What percent of Americans can drive a stick shift car? (Porsche, wipers)
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Only see a significant amount among enthusiasts these days. But even then now it's a 50/50 split unless you're talking a model that is exclusively manual.
I really miss driving a stick! I ALWAYS recommend young people (anyone really) learn it. Reasons:
1. It feels so good (like you're driving a race car)! So cool for girls.
2. You can drive other vehicles with a stick in emergency situations.
3. It makes you THINK and there is a split second when you are changing gears that could save you! Driving a stick...you're 'ENGAGED'. Why do you think they call automatic "AUTOMATIC"?! LOL We need people to be more aware of what they're doing on the road. : )
I finally learned (after lots of lessons with a college roommate that seemed to go nowhere) when someone loaned me their VW Beetle to rush to an important appointment and there was no other option. It all came together and I had no difficulty. Even after years of driving an automatic, a stick comes back to you, just like riding a bike.
American female and I own one.
I noticed that the older men in my life can drive one because most cars back in the day were sticks and they learned on them.
Guys under 40 and more women than that usually can't drive one unless they're into cars as a hobby/work.
When they see me rolling up in a 6-speed sportscar they're impressed...haha. (I wish I was kidding but I'm not. They think I'm a badass.)
My parents owned a 1977 Toyota Celica and I learned to a manual on it. It was the perfect car to do so - light clutch, very smooth and easy shifting five speed. It is rather surprising how many younger Americans can't drive a stick now. I seen a couple of articles in the news about carjackers how try to steal a manual transmission car and then jump out and take off when they discover its a manual (and they can't drive it ).
Learned how to drive my first car with a stick shift while our Subaru is a slushbox I miss having a stick of my own. My wife can drive stick too but I don't think she misses it like I do. Next sports car I get will be stick.
American female and I own one.
I noticed that the older men in my life can drive one because most cars back in the day were sticks and they learned on them.
Guys under 40 and more women than that usually can't drive one unless they're into cars as a hobby/work.
When they see me rolling up in a 6-speed sportscar they're impressed...haha. (I wish I was kidding but I'm not. They think I'm a badass.)
Don't you know that women who can drive stick are 100 times hotter them women who cant?!
Doesn't surprise me that so few folks know how to drive manual. Most of my US friends don't, my wife doesn't and has zero interest in learning. My parents insisted that my brother and I learn shortly after we got our licenses.
Knowing manual served me well when my life and I were living in Europe for a couple of years - all but one of our rental cars were manuals. All my friends in Europe who had drivers licenses (even those who didn't own cars) could drive manual.
Half of the six cars that I've owned have been manuals. Favorite thing about them is that they make driving more involving and entertaining. Most modern autobox cars are boring to drive except when racing around like a hoon. Manuals make even mundane, low-speed trips a lot more fun.
Having said that - my city is as flat as a football field and my commute is only three miles. If I spent a lot of time in bumper-to-bumper traffic or lived somewhere with lots of hills I would never consider a manual for a daily driver. My wife's car is an auto, and on any trip in the city of 10 miles or more I make a point of checking traffic before we leave, if it's bad we take her car.
As for the OP question, I would say that 90% could figure out within a few blocks how to drive s stick if their life depended on it, but maybe only 10% could spend a whole day in traffic feeling comfortable with it.
I wonder how many Americans could rent a stick at Heathrow and drive it out into London traffic, shifting with their left hand.
I've rented manual transmission cars at LHR a number of times. It's no big deal. If the Brits had reversed the gas pedal and clutch, I would have been F'ed.
I think your 90% could figure it out in a few blocks is a bit high. A manual transmission car is probably a great anti-theft tool these days.
I learned to drive in a 1957 Willy's Jeep utility wagon. If you learn to drive in an underpowered car without synchromesh, anything else after that is easy. My high school/college car was a 3-on-the-tree Maverick. I drove manual transmission cars for 25 years as an adult. My last daily driver was a VW GTI with that dual clutch "automatic manual" DSG transmission. It could shift better than I ever could. My current car is a 6-cylinder Outback with CVT. The CVT has steering wheel paddle shifters to simulate a manual transmission for snow driving and hill descents which is the only time I care about manual transmission features. I'm fine with it. The main thing that's changed is I used to get 100,000 miles out of my brakes. I'm now doing pads and rotors what seems like every 25,000 or 30,000 miles.
I've rented manual transmission cars at LHR a number of times. It's no big deal. If the Brits had reversed the gas pedal and clutch, I would have been F'ed.
I think your 90% could figure it out in a few blocks is a bit high. A manual transmission car is probably a great anti-theft tool these days.
I learned to drive in a 1957 Willy's Jeep utility wagon. If you learn to drive in an underpowered car without synchromesh, anything else after that is easy. My high school/college car was a 3-on-the-tree Maverick. I drove manual transmission cars for 25 years as an adult. My last daily driver was a VW GTI with that dual clutch "automatic manual" DSG transmission. It could shift better than I ever could. My current car is a 6-cylinder Outback with CVT. The CVT has steering wheel paddle shifters to simulate a manual transmission for snow driving and hill descents which is the only time I care about manual transmission features. I'm fine with it. The main thing that's changed is I used to get 100,000 miles out of my brakes. I'm now doing pads and rotors what seems like every 25,000 or 30,000 miles.
Well truthfully you would only make the swapped clutch/gas pedal mistake once
Exactly the reason I have a standard shift. Very few can drive it
Lol double clutching. I learned on a old Power Wagon we had as a farm truck.
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).
Next sports car I get will be stick.
