Poll of the Day > Do you know how to drive a STICK SHIFT...Cause only 18% of AMERICANS do!!!

(+) Yeah! (+)

according to statistics, only 18% of americans know how to drive a stick..probably cause it involves more work than an automatic and nobody likes having to keep changing gears on a stick with their other hand when they can just worry about the wheel.

so do you know how to drive a stick?.

https://i.imgur.com/RpuqQgP.jpg
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I learned in Driver's Ed but that was like 17 years ago

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Current car is standard, but I'm kind of over it. Bumper to bumper driving on the highway and constantly stopping for stop signs and red lights driving through the city is just too annoying.

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The picture you posted is not a stick shift

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I've never learned how to drive a standard. Nobody in my family has owned one in my lifetime, so how would I ever have learned?

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I know gamefaqs polls are not a valid survey of entirely Americans, but I question TC's claim when that many people respond that they know how to drive a stick shift

Also I feel like most old people would know how to drive a stick shift

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I can't even drive.

I had panic attacks going between 2-5 mph in a parking lot.

I'm useless, alright?

ChaosAzeroth posted...

I can't even drive.

I had panic attacks going between 2-5 mph in a parking lot.

I'm useless, alright?

Tina Belcher?

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yes, but when you get past 18, you realize it's an extra step you want to avoid in traffic, ok?

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Metalsonic66 posted...

Tina Belcher?

No but...

That's a surprisingly fair guess.

I'm not a girl among some differences though.

I tried some years ago. I could really get the hang of it. That being said, the vehicles wee used weren't really the best, either... But it's not really that important, so it's whatever...
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I learned on stick shift, switched to automatic once I got my license, and quit driving years later. I no longer have a license, but I still know how to drive stick shift, which apparently my boyfriend never had the opportunity to learn. *shrugs*

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Yup, I only drive manual. I have 3 manuals vehicles right now, Evo VIII, 8th gen civic Si and and 1st gen CRV.

Auto is good for some vehicles like Vans and Luxury cars and such but overall autos stink. Some new modern autos are good like the 10 speed in the Mustang and Camaro. It's CVT transmissions that are absolute garbage.

faramir77 posted...

I've never learned how to drive a standard. Nobody in my family has owned one in my lifetime, so how would I ever have learned?

Oh iunno maybe by yourself? I taught myself because my first car I wanted was standard. Wouldn't expect a lazy leftist to learn stick though so it's okay.

The fuck bro

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xjayguyx posted...

Oh iunno maybe by yourself? I taught myself because my first car I wanted was standard. Wouldn't expect a lazy leftist to learn stick though so it's okay.

Bringing politics into a car topic, and being super rude about it. And also acting like politics has anything to do with what kind of cars people drive...
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LinkPizza posted...

Bringing politics into a car topic, and being super rude about it. And also acting like politics has anything to do with what kind of cars people drive...

It's backlash from the Trudeau posting. Anyone that defends that pile of garbage is in my bad books sorry.

xjayguyx posted...

It's backlash from the Trudeau posting. Anyone that defends that pile of garbage is in my bad books sorry.

Idk anything about Trudeau, but let's just have a nice topic about cars here instead. Just leave the Trudeau stuff in the Trudeau topic...
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LinkPizza posted...

Idk anything about Trudeau, but let's just have a nice topic about cars here instead. Just leave the Trudeau stuff in the Trudeau topic...

Kk

Car no, tractor yes. But I don't think there would be much difference. However I don't see myself ever buying a car were knowing how to drive stick is needed since I am more for comfort than performance. So no biggie.

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I know stick out of necessity.

I have found most people who prefer it are car nuts.

The rest like me just want a mode of transportation.

I see no point in driving stick other than the inevitable pissing contest that comes next with car nuts comparing cars.

My car is a tool, nothing more.

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Yellow posted...

I know gamefaqs polls are not a valid survey of entirely Americans, but I question TC's claim when that many people respond that they know how to drive a stick shift

Also I feel like most old people would know how to drive a stick shift

Ducky has more or less admitted to just making up these "statistics"


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Yes, but I haven't had to in almost 20 years at this point, and that was only because my father insisted on teaching me how to when I had my permit. Plus the argument of "you should learn in case you ever have to" is getting less and less relavent since unless you are buying a million dollar sports car, most new cars you have to specifically ask the manufacturer to make a manual for you. And it costs extra, so why do it?

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Never needed to learn. I don't even own a car any more.

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Yep

I had to learn it to avoid ridicule

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Yes and manuals are more fun to drive.

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I used to know how. I probably still could if I had to, and if it was as forgiving as my 66 Beetle.

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82% of people are missing out on a superior driving experience.

No, but aside from being a cool skill (I guess) it doesnt seem practical. My city is always very traffic-heavy and I putting in any extra work to driving sounds both unpleasant and unsafe

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I haven't driven one in probably 15 years, so I can if needed, but not really preferred. I think they are impractical if you live in a metropolitan area. My current car is an automatic with paddle shifters, so I can generally get the upside of manual if I need to.

PPPPLAASSUMA posted...

I know stick out of necessity.

I have found most people who prefer it are car nuts.

The rest like me just want a mode of transportation.

I see no point in driving stick other than the inevitable pissing contest that comes next with car nuts comparing cars.

My car is a tool, nothing more.

You probably live somewhere very flat, that or you don't know how to optimize the car's RPMs.

DDirtyDastard posted...

82% of people are missing out on a superior driving experience.

As long as my car gets me to where I need to go, its good enough for me. Plus, I dont really want to put in the extra work that comes with a stick shift...
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LinkPizza posted...

As long as my car gets me to where I need to go, its good enough for me. Plus, I dont really want to put in the extra work that comes with a stick shift...

I actually liked having something to do with my left foot, and the modicum of control that came from shifting gears manually wasn't too bad either.

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Entity13 posted...

I actually liked having something to do with my left foot, and the modicum of control that came from shifting gears manually wasn't too bad either.

The few times I drove one on base, I kept forgetting about shifting. Itd take me too long to shift sometimes. I don.the really like the doing extra stuff while driving. I think thats one of the reasons I didnt care to learn. I think doing something with my left foot at the same time would have probably been the same. It probably would distract me, tbh...
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Tried it for a few weeks, hated it, never again.

I know the basic gist of it, but I've never put it into practice by actually trying to drive it. It'd probably be fun to learn, but there's really no practical reason for it given that modern automatic transmissions are almost invariably just as good or better at optimizing shifting and I can count on one hand the number of people I know with manual cars (let alone the number of said people whose cars I might someday want to borrow). Odds are I'll never learn, for that reason.

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adjl posted...

modern automatic transmissions are almost invariably just as good or better at optimizing shifting

They aren't. Manual transmissions allow for much finer control of the power transfer between engine and transmission.

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My first vehicle was gonna be a stick shift. It was a 96 Ford Ranger. I learned how to drive it just down our road when I was like 14.

I haven't driven one since because my dad sold it cuz my mom didn't think it was safe enough to be my first vehicle. But I think I could still drive one if I tried

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faramir77 posted...

Nobody in my family has owned one in my lifetime, so how would I ever have learned?

Driving school?

Also, I have a Dutch/European driving license and no medical reason to have gone for the more limited license of "only allowed to drive automatic", so obviously I do.

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Nichtcrawler X posted...

Driving school?

Also, I have a Dutch/European driving license and no medical reason to have gone for the more limited license of "only allowed to drive automatic", so obviously I do.

If theyre in the US, they might not learn in driving school... Plus, in the US, our licenses allow us to drive either automatic or manual. We do have different licenses for motorcycles, trucks, and buses, though...
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SunWuKung420 posted...

They aren't. Manual transmissions allow for much finer control of the power transfer between engine and transmission.

It used to be true that manuals had better gas mileage, but they're more or less even now, and have been for like a decade. Computers are just plain better now at detecting when a shift needs to happen than humans are.

LinkPizza posted...

If theyre in the US, they might not learn in driving school... Plus, in the US, our licenses allow us to drive either automatic or manual. We do have different licenses for motorcycles, trucks, and buses, though...

This is also true in Canada. Manual driving wasn't covered in my driver's ed course, and Canadian licenses include no transmission-based restrictions.

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LinkPizza posted...

If theyre in the US, they might not learn in driving school... Plus, in the US, our licenses allow us to drive either automatic or manual. We do have different licenses for motorcycles, trucks, and buses, though...

I'm Canadian. I took a driver's education course on weekends one winter when I was a teenager. We didn't cover manual transmission, and the course was mostly pointless lol.

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faramir77 posted...

I took a driver's education course on weekends one winter when I was a teenager. We didn't cover manual transmission, and the course was mostly pointless lol.

This was basically my exact experience, only I took it at 25. The actual in-car part of the course was vastly more helpful than the 30-odd hours I spent in the classroom going over material that I could just read in the driver's handbook if for some reason my basic common sense failed me.

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adjl posted...

Computers are just plain better now at detecting when a shift needs to happen than humans are.

Except they aren't.

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SunWuKung420 posted...

Except they aren't.

Baseless contrarianism isn't much of an argument strategy, you know. You should consider elaborating and/or providing a basis for your position.

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Yes I do. All my cars used to be but my most recent It wasn't worth it to me to search around for one.

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LinkPizza posted...

If theyre in the US, they might not learn in driving school...

I would not trust that 100%.

LinkPizza posted...

Plus, in the US, our licenses allow us to drive either automatic or manual.

Mine does too, automatic only licenses do exist though and tend to come with more expensive lesson since they tend to be aimed at less-abled people.

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adjl posted...

Baseless contrarianism isn't much of an argument strategy, you know. You should consider elaborating and/or providing a basis for your position.

All Nascars are manual because letting a computer control the shifting at that speeds is ludicrous.

But let's look at my first Google hit for regular cars:
https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/blog/manual-vs-automatic-car-transmission-pros-cons.html

"Better fuel efficiency Overall, manual transmission engines are less complex, weigh less, and have more gears than automatics. The end result is that youll end up getting more kilometres out of the petrol you pump in than you would with an automatic. Manual transmissions have been known to save drivers between 5% and 15% on their fuel costs."
"Better control Automatic transmissions are designed to choose the best gear for any situation, but they tend to err on the side of caution, shifting to too high of a gear and wasting engine power. At the same time, they are built to respond to conditions as they are encountered, which doesnt allow for drivers to either anticipate an oncoming condition, or to purposely select a lower gear for an added boost of power. Manual transmissions give drivers greater control over the vehicle."

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Nichtcrawler X posted...

I would not trust that 100%.

Idk. Its fine here. Most cars are automatic, though. But you can drive either. People will usually learn how to drive stick if they have one, though. So, I dont really see a reason not to trust anything...

Nichtcrawler X posted...

Mine does too, automatic only licenses do exist though and tend to come with more expensive lesson since they tend to be aimed at less-abled people.

I know they exist in other countries. Just not the US or Canada. As for lessons, its all the same. They may have different prices for different schools. And licenses for different vehicles have different prices and rules... Also, it seems weird that they are more. Anyway, Im glad we dont do that here. That would suck to have to pay more for a lesser license. And I would rather not learn how to drive manual as its would kind of be a waste of time as I would never drive one...
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SunWuKung420 posted...

Better fuel efficiency

I found an article that talks about that, as well.

https://www.edmunds.com/fuel-economy/five-myths-about-stick-shifts.html

It said

Myth 1. Manual cars always get better fuel economy than cars with automatic gearboxes.

In the past, it was pretty much a given that vehicles with manual transmissions would be more fuel-efficient than their automatic counterparts. But as modern automatics gained additional gears and relied less on a torque converter, they have now overtaken manuals in terms of fuel economy.

Let's take the 2020 Chevrolet Camaro as an example. With the base four-cylinder engine, the six-speed manual gets an EPA-estimated 23 mpg in mixed driving conditions. The Camaro's automatic transmission, on the other hand, has eight speeds and is estimated to get 25 mpg in mixed driving an 8.7% improvement.

I personally dont know much about cars. But I did a google search and this was first. And does seem to support what adjl said. Like about newer cars. It may be true as technology has gotten better... I may check more articles to see if thats the consensus, though...
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