I heard two people talking and I heard that 82% of the US driving population do not know how to drive stick.

Would you agree with that? And where can I verify (if possible).?

Pete

Sounds a bit high to me as we still get a fair amount of sticks in the shop. Age doesn't really seem to be a factor either.

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95 SL500 Smoke Silver, Parchment 64K
07 E350 4matic Station Wagon White 34K
02 E320 4Matic Silver/grey 80K
05 F150 Silver 44K

Unless it's from a sampling survey, how would they know? Can't go by car sales since a lot of "shift for yourself" folks become "shiftless" every now and then, especially if you have AMG ambitions.

Remember back when an auto tranny was an option on a vehicle?

Especially with econoboxes, don't remember why it was so tough to design an automatic for some of these?

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2009 ML350 (106K) - Family vehicle
2001 CLK430 Cabriolet (80K) - Wife's car
2005 BMW 645CI (138K) - My daily driver
2016 Mustang (32K) - Daughter's car

You have *no* idea how much I hated reading that.

Ick.

Just had to add:

Here's a quote from the article above:

In a car equipped with a manual transmission, gridlock can mean pushing and releasing a clutch pedal over and over again. And since some pedals are stiffer than others, driving can be physically exhausting. And talking on a cell phone and sipping coffee — favorite pastimes of today’s drivers — is much easier without worrying about shifting gears.

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You know, I'm sorry, but if pushing the clutch "exhausts" you, maybe you should join a gym.

Ok. I'll stop now.

Pete

Im 17 and never learned stick, though for my first car that I buy myself, it will have a manual transmission for sure. My dad hasn't had a stick shift since the late 80's I believe, his Toyota Tercel. So I never got a chance to learn.

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1985 CA 300D Turbo , 213K mi

I know how to drive a stick-shift, but I wouldn't want one to drive in rush hour traffic. My sister drives a 1994 Honda Accord with a stick shift and my mom used to drive a 1971 VW Cabriolet with one as well, and that's what they say is the only downfall to it. To me, there's already too many crazy people to look out for driving out there, all close together in rush hour, just add shifting and clutch depressing, and well, it's best to look out for crazy drivers with an auto tranny, so I can have both hands on the wheel in case I need to perform an extreme manuever quickly. Manual transmissions are better suited for open highway driving or racing in my opinion. As for the longetivity, as long as the transmission filters are changed at regular intervals along with a good, synthetic fluid, you can get a long life out of one.
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

And if your FAVORITE pastime is drinking coffee driving, and chatting on your cell phone, you shouldnt be on the road anyways. you could hurt my car....

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Kenni
'85 300D turbo
208K miles
FOR SALE (kinda)

With all the advancements in transmissions, how long will it be before you can't buy a car with a clutch pedal?

I learned on a stick, and wouldn't have it any other way. I think it played a big role in increasing my overall "road awareness", b/c I had to think about which gear I was in and the amount of torque I had available to the driving wheels, in case I had to get moving quickly.

Anyway, I had no problem driving a stick (my Mazda pickup) in heavy traffic. Got the 190 as an auto, drove it like that for over a year. Swapped in a manual, and it only took me a few days of heavy-traffic driving to get used to it again.

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1990 190e 2.6 - The only one I can really call "My Car".

1987 190e 2.3 - The donor car's up and running, only mods are Euros and a Sony headunit. My Dad's runabout now.

1990 300e 2.6 - The parents' ride.

Heh - Whine about the stick in rush hour traffic? Man have you guys had it easy. Try driving a truck with manual steering and brakes with a three on the tree double clutching in the same conditions and tell me that isn't easy.
All you must think of is the simple physics of the operation, the engine meshing with the transmission at perfect rates. Once you have this down it will be much smoother than any automatic.... I prefer to select my own ratios thank you, but on my Mercedes I have no other choice than to let the valve body do it for me....

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1983 Mercedes 300SD
1987 Mercedes 300SDL
2001 VW Passat 2.8 AWD
2007 OM642 Jeep WK 4x4

I don't understand what the complaining is all about regarding clutching. I learned to drive stick as a teenager, as manual trannies were the only thing my Dad would own. Add to this, learning to drive vehicles with as many as 13 forward gears - all unsynchronized, and in heavy city traffic, clutching became second nature. If you hate clutching so much, learn how to shift without it. Some of the time, I use the clutch in my truck, others I don't. Most of the time, I couldn't tell you which way I'm doing it at the time.

It's actually sad to see the manual transmission fading away. Unfortunately though, it's as much a part of emissions, as it is people who want to turn on the car, shove it into "D" and disengage the brain. My Prius for example, cannot exist with a manual transmission. Automatic trannies allow for the car's computer to decide which ratio is right for the power demand, and keeping the exhaust clean. As hybrids expand, and then give way to fuel cells, conventional transmissions will die due to being obsolete.

I still don't get why you lot insist on driving cars with sticks- over here we have a gear shift lever, surely that makes things much easier? No splinters...

It's the one thing I miss on my Merc though, that and a proper handbrake.
Though sitting in a traffic jam on the M25 (London's orbital car-park) I don't miss working that clutch constantly...

I'm sure you know manual transmissions are the norm over here in old Europe, though auto's are becoming more popular as we get lazier. Usually they're seen as 'luxury' options on high-end cars.

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1993 320TE M104
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past:

1983 230E W123 M102
1994 E300D S124 OM606 (x2)
1967 250SE W108 M129
1972 280se 3.5 W108 M116
1980 280SE W116 M110
1980 350SE W116 M116
1992 300E W124 M103
1994 E280 W124 M104
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"music and women I cannot but give way to, whatever my business" -Pepys

I find that hard to believe, I know one person over the age of 18 who can't drive a stick (my wife).

I think it's an important skill to have, and agree that all first time drivers should learn w/ a stick.

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Pxland

2001 Honda Accord

1995 Jeep Cherokee

1973 MB 280SEL 4.5