How many stick shift drivers do we have?

[glennc]

My '03 50th Anniversary Special Edition C5 Corvette w/6-speed manual...what a blast. Grew-up driving 60's 4-speed muscle cars back in the day.

 

[jfrey123]

Me. Been driving stick since I was like 8 years old. Every vehicle since my second has been a stick. I enjoy the control over the vehicle and the thrill of banging through the gears.

 

[titanNV]

Sweet vehicle.

After I buy a swimming pool, build and sell another house, and have a bunch of cash in the bank - I'll have to get me one of them!

 

[bigx5murf]

I have a 2004 turbo miata 6speed I daily drove for years. It's been sitting for awhile though. I wished stick shift pickup trucks were still a thing. But with even high performance cars dropping the stick shift option, the future looks bleak for manuals.

 

[NYECOGunsmith]

Have always had and driven a stick, prefer it to an auto for fun and versatility. Grew up driving an old Allison Chalmers semi converted to a ranch truck , with 32 forward gears and 8 reverse gears thanks to the combination of the transmission, brownie box (auxiliary gear box behind the transmission) and 2 speed differential. Lots of fun going down the road, steering with your knees alternately (whichever one wasn't being used at the moment to press the clutch or gas pedal!) with a gear shift in each hand (three gear shift levers total, as the 2 speed differential had a mechanical shifter on it, not electric like later ones) split shifting it to get a heavy load up to speed with only a 56 Horsepower engine pulling it.
Today only that old Trans Am of mine has a manual in it, it's still fun to drive.

 

[scarecrowX52]

Learned to drive on a stick. First two cars I owned were auto, then a three on the tree, then one more auto that didn't last very long, nothing but five speed manual ever since.

 

[bigx5murf]

Anyone else notice some of the few newer cars that still come in manual have an auto rev match on down shift feature?

 

[pick_six]

there was an article out recently that a car thief was thwarted by a stick shift. whooda thunk it to be an anti-theft device.

the first 5 cars i drove regularly were manual, 4 sticks and 1 tree. not bad, but for city driving, not preferred these days.

dad had 2 bad knees and f100/3tree back in the day, and it was like a workout for him living in the city. he was much better on the open road.

 

[jfrey123]

I have a 2004 turbo miata 6speed I daily drove for years. It's been sitting for awhile though. I wished stick shift pickup trucks were still a thing. But with even high performance cars dropping the stick shift option, the future looks bleak for manuals.

Nissan for sure, and I think Toyota, still offer a manual on the midsize trucks. I think itms a travesty so many of the manufacturers are dropping them in the USA, because amongst almost all models (cars and trucks both) over seas they offer manuals.

 

[Gullwing]

Dads car has a manual transmission, but it is automatically shifted.

Performance cars are going to dual clutch autos because they can (s**t) quicker than any manual. Can now get 0 to 60 a few tenths quicker.

 

[bigx5murf]

Nissan for sure, and I think Toyota, still offer a manual on the midsize trucks. I think itms a travesty so many of the manufacturers are dropping them in the USA, because amongst almost all models (cars and trucks both) over seas they offer manuals.

My last truck was a 2015 Nissan frontier. Yes I recall they did have a manuals available, but it was very limited in which configurations you could get it in. and no dealer will ever have it on the lot, so you'll be paying to have it delivered from across the country. I had the crew cab sv, with extended bed, and I believe I could only get a manual if I gave up the extended bed, which I wanted more. I just got a Titan XD last year, and no manual at all. I don't think the current toyota pickups offer a manual at all either.

 

[Rem222]

I belong to the club... 72 SS 4Speed

 

[jfrey123]

My last truck was a 2015 Nissan frontier. Yes I recall they did have a manuals available, but it was very limited in which configurations you could get it in. and no dealer will ever have it on the lot, so you'll be paying to have it delivered from across the country. I had the crew cab sv, with extended bed, and I believe I could only get a manual if I gave up the extended bed, which I wanted more. I just got a Titan XD last year, and no manual at all. I don't think the current toyota pickups offer a manual at all either.

Toyota does still offer some manual Tacos, but like you mentioned with Nissan it depends on the configuration.

 

[Earthquake]

I took my driving test in 1979 in my Sister's Chevy Luv pickup with a stick. It was either that or a 78 Ford F250 4x4 with a stick.

 

[titanNV]

I could be wrong, but, unless something changed with the newest generation of Titans, they were only available with auto trans.
I had a 4 banger Frontier, brand new, for about 6 months before trading it in on my first Titan. Hated driving it in traffic, being a stick. Of course that only happened when I had to go to east California (aka Vegas!)

 

[MAC702]

I'm FINALLY back in a stick shift. They are especially hard to find in the big pickups anymore. But, ironically, now the automatic transmissions can actually transmit more power and are finally better at pulling heavy. That said, I still jumped on a stick shift when I found it.
2017 Ram 3500 Laramie 4x4 with the 6-speed Mercedes G56 xmission. In one year, I've put 40k miles on it.

I sold my 4-speed 1974 Jeep CJ5 last year. But I still have my 1961 Ford Ranchero with its 4-speed Toploader xmission. And the 5-speed Buell motorcycle counts, too, right?

 

[Just an Average Joe]

I have a 2004 turbo miata 6speed I daily drove for years. It's been sitting for awhile though. I wished stick shift pickup trucks were still a thing. But with even high performance cars dropping the stick shift option, the future looks bleak for manuals.

Miatas are fun to drive, but could never get past the "chick car" thing.



If I lived someplace with lots of curvy roads, like back east, or even CA, it would be a fun car, but for our mostly straight streets and freeway driving the car seems underpowered. Always wished they would find a way to bump the power up to S2000 levels or better. Surprised it never happened.



Did you get the turbo installed here in Vegas? How much HP is your car running?

 

[LASCHRIS]

I learned to drive the farm truck. 1950's ford 3 speed on the column. 3 on the tree. That truck could go anywhere, do anything.

 

[Fogie]

Motors are making too much power for the average driver to handle without killing clutches.
Four-bangers making almost 300hp..Crazy.

 

[DonTom]

I will drive anything.

Lately, mostly my elctric motorcycle with no clutch, no transmission of any type.

I took it here on my RV on a cycle ramp on the hitch. Very handy.

-Don- Flagstaff, AZ (on RV trip to get away from the smoke in both Reno, NV and Auburn, CA, )

 

[Ramone]

I drive a stick, have for decades, and I will continue to do so as long as I can buy one new. Chevrolet is still providing cars with the MT. VW, Nissan, and Toyota, sometimes they do. You need to shop hard to find one.

In response to the comment above about bigger motors now in cars, there is something to this issue. Many basic transportation cars were once 50 to 95 horsepower. They were 4 cylinder motors or small V-6 ones. But now...crazy...big 4 cylinder motors that make a lot of noise and allow too much acceleration at once. It is not helpful for just getting from A to B.

 

[MAC702]

Mine is not much fun to shift in stop-and-go construction, rush hour, and accident conditions; especially when towing. That big clutch handles 400 HP and 900 ft-lb.

 

[Just an Average Joe]

Currently have 2 cars with 6-speeds.

Wouldn't be without at least one manual.

Even though the newer electronic sequential shift sports cars may be faster, they lack the same driver involvement and FUN.

 

[DonTom]

I drive a stick, have for decades, and I will continue to do so as long as I can buy one new. Chevrolet is still providing cars with the MT. VW, Nissan, and Toyota, sometimes they do. You need to shop hard to find one.

In England, I discovered the opposite. It's difficult to find an automatic tranny over there.

I guess most Americans are too lazy to shift. Or never learned how.

I think I heard in England the license is different for a stick. With the stick license you can drive an automatic but not vice versa. So perhaps more want the higher license and take the time to learn how to drive a stick shift.

-Don- Flagstaff, AZ

 

[MAC702]

...I think I heard in England the license is different for a stick. With the stick license you can drive an automatic but not vice versa...

Nevada is the same for motorcycles. If you don't test with a manual xmission motorcycle, you can only get a moped license, whatever they call it, but it allows only the automatic transmission cycles.

 

[DonTom]

Nevada is the same for motorcycles. If you don't test with a manual xmission motorcycle, you can only get a moped license, whatever they call it, but it allows only the automatic transmission cycles.

I had no idea. I never had to take the NV M/C riding test. My CA M/C endorsement was enough to wave the NV M/C test for my NV driver's license.

-Don- Flagstaff, AZ (RV trip)

 

[Gullwing]

In England, I discovered the opposite. It's difficult to find an automatic tranny over there.

I guess most Americans are too lazy to shift. Or never learned how.

I think I heard in England the license is different for a stick. With the stick license you can drive an automatic but not vice versa. So perhaps more want the higher license and take the time to learn how to drive a stick shift.

-Don- Flagstaff, AZ

Gas in England is like $9 a gallon, gas here is less than that. So here do you want the V6 or V8? V8 is 150hp more and only a few thousand more... V8! Over there do you want the I4, larger I4 or turbo I4? 70, 60 or 50mpg... small I4! Now manual 75mpg or auto 70... manual!

 

[bigx5murf]

Miatas are fun to drive, but could never get past the "chick car" thing.



If I lived someplace with lots of curvy roads, like back east, or even CA, it would be a fun car, but for our mostly straight streets and freeway driving the car seems underpowered. Always wished they would find a way to bump the power up to S2000 levels or better. Surprised it never happened.



Did you get the turbo installed here in Vegas? How much HP is your car running?

Factory turbo, I only added bolt ons, was making around 200whp, was good enough to take most s2000 off the line, but I lost to their gearing around 80-90mph. I drove it here from NYC back in 2012. Pegged it at 130mph for a good stretch in OK trying to outrun 3 tornados.

 

[Just an Average Joe]

Factory turbo, I only added bolt ons, was making around 200whp, was good enough to take most s2000 off the line, but I lost to their gearing around 80-90mph. I drove it here from NYC back in 2012. Pegged it at 130mph for a good stretch in OK trying to outrun 3 tornados.

You got one of the rare 2004/5 Mazdaspeed factory turbos!!

lucky basterd! Post up some pics - under the hood too!

 

[Ramone]

In England, I discovered the opposite. It's difficult to find an automatic tranny over there.

I guess most Americans are too lazy to shift. Or never learned how.

I think I heard in England the license is different for a stick. With the stick license you can drive an automatic but not vice versa. So perhaps more want the higher license and take the time to learn how to drive a stick shift.

-Don- Flagstaff, AZ

Yes, when you go to England, and rent a car at the airport, be ready to ask for an automatic if that system is your bag. Driving on the left and operating a manual transmission with your left hand, instead of your right, is a classical gas. (Yes, I am in a 1960s mode today. See Emily Play.)