Asklemmy

Germany, 20s, yes (and up until recently exclusively drove manual transmission cars from like before 2010)

US, 40s. Gave up my manual a few years ago to get a bigger car when I became a single dad. The ol Mazda 3 wasn't cutting it

Yep, early 40's here. At 19 I lied about knowing how to drive stick to get a job as a (non CDL) flatbed lumber delivery driver. I'd ridden motorcycles and such before, so it wasn't to hard to get the hang of it. However, my first delivery I unknowingly drove with the e-brake on for 15 miles or so thinking "damn this is hard" luckily I realized wtf was up before I got back to the yard, kept that job for 2 years lol.

All my cars, bar one, have been manual transmission, as is my current one. To be honest, as I'm lazy, I do prefer auto, but it's easier to buy a car with manual transmission here in the UK, as you have more options.

38 Ireland, yes, it's the main transmission type here, the same as most of Europe.

Yes, Italy, 36 (since I'm 18).

I can operate manual gear shifters in other contexts (namely bikes), but I've never driven a car with one.

Yup. Learned from my dad. Actually, for a little bit, I taught folks in the military to drive stick as well. US mid 40s

I have had only manual transmission cars for the passed 19 years except for 4 years, at which time I had a manual transmission motorcycle. I don't know what I'm going to do once internal combustion cars are phased out. I need a manual tranny. Luckily, my new car only has ~12k miles on it, and it's a make that is typically known for lasting over 200k miles. My only threat is accidental damage.

Edit: I live in the USA

37, Switzerland, and I can drive a manual as much as I enjoy an automatic from time to time. The former is still the most common type of transmission even though the trend has been reversing over the years.

First time I drove anything but a manual was driving the shitty trucks of the Swiss army. It felt weird and wrong, but then again driving with standard issue boots makes using the pedals a bit harder sometimes, so it's probably good I didn't have to use the clutch.

These days I mostly drive rented cars so it's whatever is available, who cares.

I'm in my late 40's and have been driving manual transmission since I got my license at 16. But I'm also one of those freaks that always loved driving manual cars in any situation, I used to drive one daily in downtown Chicago rush hour traffic.

Cars were always a passion of mine, my family had two cars when I was a teenager, one auto and one stick. I begged to be taught the stick as soon as I got my license. I definitely fall into the "enthusiast" category of car owners. In the last 25 years I've had 6 cars, all of them manual transmission, and all of them I take to the race track for HPDE events whenever I can.

the great thing about manual transmission is it almost doesn't matter how big the motor is, or whether it's front/rear/AWD, as long as the platform is balanced you can have fun on it.. EVERY car nut appreciates a Golf with a stick, no matter how muscular a hot rod you drive..

I mostly use index trigger shifters, but I'm open to trying non-indexed friction shifters. Supposedly less maintenance due to cable stretch with them. I guess those are both considered manual though.

Oh you mean on automobiles?

I learned to drive stick in a very hilly and traffic congested city. It was pretty intense. Haven't driven a stick vehicle in a while though.

I drive a manual transmission to work every day. [20, US]

Don't answer these. They're attempts at pinning ur account with a specific demographic and or phishing attempts.

I drive whichever vehicle doesn't get my data harvested.

Yes, 46, my first car that was "mine" (my mom's old car) was a manual. The first car I ever bought had a shitty automatic (I think the seller may have pulled one over on young me). Since then I only buy stick shifts for myself. (My wife's is an automatic.)

In the UK it's pretty standard to learn in a manual. I currently have an automatic and honestly I don't want to go back. I like to think I'm a pretty good driver and gears were never an issue for me, but man is it nice to have one less thing to think about when driving.

Oh and I'm 39.

I drive an automatic but I learned with a manual and used it for years. I find manual impractical for daily use but I can use it if I need to.

32 years old, Italy

German, mid 20s, can and do

30, german, yes I can, no I do not. I drive a hybrid, so no manual transmission.

Scandinavian, mid-40's. The vast majority of cars in Europe have manual transmission, in my country you can't even get a driver's license if you can't handle it. I prefer manual, whenever I drive automatic I feel like there's something missing.

Yes and here in the UK if you fail your test enough times with a manual transmission you get to try with an automatic.

Netherlands, thirties, own a manual transmission car. In fact, I have only ever driven manuals.

Mad respect for my 60+ aunt in the UK; when I visited she drove me around various hilly roads for sight seeing and some stop and go traffic uphill. She definetly mastered the handbrake, clutch, gas combo for uphill stops/starts. Meanwhile my mom has smashed into a few storefronts in an automatic in flat Canada.

I'm from Mexico I'm 22 years old and I have been driving since 14 or so (rural Mexico). My family has not own a manual since I started driving and I gues we will not buy one soon lol

I'm from the UK and after driving one about 100 metres I refuse to drive an automatic car, it's one of the main reasons why I don't want an electric car either. Automatic cars are horrible twitchy things that just aren't enjoyable to drive and you can't change gears to anticipate a change in the road before you're already on that bit of road.

Yup, I daily a 2021 MX-5 RF (Miata). Luckily I work from home most days so it's not too bad.

In the bay area, 26yo

Yes, manuals are incredibly common here in Sweden.

No one I know owns an automatic.

Yes. It’s my daily.

Canada.

31 — Learned how to drive manual at 18.

Yes, 43 year old in America. Work in the DMV.

I've only owned one automatic. Currently drive a Fiesta ST. I can heel toe brake too.

I only learned on a riding lawnmower but I can do it. I actually went looking for a car with a manual, figuring that it would be cheaper up front, cheaper to fix and cheaper to run. I couldn't really find one in any model of car I wanted, so I ended up having to go with a manumatic with paddle shifters, the worst of both worlds!

Currently learning, it's useful for a lot of the light industrial jobs here

Yes. Learned to drive with one. Got my license with one.

Sadly, don't own one right now, but, will prob get one in the future again. Every 2nd or 3rd car I have picked up, has had a stick.

I'm from the mid-west USA.

US, late 30s. The answer is "yes" but I've only spent a few hours behind the wheel of a manual car. I wouldn't feel comfortable with it without more practice. I don't prefer it as it's more thinking and stress for me in a commute that is already stop and go traffic. Automatic requires less work from me. Just my opinion and I know more people prefer manual because of the extra work it takes to drive. I'm just not interested in adding that to my driving experience.