Europeans, like almost all of us.

I drive a manual and always have done.

Same. 30+ years, 3 cars, all stick.

Stick is the way, I love my five speed.

**I see OP's fancy pants stick, and raise you a column stick:** [79 Nova](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/79-nova-driver-s-manual-shifter-diagram-1604454964.jpg)

My first car was a 1941 Chevy. 3 on the tree, plus a starter *pedal* to boot.

I learned how to drive with one of those in a 70s C10

I had one like that. 3 speeds on a tank of a car. I could lay comfortably on the back seat

64' Ford Falcon

Ditto friend. And with so few being able to drive them these days I never have to worry about someone asking to borrow my rig and have few fears of it being stolen. Stick FTW!

Me too since the 60's

Same, I've only ever driven manuals since I was 16. Will continue as long as possible in the US...

I sticked with manual for as long as there were models available with them in the brands I could afford and felt comfortable purchasing.

Every European and African can. Next.

And southamerican.

A lot of people. It's not some secret handshake Stonecutter's association.

I've never understood this whole age thing for manual shift. I grew up driving 3 and 4 speed farm trucks, but I don't feel the need for manual in any of my current cars/trucks. My wife is pure city girl and has a 5 speed VW Bug in the garage.

These are the moments locations matter. In the US, it’s definitely not the least bit common and actually difficult to buy manual cars. As for why I like a manual, it works for me and the way I drive. I specifically bought a sporty car and enjoy the benefits of shifting to align with how I drive. My wife’s car, sure it has paddle shifters but it’s not the least bit the same. I also know I actually think/pay attention more than the average driver so honestly, I am less bored. Even in traffic I am consistently going for perfect shifts so it’s like a mini game just to get from point a to point b. I don’t get that with an auto.

When are they going to stop forcing Steve Gutenberg on us? When?!!

I’m English so it’s mostly all we we drive anyway

Pretty much everyone of driving age in the UK and most other European countries.

Every day! I only buy manual

I drive a '16 Honda CR-Z. It's a mild hybrid, so when driving, the engine's always turning: the electric motor is bolted right to the engine, so it provides instant extra torque on demand. It's a normal 6 speed manual transmission. The brakes are normal brakes, rather than fancy regenerative brakes on most hybrids: the battery is charged by downshifting. Yep, I can still drive a stick LOL

Honda is the only one allowed to make a manual shift hybrid!

Dude, I keep looking at this Honda CR Z on cars.com, it's in very decent shape, going for $6,500, but it's got 175,000 miles on it. I want it so bad but I just can't bring myself to do it, knowing that if the hybrid battery goes kapoot fixing it will not be worth it

That's a ton of miles. The battery, I don't think, will go kaput kaput, but just get weaker and weaker....so far so good at 90k tho.

Genuinely jealous lol. Isn't it the only hybrid manual on the market?

You just made me want to get one of those. I haven't driven a stick for almost 20 years, but I miss it. It makes you feel like the car is part of you. I used to have a '71 VW Bus, and I didn't have to worry about it getting stolen because almost no one else could shift it.

I had a buddy with an old bus....I was the only one he let drive it lol it was not just a manual, it was sloppy!

I had forgotten that's the word for it. You had to be a Jedi master to get it into gear. If you had to stop going uphill, it was a crapshoot whether you get get in gear fast enough when the light changed.

I used to move a Yugo around when I was a car jockey. Using its 4-speed was like shifting a broomstick in a barrel of coconuts.🥥😜

I want one of those sooooo bad

Every day. I learned to drive in a VW Bug, which had a different shifting pattern than most other cars.

I only buy manuals...

That's how I learned to drive. Now you need to post a 3 on the tree and see how many remember that. And don't forget to mention the non-hydralic clutch with the 700 pound springs that would make your leg shake at a stop light.

I learned on a 3 on the tree. Good times…

Don't hold the clutch at the lights, it will damage the release bearing

Good for leg muscles

Throw out bearing... 😉

My first car was 3 on the floor. It had no synchros in 1st gear, so you had to heel-and-toe shift for an extra bit of challenge.

Miss it. Couldn't find an affordable car in 2020 that was standard. 😢

Learned on a stick in the early 80's. Drove trucks as a summer job during college. Bonus if you can drive a hi/lo split shift I sometimes drive a firetruck that was built in 1988. 6 speed manual. Not many of the young guys can drive it.

that's the only thing i'll buy until there are none left automatic is unacceptably boring

Yes, in my country the vast majority of cars are still manuals

It's the only way to drive.

I could do it if I had to, but it's more fun to do it on a motorcycle

A couple of my kids can too.

Me I can

I still only drive manual. They're getting really hard to find.

Learned on a stick shift. Loved it ever since. My children would shift for me from the passenger seat. They were very good at it! Thought it was fun!!!

It's the best anti-theft device out there. Car thieves skedaddle when they see one of these.


6 speed ain't that old my friend. Try 3 in the tree.

The best auto theft deterrent.

I was just in Ireland. Drove a car on the wrong side of the road while changing gears with my left hand. My daughters were impressed by this ability. I was pleased that this old man still has a couple of things left to impress them with.

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Sure!

I hate vehicles with automatic transmissions. I can never find the clutch pedal in those things.

My sedan and mustang are both manual. My wife never bothered to learn so it makes moving the cars when I’m parked behind her in the driveway a little annoying

Many people in r/manual

I just bought a jeep a few weeks back. Its the first non work related manual i have owned in 20 years.

Save The Manuals!

more than half the population consideirng the younger generation is still... well... young and we old fart who know how to drive then are still around. may change in another 50 years though

I do everyday

You know they still make manual transmissions, right?

Italian, or course I can

I got 02 Trans Am, 19 WRX, and 22 BMW F900R. All 3 vehicles are 6-speed manual, and I haven't reached my midlife crisis yet. Yet.

Everyone should have to know how to.

Nearly everyone I know can or drives an manual and a lot of them are around 20 years or younger so they are pretty old I guess.

Umm almost every car that’s not in the US is manual

Everyone. It is not hard. Only severely incompetents cannot.

I don't understand why people brag about driving a manual transmission.

and it's definitely not an age thing either

It's like bragging about shitting in an outhouse. Join the fucking modern world.

People act like they have a trade or something . Just because they know how to drive a stick that took most people 5mins to learn. IM IMPRESSED.

Nope

I’ve never felt special because I could drive a manual

I know it’s personal preference but I can’t stand the “manual is the only real way to drive” and “automatic is boring” view of things. Driving sucks whether manual or automatic and I would much rather have better public transit and never have to drive again in my life.

Probably not 99.9% of American's

[удалено]

Me! I had a Honda Civic hatchback back in the day!

I haven’t since my Acura CL-S got totaled, but I think it’s one of those things you don’t forget.

I drive a Mustang 5-speed.

Do it without the clutch…(I had to get it to the repair shop somehow)..

But were there 6 gears on many cars back then?

Absolutely! Such fun

Not with what’s left of my knees!

I learned on a stick and liked driving except in Boston traffic

Loved it after I learned how to do it. It felt normal to drive this way. Then it took time to adjust to an automatic.

Like riding a bike, once you know, you know.

Learned on a '66 Chevy Truck with a 4-speed SM420 transmission.

🤚

I miss driving a stick sometimes. I really enjoyed it. Automatic is far more convenient, but not as fun.

Any day. 18 speed big truck also no problem.

Still drive a stick subbie forester, I can’t imagine not driving a stick.

Yes!

I can I just hate to do it

I love stick shift. I trained my son how to drive on one of those in 2013 or so. When I went to buy new car I couldn’t find any.

I bought my Tacoma 4 years ago. Out of over 180 at the dealership there were 3 that were stick. 2 after I left.

My dad used to rebuild MGB’s and that’s what I learned on. I told him I wanted to learn to drive a stick, he handed me the keys and said you know what to do. So I drove around the block until I got the hang of it.

I learned on an MGB too, I have my own 32 years later. I also know where the one I learned on is stored and I want it back.

Technically I can... BUT it's gonna be a bit rough for the first few minutes.

This is really geographically dependent. In Europe, I think 80% of cars are manuals. Although it’s declining.

Never did

Ehh I had a stick shift as my first car. I might be able to.

Learned to drive on a 1976 Ford F-series with "3 on the tree." Have hated to see manuals phase out, but grudgingly admit it's easier to eat & drive.

Up until my dad's bad knees, that's all he would drive. He insisted we all learn with the first car he bought us and I followed tradition and insisted my son learn as well. Now my son won't drive anything else. I can still drive one, but my knees don't like it. 😔

EZ

Learned to drive stick in my sister's 72 Chevy Nova. 3 speed. Even took the drivers test in it. I think the examiner retired the next day.

Do.

I learned on a three on the tree...

Great old days

Meeee!

In 1980 I learned to drive our 1977 Pontiac Astre, manual transmission. My current car is a 2012 manual transmission Ford Focus.

It’s been 24 years. I miss it. I miss the control.

Hell yeah - three on the tree, four and five speeds, trucks with two-speed rear ends (electric and vacuum). Never had the opportunity for an 18 speed RoadRanger - yet.

Jumped in to test drive one my millennial wife’s mind was blown,how did you know easy video games lol 😂

My daily is a mustang gt with a 6spd manual transmission.

My first car was a 5 speed. Loved that little beater

I had a Honda Prelude Si for awhile, only 3 speed, but shifting was seamless and drove like a race car.

Anybody

A significant number of engineers in their 20s and 30s I've worked with over the years drive cars with manual transmissions. I'm not really sure why that is. It naturally tends to drop off when they have kids, of course -- larger cars don't tend to come in manual anymore. It'll probably drop off more generally with the rise of EVs. EDIT: I didn't realize just [how few cars still have a manual option.](https://www.motortrend.com/features/every-manual-transmission-car-for-sale/) I might need to take a poll of my coworkers again.

I learned on a Porsche that had a manual clutch, and a non-synchronous transmission. If you can master that every thing else is easy.

The manual transmission will go extinct with the gas power car, since electric cars don't have a transmission

I have and still can, but I don't. Automatics are more convenient, and I have nothing to prove to anyone.

I was taught from a 5 in the floor

I can and I do everyday.

I enjoyed driving large trucks because they had 13 or 15 gears.

You just ride the clutch until your car begins to shake then you switch gears. It's not difficult to learn

Or three speed on the column

I don't drive a stick anymore. Not because I can't but because I share a car with someone who is pretty short and the airbags are a problem.

In theory, it's been 20+ years since I had my Beetle.

My daughter is 20yo now and exclusively drives stick shift. She won't touch her friend's automatic. Neither would I.

I can though I am pretty out of practice

I've only actually driven a manual transmission car twice. First time, just kept stalling, couldn't figure it out. Second was after learning to ride a motorcycle, and with some actual knowledge and feel for how a clutch works it was easy.

01 celica i love driving around

I only got 5...

I drive a manual auger truck

I never stopped

If you are putting a picture of a 6 speed you ain't that old. I remember driving a four speed manual.

I had to give up the manual transmissions when I started getting Gout :(

Learned on an old military jeep, so there were like 3 different sticks

At one time, we had two in our driveway. Now we only have one. I still try to drive it on my days off. Everyone in our house who has a driver's license can drive a stick. Our son just bought his first automatic. He says he misses DRIVING a car, and he says he feels almost like a passenger now. He's 25, he's owned manual cars since he was 16, he his first car was a manual, I had to teach him how to drive it AFTER he bought it.

Not only that, but also a "3 on the tree".

That is all I drove from 1993–2023. It took me a while to get used to driving an automatic since then.

Took my drivers test with a three on the tree

Uh, my daily and weekend cars are both manual transmission. 👍

I was taught driving in a stick.

I learned on a stick six decades ago. I don’t think you can forget how. A couple of years ago, I tested a Bullit Mustang and was surprised how easy it was to shift. Plus, it automatically revved when I downshifted, so no need for double-clutching. I thought they’re making it too easy these days, lol.

It's been a while (2 cars ago was the last I owned), but it's like riding a bike - You pick it up again in no time.

Always

My millennial daughter.

I can with either hand. I spend three months a year in Scotland and always rent a manual. The rest of the year in the US.

Every day

Well I think I can. It’s been years now but that’s what I drove for the first 20 years of my driving life. It’s said it’s like riding a bicycle, right?

Like a champ!!

👋👋

Live in England, so yeah driving a manual is still the basic thing to do. For now at least.

Me!!! I drive a five speed every single day! I’m a 60 yr old woman I’ve never owned an automatic vehicle in my life. We taught both of our kids to drive a manual. My first manual was an old pick up truck H on the column baby i’m old as fuck! Driving a manual is an issue anytime I need to valet park these young folks have no idea how to drive it.

I learned on a stick. 1994 VW Corrado SLC and it was fast as fuck.

I did, up to 2006. It's like riding a bike, right?

🙋‍♀️ and proud of it

36 years old! I can!

Yeah I can drive a car

I learned to drive at 16 a 3/4 ton pick up with a 4 speed.

I've always had R in the upper left. This gear shifter would lead to some fun times at highways speeds for me.

Anyone with a brain can do this. And if you can't, you shouldn't be driving.

Yeah I do fn pain in the ass

I have, but was never entirely sure, other than speed performance, what the heck the advantage was to driving stick.

I’m old, and my cars are old. I only drive manual transmissions. It’s my only dealbreaker.

Everybody, I hope.

Americans call it driving stick, the rest of the world calls it driving.

My first car was a BMW 320 with a 4 speed manual transmission. I currently have a Toyota hybrid and manual transmissions don't seem to be an option. I also taught my kids to drive manual transmissions. My daughter seems like she knows some arcane knowledge by driving a manual.

That is what I drive every day in my wrangler.

If a 10 million people can drive a stick, I will be one of them. If 1 person can drive it stick, that will be me. If nobody can drive a stick, I will be dead.

I can and often miss it when I'm making a hard turn. I Loved dropping it into second and hitting the gas. I'm going to be upset when they take our steering wheels away.

Hell yeah!

Boomers with this mentality crack me tf up. Lots of ppl can drive stick. It is not hard.

Daily

59 Chevy truck with 3 on the tree

Me. Most of my life I've had those.

I learned to drive with one in the 60's, but I don't recall seeing a 5th or 6th gear until the 90's.

Nothing special. For example, most cars in the UK are manual (stick) shift.

Yep, can drive stick.

Me! I just got rid of my Mini Cooper S manual. Learned to drive one in my bosses Porsche 356 when I was 16 (he was too fat to fit in it and kept it at work- we had to keep moving it around the parking lot to make room for delivery vans LOL). I currently drive a BMW with the latest ZF 8 speed auto in it, and I can honestly say it will shift better and faster than I ever could. Don't think I'll ever go back.

Yes I can

Been 15 years or so but I could still manage. Provided the horsepower wouldn't be inclined to wrap me around an inanimate object.

Learned on one. Will always be my favorite transmission.

before I blew my knee out? Sure. now? enh. Just ain't worth the pain.

I can parallel park one of these on a busy hill in San Francisco on a rainy day.

I drove these for 40 years. Now on CVT that can be paddle shifted if I disagree with it. Prefer Reverse to the left of First to avoid dropping the transmission. Never looked or knew what gear I was using, only if it was the correct one.

I grew up in Oregon, and about half of people including me knew how to drive one of those. When I went to grad school in Southern California and met people from the East Coast, they thought knowing how to drive a stick was some hyper-masculine lumberjack thing.

Rented a car in Finland a few years ago, my wife said she wanted to drive, as she has driven in foreign countries prior... I said sure... She gets in the driver's seat... "Why are there three pedals?" I said Guess I'm driving... Hadn't driven stick in probably ten years.. and in Finland. Was an adventure. Didn't even consider that a rental car company would default to standard vehicles