Someone on another thread postulated that most Americans can't drive a manual transmission. I know there are a lot of people here who don't have that skill, but I don't think it's a majority. The other forum is a motorcycle forum, in which nearly all the members ride bikes with manual gearboxes, so I would expect nearly all of them to be able to handle a manual gearbox in a car. I chose this forum as being a better (but still far from fully random) sample of U.S. drivers.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

I prefer the manual. My truck, the UNIMOG and the Corvette are all manual and I just think it's more fun to be completely in control of the drive train.

My company truck is automatic and I get the feeling that I would get tired of a manual in that because I make so many stops and drive in traffic all the time.

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-Evan


Benz Fleet:
1968 UNIMOG 404.114
1998 E300
2008 E63


Non-Benz Fleet:
1992 Aerostar
1993 MR2
2000 F250

Automatics are ok in some situations. I tend to run cars and trucks a lot of miles though and as a practical matter a stick is much less likely to give you expensive trouble.

Oh and I agree completely with Kartec about being in control of the cars gears and engine.

Proficient? Yes. I can double clutch and drive the old non synchro trannies. I learned on a rambler American with no synchro. Driving one with a non operating clutch? ....why yes, numerous times. I even had a 65 Reo truck for a few years with a real oddball shift pattern. ...and I've had motorcycles with the shifter on both sides of the bike... that was tough to get used to.

Driving a manual smoothly is a point of pride for me too, and milking a clutch for as many miles as possible.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I'm betting the vast majority on here as well at least know or have driven a manual. For a really random sample you should post a thread on a non automotive enthusiast forum. I bet the percentage would be totally different. Maybe a pet forum or something like that.

It seems to me that the percentage if not all among enthusuasts of cars or bikes would be extremely biased towards familiarity with all kinds of transmission options.

Another question to ask would be how many members of the immediate family can also drive stick. For me my fince has tried it and hates it, the sister is very good having had a DD 5-speed for years, and the brother in law has no idea.

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

My wife can't and has no desire to learn which is a bummer since that means I will never have another manual DD.

Both myself and my wife can drive manual without problems. Both pick-ups are manual...with with a M5OD and the other with the ZF.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Ford Ranger?

I have over fifty years and probably about 1 3/4 million miles in sticks. After we were married we bought a stick shift car for my wife. I drove it home and then taught her to drive it. I taught both my kids and they still drive sticks. They occasionally get surprised comments from their friends, a few which had never even ridden in a stick shift vehicle.

The problem that sticks cause for me is that in today's US, it makes it hard to find a car. I just bought a stick shift R170 SLK, and I could only find a total of less than a couple dozen of them for sale nationwide.

I would match my stick shift skill against anyone.

A few weeks ago while drinking coffee with the guys, a discussion broke out about hauling hay off the meadow. One other guy and myself were the only ones who run our front end loader tractors with clutch pedals. We both said that it was no problem doing it all day. One of the other guys insisted that it was impossible to do that. We both insisted, but the guy never believed us. It's pretty bad when farmers and ranchers turn into such wooses that they can't handle a clutch pedal. Talk about America getting soft.

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now here is someone who knows how to buy a truck! About ten years ago I was looking for a stick shift, four wheel drive, V8 pickup. It turned into a multi state search and I ended up driving to Houston (almost 300 miles away) to get it.

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2001 SLK 320 six speed manual
2014 Porsche Cayenne six speed manual

Annoy a Liberal, Read the Constitution

Toyota's a 5 speed, the Ford is automatic. I like both. In very sticky 4WD situations I actually prefer an auto. The best 4WD transmission I've ever had was the 4spd automatic in my old Suzuki Sidekick. Put in low first gear and walk up or down anything at a snails pace.
Latest craze among these guys who are building Samurais into extreme rock crawlers is to use that Sidekick automatic.

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting

Yeah well, you guys can rave on all you want about the "joys" of being "connected to the vehicle" and "feeling" in control but for me, after 35 years of daily driving of manual transmissions, I say AUTOMATIC transmissions are what I want to drive.

The wife loves her 250C 4 speed and I say more power to her. I'll drive it for her upon occasion but when it's MY choice of vehicles, we're taking the automatics.

I may just be getting old and grumpy but I find no pleasure in "rowing" my way through traffic.

Trucks, tractors, murdercycles are different but when I'm in a car I want to be comfortable, lazy and pampered.

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“Whatever story you're telling, it will be more interesting if, at the end you add, "and then everything burst into flames.”
― Brian P. Cleary, You Oughta Know By Now

Don't pat yourself on the back too hard larry. Driving a passenger or light truck manual transmission is easy, all ot takes is the desire to learn and practice.

I challenge you to run down to the local truck stop and match your stick shift skills against anyone who professionally drives a tractor trailer, then we can be impressed. Maneuver and control one of those without incident, then ill give you kudos for your manual transmission prowess.

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This post brought to you by Carl's Jr.

Would have been excellent if you defined "highly proficient". I'll bet all the responses that claim "highly proficient" are hardly close to that standard.

If you can release the clutch and keep a typical V8 or V6 at 1000 rpm or less and not take more than two seconds..............THEN..........you're highly proficient.

Any idiot can drive a manual if they rev it to 1800 when releasing the clutch. The clutch will get changed every 50K............and they are hardly proficient.

Highly proficient, been driving one daily since I was 16. Until now. I just traded in my 6 speed for a 7 speed DCT. Driving around Philly with a 6 speed is annoying at best...no chance to actually enjoy it at all. 6 hours of stop and go traffic (up to 35-45mph back to zero, up to 35, to zero. Constant shifting) changes a lot of people's opinions. With the dual clutch gearboxes there are no drawbacks of traditional slushboxes, and numbers-wise are actually better than manuals. There's something to be said about "feeling connected" with the car but its a lot to trade.

Also agree with the posts above, you'd get a vastly different answer from a non-enthusiast forum.

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TC
Current stable:
- 2004 Mazda RALLYWANKEL
- 2007 Saturn sky redline
- 2004 Explorer...under surgery.

Past: 135i, GTI, 300E, 300SD, 300SD, Stealth

I can drive without using the clutch.Love to have a s class with manual transmission

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran