Little article on manual transmissions

[Slomaro Z28]

http://autos.aol.com/article/stick-shift-love-affair

Talks about how knowing how-to drive a stick is a dying art. Also how parents don't want their teens to learn to drive them.

[Shift_2WIN]

Its stupid to not want your kid to know how to drive one. What if your kid is in an emergency situation and the only car available is a stick shift? They cant do shit, b/c they dont know how to drive it.

[Slomaro Z28]

Its stupid to not want your kid to know how to drive one. What if your kid is in an emergency situation and the only car available is a stick shift? They cant do shit, b/c they dont know how to drive it.

I agree, I want my wife to learn...but she has no interest.

[jdm-civic]

learning to drive a stick is one of those life skills that everybody should know!

[VooDooXII]

Oh hell no...my sister just got her license. My father and I have been teaching her manual transmission from day one. Half of her friends don't even know what those are. I don't buy the fact that it's "one more thing to distract them." Anyone who can operate a manual transmission will find it to be absolutely second nature. It's not so much a distraction as a part of driving. That's like saying that hitting your turn signals is a distraction from switching lanes. The irritating thing about the current car market is that I can't get a manual transmission along with any other luxury item. Manual transmissions seem to be reserved for the bare-bones basic model, so forbid it that I get leather seats with it too. I guess the market just isn't there...haha, damn we're lazy.

[HypnoToad]

I agree, I want my wife to learn...but she has no interest.

yea ive been wanting to teach my gf but she could careless,lol.

[nreggie454]

I don't buy the fact that it's "one more thing to distract them." Anyone who can operate a manual transmission will find it to be absolutely second nature. It's not so much a distraction as a part of driving.
I find that when I am driving my car (manual), I focus more on driving since I have to do more. When I drive an automatic, I kinda zone out because it is so boring.

[tdurr]

I find that when I am driving my car (manual), I focus more on driving since I have to do more. When I drive an automatic, I kinda zone out because it is so boring.

so true.

[Shift_2WIN]

^ x2!

[addandrew]

^ x3. Thats why im trading my car for a manual =)

[VooDooXII]

I find that when I am driving my car (manual), I focus more on driving since I have to do more. When I drive an automatic, I kinda zone out because it is so boring.

Exactly! :goodjob:

[teh_mugen18]

Lol, and those new ''flappy-paddle'' gearboxes aren't real manual transmissions either...well, "technically"....

[K20Z1]

i don't think stick shift is a distraction at all.. but talkin on the phone / texting is a bigger (biggest!!) distraction for those female drivers out there always texting...

[Demsum]

Lol, and those new ''flappy-paddle'' gearboxes aren't real manual transmissions either...well, "technically"....

Why do people always quote J.C. when talking about transmissions without a clutch pedal. The DSG transmission in my GTI has all the advantages of a "real manual" with only one disadvantage, sometimes it is less exciting. I've been telling friends of mine that manuals would begin to die out when dual clutch cars provided better mpg's and performance. With that said, my first car was a manual, and I do miss the third peddle sometimes.

[nreggie454]

Why do people always quote J.C. when talking about transmissions without a clutch pedal. The DSG transmission in my GTI has all the advantages of a "real manual" with only one disadvantage, sometimes it is less exciting. I've been telling friends of mine that manuals would begin to die out when dual clutch cars provided better mpg's and performance. With that said, my first car was a manual, and I do miss the third peddle sometimes.

Everybody on here knows that the dual clutch systems can shift faster than a human ever could, but it is always less exciting for me. To me, it is like saying "That girl is really hot. She has all the advantages of the perfect woman, but she has no vagina."

EDIT: For example, I LOVE the Audi RS5, but I don't know if I would ever own one because it is DSG only (to my knowledge).

[Turbodude06]

Knowing how to drive a manual means knowing more how a car works IMO. In an auto you just put it in the little D and go. In a manual you need to know more about how a car works and is all put together, IDK I just love manuals even though my first car was an auto I still knew how to drive a manual its just something everyone should learn it could be life or death one day, you never know if you would have to drive someone to the hospital and the only car for 100 miles was a stick... LOL....