I can’t really say, but I’ve always had the impression that it’s just difficult to learn to drive a standard anyways. Certainly one of my friends, who had to learn on a stick, was having trouble with it. I learned on an automatic–I figured it would be easier to learn how to drive, and then learn to drive stick later, since I’d already have the basic driving skills down and I wouldn’t have to think about as much while figuring out the stick shift.
Personally, I’ve always thought it would be a good skill to have–at any rate, there’s no reason not to be able to drive a manual Unfortunately, I’ve never had much chance to practice. Maybe I’ll sneak Dad’s keys out this weekend and go for a drive.
Finally, a post on this board I can speak to from personal experience.
My wife and I were shopping for a new car a couple of years ago, and somehow, we arrived at the conclusion that we’d be better off with manual. Neither of us had ever owned one before (I’m 30; she’s 28). I think she did learn manual when she was first getting her license, but she hadn’t used it since. I’d never learned manual.
We both took a crash course with her sister, who has always driven stick, and within…maybe three lessons?..I had it down pretty well. After we bought the new car, I stalled probably five or six times in the first couple of weeks. That was about it.
What kills me is that my wife drives the new car 90% of the time (I only drive it on the weekends). I feel like I’ve missed out on SO many years of the joys of driving a manual…and I don’t know how long it’ll be before I get to pick out a car of my own again. But you can bet it’ll be manual!
I think the concept is really pretty simple (when it starts to make funny noises you need to change gear and you need to be in a low gear to climb hills and start off).
It’s the co-ordination that I found difficult when I was learning to drive.
Diesel manuals are easier than petrol, because they don’t stall as much, and the clutch control doesn’t have to be as good, so if you’re trying to switch over, perhaps a diesel would be best to learn in.
The only problem with that, Irishgirl is that diesel passenger cars are quite rare in North America. I’ve only ever been a passenger in one Volkswagen that was diesel. Usually only 3/4 ton trucks or larger have diesel engines.
It’s difficult to find a manual transmission in a mid-size car or larger. Even cars on the compact end that almost always used to have manuals now have automatics. My first car was a Shadow, which was a five-speed. When I upgraded to a Neon, it was an automatic. I couldn’t believe it. It didn’t have power windows or locks, but it had a manual transmission. My Beetle is a fully loaded manual, and all is once again right with the world.
Oy. I previewed and everything. I meant, of course, to say that the Neon didn’t have power windows or locks, but it had an automatic transmission. Carry on.
I learned to drive in an automatic, then bought a manual car years later and was forced to learn if I wanted to go anywhere in my car. I didn’t find it super-hard; there was definitely a learning curve.
Something about Knorf’s post made me remember this story: I drive a black, 4-door Nissan Sentra, and a woman who works in my building (but not in my office) also has a black, 4-door Nissan Sentra made in the same year (or close to it). She has a better trim line, but the only exterior difference is her rear spoiler – and, of course, our license plates are different.
The front of the building faces west, so when leaving at the end of the day the sun is always in your eyes. This leads to much squinting on the way to the parking lot, and much having to adjust to the light, and one day it led me to try to unlock the other woman’s car – apparently I was squinting so much that I didn’t notice either the spoiler or her tags! Anyway, after a few seconds of wondering what the heck was wrong with my key, what finally tipped me off is when I looked inside the car . . . and saw the automatic transmission. :smack:
I was just glad that she didn’t have an alarm system.
I’ll bet it depends on the person. I am a freak when it comes to motor skills. It takes me a while to learn, but then I’m very good (all bets are off if it involves tracking a moving object smoothly-- I will never play tennis better than your average blind five-year-old). So learning on a manual was hellish for me and my dad. Thank goodness when my mom took over the lessons, Dad had almost punched a hole in the passenger side floor, trying to brake for me.
I don’t like to drive most of the time, but I hate automatics. It’s been drilled into me by the men in my family that automatics are indicative of low moral fiber. Not wanting to contribute to the downfall of civilization, even if I don’t like to drive, I’m going to do it ‘right.’
In my family, the women more often drive automatics. They also generally don’t care about cars. These two things are related perhaps.
Manual. I’ve driven nothing but sticks for 20+ years. My car was in the shop for a week and I had a rental – automatic. Drove me nuts. I didn’t feel like I was driving so much as simply AIMING the car. Where’s the fun in that?
And sticks don’t get stolen as often, as most thieves don’t know how to drive a stick.
You know, that never even occurred to me the two times that we had our cars broken into and the stereos stolen, that they could have stolen the cars, too, had they not both been manuals. Now, if I could just get a manual stereo…
Depends on what I’m using the car for.
The RX7, the race car, the luxury car and the convertible are all sticks.
The tow/hauling vehicle is an automatic, as is the old Cadillac in the garage, which came in nothing else.
Funny…the car that we bought was precisely that…Volkswagen Golf TDI (diesel). And everyone who has driven it says that they are far more difficult to stall, which I agree with now that I’ve driven a few different stick shifts. One of the things the salesman kept bragging about when I was shopping is that you can actually go from a full stop and get all the way off the clutch in 1st gear on a flat surface without ever touching the accelerator. It’s the truth.
And Nunavut Boy, the difficulties with finding diesel in NA are supposed to start evaporting soon thanks to newer diesel technology and changing fuel requirements, at least here in the U.S. I believe that by '06 or '07, several more manufacturers are planning to introduce new diesels. Currently, I think Volkswagen and Mercedes are the only options for diesel passenger cars, and in places like here in California, you can’t buy brand new diesel cars.
Last week, I was driving an automatic rental car in the Swiss/German/Italian Alps … and I hated it!
I reluctantly agreed to rent an automatic based on the argument that if something happened to me (broken leg, appendicitis, etc.) my SO would need to drive the rental car – and she can’t drive a stick.
But oh, how I missed a manual transmission on those twisty Alpine roads!
BTW, I rented a VW Touran – my first experience with a deisel passenger car. The deisel engine was O.K, but what really sucked about the car was the automatic transmission that shifted out of first gear at about 5 kph. I kid you not!
That’s not all that difficult, even in a car with a gasoline-powered motor. I can accomplish that with my 5-speed 2001 Subaru. I don’t do it very often, needless to say, but it’s not hard.
After 15 years of standard, I now prefer automatic.
My car has a powerful engine, very effective brakes, a suspension that is the perfect blend of handling and comfort, and wonderfully responsive steering. And it has automatic (sport) transmission.
For some strange reason, I enjoy driving the car and I feel that I’m in control.
I prefer manuals. They’re simply more fun to drive–for me, at least. And, as for people who always ask about driving in traffic, no…it doesn’t suck. It gives me one more thing to do and helps keep me from completely drifting off. I much prefer being stuck in traffic with a stick shift than an automatic.
I was given to believe it was due to the relatively enormous amount of torque generated by diesel engines. I freely admit I know nothing beyond that. But I was easily impressed at the time. :rolleyes:
