Can You Drive a Manual?

maxyzee on 25/06/2023 - 20:02
Last edited 25/06/2023 - 21:34 by 1 other user

With my daughter almost up for her Ls I’ve been debating with my wife about whether she goes for a manual licence or auto licence.

I’ve been pushing for both kids to know how to drive a manual, and I know realistically most of the time they’ll be driving an auto but I still think it’s a useful skill to have in those instances. Before our current cars my car was a manual and man was it a pain in the arse cos my wife couldn’t drive it so if ever went out with that car I couldn’t drink haha.

Anyway I was wondering how common is it nowadays for people to not know how to drive manual and also how common or not common it is for parents to be teaching their kids a manual.

Poll Options expired

  • 614
    Yes I can drive manual and own a manual car.
  • 1058
    Yes I can drive a manual but don't currently own a manual car.
  • 95
    No I can’t drive a manual but would like to.
  • 262
    No I can’t drive a manual and have no desire to.
Automotive

Comments

  • Bargainitis on 26/06/2023 - 11:29
    -3

    what bullsh1t poll results…

    No way more people can drive manual than non-manual drivers.

    stop lying.

    • Rockets84 on 27/06/2023 - 10:44

      When I was 16 it was rare for someone to only get their automatic license as it was seen as wimpy. Of course that was nearly 30 years ago now when a lot more cars were sold as manuals, especially the entry level models.

  • Nazzabeth on 26/06/2023 - 11:38

    Ao I learnt to drive manual, got my Manual license and drive a manual car, all because that was the car that was available for me to learn in/inherit.

    But I’ve ended up finding that manual transmission really helped me feel connected to the road and gain a better feel for how the car runs. I’ve noticed in autos I’m more likely to become distracted/inattentive. Working the clutch and gear stick forces me to pay attention to driving, rather than thinking about other things.

    That’s very specific to my situation though. The only other situation I’ve found manual handy was when I booked a car share van and it turned out to be a manual (I just hadn’t noticed in the booking process).

  • Alley Cat on 26/06/2023 - 11:48

    Manual feels more like driving, you have more perceived control.

    It's questionable if driving is a skill worth learning at all in 20 years. Cooking skills is way more important in comparison, and support that with horticulture. Or send your kids to attend OZB crash course to learn all the fast food menu hacks.

    Petrol cars are soon to be obsolete. It's up to the manufacturers to make manual electric cars. I imagine it would be a collector's version of sorts at that stage.

  • Devastator0 on 26/06/2023 - 11:58

    I can drive manual, but realistically, living in Sydney, I would never daily drive a manual vehicle, it really is more of a pain vs any subjective benefit. Going forward though, look at the majority of all new vehicles, very, very few are actually manual these days. I would only say learn/use it if you actually have or are going to specifically get a manual vehicle, if not, auto is fine.

  • serpserpserp on 26/06/2023 - 11:58

    Yes

  • charkwayteo on 26/06/2023 - 12:12
    +1

    I wouldn't stress on my child learning manual but I'd prefer that they do.
    I generally feel more in control of the vehicle as I find everything feels more 'deliberate' when driving a manual.

    • the wiz on 01/07/2023 - 18:37

      I've been repeatedly downvoted by some idiot for saying exactly this.

  • Motek Benzona on 26/06/2023 - 12:13
    +1

    I learnt on a manual
    I like driving manuals
    Im too lazy to drive manuals
    That sums it up really

  • Narull on 26/06/2023 - 12:14

    Deciding to get a manual licence for me simply came down to the fact looking at new cars a manual was upto $2000 cheaper than a auto, upto $2000 savings just to learn something that is a tiny bit more difficult (to learn once you know it it's second nature) made it an easy choice.

  • TightAl on 26/06/2023 - 12:23

    Manual?
    Wouldn't waste my time, heck I'm going to be driving with 1 pedal soon - where the world is actually going.

  • Lanushi on 26/06/2023 - 12:31
    +1

    I got my manual licence 10 years ago, because our only car was a manual at the time. My current car is manual too. I personally don't enjoy driving auto as I find it requires far less concentration. Unfortunately there's a steep decline in manual transmission and I will have to get an auto eventually.

    That being said, it's a good learning curve, and she could always become a truck driver if she wanted to.

  • cille745 on 26/06/2023 - 12:48
    +1

    For me, learning manual isn’t about the ability to always drive one, it’s learning car control and everything else at the same time (not daydreaming)

    I.e you don’t need to drive a manual, but if you physically can’t do it, you really shouldn’t be on the road

  • jrowls on 26/06/2023 - 12:53

    I wouldn't lose sleep over it. Lots of teens these days aren't even getting licences or owning cars. Also, Have a look at the range of new or late model used cars for sale that are manual. There are hardly any. Doesn't seem that useful.

    Common arguments for seem to be about trades, emergency/just in case, travel (hire cars) etc. I don't really see any of these as particularly persuasive. To preface, I have owned mostly manual cars but currently have an auto and a motorbike (manual). Anyway, common arguments and my response:

    • Trades: You'll know if your kid(s) are likely to go into trades / something else where manual would be handy. Make the call based on that.
    • Emergency/just in case: Eh, less and less persuasive as time passes and fewer manual cars exist.
    • Travel/hire cars: I think this comes up as people have memories of travelling the EU/UK a few decades ago. It's certainly not that way now, though manual is still preferred there in general. It's very straightforward to find an auto, sometimes it's the default / only option. My first trip to the EU was 5 years ago. In Italy I got a rental Fiat 500, assumed it would be a manual (due to all the talk suggesting that that was the only option). It was an auto and it was an absolute dogbox, would have much preferred a third pedal. More importantly, however, I would really really strongly suggest that there are only a handful of countries that you should hire a car when travelling to, and none of them are in the EU (USA, Australia, NZ…). Europe was far better (and cheaper) by PT than car.

    Other arguments for that I would suggest are:

    • If your kid(s) is a gearhead and very interested in cars/mechanical stuff/motorsports. Might be worth it from that perspective.
    • If you have a manual car already / can get a really good deal on one (ie from relative who has passed or can't drive anymore; barn find on the family farm).

    In terms of more niche things and how having this skill has benefited me personally:

    • It was easier to learn how to ride a motorbike when I took that up in my early 20s. Having to conceptualise how manual worked AND learn to ride would have been hard.
    • Several jobs I worked through uni / whilst slumming it at other times were strongly assisted by having a manual licence. Example, working at markets, I snagged extra / longer shifts through being able to fetch and retrieve the truck before and after work. I was actually offered the business as a franchisee (ish, off the books lol) as the owner wanted to do other things. Never would have happened without being able to drive manual. Another part-time job I also managed to get additional duties+hours through being able to drive manual as the business owner decided to start doing deliveries using the (manual) work ute.
    • I was able to get free/cheap cars a couple of times through relatives or neighbours with manual cars needing a bit of fixing or that they couldn't be bothered to sell.

    Overall, I'd say that it would be worth facilitating it if one or both of your kids are gearheads, OR if you think they might be likely to be doing lots of odd jobs like me. Otherwise, don't bother.

  • quick-dry on 26/06/2023 - 13:01
    +1

    in 30 years of driving I've only needed to drive a manual for a total of 3 months, and that was last year because the only car provided by a team I workd for in Africa was manual. IMO, you need manual if you fit into certain edge cases - otherwise it's a waste of time.

    I enjoy cars, I have the "weekend car with a garage full of shiny extra parts waiting to go in the engine", but all this "make the car feel llike an extemsion of yourself" is almost entirely enthusiasts wanting to be boy/girl racers, evry gear change they're Paul Walkr living life a quarter mile at a time (this is hyperbole… to a degree). (I'd disagree on it being a high performanc requirement, the only reason every top level motororacing isn't clutchless shifting is due to class rules). If your kids are car enthusiasts who want to be able to drop the clutch and rip through some tyre rubber, they'll be asking you to learn manual - otherwise they just want to get somewhere with a minimum of fuss.

    When will your kids need to drive manual in the near future?

    • the wiz on 01/07/2023 - 18:58
      -1

      Why "near future"? Do you see this skill possibly becoming more valuable in the distant future?

      What's the "waste of time"? If it takes longer to get a licence then I have zero problem with that. You will, without any doubt, be a better driver if you spend longer learning to actually drive.

      This sounds like people who say "We shouldn't teach maths anymore because we have calculators".

  • ak47wong on 26/06/2023 - 13:21

    Every time we've gone on holidays and needed to rent a car I've tried to rent a manual because I haven't had a chance to drive one since I sold my last manual car almost 20 years ago. But I can't even find one to rent. All the rental cars I've seen are auto, with the possible exception of the smallest compact cars (but I'm travelling with my family and need something bigger). So I enjoy driving manual, but it's almost pointless to learn nowadays, in Australia at least.

  • ExtraGuac on 26/06/2023 - 13:34

    I have only owned manuals, I learned to drive in Europe where manual is the default. Both cars I’ve bought while living in Australia were manuals, there were definitely less manual cars on the second hand market to choose from but also less competition for them and I got good prices on them as a result. I’ve driven autos as rentals and I don’t find it that much easier in traffic that I’ve considered changing to auto, if anything I feel I have less fine control driving an auto. It’s definitely been helpful on visits back to Europe to have a manual license.

    My partner is considering learning to drive now, in a similar predicament but as my car is manual I expect they’ll learn manual first! I hope to run this car for many more years and then hopefully change to an EV, so might as well enjoy manual driving while I still can!

  • ColtNoir on 26/06/2023 - 13:37

    I’ve had no access to a manual to ever how to drive one. It’s rare to find a manual in a newer car and even then it’s always the base model, so getting any upgrades end up costing you more.

    Give me a couple hours and a few hills starts and I’m sure I could pick it up quick enough.

  • NoFingIdea on 26/06/2023 - 13:39

    Have manual licence, and own a manual car.
    Currently teaching my daughter to drive, in the manual car, she has no desire to own a manual car, but its another way to understand how to drive/how cars work.

    • WreckTangle on 26/06/2023 - 15:42
      +1

      Most of her life she’ll probably drive an EV , no need for manual there.

      • NoFingIdea on 26/06/2023 - 15:57
        +1

        Very true, and also likely self driving at some point…

  • tomleonhart on 26/06/2023 - 14:26

    I can ride a manual bike but can't drive a manual car so there's that… tried manual car one time and stalled the crap out of it lol.

  • Ozstache on 26/06/2023 - 14:45
    +1

    If you're planning on going over to Europe sometime in your life in future, there are some places where most cars you can rent have manual transmissions so it is handy to be able to drive one. Other than that, knowing how to change gears manually nowadays in Oz is about as useful as being able to ride a horse a couple of decades after cars replaced horses. Having said that, I own and drive a manual because I am old school and I like to choose what gear I am in and for how long to optimise performance and economy as required.

    • JH100 on 29/06/2023 - 01:11
      +2

      And engine braking, save the pads and fuel.

  • freddofrog42 on 26/06/2023 - 15:22

    Our next car (used) will be a manual. A dying breed but we're 59, have no kids and so are we…

  • WreckTangle on 26/06/2023 - 15:41
    -3

    LOL, Of course not, it’s not 1985

  • Mad-cow on 26/06/2023 - 15:52
    +2

    Own 3 classic JDM sportcars and another on the way to become a classic.

    All manual, lots of incentive for the step daugther to learn.

    High yeld investments ftw.

    • Dreamcast on 27/06/2023 - 14:02

      What cars 🤔

      • Mad-cow on 28/06/2023 - 09:09
        +1

        Couple rotaries and a couple Z cars.

        • Dreamcast on 28/06/2023 - 09:20

          You had me at rotaries 😍

  • Morphio25 on 26/06/2023 - 15:53

    Voted no and no desire.

    I can't drive a manual. A few people including my father have tried to teach me but I'm a lost cause.

    I change gear up okay, but don't know when to change down and I cannot for the life of me do a hill start.

  • jumpypotato53 on 26/06/2023 - 16:00
    +1

    I drive a manual because I am always engaged lol
    I can't get past the automatic disengagement as soon as you lift off. DSGs are the only ones which have a similar experience to a manual.

  • neonlight on 26/06/2023 - 16:39

    Traffic so bad anyway no point learning Manual anymore.

    Soon enough we don't need to drive according to you know Elon Musk

    FYI I learnt Manual when I was a teen off an ex-F1 racer, I drove a crappy Dahatsu Mira then upgraded to Honda Prelude ATTS, all Manual.
    Back then traffic congestion is not too bad these days I would not touch a manual unless you want to do it for an exercise, having fun with finding the fraction point

    The beauty of Manual is you can set your gearbox correspondingly knowing you will travel at that speed beforehand, and more control of the car. I can pretty much drive any cars knowing Manual and would not be scared if its "not auto"

    Kids do not understand these days, everything just needs to be "auto"

    So the answer is not worth it

  • AlanHB on 26/06/2023 - 16:54

    I drive a manual and have only owned manuals, but wouldn't be picky if my next car was an auto. It just depends what's available.

    As for the idea that you need to know manual just in case a time comes along where you need it, this has happened twice in my life, both overseas. These are:

    (a) In Chile some people in our hostel wanted to go see some caves and hired a car, but it was manual and they bunny hopped all the way back. They shouted out "does anyone drive a manual?" I said "yeah" and drove them out in the car out to see some caves.

    (b) In Slovakia we asked the hotel clerk where we could hire a car. He goes "you want car? you have my car!". Takes us out the back and presents us with an almost new Honda City, manual of course. We gave him $20 and took the car. He was not interested in seeing my licence.

    And yeah, that's about it.

  • Spootage on 26/06/2023 - 16:58
    +1

    No I can’t drive a manual and have no desire to.

    I'm lazy. I only ever drive in metro areas so auto is just easier.

  • shaybisc on 26/06/2023 - 17:00

    You are missing a category.

  • mavis30551 on 26/06/2023 - 17:09
    +2

    Manuals are the worst. Too hard to eat chips out of the macas bag when you have to change gears.

  • Cluster on 26/06/2023 - 17:21

    I spent 11 years driving a manual, but then switched to automatic. Would I be able to drive a manual again? Sure, after a couple of minutes getting used to it again. Have I ever needed to drive a manual? No.

    Would I recommend a young person learn to drive a manual today? Probably not. Have a look around at how many new cars you can buy with a manual transmission. The selection is small, and shrinking every year.

    https://www.drive.com.au/news/manual-transmission-car-sales-…

    "Manual transmissions accounted for less than 1.8 per cent of new passenger cars and SUVs sold last year – or 4.7 per cent, including utes and vans – down 90 per cent on a decade ago."

    Manuals do have their advantages, but I have never needed to push start a car (buy a $100 jump starter and solve that problem) or got bogged in sand. If you hire a ute it's probably going to be manual, but how often do most people do that?

  • saltypete on 26/06/2023 - 17:55
    +1

    Learning to drive requires the mastering of 2 skills. Learning to operate a motor vehicle and learning to travel in it safely. For an early learner an automatic simplifies the process unless you have access to an off road property.
    Once they are driving, mastering a manual is really just an hour or two and a bit of wear on the clutch.

  • b0rnwithabeard on 26/06/2023 - 18:38

    I didn't drive an auto until about 10 years ago, when I bought a new car and I just really liked the car and didn't care about manual or auto. Just the other week, I was out with a friend and sober enough to drive everyone home, but my friend's car was a manual. I went "no worries, I can drive" and then realised that no, I actually can't anymore

  • MessyG on 26/06/2023 - 18:39

    I can drive one but switched to automatic years ago because I only really drive in the city and it got annoying. I wouldn't bother learning on one these days, they are becoming rarer, not great resale value anyway. Going the way of the videotape really.

  • Powershopz on 26/06/2023 - 18:40

    Do you have a manual car available all the time currently for them to practice in?

    Yes - Either manual or auto licence.

    No - Then automatic is your answer.

  • GordonR on 26/06/2023 - 18:56

    In WA you have to have taken manual test in order to drive a manual car.

    I’m teaching both kids to drive manual for maximum flexibility in terms of driving other people’s cars, renting the cheapest car (esp in Europe) etc.

    I suspect my answer will be different in five years.

  • DeepPocketsShortArms on 26/06/2023 - 19:44

    I live in counrtry NSW and drive a variety of manual vehicles- tractors, trucks etc. I'd never buy a manual car though. I don't see the point in manually changing gear when the car can do it for you.
    When my son is older I'll encourage him to learn on a manual.

  • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2023 - 19:44

    Learnt in a manual and owned a manual, until recently. I found driving a manual, that I was more aware or actively thinking about driving. In an auto now and I honestly just feel lazy. That said…definitely do not miss being stuck in traffic in a manual.

  • ihfree on 26/06/2023 - 19:52

    Yes, both my wife and I drive manual. Initially, because when we were poor uni students wr bought a cheap car which happened to be manual.

    It's nice having that extra level of control and predictability from the car. I personally find automatic cars are generally quite boring to drive. That said, if I commuted, I would probably buy auto/CVT or electric.

    Manual also has a few benefits:

    • second hand cars are cheaper
    • they are generally more reliable than their automatic
      counterparts.
    • anti-theft

    As to whether it's worth teaching your kids, I think it depends on their/your budget for a car. I would guess manual would remain relevant for the next 10 or so years but will slowly be phased out in favour of hybrids/electric cars.

  • CuteWittleCorgi on 26/06/2023 - 20:12

    No, because I own and drive Teslas.

    • Nickels n Dimes on 26/06/2023 - 22:01

      They do come with a manual though, it's on the screen isn't it?

    • Brick Tamland on 27/06/2023 - 22:57

      at the same time?

  • lookingforTV on 26/06/2023 - 20:19

    Back in 2017, when the immediate business asset write-off was $20k, I had a choice of getting a smaller car that is auto but as I move many equipment/inventories often - I opted for $19k manual Mazda 3. I wish I had gone auto!

  • Commander Shepard on 26/06/2023 - 21:15

    It will be a sad day when manuals die. But I think we have maybe 1-2 more generation of cars until they are in proper trouble.

    S2000, MX5, Cayman/Boxster/911, Type R, ST or GTI. A good manual gearbox in a sporty car is something everyone should experience.

    Whenever I get a chance. I let my friends/family borrow my MX5 for a drive through the hills. It always converts them.

    • Antikythera on 27/06/2023 - 02:32

      A good manual gearbox in a sporty car

      6 cylinder LH Torana with 3 on the tree?

      as for the OP's question: first two cars were manual, second two were autos. these days I don't even use the manual shift mode available on my auto. but when jumping in other peoples cars or rentals its nice to have the option.

  • Kamsi on 26/06/2023 - 21:52

    I love drive manual cars esp Mazda rx7.

  • Nickels n Dimes on 26/06/2023 - 22:00

    I learned decades ago how to drive in a manual, did my test on a manual, had an automatic ever since that day. The only time I've driven manual was in south East Asia, in a motorcycle which i had no license for and manual car skills have me no preparation for anyway.
    Manual is a complete waste of time unless you're determined to drive very old, very rare collectors cars.
    The majority of manual drivers can be easily spotted by the fact they are very slow to change gears, and it is unpleasant being a passenger in a manual with any but an absolute expert driver, because the movement becomes very jerky or up and down like a roller coaster between gears - don't be that person.

  • tdw on 26/06/2023 - 22:13
    +2

    my mum could drive a manual, but bought an auto car so that's the only option i had learning how to drive. buying a second car, even an old heap, wasn't financially viable for us. we were lucky to even have a car when a lot of people are far worse off. i worked with a lot of disadvantaged young people whose parents couldn't even drive, let alone afford a car. getting a licence is expensive enough excluding the cost of lessons. i don't think people give enough thought to that financial aspect - it's not so simple to assume people don't want to drive manual, aren't interested etc.

    • Devastator0 on 27/06/2023 - 06:14
      +2

      Absolutely this! So many people take it for granted.

  • Eeples on 26/06/2023 - 22:31

    Let them just get an automatic licence and teach them how to drive a manual if they are interested in theirs and yours own time. (You can do this in NSW as soon as they obtain their P1s).

  • mrhugo on 27/06/2023 - 03:51

    Learnt on a manual and our first car was a manual. Needed to learn it as it was easier to rent a manual in Europe.

    Eventually as the family grew we needed a new car which was only available as an automatic.

    I think overall I prefer the auto. The newer cars we are hiring now in Europe have hill-start assist, which is nice, especially when parking on a hill. The stop-start traffic has never bothered me as manual is second nature.

    I would say I'm probably more fuel efficient on an auto as my shift points are a little later than if I was in an auto. This is probably because these Euro 1.0-1.3 engines are pretty gutless down low.

    Negatives for the auto is that sometimes it can't make up it's mind what gear, or sometimes up or down a gear where I would hold in a manual based on the upcoming road.

    Based on the new cars in seeing in Europe, auto is becoming more common. Maybe this is a fuel efficiency thing.

    Curious to see some stats for worldwide sales of auto vs manual cars by the region. Might Google that.

    • Devastator0 on 27/06/2023 - 06:20

      I think you'll find that autos are way more prevalent especially with the rise of EV's and manuals essentially not being a thing. So many models of vehicles just aren't offered with manual options anymore.

  • shaybisc on 27/06/2023 - 08:07

    Interesting suggestion that there is far less phone distraction in Europe because they drive manuals. I hadn't thought of that but I suppose it makes sense. I haven't fact-checked it. Maybe under 30s should only be allowed to drive manuals. Of course that is based on my preconception that under 30s are more likely to be phone distracted, which may or may not be true. I haven't fact-checked that either.

  • Davo1111 on 27/06/2023 - 09:10

    Unless you're country or want to be in mining, I wouldn't bother

  • itsfuze on 27/06/2023 - 09:29

    My first car was manual, since then I've had a mix of manual and auto but I now have two manual cars as I prefer the engagement. Both are sports cars, but one is better suited for daily driving as it's non turbo.

  • placard on 27/06/2023 - 09:33

    I feel like if it's easily possible (ie don't have to buy another car), it's quite worthwhile. I feel it engages you more as a driver and makes you think about what the car is doing, plus usually a little bit more mechanical sympathy.

    Auto drivers seem to think less about what's going on, they just have a stop and go pedal and mechanical sympathy is not as front of mind. I see some people just jab their accelerator - I feel sorry for that transmission, engine mounts, etc.

    It is also quite funny how things turn out in different places - ie how uncommon manuals are in US and AUS, but in Europe, manuals are still most cars and autos are very rare.

  • shaybisc on 27/06/2023 - 10:00

    EVs don't have a clutch and don't need gears. "However, some companies have been trying to produce electric vehicles that do still have a five- or six-speed gearbox, to maintain some form of normality for UK drivers who are used to manual vehicles."

    https://leasecar.uk/blog/are-electric-cars-automatic-or-manu…

    So you can keep changing gears, unnecessary but reassuring for old shifters.

    • EBC on 27/06/2023 - 10:50

      That's quite funny and reminds me of when smartphones with no physical keyboard were becoming a thing and companies were finding ever more elaborate ways to appease people who thought they could never manage without a physical keyboard culminating in those weird fluid filled bubbles that appear when you open they keyboard. Kind of neat, but really just an elaborate and expensive way to solve a non-issue for the vast majority of people who can adjust.

      https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/a-keyboard-that-rises-up-fr…

      Looking up that article though it looks like this technology is still in development so maybe they will have the last laugh.

      https://www.notebookcheck.net/Researchers-develop-an-OLED-pa…

  • JPerez on 27/06/2023 - 10:13

    Knowing how to drive a manual car is a good skill to have.

    If you have time to learn go and do it.

  • JonoCorn on 27/06/2023 - 10:34

    Learning in manual will help if they ever want to get a motorbike licence. Similar theories apply.

  • fatpizza on 27/06/2023 - 10:55

    I love driving manuals compared to automatics. Feels like I have much more control over how I want to drive.
    Of course I do understand the appeal of autos, they're just not my preference.

  • soupeater on 27/06/2023 - 11:01

    I only learnt because the car I was learning in was manual. Then I bought a manual car because it was a few grand cheaper. The problems with having a manul car though:
    -harder to sell on
    -a lot of people can't drive your car if you're drunk/incapacitated somehow.
    So my advice is to learn manual if you want (but auto is fine, too), but don't buy a manual car.

  • Bargain4Days on 27/06/2023 - 11:09

    Honestly if you just started out learning to drive, pbly start with auto, because once you get your green ps, you can drive manuals anyways.

    I learnt auto first as I had no manual cars to borrow and learn off. When I got my green ps, I only learnt manual as I was in the trade and needed to learn manual to drive work utes.

    IMHO it's probably better to learn auto first, Concentrate on defensive driving skills first, it's hard to concentrate gear shifting, down shift and clutch balancing while learning to drive, you can always drive manuals after green ps.

    Not a lot of vehicles are manuals anyways, like I had to buy a shitbox Corolla to even learn manual on. It's highly unlikely you will ever drive manual now, all new cars are auto or CVT. Realistically you only drive manual of you like manual cars or for work purposes.

  • wallet72 on 27/06/2023 - 11:43
    -1

    Do you need seperate tests for manual and auto?
    I'm old enough to remember my driving test being a drive around the block with the inspector and a licence to drive any car - it was even easier for a motorbike.

  • MikeKulls on 27/06/2023 - 12:21
    +1

    I hate autos with a passion. My wife's car is auto and the one thing that always annoys me is you can't floor it but stay in that gear. This is especially bad on hills where I'm happy to lose some speed but don't want to rev the tits off it. In my car I'll use 4th or 5th and push the accelerator all the way down. For hers I need to find that point just before it changes down. Get it wrong and it revs like crazy. Basically I like to have control. I can understand it would be better in a more powerful car. Mine is a turbo diesel dual cab ute and her car is a CRV

  • skittlebrau on 27/06/2023 - 12:28
    +1

    I can't drive manual and I've never felt a need to. The fact the industry is moving away from manual means I probably won't ever learn it.

    I also don't get the elitism around driving manual.

    I use my camera in manual mode and my espresso machine in manual mode, but I don't look down on people who use automatic mode.

  • Piratarzt on 27/06/2023 - 12:28
    +1

    I drive a manual, always have. I like them because
    1. they can be push-started
    2. they are less likely to be stolen (maybe wishful thinking)

    • Cluster on 27/06/2023 - 12:46

      I drove a manual for 11 years and now drive automatic. I liked driving manuals (except in peak hour traffic, ugh), but I never got the appeal of push starting a car. How often have you had to do that? I never have. On the one occasion a relative had a dead battery the car couldn't be push started anyway, as it was standing on flat ground and pushing a 1 ton car by one person wasn't possible.

      As for theft, a relative had his MX-5 stolen. It was a manual.

      • Piratarzt on 27/06/2023 - 12:55

        The idea about push starting comes from the very fact that it is rare. Because when I need to start a car, I really need to start it. The wide open areas of Australia mean that I might not get NRMA in a place that I need to start the car. As for stealing, I drive an old yaris. I wouldn't steal it myself, but if I only know how to drive auto, I'd be even less inclined to steal it.

  • Seaeagles on 27/06/2023 - 12:48
    +1

    My current car is a manual Nissan Skyline GTR, its not a daily.
    The only time I've own autos is while I was married and being a 1 car family, I hate autos.

    Two of my kids learnt in manuals but most of there friends can only drive autos.
    I also taught them to reverse park everywhere and a lot of my daughters friends would ask her to park their car if the parking bay was rear parking only.

    Even though its not really a skill that is required these days there is nothing wrong in have the skills to drive a manual.
    Too many people have no driving skills these days and are just steering wheel attendants.

    • JH100 on 29/06/2023 - 01:20

      "steering wheel attendants." Haha, or sofa drivers.

  • forged on 27/06/2023 - 13:36

    Where's the option for
    "I own a manual car but I don't know how to drive it"?

  • Dreamcast on 27/06/2023 - 14:05

    Where is the option "Can only drive manual"?

    I struggle with auto. Especially in reverse. Letting go of the brake and the car moving on its own is just weird.

    • Pandaroo on 28/06/2023 - 17:37
      +1

      Same here, I've only driven an auto car a handful of times after only ever owning manual cars/motorbikes.
      It does my head in, I feel like I'm always missing something and paranoid lacking the extra control.

  • Msfrugal on 27/06/2023 - 14:13

    If you can learn in a manual- especially as a young person as their brain quickly learns - I’d say do it.
    Transferring to an automatic is then so easy. But I agree with many of above mentioned comments- IF all that was available was a manual car - as happened to poster in France - then No problem.

    100% agree that in Europe, especially Ireland and UK there are still mostly manual cars used.
    Significantly more expensive to hire an automatic. Damn near impossible to buy a used automatic in Ireland right now. And if young person intends doing overseas working holidays then being able to drive manual will give them options to buy a cheap car, drive their friends manual cars and ultimately be a skill they can brag about having achieved . They’ll also have a better understanding of how engine works!
    Just my thoughts.

  • PleasureMe on 27/06/2023 - 15:08
    -1

    Why do so many wives not know how to drive manual.

    • Dreamcast on 28/06/2023 - 20:07

      Not a bad thing. Imagine having your wife wanting to drive your precious manual car. No thanks!

  • AMLagonda on 27/06/2023 - 16:47

    Both my Kids can and do drive manuals… My daughter Absolutely hates Autos I don't know why lol

    But they are a rare breed of drivers in this day and age.

    My first car was a HQ Statesman 6 Cylinder 3 on the tree with no power steering.

  • R4 on 27/06/2023 - 17:26

    I drive both. I prefer manual for smaller cars but auto on my 4x4 (manual 4x4s are not fun to drive, especially offroad).

    My son, who recently got his licence learnt manual. Saying that, he's one of the few of his peer group to do so.

  • Timtamdoritos on 27/06/2023 - 17:30

    Manual cars are almost theft proof now as more and more people don’t know how to drive one!!

  • JayM on 27/06/2023 - 19:26

    I could probably thank manual cars for giving me the needed break then re-entry into IT that I had some time ago. If it wasn't for my ability to drive manual i wouldn't have gotten the concierge job that lead me into getting back into IT.

    Been driving them since 2005 and gone from a Mitsi Lancer to an i30N. Not sure what i'm going to do when you can't buy them any more.

  • Wayne7497 on 27/06/2023 - 20:29

    Had manual cars all my life, even did my Police Pursuit Course in a manual commodore, sadly now 90% Police Cars automatic these days , being able to use gears instead of brakes in a pusuit was a life saver, being able to hold a gear longer could always catch any automatic i was chasing, sure you can sort of do those things in automatic cars of today its just not as effective. But each to their own, i certainly would never drive a truck or 4wd thats not manual. And i suppose you can argue manual requires less maintenance and hell of alot cheaper to change out or repair.

  • gviddy on 27/06/2023 - 20:43

    I didn't realise they still made manual cars.

  • livealittle7 on 27/06/2023 - 21:10

    I learned to drive in an auto but recently (I'm 30), I learned to drive a manual purely because I've found that when I travel often to south east asia (and probably the same in most of Europe), it's predominantly manual that's available. Knowing manual helps in this scenario so that you're not relying on anyone else to drive you around, if it matters to you.

  • plmko on 27/06/2023 - 23:08

    Knowing how to drive a manual car is an awesome skill to have when travelling overseas. More availability for rental cars and also sports cars are often the same price as a basic Toyota Yaris.

    The skill is also very similar to operating a motorcycle so it opens up heaps of adventures.

  • Brick Tamland on 27/06/2023 - 23:13

    I think learning to drive manual can still come in handy.

    Sometimes a job might have a requirement that you can drive a manual or as others said if you go overseas it's useful for hire cars. You never know when you might have to borrow a car and find out its a manual which would be a bit embarrassing if you couldn't drive it.

  • enforcer on 28/06/2023 - 04:16

    I currently have a manual, but would probably consider going auto/CVT next time and I don't even have to deal with much stop-start traffic. I just cbf anymore

  • Steampunk on 28/06/2023 - 08:18

    My argument re getting a manual licence even if you are unlikely to get a manual car is to think about emergency situations; say you're camping with mates, you're a passenger and they drove their manual vehicle and for whatever reason unable to drive back home and you're out of communication range.
    If they are a timid driver and have difficulties with manuals, then perhaps get an auto first so they dont have to think about clutch/shifting/stalling and concentrate on road sense, and get a manual once they are confident driver.

  • Emilia on 28/06/2023 - 08:27

    Before I learnt to drive, my Dad and I had a conversation about the pros and cons of learning a manual or an auto.

    In the end I decided to learn auto and my parents supported that decision. I'm 32 and have yet to be in a situation where I would have to drive a manual.

  • mrjames on 28/06/2023 - 11:12

    Definitely learn manual. There are still heaps in circulation at the moment, no doubt you will encounter a manual through a friend, workplace or rental. Nothing worse than telling your colleague or friend that you can't help out with driving because of the transmission.

    This will obviously be different depending on your circle of friends or the type of work you do.

  • mett139 on 28/06/2023 - 11:30

    Apples to apples, you'll get better fuel efficiency with a manual and it's more fun to drive, but you wont get cruise control.

    Anyway, living in the future now, there's not a great need to have that emergency skill in your back pocket.

    • Msfrugal on 28/06/2023 - 12:40
      +1

      Hi that’s incorrect! I have a manual 2014 i30 elite and if HAS cruise control.

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