Why Stick Shifts Are Going Extinct. The End of the Stick Shift.

[Yavin4]

[lagomorph777]

1. Sad, in a way. I get a lot of pleasure from shifting.

But electric cars don't need a transmission; I won't miss the cost, inefficiency, weight, and repair bills associated with the transmission.

[Yavin4]

3. My guess is that this is an outcome from being in a car dependent culture.

I can see how people who have to drive all of the time would grow weary of manual transmission, especially since they're just doing mundane tasks.

[Happy Hoosier]

14. It's just a general technological progression

Nothing special , IMO, people just prefer the ease of operation and convenience of an automatic transmission.

[stopdiggin]

48. I was just never a big fan

of all the 'rammin' and jammin''
And I grew up with manuals. For all the arguments pro -- my level of affection never grew much past Meh -- and there just weren't that many places where the manual delivered superior performance -- to make up for the extra hassle.

[Happy Hoosier]

94. I'm wit'cha

I had a stick right out of college. I had fun with it. It was a sporty car, and I was making real money as a young single guy. For me, the novelty wore off. Been autos ever since. My current car is a CVT automatic, so it never actually "shifts" in a traditional way. My next car will hopefully be electric.

[JHB]

51. And once you're long out of practice or have never learned at all...

...going to a stick shift is a big hurdle for people, one that only a few enthusiasts are motivated to overcome.

[Happy Hoosier]

95. Possibly, though I find that when I do need to use stick, I remember just fine.

I used to have to travel to the UK for work, and the rentals were, until recently, usually manuals. I was able to operate them just fine.

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. My 2007 VW turned 118 this year....

I ain't never trading this car in. 2.0L Turbo. 33 mpg/HW. Too much fun.

[dflprincess]

4. I have always driven manuals

I know I'm on my last one, not only because they're hard to get but as a concession to age (I'm told reflexes slow). I had thought I'd get a new car this summer, but I can't bring myself to give up the old one.

[Bev54]

5. That is too bad, the young people will never know what they are missing.

[Ms. Toad]

10. My 30-year-old daughter refuses to buy anything else.

At one time were an all-manual family. When I bought my Honda Insight (original version) they had already stopped making them and not much selection was available. I had to pick from the limited selection availabe. My spouse has never been as set on manual as our daughter and I have been - so she bought whatever was convenient..

[Bev54]

12. Yes my son, in his 30's had stick in his trucks, although not now

but I had to teach my DIL how to drive it, now they are all auto. I quite enjoyed the stick and being in Canada it was much better in the snow. Of course I learned on the column shift when I was young, then went to stick.

[brooklynite]

63. I know what I'm missing...

I tried to learn manual shift, and could barely handle it. The low point was driving manual on roads in Eastern Europe just after the Wall came down.

When I’m driving, I’m dealing with adjacent traffic, speed, and directions. Not having to be be distracted by shifting is a bonus.

[Bev54]

91. I lived 4 years in SE Asia and drove stick, on the other side of the road

with traffic, learning to shift with my left hand and stay in the same lane, loved it.

[Marrah_Goodman]

90. I won't miss the 2400 dollars I spent on my previous vehicle when the tranny went.

[Ron Obvious]

6. I've always believed stick shift drivers are better drivers

They have to be much more attentive to the whole process of driving while automatic drivers can just put it in 'D' and space out.

I don't have numbers to back this up, but I'm convinced it's true.

[3catwoman3]

9. I agree with you. You absolutely have to pay more attention...

...when driving a stick. I haven’t had one in many years, but I still could do it.

I don’t miss the terror of being stopped on a hill and being sure I would roll backwards when it was time to step on the gas again - I always wished for a 3rd foot at those moments.

[shanti]

19. Had that happen to me in SF

many years ago, in my manual Tercel. The traffic was uphill, and horrendous at the time. I almost had a panic attack. That was the last manual I ever had, lol.

[burrowowl]

33. Subaru stick Impreza has a button for that

[shanti]

99. That's nice!

I just bought a new hybrid Corolla, CVT, so no more problems like that.

[OriginalGeek]

103. heck, my 2017 Chevy Colorado automatic has hill assist

and that is automatic too - it senses when you are stopped on a hill and holds the brake until you are revved up enough to go forward instead of backwards. I think my wife's Cruz does it too.


I loved driving a stick as a kid but I'm over it. I might consider it again if I ever have an opportunity to buy an old Firebird ('67-'71) but even then I'd look for automatic first.

[moonscape]

20. Some of those SF hills with the stop signs at a

point where the hill feels nearly vertical were a bear. I rode the clutch hard!

It was having to be in rush hour traffic on a winding road, constant shifting, that finally led me to give up the stick, but I did miss it for a while. Now, not so much!

[stopdiggin]

50. yep. and wore the clutch out

which is a nice little repair bill. Oh the joys!!

[GoCubsGo]

55. It's one of the reasons I still have a car with stick shift.

I'm always afraid of spacing out, and the constant potential need to shift keeps that from happening.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

59. There's no doubt in my mind that those of us that drive stick shifts

are more alert, at least from my perspective.

I drive a semi with an 18 speed trans, so I do a lot of gear jammin and I'm always very alert, but I guess pushing an 80,000 lb. vehicle down the road will keep one alert.

[iemanja]

79. I can drive a stick shift

and my first few cars were manuals, but I'm not a better driver.

[Casady1]

7. 1994 Audi S4

is my car. It was Audi's sport sedan with the famous 5 cylinder engine that came stock 227 hp engine that did 0-60 in 6 seconds.
Mine has 250,000 miles on it. They are indestructible. Here is a souped up one at the salt flats.. It never came with an automatic.

https://www.quattroworld.com/speed-week/the-worlds-fastest-audi-242mph-audi-s4/

[tanyev]

8. You can't mess with your phone if you have to deal with a stick shift.

[Ms. Toad]

11. My 30 y/o daughter, who has never driven anything but a manual,

proves that assertion incorrect. (Drives me nuts . . . )

[Hoyt]

13. Love manuals in mountains. But in a big city, gave in to autos at age 48.

Now, I’m in a more rural area with cool roads. Fortunately, some of the 6 -8 speed automatics do a nice job in manual mode, and Sport mode is good compromise.

[Violet_Crumble]

18. I would have agreed about mountains until last weekend...

My new Golf GTI with its farting DSG transmission won me over. Lots of hairpin bends and stopping due to rockslides being repaired, but I felt I had a better grip on the road and more control of the GTI than I ever did with my old car with hits manual transmission. Then again, my old car was old and didn't have sports mode, while the GTI has sports mode and has like 8 gears. Plus it looks so cute and sporty! And I can hook my phone up and use Google Assistant to do the voicey thing!

[ms liberty]

42. Is that yours in the pic?

Is it black or the iron blue? And what year? Also, since it has the red highlights and calipers, is it an Autobahn or an R?
I have a 2019, Autobahn in the iron blue that I fell in love with the moment I saw it...when hubby and I were out window shopping in Spring 2020, and we weren't really intending to buy yet. This was during what I like to call our pre-shopping period (when we inevitably find exactly what we want) but this one was on the lot and was everything I wanted except the R package and white. The color was beautiful and I fell hard, abnd I knew how great it would look once I got the windows tinted darker. It has the variable shift, but so far I've barely used it; my old GTI was a 6 speed manual and after driving it for 15 years I was ready for a break. It only had about 500 miles on it, so we went ahead and got it. Someone wanted to test drive it while we were doing the paperwork, lol. It would not have been there long.
My previous car was a 2003 GTI VR6, and I loved it - and we kept it because it just wouldn't have brought that much in a trade and it still runs well. Hubby drives it to work most days now; fitting because it was his dream car when we bought it (right off the showroom floor) but it became my dream car, and it's why I got another GTI. I'm in rural NC, and it takes me about 8 minutes to get to work via hilly, curvy roads. It's a drivers dream out here, and my GTI and I love it every day.
A couple of years ago I got stopped one night by a local cop; he thought he was going to harass some kid in a sports car...the look on his face when he got to the window and he saw a 50 some year old woman was priceless.

[Violet_Crumble]

66. Nah, it's a doppelganger, except mine's got tinted windows....

And while I call it my new car because I've only had it a month, it's 2016 and my son-in-law had it from new until they got a new Skoda and sold the GTI to me. I think I got the better car. Mine's a black GTI with all the trimmings, though I wish it had the tartan seats rather than the leather ones. My previous car was a Holden Cruze (they're Chevys in the US) and it was a horrible car that wasn't fun to drive at all. Now I've got a GTI, I don't think I'll change to anything else

[RegularJam]

49. Great car for fun in the mountains.

I have a VW with an eight speed auto, along with manual shift. The auto in sports mode is like no other car I have driven. You almost have control over the shifting yet it’s auto,

[Hoyt]

71. I have a VW Golf 1.8T auto now. Love that car, and would love a GTI. Had an original 1984 GTI.

[UpInArms]

15. All I drive are manual transmission vehicles

Am so sad they are becoming dinosaurs

[GoCubsGo]

52. Same here.

I can't stand driving with automatic transmission.

[MissB]

16. My 21 yo insisted on buying a manual two years ago

(I was buying actually but anyway)

No one tries to steal his car I think driving a manual is a lost art.

[Violet_Crumble]

21. I learnt to drive in a manual...

I don't know how it worked in the US, but when I got my license, I got a manual license. Which meant anyone who did their driving test in an auto wasn't allowed to drive a manual. I haven't driven a manual for a while now, but I know I could drive one again easily if I needed to. I did look for a manual for my daughter's first car, but they're so rare now I had to give up looking

[Blue Owl]

17. Automatics are all part of the great dumbing down

Let someone (or something) else do the thinking!

Manual transmission forever...

[ChubbyStar]

25. You can NOT blast Radar Love in an automatic

I think it is illegal actually....

[USALiberal]

37. Lol, why not use crank shafts to start engine?? Nt

[dawg day]

22. In Europe, the rental agencies still have a lot of stick shifts-

I was stuck with one once. Muscle memory worked-- I could do the clutch just fine. But shifting with the left hand (this was in Ireland) was very hard.

[ProfessorGAC]

41. Funny Related Story

Around 15 years ago, i flew from Milano to Lyon. Arrived around 10pm.
Get to the Eurocar counter and lay down my passport. (I have a reservation)
Two young ladies had a look on their face like their doggie just died!
One says "You're an American. Sorry, but we have no cars with automatic at this airport. We can check other companies for you." They really were freaking out!
I talked them off the ledge quickly with "Americans can drive a manual, we just mostly choose not to."
Everything went fine after that!

[GulfCoast66]

47. Hah! Not if they know you are American!

In 2015 we flew to Paris and drove to Dijon for a week and Reims for 4 days. Was looking forward to driving a stick again for months before the trip. Only to be told at the CDG all they had was an automatic because they never reserve stick shifts for Americans!

[FakeNoose]

65. I can see that you stick-lovers live in flat level-ground areas

I grew up driving stickshifts but I switched to automatics and never looked back, probably 40 years ago. I live in Pittsburgh where everything is on a hill, especially in the residential areas. It really gets tedious clutching, shifting and braking on steep hills, especially when you're waiting at red lights. But even just having to downshift to get up the hill, what a PIA! Yeah I know how to do it, but I choose not to.

[dawg day]

88. I remember reading that manual burns more calories

With you on the hills. Getting the clutch to that sweet spot and then balancing there to shift and accelerate... that was very hard to learn in hill country.

[GoneOffShore]

111. Pittsburgh? Hah! Those aren't hills, they're barely pimples!

Go to Google Maps and look for Buoux near Bonnieux in the Vaucluse region of France. Click on topographic view because they couldn't get the Google Map car up there for the street view.
Then we can talk about hills.

[GoneOffShore]

108. When I was renting cars here, I would specify manual. There was never a problem.

My present car is manual. If we buy a newer car if may end up being auto because everything here is going electric.

[GulfCoast66]

109. Have seen you in a while. How is Lyon treating you!

[GoneOffShore]

110. Actually we're in Aix-en-Provence, only three hours south of Lyon.

We're doing well.
On July 13th it will be four years since we got the keys to our flat in Aix and on 5 September three years that we've been here 'definitivement'.

Driving licenses exchanged and our French 'Permis de Conduire' are good for fifteen years. Carte Vitale's, so we're covered under the French system, and CDS Temporaire(renewable every year).

In September 2023 I will be asking to become French 'par decret'. The process will take anywhere from a year to two years. I will have to speak French to a B1 level (via a test), provide proof of means, proof of integration(What are the symbols of France? What is 'laicite? Why do you want to be French? French friends? Community activities? Etc, etc), criminal background check, birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce certificates, application forms, photos, tax returns, a visit from the Gendarmes, an interview, and some other stuff.

I know several people who have done it. It's not that tough, except that it takes perseverance, but since I want to be able to vote here, I'm determined.

Doesn't mean I lose my American citizenship, just that I'll have a French birth certificate and a second passport.

[alphafemale]

23. 2006 Toyota Corolla 5 Speed

I love it.

And that most could not steal it is a plus.

How many other times are people going to offer to buy a 15 yr old car?

I do maintain it it very well.

[vercetti2021]

24. I can drive a stick shift

Buttttttt nearly got myself into a nasty situation at the river one day during offroading. Almost flipped that truck and that would have been pretty bad

[Tree Lady]

26. My husband wants to buy a used

Honda S2000 manual. Said we need a fun car before we die. Is this a late mid life thing at 71?

I learned how to drive at 16 automatic but at 18 learned manual in a VW bug in 74.

We had a used BMW convertible for years which we sold 3 years ago that had stick shift. I haven't driven one since. I guess my hubby misses having convertible.

I am happy with my Prius.

[mnhtnbb]

36. My oldest son drives autocross and his car is an S2000.

He learned to drive a manual transmission on my '96 BMW convertible. I loved that car.

A couple of years ago he had to special order his new everyday car--Mazda 3-- in order to get a manual transmission.

He will not be happy when the day comes if he can no longer get a manual transmission.

[yonder]

27. We bought are very first automatic a few years ago. A Honda Fit, couldn't get a manual.

I've come to enjoy the convenience of it but we still own two manual shift rigs.

[mitch96]

43. I had a Fit with a CVT auto... hated it. When I came to a stop it always took off in faux second gea

then went back to faux low gear. Dealer said that was normal.. Fuel economy tranny was to blame.. Now on the other hand a dual clutch auto is the bees knees!!! full control of what gear you want like a manual and lighting fast shifts... or just put it in mindless mode for traffic.. YMMV
m

[yonder]

73. ...

[MurrayDelph]

74. My wife's car is a 2011 Honda Fit Sport

It has an automatic transmission, but when you put it in S-mode, you can use the flappy paddle shifters.
When it was new, I took it down the 101, through the Redwoods.

Me, I drove stick for about twenty years, until the combination of clutch petal and Los Angeles freeway' S Sepulveda Pass became too painful for my knees. Instead, I sold my Accord for a Prius, which at the time had the benefit of being able to legally drive alone in the carpool lane.

[mitch96]

92. The CVT on a Prius (I had a prius V) and it's pretty good. I also test drove a new Honda CRV

and that CVT was pretty good also. In the end I got a Mazda with a real automatic, not cvt and I and I can manually shift it... I hate being shiftless..
m

[Layzeebeaver]

28. 1998 BMW M3... ah the memories

Sold it in 2011 when I moved to the UK. Have always loved a manual.

[Straw Man]

29. Last time I drove a manual transmission ...

... was when I was dating a woman who had a brand-new Miata. That was in 2002. Fun car, but now I would probably have trouble getting in and out of it. Now I drive a Kia Soul. There was still the option for manual when I bought it in 2017 -- I toyed with the idea, but finally decided against it.

That said, while driving an automatic is easier, more utilitarian, driving a manual transmission is a whole lot more satisfying, not to mention the fact that you have much more control of the interface between the engine and the road. One of my most frustrating experiences was living at the bottom of a long driveway with a landlady who was sloppy about paying the plow guy. I had a car with auto transmission and traction control. I could have made that hill every time with a standard, or even with a regular auto transmission, both of which would have enabled a bit of controlled wheel-spin to get me up the hill. But that damned traction control always killed the power just at the point when I needed it most.

[NBachers]

30. I just paid $655 today on repairs for my 2005 Ford Focus 5-speed here in San Francisco.

Well over 200,000 miles, I'm hoping to hold onto it for awhile longer. I had to get the rear brake system completely rebuilt and a new master cylinder. Besides living here in The City, I do a lot of mountain driving in the surrounding region. Good brakes are essential!

At 72, I remain a committed stick shift driver.

[muriel_volestrangler]

31. 2020 was the first year in which sales of automatics were more than manuals in the UK

Automatics accounted for 54% of UK new-car sales in the first nine months of this year, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, breaking the 50% barrier for the first time. Last year, automatics accounted for 49% of sales, up from 43% in 2018. A decade ago, they took only a fifth of sales.

The shift to electrified drivetrains is one big reason for this – something that becomes clear when you look at the top five automatic cars sold this year, according to Jato data. In first is the BMW 3 Series, which is also the leading plug-in hybrid (in 330e form), and in second is the electric Tesla Model 3. Third and fourth are hybrid-only Toyotas, the Corolla and C-HR, while the Mercedes-Benz A-Class in fifth is also the third most popular plug-in hybrid (in A250e form).
...
Manuals will survive longer in budget cars, due to their lower production cost. The Ford Fiesta was the best-selling manual in the first nine months of 2020 in the UK, according to Jato, followed by the Vauxhall Corsa. Across Europe, just 3% of Dacia sales were automatic in 2018, while it was 6% for Fiat and 14% for Opel and Vauxhall. Manuals are often thought of as the driver’s choice for sports cars, but they’re losing ground there, too. BMW won’t offer a manual version of its new M4 Coupé in the UK, yet will in the US – a country where manuals took just 1.1% of sales last year, according to JD Power.

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/analysis-are-manual-gearboxes-way-out

[mitch96]

45. A few years ago I was in Ireland and EVERY car/truck/taxi I was in had a manual..

Even a brand new right hand drive Mustang convertible was a stick.. Very impressed..
I don't mind manual transmissions accept when in traffic.. Then again in western Ireland there is not much stop and go traffic...
m

[NutmegYankee]

32. I have two stick shifts. One is a 2019 model.

I do fear it will be my last because I believe cars will be very different in 15 years.

[PCIntern]

34. I restored and drive a 1970 Volvo 1800E

Like The Saint, but in British Racing Green.
Here:

https://imgur.com/a/523XXVI


Smooth shifting….love it.

Anyone else here “power shift” in the old days? VW’s were perfect for it…

[Rstrstx]

35. Bwah-ha-haa, just wait 'til you see what's really coming

There will be 2 positions you swipe on your screen: forward (electric motors turn one way) and reverse (motors spin opposite direction). But even to experience that you’ll have to take the car to a private track where humans are permitted to drive a motor vehicle. And it will all go lost on Generation C, who will just end up frustrated with you because they’ll have to turn their glasses off.

[RandiFan1290]

44. I see that happening

One day you will have to go to a track to self drive a vehicle, like a gokart.

[USALiberal]

38. Hated stick shifts! Still do! This thread cracks me up! Nt

[chriscan64]

39. Not scientific, just a feeling, but I think standards made me a better driver.

I see too many drivers that think they need to be pressing on either the gas or the brake at all times. There are times when it is best to just decelerate by letting off the gas, like the first half of a curve. The best way to learn to take curves is on a motorcycle, but that is a whole other rant.

[Deminpenn]

40. Sticks are a blast to drive

especially in more sporty cars.

If you are driving in a city or in traffic, not so much fun.

Subaru Cross-Trek has a manual mode with shifter tabs on the steering wheel. But the new CSV transmissions with more gears are as good if not better than manual shifting into the best gear.
Do think that stick shifts give drivers more control in winter weather what with being able to downshift or
roll in neutral rather than using the brakes.

[mitch96]

46. "Do think that stick shifts give drivers more control". Yes. The combination of b eing able to

select the gear and engine RPM gives you more options for control. DCT's with smart computers can do the same thing but they are a bit expensive. The new Corvettes have a dual clutch tranny and you can select Drive and numerous sport or "track" modes which change the shift points and engine rpm for what is optimal... Neat car.. out of my league
though...
m

[DVRacer]

77. I have that same transmission in a Mustang

I have a 2018 performance pack eco boost with the A10. It is very similar to a Porsche PDK it rev matches downshifts perfectly every time and with the Ford Performance computer upgrade it has 350hp and 400lbft of torque. Does 0-60 in 4.5 seconds but on the highway I get 35mpg. It was $24k with the tune and handles amazingly good this new 10 speed developed by GM and Ford is the future. There’s paddles if you want to do it yourself. I teach road racing hence my screen name disabled veteran racer, I lost my left knee to replacement 5 years ago and to continue racing I needed some sort of automatic.

[ripcord]

53. Manual transmissions save gas

[DVRacer]

78. Over what maybe an old school non lockup converter

The newer automatics are more efficient than a six speed manual. Look at the A10 developed by GM and Ford 10 speed no converter used in cars and trucks.

[NutmegYankee]

107. I regularly beat the fuel economy of the automatic version of my car.

I can get 10 mpg better with my six speed than the same car with an 8 speed automatic.

[denbot]

54. BS, big rig to VW van, stick is far superior to any automatic transmission.

The technology in modern Volvo heavy truck transmissions are impressive, but when you drill down to power control, condition/awareness/road feel, brake assist, standard transmissions can’t be matched.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

61. I'm right there with you on that denbot.

It ain't real truckin unless your gear jammin.

[liberaltrucker]

93. Last truck I drove before retirement was a Volvo auto

MUCH preferred a 13 speed manual.

[Maeve]

56. Hubby always buys stick and all the kids learned to drive both

At least one daughter prefers stick, as well. And agreeing with others that it's been a good skill overseas, altho translating to left-hand shift in Ireland gave Hubby pause...(only one of us was allowed to operate the lease car, but he's a lousy passenger, anyway!)

All things change.

[Tommy Carcetti]

57. When I was visiting Ukraine, 90% of the cars were stick shifts

Of course it’s much different here.

My dad has sworn by them all his life.

The one time I tried driving one, I essentially burnt out his clutch. That more or less scared me off them from that point on.

[Dial H For Hero]

58. I used to drive nothing buts sticks. MR2 Turbo, Corvettes, Miatas...but my legs & knees are,

like the rest of me, getting worn out. That being the case, I'm now looking for a nice Porsche Boxster with an automatic transmission.

[MarineCombatEngineer]

60. Even the trucking industry are phasing out manual trans,

the big trucking companies are starting to transition to automatics.

I'm an independent trucker and I will always go with the manual trans.
Trucking just ain't the same experience with automatics.

[Tracer]

62. A long time ago,

I had a Formula 1 race car boyfriend, who tried to impress me by shifting without using the clutch in my brand new MGB.

To this day, I have no idea how he did it and thought that he would damage something.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

64. The end of push starting, too, I guess.

They should somehow make automatics capable of push starting. Being able to push start a car saved a lot of folks a lot of money and trouble over the years.

[Ilsa]

69. Including me, multiple times.

I'd put her in 2nd (IIRC), and a couple of friends or another car would push and get my wheels rolling, then I'd pop the clutch and go for a drive. Totally cool. Big relief.

[Demsrule86]

81. What? I used to start an automatic when I was in college. It had a carborater...old car and

in order to start it, we needed to push the car down a hill or pretty fast with a pencil in the carburetor and then jump in once it started... a miracle we didn't get run over.

[MineralMan]

67. I'm old, so I grew up with manual transmissions.

These days, my pickup has a 5-speed manual transmission, but our car has an automatic, an "intelligent" CVT, in fact, that tries to make you think it has 8 speeds. It actually has infinite possible ratios, but the computer inserts "shifts" for psychological reasons.

I move back and forth between vehicles, and have driven hundreds of different vehicles in my lifetime. I don't even notice. If there's a third pedal, I shift. If not, I don't. It's a matter of indifference to me, even in traffic. I just drive whatever I'm in.

[Jose Garcia]

68. An automatic transmission is a great theft deterrent

[brooklynite]

70. Isn't it a shame that nobody has to crank the engine anymore?

[Arazi]

72. I have 2 vehicles- one is a manual and frankly it's a pain

I like to drink my coffee while I'm driving.

I've owned the manual for 21 years now though. Toying with the idea of selling it since it's rarely out on the road anymore

[tinrobot]

76. Drove a stick for decades. Now I drive electric. It's so much better.

I spent many years in San Francisco and learned to parallel park with a stick on those hills. That requires some finesse. I also spent many, many hours in traffic with my foot on/off the clutch every 60 seconds. Not fun.

Perhaps it was a good skill to learn, but learning to drive a horse-drawn buggy is also a skill.

I ditched manuals in the '90s. Then I ditched gas a decade ago when I went electric. Way, way better.

[Demsrule86]

80. My sister loves them...she has always driven a stick. Last time I was home, I took her car

and was pleased to see that like riding a bicycle, you still remember the stick. It took a bit of practice but then no issue!

[Politicub]

82. My first car in the 80s was a stick shift. I wouldn't want to go back.

I tried to drive my dad’s truck (also a stick shift) a couple of years ago, and had lost the muscle memory that you get from the ballet of the clutch, brake, gas pedal and shifter. It was frustrating.

The gatekeepers come out when I share this anecdote, talking about the superiority of straight shifts and how they would not drive anything else. Whatever — no one cares about their delusions of being race-car drivers, and becoming one with the road.

I’m glad that this is another outdated technology that is close to becoming obsolete in personal vehicles.

[Yavin4]

83. Given how much our American lifestyle forces us to drive, this was inevitable.

We spend a lot of time in our cars, and because of that, we are forced to multi-task. For example, when you're constantly driving your kids from here to there, you have too many things going on to drive a stick.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

84. I was trained to drive stick years ago...

... by older family members, but I never wanted a manual transmission car.

It seemed like a distraction from paying attention to other vehicles to me, despite what others have written in this thread.

I've certainly never had a love affair with the gasoline-burning vehicles in the first place, going back to the early-80's when I first started driving. They were more like a "necessary evil" in my mind, given the lack of decent public transportation in my area.

[Paladin]

85. Good. (nt)

[Hotler]

86. My first driving lesson was learning to shift for my step dad.

He would drive and I would shift. I must have been about 12.
I don't think a Porsche 917 would sound as good with an automatic transmission.
The best sounds are near the end.

[dalton99a]

87. It will soon join the choke knob in the museum

[Marrah_Goodman]

89. I can drive one, but there are things about it that are annoying to me

Traffic jams. Having to stop on a steep hill with someone right on your ass.

I switched to an automatic this time. It's just easier and I am not getting any younger.

[Polybius]

96. It'll never end for me

Proud stick shift owner here.

[beaglelover]

97. I used to be a manual transmission purist as well.

I even ordered a BMW X3 with a manual transmission! In retrospect, that was a really bad choice!!

Then I got used to an auto transmission and preferred them. Now, I'm in a Tesla, so no more transmissions, period. Just instant torque! VROOOOM!!!!!

[ananda]

98. Even automatic is push button now.

New cars are amazing. I'm getting mine
in a few weeks.

[LanternWaste]

100. As a smoker and habitual coffee drinker when I drove a stick

I was happy to trade it in and go to automatic.

[Ghost of Tom Joad]

101. It took me several months to find my used Audi TTRS

I wanted a fun car with a stick and this Audi fit the bill. I still get notes stuck on my car asking if I want to sell it. More compliments on this car than any other that I owned. For me there is something special about driving a stick and it's a good theft deterent.

[Demovictory9]

102. as passenger...shifting makes me motion sick and nauseous

good riddance for shifting

[hunter]

104. I can drive a stick shift car like I ride a bicycle or motorcycle. I don't have think about it.

Those skills have been offloaded into my muscle memory.

It's possible some car computer could do the same job just as well or better.

[nolabear]

105. I have my first automatic now. I miss my sticks!

I just loved the communication with the machine and the road. But I’ve got physical limitations now, dammit. My last stick was a Mini Cooper that I literally cried when I traded. I expect they’ll continue as toys and hobbies. I hope so. 😢

[EX500rider]

106. Looking to replace my 5 sp Focus soon...

Going to be either a manual Honda Element or a manual Subaru Baja....need a little more towing power then the 1,000lbs the Focus does for the boat. (not a big boat, 17')