Manual / Automatic Transmission in USA

[Jodi]

@gonzomax

Whats the point lazy Americans drive automatics because they are shiftless.

The cars, or the Americans? Or both?

Another point that may be worth mentioning is that in many parts of the U.S. you have to take a “Drivers Education” course before getting your license as a teen, or you can get your license earlier if you have taken drivers ed. When I learned to drive in Montana in the mid-80s, you could get your license at 15 if you took drivers ed, but had to wait until 16 if you didn’t. (You could get your license at 12 if you were a farm/ranch kid and driving on farm/ranch business; not sure if that’s still the law or not, though.)

In drivers ed, we were taught to drive an automatic. There was no education whatsoever in driving a stick. And the cars that the school used for road teaching were all automatics. So if you were a city kid, unless there was some reason to learn to drive stick (like that was what your family’s car was), you learned to drive an automatic. Given the popularity of automatic cars – indeed, as has been explained above, it can be hard to find a stick-shift even if you want one – you can easily go all your life in the U.S. and never know how to drive a stick.

I can drive stick (badly) because my father considered it an emergency skill – that you should be able to drive whatever vehicle is at hand. But I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually driven a standard transmission car, and probably have a couple of fingers left over.

[dropzone]

@MarcusF

In the UK the driving test is meant to ensure the driver can not only handle the vehicle but can use it safely on our horribly crowded roads.
…
Perhaps we’re not such strange people when you compare road crash fatality rates (Road Deaths per 100000 of population – 2002 figures); UK 6.1, Australia 8.8, and USA 14.9. with some States (Mississippi and Wyoming) reaching over 30 :dubious:

However, “horribly crowded roads” is rarely a problem in either Mississippi or Wyoming.

[Raguleader]

@dropzone

However, “horribly crowded roads” is rarely a problem in either Mississippi or Wyoming.

And then there’s Houston, where “Defensive Driving” involves knowing how to reload while shifting into 4th gear and changing lanes.

[MrFloppy]

@Thudlow Boink

I have never heard of any accidents cause by people who didn’t know how to drive a manual driving a manual. If you don’t know how, why would you be doing it?

Because if you’re twenty years old, the two most desirable cars available namely the Suby WRX Sti and the Mitsubishi Evo are only available in a stick.

[ralph124c]

I agree-if you live in So. cal, and get involved in traffic jams, a stick isn’t much fun-but outside of that, a stick has a lot of advantages:
-you can push start the car 9if the battery goes dead0
-you have better control on snow and ice
-lileage is better

• very few mwchanical problems
  The funny thing is, manuals today are a breeze to drive-the clutches are light and the shifters easy- I remember the days when you needed real strength to slam the shift lever into gear-and clutch springs would wear your left foot out! no to mention non-synchro 1st gears (crunch!). Most people today would find a modern 5-speed manual very easy to use.

[suranyi]

@Jodi

The cars, or the Americans? Or both?

Another point that may be worth mentioning is that in many parts of the U.S. you have to take a “Drivers Education” course before getting your license as a teen, or you can get your license earlier if you have taken drivers ed. When I learned to drive in Montana in the mid-80s, you could get your license at 15 if you took drivers ed, but had to wait until 16 if you didn’t. (You could get your license at 12 if you were a farm/ranch kid and driving on farm/ranch business; not sure if that’s still the law or not, though.)

In drivers ed, we were taught to drive an automatic. There was no education whatsoever in driving a stick. And the cars that the school used for road teaching were all automatics. So if you were a city kid, unless there was some reason to learn to drive stick (like that was what your family’s car was), you learned to drive an automatic. Given the popularity of automatic cars – indeed, as has been explained above, it can be hard to find a stick-shift even if you want one – you can easily go all your life in the U.S. and never know how to drive a stick.

I can drive stick (badly) because my father considered it an emergency skill – that you should be able to drive whatever vehicle is at hand. But I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually driven a standard transmission car, and probably have a couple of fingers left over.

I’m in the same situation as you, except that my father had an automatic, too, so I had NO opportunity to drive a stick. Hence I never learned.

Ed

[chiroptera]

@Rick

I did not understand this, then I asked what percentage of sales sticks made up in Colorado. About 1/3 was the answer.
Mystery solved.

I lived in California and Colorado for 20 years; almost all my cars (mostly imports) were manual. Moved out to Michigan and not only are they practically nonexistent here, it’s rare to find someone who can actually operate a stick shift.
A few years ago I was shopping for a performance sporty car and had my heart set on a Saab Viggen. The two Saab dealers I went to here said they never ever ordered manual trans cars because nobody wanted them here in SUV-land.
IMHO one simply doesn’t drive an automatic high performance car…it’s just not driving.!

[groman]

@MrFloppy

Because if you’re twenty years old, the two most desirable cars available namely the **Suby WRX Sti **and the Mitsubishi Evo are only available in a stick.

:eek:

Fuck this planet. I want out.

[Sapo]

@bonobo_jones

I lived in California and Colorado for 20 years; almost all my cars (mostly imports) were manual. Moved out to Michigan and not only are they practically nonexistent here, it’s rare to find someone who can actually operate a stick shift.
A few years ago** I was shopping for a performance sporty car and had my heart set on a Saab Viggen**. The two Saab dealers I went to here said they never ever ordered manual trans cars because nobody wanted them here in SUV-land.
IMHO one simply doesn’t drive an automatic high performance car…it’s just not driving.!

I applaud you commitment to hardcore performance but I don’t think Saab Viggens come in standard, at all

I wouldn’t mind having one, though.

[MrFloppy]

@Sapo

I applaud you commitment to hardcore performance but I don’t think Saab Viggens come in standard, at all

I wouldn’t mind having one, though.

Viggen was also the name given to a high output version of the Saab 9-3 no doubt in reverance to the fighter plane.

[chiroptera]

@Sapo

I applaud you commitment to hardcore performance but I don’t think Saab Viggens come in standard, at all

I wouldn’t mind having one, though.

Har har.
Well one of those would certainly get me to work before I left the house, wouldn’t it?

[Raguleader]

@MrFloppy

Because if you’re twenty years old, the two most desirable cars available namely the Suby WRX Sti and the Mitsubishi Evo are only available in a stick.

Psst, you mis-spelled “Shelby GT500” and “Corvete C6 Z06”

[Sapo]

@bonobo_jones

Har har.
Well one of those would certainly get me to work before I left the house, wouldn’t it?

no, for that you need a DeLorean.

[Throatwarbler_Mangrove]

Psst, you mis-spelled “Shelby GT500” and “Corvete C6 Z06”

Why? Has there been some kind of demographic change? Do young men now prefer slow, expensive cars over fast, affordable ones?
OK, The Vette isn’t slow by any means, but it also costs a great deal more for not a great deal of fast.

[Raguleader]

@kawaiitentaclebeast

Why? Has there been some kind of demographic change? Do young men now prefer slow, expensive cars over fast, affordable ones?
OK, The Vette isn’t slow by any means, but it also costs a great deal more for not a great deal of fast.

I dunno, I’m just dubious of the concept that a Subaru anything is the most sought-after car, regardless of how well it’s built.

[Pushkin]

@Raguleader

Psst, you mis-spelled “Shelby GT500” and “Corvete C6 Z06”

Strange, given their costs to buy and own in the UK, I’d see these as cars for the middle aged.

[Throatwarbler_Mangrove]

Strange, given their costs to buy and own in the UK, I’d see these as cars for the middle aged.

They are around here too. The Mustang especially is a middle aged woman’s car.

[Raguleader]

@Pushkin

Strange, given their costs to buy and own in the UK, I’d see these as cars for the middle aged.

Nonsense, the fact that they’re prohibitively expensive only makes them MORE desirable to a 20 year old.

[Throatwarbler_Mangrove]

For those of you who have not been keeping up with the times.

[Throatwarbler_Mangrove]

Well, the Mustang costs about the same as the Subaru around here, although Subaru prices here are grossly inflated, but I can’t imagine anyone under the age of 30 nowadays who would pick the Mustang over the Subie, especially male. That the Mustang is hopelessly outclassed in terms of performance doesn’t help either.

The Vette has a better case, but it does cost C$100k/US$70k.