Asklemmy

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.)

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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

Yes, I even have a class A CDL. However, I don’t do it much so I’m not the greatest in a big truck and am competent in a regular vehicle

It's like a family tradition that the first car is a cheap manual, I am definitely continuing that with my daughter.

If you go to take your drivers license test in a manual in the US, the moment they see the stick they completely relax and already know your going to pass and barely even pay attention.

UK, early 20s, can and do drive manual.

The UK has a separate driving license for auto and manuals. If you pass your test with an automatic car, you get an automatic only license. If you pass eith a manual car you get a licence to drive both types, so most people decide to drive manual (although there is a slow increase of people getting auto only licenses). I prefer manual because they're more fun to drive in my opinion.

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

Mid-30s. Yes. I used to daily drive a manual when I was in college, but I haven't touched one in like 10 years so I'd probably be pretty rusty.

25, bought a 1992 jeep YJ back in 2019, it's a 5 speed and soo much fun to drive!

US - 30s Yeah, but only once and I was like 16 Could I still today? The phrase grind it til you find it comes to mind

Western Europe, and yes I can drive manual. Mostly because that's how I practiced for my driving exam.
I switched to hybrid, and later electric, driving and haven't really used manual transmission anymore.
The only exception is when I have to borrow my mother's car. Then it's a lot of grinding gears before the muscle memory comes back to me :)

Yes. German. When I learned to drive, it was mandatory to do so on a stick.

I've only ever driven a manual, but having heard how good automatics have gotten, I think driving manual is pointless nowadays unless you're doing it for fun. It definitely feels better when you're going on a highway, but if you're driving in the city it's unbearable.

In Australia, near 40.

Love a car I can push start and I have more control over power.

That being said, I want an EV for my next car when they have 1000km or more range (which isn't far off at all)

US late thirties

I can but haven't in few years. Never been great at it though.

USA, late 20s, I've driven manual for almost a decade and have had a bunch of stick shift cars.

I don't really drive at all, but I can and mostly because of hardcore racing sims that have a clutch lol

Yes, 47, Georgia, USA. I've only ever bought manual transmission cars for my personal use. I just think they're neat!

Mid 60's in the US. I've always driven manual transmission cars. Fairly common for folks my age to know how to drive manual transmissions, since most of us had economy cars in the 70's and 80's. At that time, automatic transmissions were an expensive option and had a negative impact on acceleration and mileage.

My daughter is 29 and doesn't know how to drive a manual transmission and I don't think most of her peers can, either.

EDIT: Accidentally a manual.

I can, older than you.

42 Aus and this is a great way to get age and location details on accounts

USA, 40, and...it's complicated? Haha. I've never driven a manual car, but I have ridden a motorcycle which generally has a manual transmission.

And because this is as good a place as any--I suspect once self-driving vehicles are common, the number of people who can drive even an automatic will plummet.

Why? Because kids will be born, then grow up with parents driving them places for their entire life experience, and then will go into their teens using driving services (like some futuristic Lyft company) with automated driverless cars that drive for them. And if that works fine to get you everywhere you need to go...why bother to learn how to drive a car? Do you really NEED it?

I think there'll be a generational divide, with older generations boggling that the damn kids on their lawns are "so lazy" they never even learned to drive, and I think there'll be an urban/rural divide where rural kids might not have access to AI cars that can drive for them so are forced to learn in order to be able to get anywhere, while city kids can have a car summoned to them by their phone at a drop of a hat to get wherever they want to go.

But I think the younger generations, once one is born where self-driving vehicles are ubiquitous and being able to summon such a vehicle to you using your phone is commonplace (I think it'll be a generation or two after the Zoomers...we're on the horizon but not there yet), will not see why THEY have to drive when they can instead be driven. Driving is a waste of your time that you could use to be doing work, schoolwork, or something fun like a game. I know I would ditch it if I could go exactly where I need to go anytime I wanted while reading a book or something.

Edit: Self-driving cars would also be a HUGE boon to the elderly, giving them some sort of independence even once their reaction times dull. "No, grandpa, I can't let you drive yourself, but the car will totally take you wherever you need to go. Just put in your destination." There'll be a lot of bitching at first from some of the older people, then they'd figure out how easy it is to go places without worrying about their eyesight or something, and give in.

I suspect my generation might be the first in this position, of giving up keys and instead just ordering a car to take me somewhere without me being a danger of running someone over because my reaction times have degraded. I think it's reasonable to suspect in 40 years, when I'll be 80, cars will drive themselves.

I’m 25 in the US and I can

Switzerland, 34. I learned how to drive with manual and had a couple of cars with man transmission. Now I drive an automatic one. What‘s funny is that now younger people can do their drivings license with an automatic, but then still are allowed to drive manual without sny experience.

American here. My first car was manual and I would love to still be, but I'm a musician minivan user and they don't make manual minivans.

Everyone who can't is too shy to answer the question.

I learned to drive on a 1942 John Deere in the early 70s. No on-the-fly shifting but the basics of steering, clutch, and throttle were there.

In 2017 I bought my first automatic; that vehicle was not available in manual or I def would have bought it that way.

I had to put in extra effort to find a manual (USA), but I was successful. I'm going to hold onto this thing in perpetuity until the wheels fall off or (reliable) fully autonomous vehicles are "standard".