Can you drive a stick shift?

[fumitani]

I just went to test a couple of cars for my cousin which he is turning 16.5 soon and getting his own car. He wants to get a stick shift although he has never driven one. I'm wondering how many people out there don't know how to drive a stick shift.

In my family mom, dad, older brother and me know. Only my younger sister is not good at it and says why do I need to learn when automatics are widely available.

[SQflyergirl]

Absolutely. in fact, mine's got 6 forward gears. A bit too many for a girl, but hey.......

[Singapore_Air]

I drive a "stick shift"!

In the UK we call it a "Manual" car though.

[quik!]

16.5 years old and getting a car. A bit spoiled, IMO!

I had to work for my own car!

Anyway, I prefer Manual cars, love the power of it!

[Savage25]

I've never driven a stick shift. I don't even have a driver's license. I've always lived where public transport was cheap and readily available, and I'm not a big fan of drinking and driving, so I never bothered to get one.

[Lobster]

I do own an automatic now as so much driving in done in traffic jams these days and it is so much easier to drive an automatic in a jam rather than a manual.

However for work I drive whatever, normally a manual but sometimes it is an automatic. My main problem is swapping from driving on the Left in the UK to the right in most places. Especially when driving a manual I keep hitting my hand against the drivers door when I reach for the gear stick forgetting that it is on the other side.

[Rejuvenated]

Definately!! I just got a Mitsubishi Eclipse GT-P Coupe earlier this week. It is a 6-speed manual transmission. Very powerful and fun to drive. Except in Canada, people more or less refer to them as "Standard Transmission".

To be honest, I'd never thought we'd see an Automobile Tech Specific thread on an SQ board.

Fumi, keep an eye on your brother while he's behind the wheel. Make sure he doesn't over-grind the gears!

[MovieMan]

I learned to drive in a manual, and my first car was a manual. Since then I've moved to automatics, and I haven't driven a manual in about ten years, but I suspect I would still be able to. I guess it must be like riding a bike--once you learn you don't forget.

Learning to use a stick shift is always a good idea, I think, because you never know when you will need to drive a manual car.

When I was a little kid, I thought that by "automatic" they meant power windows.

[CGK]

What is a stick shift?

[fumitani]

What is a stick shift?

I shift knob that requires a lot of work when driving

People around the world have different names for manual transmission, standard mission.

So I guess most can.

Savage25 just for the heck of it you should get a DL. It's not that tough to get one in the US.

Yes my cousin is spoiled I didn't even get a DL until I was 18 and my own car was not till I turned 19+ and needed a beater to get to school

[globetrekker84]

I wish I could drive a stick. I've been spoiled here in the U.S. with automatic. But then again, the only place that I would really use stick would be in Jakarta or Bogor, which probably would get me killed anyways (or at least in an accident).

[jjpb3]

I learned to drive in a manual ...

Me too. Ah the memories of not being able to start properly at an intersection when the light turned green. (I blame my best friend's car's temperamental clutch. )

Now I'm very happy to drive automatics, and don't quite get it when people wax lyrical about feeling the driving thrill better blah blah blah with a stick shift. I go for convenience.

[9V-JKL]

Can't stand autos. No soul..... Manual ALL THE WAY

I paddle shift at TimeZone though........

[LukeGT]

I love Manual shift, even because in Italy most of the cars are equipped with it.
Very nice

[SQTalker]

May I know where can I rent a stick shift car in SFO & LAX...? I'm planning to be there in March.