# Is it worth it to learn to drive a stick? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750 "2017-10-24T18:33:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/41 "2017-10-24T22:39:54Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Hey, I’m the last one to stealth brag about being physically coordinated, but: press the clutch in, put it in 1st, slowly release the clutch while slowly accelerating. When the RPMs reach a high-mid range, press the clutch in and shift to 2nd. Rinse and repeat for subsequent gears. > > Do the reverse when slowing down, or just clutch and brake. > > I mean, that’s all there is to it. Yes but if you do it wrong the car will stop. That is not a consequence I take lightly. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/42 "2017-10-24T22:41:31Z")
Over here nearly everyone starts off with a stick. If you pass your driving test on an auto, you are restricted to driving auto’s and that can be a problem. If you come over here and hire a car, you will find that not only is the choice limited for auto’s but they are a lot more expensive. Times they are a changin’ though and most larger cars are probably auto’s. Strangely, almost all trucks built since the millennium are two pedal automatics. Manufacturers will fit a stick but at extra cost, so they are rarely specified. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/43 "2017-10-24T22:42:54Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Hey, I’m the last one to stealth brag about being physically coordinated, but: press the clutch in, put it in 1st, slowly release the clutch while slowly accelerating. When the RPMs reach a high-mid range, press the clutch in and shift to 2nd. Rinse and repeat for subsequent gears. > > Do the reverse when slowing down, or just clutch and brake. > > I mean, that’s all there is to it. Everything’s easy if you boil it down to a description. :rolleyes: The real world is analogue, and you have to learn where things occur in a wide range of freedoms (like, where the clutch begins to catch, and how much throttle is too much or too little, or how resistant the shift lever is to catching in 2nd gear). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/44 "2017-10-24T22:50:45Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Hey, I’m the last one to stealth brag about being physically coordinated, but: press the clutch in, put it in 1st, slowly release the clutch while slowly accelerating. When the RPMs reach a high-mid range, press the clutch in and shift to 2nd. Rinse and repeat for subsequent gears. > > Do the reverse when slowing down, or just clutch and brake. > > I mean, that’s all there is to it. Oh, come on, it’s really nerve-wracking the first few times you do it. It was fairly intuitive to me, but I stalled the crap out of the car many times, and it’s scary when you’re stopped at a left turn, waiting for a break in traffic, and then your car stalls when you put it in first to make the turn while oncoming traffic is coming at you. I can totally see why many people stop learning or are freaked out at that point. People over-rev, people under-rev, people release the clutch too fast, people slip the clutch like a mofo, etc. There’s many, many ways to get it wrong. And it does require a fair bit of coordination. In fact, when I teach stick, I just remove the gas pedal from the equation initially. Just get people moving the car using only the clutch in first gear. Once they figure that out and the feel for where the clutch bites and how to gently get the car moving, then I add in the gas pedal. I find doing it this way leads to much more success and a lot less of people just revving the shit out of the engine while letting off the clutch too fast and you get those stupid, jerky stalls. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/45 "2017-10-24T23:00:03Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I’m sort of confused about all this talk about “learning” to drive a stick. > > I took my girlfriend’s first generation Honda Civic for a few spins in college back in 1982 and just figured it out. It’s pretty intuitive, isn’t it? > > In 1988 I bought my first brand new car, a Honda CRX. When the sales dude took me for a test drive I, again, just figured it out. I told him I didn’t really drive a stick and he looked kinda surprised, but, again, it’s completely intuitive. > > Now, getting started on an uphill slope is a little intimidating, but after a few months it’s completely second nature. No, it’s not intuitive at all for most people. I learned to drive a stick when I was 14, and it wasn’t rocket science or anything, but it took a few tries to get it down. And it definitely helped to have someone give me some pointers. I also taught my younger sibling when it was their time to learn, and was almost killed in the process! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/46 "2017-10-24T23:00:07Z")
My sticks have come in handy over the years, when my battery was not quite able to start the car and I’ve been able to roll downhill and catch it in gear. ETA: I once owned an MG Midget that I loved. My wife wanted to learn to drive it, but after a dozen lessons she still couldn’t get it and I was getting more and more pissed about the situation. My little brother took her out and in an hour she had it down pat. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/47 "2017-10-24T23:37:54Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > The stick is dying along with masculinity (I wonder if this is related). My last rental car in Europe was a hybrid automatic (sticks and hybrids don’t mix well - and it ran on gasoline not diesel, Oh-My-GOD). So it is worth it, HELL yes, > > It is a every increasing unique experience, no a relationship, between man and machine, it is sensual the relationship between man and machine to this degree and needs to be experienced by every male. It is even sexual in nature. A machine beautifully crafted, but just a child at heart and destined to die a child, but throttled hard over and over till her clutch plate is worn out and disposed of and the driver is on the sex offender list for life and had to see a probation officer every week. > > Oh yeah! Drive a stick. Maybe it’s just me, but equating driving a stick to fucking a child would \*not \*make me want to learn. Apparently it’s different for you. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/48 "2017-10-24T23:52:18Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > My son just turned 16 and got his license. > > My question, should I bother teaching him to drive a stick since they quit making cars and trucks with manual transmissions last year? Since virtually all the responses in this thread have been about how foreignly-useful and awesome and (not-?)easy and possibly orgasmic manual transmissions are, I feel I should provide a rational counterpoint. If you live in the united states you don’t need to know how to drive a manual transmission. Have a nice day. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/49 "2017-10-24T23:54:36Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Over here nearly everyone starts off with a stick. that’s because one of the most popular cars over there is a Fiesta with 70 horsepower. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/50 "2017-10-25T00:25:35Z")
I never really had the opportunity to learn. My mom didn’t even want to teach me at all, and there was only the one car. I guess I could have asked my sister (who currently has a manual), but the desire is not that high. I can fly a plane (PP-ASEL), but can’t drive a stick. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/51 "2017-10-25T00:31:49Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Yes but if you do it wrong the car will stop. Or at least make horrific noises from the transmission, which isn’t great for the transmission. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/52 "2017-10-25T00:39:36Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > that’s because most of our cars have big engines with plenty of power. I’ve driven EU-style cars with tiny engines (e.g. a Ford Ka with 1.0 non-turbo 3-cylinder) and they would be miserable with an automatic. > . ??? The 6 speed gear box is the only thing that makes some of these small engines drivable. Keeping the engine in the power band is difficult if you have to row through 6 gears manually, and impossible if you have only 4 gears manually (and I haven’t even seen a care with only three forward gears recently). ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/53 "2017-10-25T00:48:08Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > It is a every increasing unique experience, no a relationship, between man and machine, it is sensual the relationship between man and machine to this degree and needs to be experienced by every male. It is even sexual in nature. A machine beautifully crafted, but just a child at heart and destined to die a child, but throttled hard over and over till her clutch plate is worn out and disposed of and the driver is on the sex offender list for life and had to see a probation officer every week. > > Oh yeah! Drive a stick. The next time you’re tempted to make a “positive” child rape analogy, please don’t. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/54 "2017-10-25T00:52:58Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I’m sort of confused about all this talk about “learning” to drive a stick. > > I took my girlfriend’s first generation Honda Civic for a few spins in college back in 1982 and just figured it out. It’s pretty intuitive, isn’t it? Not the more advanced techniques, most notably rev matching/heel and toeing. ---
**Author:** ![Mrdeals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Mrdeals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrdeals)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/55 "2017-10-25T01:33:00Z")
I think it would be a good thing to teach. I learned to drive a manual when i was 16, never drove a manual again until this year. My car was in a small town repair shop, and the only loaner was a stick shift. Could you go your whole life without knowing how to drive manual? Probably, but its those situations like mine where its a good skill to have. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/56 "2017-10-25T01:56:18Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/57 "2017-10-25T02:13:23Z")
If you find your self in a situation where someone will die if you cant drive them from A to B to get help, and the only vehicle available is a stick, it suddenly becomes really useful no matter what country you think is the better. If you can drive a stick, there isn’t too much you could not figure out how to operate really fast if the need arose FWIW my vehicle comes in no other form but manual transmission ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/58 "2017-10-25T07:36:50Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > I can fly a plane (PP-ASEL), but can’t drive a stick. > > Brian But can you fly a [Stearman](http://www.pilotfriend.com/aircraft%20performance/images7/31.jpg) or a [Pitts](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Pitts-S1S-in-flight.jpg) or a [Christen Eagle](http://cdn.kitplanes.com/media/newspics/eagle-594.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/59 "2017-10-25T07:40:34Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > If you find your self in a situation where someone will die if you cant drive them from A to B to get help, and the only vehicle available is a stick, it suddenly becomes really useful no matter what country you think is the better. If you find yourself in a situation where someone will die if you can’t explain neural-net back propagation in Korean, that skill is also very useful. In the United States in 2017 the two examples are roughly equally likely. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2017, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750/60 "2017-10-25T08:41:44Z")
> [@TimeWinder](#): > > If you find yourself in a situation where someone will die if you can’t explain neural-net back propagation in Korean, that skill is also very useful. > In the United States in 2017 the two examples are roughly equally likely. Yeah–the 16 year old son is _currently_ in the US. But one day he might be a good college student and decide to take the study-abroad options that all good universities offer. Or he might decide to broaden his horizons by travelling and seeng the part of the world which is not the US. Or he might be a good patriotic citizen and decide to spend a couple years in the army. He may get sent overseas to a base, say, in Korea, where the local car rentals are all stick shifts To the OP: yes, you should _definitely_ teach your son an important life skill. When else will he have the opportunity to learn with a good teacher? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-worth-it-to-learn-to-drive-a-stick/799750.md?page=4)