Should my next car be a stick-shift?

[Deja Q]

I'm almost 32.

My mind often wanders (ADD).

I can't even talk with a passenger and drive at the same time.

I hate rush hour as it is.

But on the plus side:

I was able to drive a manual transmission ATV, where I had to press a button to switch gears.

Am I capable of going from automatic to manual?

[DS1]

1. Everyone's mind wanders when driving

Shifting gears becomes second nature anyway, and makes going through the twisties a lot more fun. You'll be better off in the MN snow also.

[Salviati]

5. Exactly...

It becomes so second nature in fact, that you try to shift even when driving an automatic...

[Le Taz Hot]

32. LOL!

I can't tell you how many times I've almost put myself through the windshield of my husband's Ford Ranger (automatic) by trying to use the break as the clutch. I'm also always reaching for the gear shift.

[Jack_Dawson]

2. YES!!!

You're too young for a granny shift.

[greatauntoftriplets]

11. I have drive automatic since I learned to drive at...

...age 14. 40 years ago to be exact. I wouldn't change.

[david_vincent]

3. First time you

leave it in gear and start the engine, pray that there's no one in front of you when you let in the clutch. I did that once (only once) and nearly drove through the front of a taco joint.

[DS1]

4. Cars don't do that anymore

They are disabled until the clutch is in, no matter if it's in gear or not.

[hlthe2b]

6. I love stick shifts, but if you are in bumper-to-bumper traffic alot....

in a large urban corridor that clutch gets to be a real pain. So, if that is going to be the majority of your driving, you may want to think twice.

[Snow]

21. Agree absolutely, same comment, just adding my vote...

and adding the minor point that I much prefer a stick for winter driving.

[GURUving]

7. Are you man or mouse?

When confronted with hills, I become Mr. Mouse.

a stick on a big ass hill is no fun!

[ProudGerman]

9. I prefer a stick on a big ass hill

My brakes usually do too on the way down. Engine braking is a marvelous thing.

Also, only the absolute worst of bumper to bumper traffic makes having a stick a bad thing. Clutch pedals aren't that hard to push down. I don't know how it is for other cars, I'm usually able to let the car idle in second gear and just let her run through slow traffic most times, if I give the car in front a decent amount of space.

If you love being in total control of your vehicle, you have to get a stick. After long days driving my automatic van, I actually wake up and have renewed energy going through the gates in my stick shift. It's exhilerating.

[Deja Q]

19. Why?

I'm curious here. Is it just the gravity of the situation? Are lots of manual shifts needed?

Fortunately, I don't have any big hills to traverse, unless I cruised around Stillwater where there are hilly roads that I avoid anyway because my car's engine has a tough enough time on its own...

[Kellanved]

35. cause you only have two feet

You need one to operate the clutch and one for the accelerator - none left for the brake. So if you park (or stop for any reason) on a steep hill it can be neccessary to use the hand brake to avoid rolling down the hill backwards when you start.

Anyway: manual is way more fun, I wouldn't drive an automatic.

[lcordero]

8. automatic, of course

If I wanted to use both hands and both feet in order to operate something I would have become a helicopter pilot.

[Le Taz Hot]

33. Oh don't be such a wuss!

;-) Really, you haven't lived until you're going through East Bay Area traffic driving a shift eating Whopper and drinking a soda. It seperates the women from the boys. B-)

[Ready4Change]

10. Try a stick

Driving a manual can make you more involved in the driving experience, and that may help you focus.

Don't feel bad about not even talking with passengers when you drive. I wish MORE people would totally focus on their driving.

On the other hand, I find that the larger a vehicle is, the less I desire it to be a manual. At some point around a large american 4 door sedan I'd rather have an automatic.

No matter what I say, get what works for you.

[peacebuzzard]

12. everyone knows a manual lasts longer.....

with the automatic you have more parts to maintain..The stick lasts longer. I have an 84 Saab, (with hundreds of thousands of miles)and an old Toyota van I bought a few years ago for my dogs. They are both still in my driveway and both working and both reliable transportation.:*

[ProudGerman]

13. Manuals get better gas mileage too

Also, where else but in a manual can you do a "clutch dump"?


Warning to those with a manual. Do not try this unless you have a particularly strong clutch and other drive train parts, or have some money to burn. While loads of fun, this act can break several very expensive parts.

[lcordero]

14. about ADD

What does your diet look like?
Have you been trying to eat better?

[Deja Q]

20. Varies

Lots of veggies (cauliflower and brocolli especially), chicken, some tuna, ground turkey. Virtually no beef!!

Ditched soy a long time ago, it may have been the cause of the 'mystery illness' I had during July... though I'll try it again as I lost 15 pounds during that illness and could stand to lose 15 more...

Lots of whole grain bread (no bleached white worthless rubbish) and rainbow rotini pasta. :9 I might try the 3x as expensive soy pasta, even if it isn't in red/yellow/green colors... :cry:

Water or Wylers Lite compose the liquids I drink. Occasional coffee mixed with Swiss MIss chocolate. :9

I eat twice a day; noon and 6PM. No breakfast.

Thanks for asking, what improvements might be of benefit? Thanks!

[lcordero]

23. I don't have any suggestions

It looks like you have a lot better control over your diet than I do.

Have you tried moving to a fluoride-free toothpaste(Tom's of Maine?)?

[hlthe2b]

24. HT, sounds like you got the sugar largely out of your diet....

But, there are some studies suggesting that increasing your levels of Omega 3 fatty acids (salmon is one of the best sources, tuna and other cold water fatty fish) can be beneficial.

[EstimatedProphet]

15. Stick shifts save gas

Studies have shown that in both city and highway driving.
However, don't ask me to reproduce those studies.

[tigereye]

18. love a stick

all my cars have been sticks. After a while you don't even think about it. However, if you sit in stop and go city traffic a lot, it can be a bit of a pain.

[HuckleB]

16. Manny Tranny is the only way to go.

[Twillig]

17. Yes!

And don't be a newb and ride the stick with your hand when you don't need to. It's not a helicopter. Proper technique:

[Flaxbee]

22. I MUCH prefer stick shifts...

though I'm driving an automatic now; when I bought this car I was commuting into DC every day from about 1 hour west and the traffic was just awful & auto was easier. Stick gives much more control, I prefer having control over acceleration rather than the car shifting for me, and I like engine braking too.

It takes some practice, though, esp. when you're learning the appropriate clutch/accelerator balance on a steeeep hill; I was SO PROUD of myself when I was able, when driving up a steep street in San Francisco, to balance the clutch and accelerator perfectly and keep the car motionless w/o use of a brake. Silly of me, I know, but there you have it.

[SheilaT]

25. I will only drive a stick

and I'm 55. It irritates me greatly that when I rent a car they only have automatics available.

And about the ADD thing. My 21 year old son has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, and he was absolutely unable to learn to drive on a stick, which was a problem as both my husband and I have stick shifts. He finally learned to drive about a year ago when we acquired an automatic for him. Then, about five months ago, he came to me and wanted to try again on my car, and lo and behold! he could shift. And he loves it. He keeps telling me his next car will have a standard transmission.

It has really gotten him to focus and made him a better driver. I think the problem of only driving an automatic (especially if that's what you learned on) is that it makes you think driving is simply aiming the car and pressing on the accelerator. It's really a lot more complicated than that, and if you have to shift you pay attention to what's actually going on. And yes, it will quickly become entirely automatic to shift. :)

My sixteen year old is the envy of all his classmates because he's the only kid in his class who can drive a stick. He's driven his brother's car exactly once.

[put out]

26. I like driving a manual transmission vehicle.

I wouldn't own anything else. They're fun to drive, plus, there is definitely the macha factor (is this female for macho?). I feel more in control of the car, and nobody else wants to drive it. Or, rather, they want to, but many don't know how.

[jpgray]

27. Just don't be shy about using your parking brake with a manual

If you are in literal bumper-to-bumper city traffic, it's a must-have trick to have up your sleeve when you're stopped on an incline.

[spooky3]

28. I had a harder time re-selling a car with manual.

There are a lot of people who won't buy them.

[ProudGerman]

36. This is true to an extent

Manuals are getting rarer every year, and its getting close to the point that people who want a manual outnumber the number of manuals available. When my dad sold his manual S-10, he thought it was gonna be hard to get rid of, since most people who buy trucks want an automatic. I pointed him towards the sport truck crowd, and it sold rather quickly.

[BiggJawn]

29. I HATE manuals!

I had an old VW bus that shifted like a dream until the gearbox packed it in at 250,000 miles.

My next car was a Tempo 5-speed that had a super-stiff clutch, and a vague gate between 2nd and reverse ("Grind me a pound, Dear") and in cross-town trafficmy left knee would become very painfull..
I now have a Ranger with an auto w/overdrive. Will NEVER buy another manual!

[rucky]

30. You'll concentrate better with a stick shift

[Le Taz Hot]

31. Re: Your ADD

My husband is also ADD and he has no problem driving my F150 with a standard trannie. The above posters are right, it becomes second nature and you really don't think about it.

If you are in the habit of hauling things, go camping and/or live/drive in hillie or mountanous areas, standards are GREAT! You can control the torque going uphill and you don't have to ride your breaks going downhill.

[meti57b]

34. shifting with stick shift seems very automatic, you don't need ...

to think about it. For the few times I've driven automatic, it was a real hassle. You have much more control over the car with manual.

[Endangered Specie]

37. Might I suggest taking the bus?

[MissMillie]

38. If you sit in bumper-to-bumper a lot during rush hour

stick w/ an automatic