Asklemmy

37, California. I've never owned an automatic. More control, easier to repair, and a lot more fun if you live in the mountains like I do. Not so much fun when I have to drive in city traffic though.

Yes, early 40s from the UK so most people here learn in a manual car. I drive electric now so it only has forwards and backwards to choose from. Can't say I miss the old manual much, it's just so much more chill driving an auto.

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

37m, USA

I can. The first new car I bought was a manual, because it was less expensive. I embarrassed myself for a bit, but that's when I learned.

My dad made me learn on one and take my test with one. I've had a few over the years, I really like them. Looking for a cheap one now so I can teach my partner how. Mid 30's Canada.

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

Does a motorcycle count? USA

Sweden, late 40's. Manual since I had my driving license (18). Driven automatic maybe 2-3 times in my life

Yes, California, late 30s. I drove a manual transmission when I was a teenager. I was proud of how practiced I got with it. I don't drive manual anymore, but my dad recently switched back after some decades driving automatic. He found out he's out of practice lol

I'm 16 and live in Sweden. I know how to drive bikes with manual transmissions and I can manage driving a car with a manual transmission.

Yes Dominic Toretto taught me

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.

I'm SE Asian, early 30s, and I was taught to drive using a manual transmission van with a column shift. 3rd gear would just randomly disappear too.

I miss driving manuals, but my knees thank me every day whenever there's traffic.

25 years old, I live in Alberta, Canada. I learned on automatic and then my first car was a manual. I have only owned cars with manual transmissions since. So much more fun to drive imo

I’m 25 in the US and I can

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.

My friend taught me for the most part in college when I was 22, and then when I bought my first manual it was 5 hours from my house. If I didn't figure it out I wouldn't have gotten home 🫣

Only killed it a couple times, and only when I was getting on/off the freeway. And once in stop and go traffic, but I don't think anyone noticed

just turned forty, upper Midwest, yes I can but I prefer not to

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, just 18, and I drive a manual.

Not learning manual would mean extra courses in order to be allowed to even make the license to drive larger trailers or trucks.

Also, manuals are cheaper, or actually, automatics are probably newer and therefore more expensive.

US, 35 - yes can and do drive manual.

I can, older than you.

US, 36, and I've only ever owned manual vehicles. I think I've drove automatic maybe 5 times in the past 20 years I've had my license.

Yes, 35, UK. Drive an automatic now, but drove Manual until last year.

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".

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

Yes, early 20s USA. Learned at 18 and drove manual every day until I sold my last car in November

Yes. Mid 40s UK. I have never owned an automatic vehicle, and it looks like there's not much in the way options when it comes to electric cars with manual transmissions.

Yes (US, 35), and it’s something I can do autonomically in appropriate situations. I also enjoy being an integral part of my car’s operation.

And when you’re flogging it on a nice mountain road or a track, there’s nothing quite like nailing that heel-and-toe downshift as you’re clipping the apex.

My daily is an automatic but my old Magirus-Deutz is a special kind of manual. I’m 37 from Germany.

My first 4 cars were standard. As is every motorcycle I have owned.

Learned on a farm truck when I was 13.

Yes. Mid thirties UK. I've actually never driven an automatic.

There are very few manuals still sold in the US. The holdouts are ultra-budget models or pretentious sports cars. I can count on one hand the number of people I know who can drive manual.

I can drive one because my dad had an ultra-budget hatchback that I learned on, and later I had one of those pretentious sports cars, which I swapped for something more practical when I had kids. Age: old enough to have kids.

Southern Europe, 34. I only know how to drive with manual transmission (I tried an automatic city car once, and I literally couldn't exit the parking spot). I'm too used to control the car with the clutch. I should learn though, because I use car sharing services, and they are progressively replacing their cars with automatic transmission ones.

Yes, Midwestern USA. 46

I haven't driven one in years, but I can and will.

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.

Ireland and yes learned with a manual but now drive with an automatic because I don't understand why anyone would bother with the hassle

Yes? If you don't like your clutch? Mid 30s in the PNW. Now to be fair, one of my cars is an ev, the other is a cvt transmission.