# Can you competently drive a manual transmission car? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2017, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774 "2017-10-24T23:45:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/161 "2017-10-27T18:46:49Z")
In the '40s, my mother learned how to drive a manual transmission at her driver’s test. She did not realize that you had to bring your own car, so the fellow in line behind her loaned her his. She stalled repeatedly, and expected that she had failed, but the examiner passed her while noting the he didn’t know how to drive a manual either. In the early 80s, I “taught” a friend how to drive a manual. I had to drop off a package at the First Canadian Place on Bay St in rush hour. As I was hopping out of the driver’s seat, I told him to keep circling the block. I didn’t realize that he had never driven a standard before. I returned about fifteen minutes later. He rolled up and stopped smoothly, with a shit-eating grin on his face, and an overheated clutch friction lining smell. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/162 "2017-10-28T04:09:56Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > Count me in the Tercel crowd as well. And I sold it to a Turkish PhD student, so maybe he passed it on to **Eva Luna** a few years later 🙂 was he at Northwestern in engineering? That was a fun transaction - I think I met every Turk in the Chicago area during the course of it. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/163 "2017-10-28T04:33:38Z")
Until my MD suggested a auto for my knee, a stick is all I drove for the last 50+ years. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/164 "2017-10-28T17:10:42Z")
The cars I’ve owned: 1981 6cyl Mustang, auto 1985 Firebird V-6, auto 1991 Dodge Colt, manual 1996 Plymouth Neon Sport, manual 1996 Ford Crown Vic, auto 2006 Scion Xa, manual 2006 Dodge Grand Caravan, auto 2008 Mustang GT, manual 2014 Toyota Corolla, auto 2015 Buick Regal Turbo, auto If I ever get another sports or muscle car it’ll have to be a manual. Regular car? Sticking with the auto tranny. A manual is supposed to be fun, and there’s little of that to be had in an underpowered manual tranny car. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/165 "2017-10-28T17:54:16Z")
Yes. The vast majority of people could do it if they wanted to and had some instruction. I’m not sure why there are people in the thread who feel it’s a point of honor. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/166 "2017-10-28T19:33:09Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Yes. The vast majority of people could do it if they wanted to and had some instruction. I’m not sure why there are people in the thread who feel it’s a point of honor. It is a skill, and a disappearing skill. So yes, it _is_ a point of honor-… but a rather minor one. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/167 "2017-10-28T19:49:42Z")
My current car is a five month old Subaru station wagon with manual transmission and this is at least my 5th manual. I’ve done heal-toe shifting and driven non synchromesh transmissions as well as manual cars with a broken clutch. But – why is the poll gendered? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/168 "2017-10-28T19:53:54Z")
I haven’t driven in a few years, but I could drive a manual right now. I’d struggle with a 3 on the tree or a left hand drive car, but I’m sure I’d figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/169 "2017-10-28T20:10:23Z")
I hadn’t driven a standard transmission in 20 years until recently on a trip to the UK. Jumped in the right side, fired it up and took off without even really thinking about it. Like riding a bike I guess. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/170 "2017-10-28T21:00:02Z")
I’ve driven stick-shift trucks for all of my adult life. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/171 "2017-10-28T23:31:10Z")
So per the polling here, 93% of males and 81% of females can drive stick. I’m surprised (and somewhat gratified) it’s that high. I wonder how that compares to the US population at large, and I wonder how our numbers were skewed by posters outside of the US. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/172 "2017-10-28T23:41:31Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > So per the polling here, 93% of males and 81% of females can drive stick. > > I’m surprised (and somewhat gratified) it’s that high. It may also be skewed by people likelier to vote in a poll that lets them brag than in one that doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2017, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/173 "2017-10-28T23:49:47Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > It may also be skewed by people likelier to vote in a poll that lets them brag than in one that doesn’t. Those confounding confounding factors!! ---
**Author:** ![Toledo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@Toledo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toledo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/174 "2017-10-29T00:32:48Z")
13 of the 22 (and all of the first six)cars I’ve owned have been sticks. Everything from three-on-the -tree 59 Chev to 3 on the dash (2CV) to 3, 4, and 5 on the floor (and a 4-on the tree SAAB). I can pretty much jump into just about anything and drive away smoothly. Both of my current rides are automatics, though. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/175 "2017-10-29T00:48:58Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > It may also be skewed by people likelier to vote in a poll that lets them brag than in one that doesn’t. Sure, if you post,\* maybe \*there’s a _tiny_ brag. But wheres the brag in just clicking? ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/176 "2017-10-29T01:13:06Z")
I haven’t driven a manual car for about ten years but had several before that. I have a motorcycle that I drive regularly and it’s the same general idea. I’m sure I could hop in a manual car or truck and be just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/177 "2017-10-29T01:16:24Z")
The only cars I’ve ever owned, over 34 years of driving, have been manuals. I also ride a motorcycle, which is a whole different level of shifting. I’m shocked that 54/66 women report they can drive a manual. Among my (cisgender) female friends, exactly 0% (of perhaps 50) can drive a manual transmission. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/178 "2017-10-29T01:26:09Z")
First car was a three-on-the-tree back in 1963, so yes. I’ve driven manuals up to and including a ten gear split tranny truck that required double clutching between shifts. ---
**Author:** ![nonacetone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonacetone/32/2819_2.png) [@nonacetone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nonacetone)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/179 "2017-10-29T01:42:29Z")
Female. No, I cannot. The only time I tried, my grandpa laughed at me, while my husband yelled at me. I got out of the car, crying, and went into the house. I never had the heart to try it, again. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2017, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774/180 "2017-10-29T05:43:50Z")
> [@nonacetone](#): > > Female. No, I cannot. The only time I tried, my grandpa laughed at me, while my husband yelled at me. I got out of the car, crying, and went into the house. I never had the heart to try it, again. There’s a lot to be said for learning at a women’s driving program within a racing school. Don’t let the boys on to what you are up to until you figure that you can trounce them on track day. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-competently-drive-a-manual-transmission-car/799774.md?page=10)