I live in Europe)

British, Yes, Most people here can, In fact in my 47 years I have only met 2 people who had automatic only licences. And I ran a garage for 7 years so met a lot of drivers. I have personally only owned manuals and haven't done more than 100 miles in Automatics.

Yes, 46, my first car that was "mine" (my mom's old car) was a manual. The first car I ever bought had a shitty automatic (I think the seller may have pulled one over on young me). Since then I only buy stick shifts for myself. (My wife's is an automatic.)

American here. My first car was manual and I would love to still be, but I'm a musician minivan user and they don't make manual minivans.

Yeah, here in South Africa most cars are manuals so you need to know how to drive them to get a full drivers licence. If you do your driving test in an automatic car, your licence only allows you to drive automatics. I'm in my mid 20s.

Yes. 40, Canada.

51, I can drive a semi, but before I took some training for that I learned on a standard from my grandma.

Middle aged, Central Europe. Yes, manual is the default here and I learned it. But I drive so rarely that it's not completely in my patterns and every so often I forget to switch at intersections.

Old guy in the USA. My first car was a sport motorcycle so six speed with clutch and shifter. I have a sedan with an auto trans, but also a 4WD truck with manual. When I learned to drive in my teens automatic transmissions were not as nice as they are now, just three speeds and not very smooth. Now they're typically six speed and much nicer. I really dislike a manual trans in heavy traffic, quite a chore.

US, mid 30s, and nope. (I learned on a friend's car but didn't spend enough time for the muscle memory to build in, even way back then)

Yes (US, 35), and it’s something I can do autonomically in appropriate situations. I also enjoy being an integral part of my car’s operation.

And when you’re flogging it on a nice mountain road or a track, there’s nothing quite like nailing that heel-and-toe downshift as you’re clipping the apex.

My first 4 cars were standard. As is every motorcycle I have owned.

Learned on a farm truck when I was 13.

Scandinavian, mid-40's. The vast majority of cars in Europe have manual transmission, in my country you can't even get a driver's license if you can't handle it. I prefer manual, whenever I drive automatic I feel like there's something missing.

42, U.S. I can, very well. I used to race cars on the track. I don't do that anymore, but it's a useful skill to have when I'm in Europe. Manual transmission is the norm for any rental car.

Yes, my cars have mostly all been standard. Northeast US. Mid-20s. Current car (2000 Honda Insight) is manual.

Yes. im a 26 year old from sweden.

First time I drove anything but a manual was driving the shitty trucks of the Swiss army. It felt weird and wrong, but then again driving with standard issue boots makes using the pedals a bit harder sometimes, so it's probably good I didn't have to use the clutch.

These days I mostly drive rented cars so it's whatever is available, who cares.

37m, USA

I can. The first new car I bought was a manual, because it was less expensive. I embarrassed myself for a bit, but that's when I learned.

Yes. 44, Australian, drove a manual until very recently actually.

In Australia (Queensland at least) you have to pass a manual driving test in order to be legally allowed to drive a manual vehicle. At the time I was getting my license (1995 - 96) manual vehicles were still extremely common, plus I like driving a manual so it made sense for me.

I learned how to but haven't been behind the wheel of a manual transmission car since the 90s.

In my family you couldn't get a drivers license until you know to drive any car and also the basics of maintenance. Other things I have't done since (roughly) the 90s: change my oil/coolant/brake/transmission, change various filters, replace pump seals, or replace hoses/belts. But I have to admit, its handy to know how to do all that.

My friend taught me for the most part in college when I was 22, and then when I bought my first manual it was 5 hours from my house. If I didn't figure it out I wouldn't have gotten home 🫣

Only killed it a couple times, and only when I was getting on/off the freeway. And once in stop and go traffic, but I don't think anyone noticed

Late 20s and in the Midwest US. I daily drive a manual 1994 Mazda Miata.

just turned forty, upper Midwest, yes I can but I prefer not to

Yep - been driving for around 30+ years here in Australia (I'm late 40s). Grew up driving manual, have owned several manual vehicles, including my current one.

I'm in my 40s and live in Europe (NL), and in my country, if you don't take your driving exam in a manual transmission car, you receive a restriction on your license that prevents you from driving manual transmission vehicles. As a result, both I and nearly everyone I know can drive a manual. Automatics are also a fair bit more expensive, so most people don't opt for them. Tho I expect this will change with the rising popularity of electric and hybrid vehicles.

USA, mid-40s. My husband made me buy a manual car 20 years ago and taught me how to drive it. I’ve been driving manual since and love it.

Southern Europe, 34. I only know how to drive with manual transmission (I tried an automatic city car once, and I literally couldn't exit the parking spot). I'm too used to control the car with the clutch. I should learn though, because I use car sharing services, and they are progressively replacing their cars with automatic transmission ones.

Southeastern US, and yep. I sort of just figured it out during a test drive. The woman showing me the car was attractive and I didn't want to look bad in front of her.

My wife's car is a manual, and we find that it takes a while sometimes to get our car back from the valet because they have to find someone who can drive stick.

US, 37, been driving a manual since I was 16.

30-something in the US here, and out of the 6-7 cars I've owned in my lifetime, only one had an automatic transmission (cause it was a Hybrid).

I learned to drive a car on stick so that's what I prefer.

Nope, I'm scared to even use the paddle shifters on my auto

In the UK it's pretty standard to learn in a manual. I currently have an automatic and honestly I don't want to go back. I like to think I'm a pretty good driver and gears were never an issue for me, but man is it nice to have one less thing to think about when driving.

Oh and I'm 39.

I'm from Mexico I'm 22 years old and I have been driving since 14 or so (rural Mexico). My family has not own a manual since I started driving and I gues we will not buy one soon lol

Yes. Mid 40s UK. I have never owned an automatic vehicle, and it looks like there's not much in the way options when it comes to electric cars with manual transmissions.