Chicks that drive stick

135

Replies

  • domsmoms
    domsmoms Posts: 174 Member
    I find it such a turn off when I guy can't drive manual.

    I doubt most guys would admit it if they couldn't! ;)
  • Lee_louh
    Lee_louh Posts: 37 Member
    I'm from the UK. It's very unusual to learn anything other than stick-shift (manual as we call it). I only know one person who learnt in an automatic (and therefore got an auto-only license.)
    Slightly off track, but a recent survey found that 84% of privately owned vehicles in the UK are manual.
  • RiverMelSong
    RiverMelSong Posts: 456 Member
    I can, but I'm Dutch and practically everybody drives stick here :)
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Do you press in and hold the clutch or shift into neutral while approaching a stop sign or red light?

    I downshift as much as possible before taking it out of gear.. my first clutch lasted for over 10 years in my subaru... It was the original that my came in the car when my family bought it... I plan on having the new clutch last just as long.

    So far, you're the only one who approaches a light properly. Cars prefer it when you downshift through the gears while slowing down. It'll save your clutch and your brakes.

    I'm sorry, ladies, but just because you drive a stick doesn't mean you know how (that goes for men as well).

    Heel-toe shifting. Learn it, do it. It's easy once you get used to it.

    *puts on flame suit*
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    I find it such a turn off when I guy can't drive manual.

    I doubt most guys would admit it if they couldn't! ;)

    Lol. Right?
  • adavis59
    adavis59 Posts: 285 Member
    Although I learned to drive using a stick shift car, it's been a while. I don't think I've totally forgotten. I guess it's just a matter of getting used to it again.
  • rose313
    rose313 Posts: 1,146 Member
    I love driving standard, but I probably woudn't own one. I just like the control of driving one every so often, and knowing that I'd be able to drive someone else around in their manual car if needed, like if they were drunk and needed to get home or if they had to go to the hospital. It's a good thing to know.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    I'm a Jeep girl so I usually drive a standard. I just read an article that standard transmissions are becoming more rare because people prefer automatics. What is the point of an automatic transmission in a Jeep?

    Some people prefer being able to modulate the brakes and throttle simultaneously which tackling difficult terrain. Allows for less jerky movement.
  • ... The last question best applies.

    I like a girl who can drive a stick, I'm often disappointed to a slight degree if she's incapable of doing so, but I don't care if her car is actually auto or standard.

    I drive an automatic but only because it's so damned hard to find a cheap vehicle that's a standard.

    I learned on a stick, hated it, and drove an automatic for a couple of years. I finally got bored of an automatic and started driving stick a little over a year ago now. I agree that it's super hard to find a cheap vehicle that comes with a stick anymore. I searched for 3 months, trying to find a car that I would love that had a stick. Every single sales person I ran into raised their eyebrows and was shocked that I stated I refused to buy anything other than a stick shift car. I finally found the Nissan Sentra, 2012 base version that has a stick. I found it last November, and I LOVE IT. My first stick that I had bought was the toyota supra last June 2011. I'm actually dissapointed to have gotten rid of it, but it wasn't reliable and I needed a reliable car.
  • hippy2skippy
    hippy2skippy Posts: 98 Member
    Yep, learned to drive in one, took my driver's test in one, but now I have an auto. I'd drive a stick again if I had one lol, no question.
  • nasoj007
    nasoj007 Posts: 35 Member
    Goes to show the cultural difference(one of them anyway) between North America and the UK... someone in the UK sees this and thinks "who can't drive stick? Who owns an automatic even? lol. If I'm not mistaken it's the ratio of autos to sticks is almost flip-flopped between the UK and North America (probably 90/10 I'd guess). Even if a car is available in Europe and North America the North American version usually has no stick shift option(don't even get me started on diesels)... it really sucks. It's downright difficult to find a decent stick car around here, they're almost all automatic :(
  • flynnfinn
    flynnfinn Posts: 209 Member
    Do you press in and hold the clutch or shift into neutral while approaching a stop sign or red light?

    Shift into neutral. I'm lazy like that.

    me too! not because i'm lazy...ok yes, because i'm lazy...i should really downshift!!
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    Do you press in and hold the clutch or shift into neutral while approaching a stop sign or red light?

    I downshift as much as possible before taking it out of gear.. my first clutch lasted for over 10 years in my subaru... It was the original that my came in the car when my family bought it... I plan on having the new clutch last just as long.

    So far, you're the only one who approaches a light properly. Cars prefer it when you downshift through the gears while slowing down. It'll save your clutch and your brakes.

    I'm sorry, ladies, but just because you drive a stick doesn't mean you know how (that goes for men as well).

    Heel-toe shifting. Learn it, do it. It's easy once you get used to it.

    *puts on flame suit*

    It doesn't make sense in my head to downshift through gears when you go from 55 to 0 in about 10 seconds. Plus my shifter sticks (problem from the previous owner) so if my stick go caught in 4 th gear and I'm slowing to 10mph, id stall out. I think that would do more damage then coasting in neutral.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    I took my drivers test on one. Drove one up into a few years ago. Sadly they don't make mini-vans with manual transmissions.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    ... The last question best applies.

    I like a girl who can drive a stick, I'm often disappointed to a slight degree if she's incapable of doing so, but I don't care if her car is actually auto or standard.

    I drive an automatic but only because it's so damned hard to find a cheap vehicle that's a standard.

    I learned on a stick, hated it, and drove an automatic for a couple of years. I finally got bored of an automatic and started driving stick a little over a year ago now. I agree that it's super hard to find a cheap vehicle that comes with a stick anymore. I searched for 3 months, trying to find a car that I would love that had a stick. Every single sales person I ran into raised their eyebrows and was shocked that I stated I refused to buy anything other than a stick shift car. I finally found the Nissan Sentra, 2012 base version that has a stick. I found it last November, and I LOVE IT. My first stick that I had bought was the toyota supra last June 2011. I'm actually dissapointed to have gotten rid of it, but it wasn't reliable and I needed a reliable car.

    Do you know how hard it is to find a Supra these day for any kind of reasonable price? Every racers dream.
  • MrsR0SE
    MrsR0SE Posts: 313 Member
    Goes to show the cultural difference(one of them anyway) between North America and the UK... someone in the UK sees this and thinks "who can't drive stick? Who owns an automatic even? lol. If I'm not mistaken it's the ratio of autos to sticks is almost flip-flopped between the UK and North America (probably 90/10 I'd guess). Even if a car is available in Europe and North America the North American version usually has no stick shift option(don't even get me started on diesels)... it really sucks. It's downright difficult to find a decent stick car around here, they're almost all automatic :(
    The only person I know personally who drives an automatic by choice is my 83 year old father-in-law, because of his strength and health, but right up until a couple of years ago he was driving manual.
  • MorganLeighRN
    MorganLeighRN Posts: 411 Member
    Do i get extra points if the stick I drive is a one ton?
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Do you press in and hold the clutch or shift into neutral while approaching a stop sign or red light?

    I downshift as much as possible before taking it out of gear.. my first clutch lasted for over 10 years in my subaru... It was the original that my came in the car when my family bought it... I plan on having the new clutch last just as long.

    So far, you're the only one who approaches a light properly. Cars prefer it when you downshift through the gears while slowing down. It'll save your clutch and your brakes.

    I'm sorry, ladies, but just because you drive a stick doesn't mean you know how (that goes for men as well).

    Heel-toe shifting. Learn it, do it. It's easy once you get used to it.

    *puts on flame suit*

    It doesn't make sense in my head to downshift through gears when you go from 55 to 0 in about 10 seconds. Plus my shifter sticks (problem from the previous owner) so if my stick go caught in 4 th gear and I'm slowing to 10mph, id stall out. I think that would do more damage then coasting in neutral.

    Your second point is valid. If your transmission is messed up, and it's dangerous to downshift quickly, don't do it. Otherwise, it's actually faster to brake while downshifting. Your engine will produce a braking effect hen the revs increase, slowing your car faster. Relying on you brakes alone will wear them out faster, and holding the clutch in will wear out the clutch faster.

    You have more control over the car when it's in gear too.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    ... The last question best applies.

    I like a girl who can drive a stick, I'm often disappointed to a slight degree if she's incapable of doing so, but I don't care if her car is actually auto or standard.

    I drive an automatic but only because it's so damned hard to find a cheap vehicle that's a standard.

    I learned on a stick, hated it, and drove an automatic for a couple of years. I finally got bored of an automatic and started driving stick a little over a year ago now. I agree that it's super hard to find a cheap vehicle that comes with a stick anymore. I searched for 3 months, trying to find a car that I would love that had a stick. Every single sales person I ran into raised their eyebrows and was shocked that I stated I refused to buy anything other than a stick shift car. I finally found the Nissan Sentra, 2012 base version that has a stick. I found it last November, and I LOVE IT. My first stick that I had bought was the toyota supra last June 2011. I'm actually dissapointed to have gotten rid of it, but it wasn't reliable and I needed a reliable car.

    Do you know how hard it is to find a Supra these day for any kind of reasonable price? Every racers dream.

    Which mark are we talking about? The last model wasn't very good, although it looks nice.
  • ndnmomma
    ndnmomma Posts: 466 Member
    Lost me at this post isn't about sex! I can handle a stick just fine, and I'm not talking vehicle here ;)
  • sunshine_gem
    sunshine_gem Posts: 390 Member
    Do you press in and hold the clutch or shift into neutral while approaching a stop sign or red light?

    I downshift as much as possible before taking it out of gear.. my first clutch lasted for over 10 years in my subaru... It was the original that my came in the car when my family bought it... I plan on having the new clutch last just as long.

    So far, you're the only one who approaches a light properly. Cars prefer it when you downshift through the gears while slowing down. It'll save your clutch and your brakes.

    I'm sorry, ladies, but just because you drive a stick doesn't mean you know how (that goes for men as well).

    Heel-toe shifting. Learn it, do it. It's easy once you get used to it.

    *puts on flame suit*

    Yeah that's not true. You don't have to go through all of the gears when you slow down. You can just as easily slip from 4th to 2nd or as others have said, stick it in neutral and slow down with the brakes. There's no benefit to the car by going through all the gears and no damage either way. If you stick it in neutral then you're taking the gears and the clutch out of contention anyway. I stick it in neutral as much as possible as it saves petrol. As other Brits have said, driving a manual is pretty standard over here. Also, heel-toe is just a fancy trick that's not necessary unless you're on a hill and your handbrake doesn't work.
  • BelindaDuvessa
    BelindaDuvessa Posts: 1,014 Member
    My mom tried to teach me to drive one. At first it was fine. But then I got to my first stop sign and, well, I killed her truck like, 10 times. She got out, and told me never again.

    My husband prefers to drive a standard, but we currently own an automatic, because It's my car. And our next car will also be an automatic. I want to learn eventually, and might even get the hang of it now, but my mom no longer owns the standard vehicle, and I don't know anyone who does who would be willing to let me learn.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    It doesn't make sense in my head to downshift through gears when you go from 55 to 0 in about 10 seconds. Plus my shifter sticks (problem from the previous owner) so if my stick go caught in 4 th gear and I'm slowing to 10mph, id stall out. I think that would do more damage then coasting in neutral.

    Your second point is valid. If your transmission is messed up, and it's dangerous to downshift quickly, don't do it. Otherwise, it's actually faster to brake while downshifting. Your engine will produce a braking effect hen the revs increase, slowing your car faster. Relying on you brakes alone will wear them out faster, and holding the clutch in will wear out the clutch faster.

    You have more control over the car when it's in gear too.

    I understand the technical points that go with shifting properly but I just got use to doing it how I do it. Just like because I know how to double clutch, doesn't mean I ever would. Too many extra steps when my brain is already doing three more things then an automatic driver.
  • matthew_b
    matthew_b Posts: 137 Member
    Do you press in and hold the clutch or shift into neutral while approaching a stop sign or red light?

    I downshift as much as possible before taking it out of gear.. my first clutch lasted for over 10 years in my subaru... It was the original that my came in the car when my family bought it... I plan on having the new clutch last just as long.

    The longest life out of a clutch and syncros is to pop it out of high gear and use the brakes to stop you. This doesn't apply on a long hill, but for normal city driving. If you do that you cut out 1/2 of the use of the clutch, and the hardest use of the syncros.

    I had to pull the transmission on my car because of the front oil seal at 218K. When I did, the clutch still had 55% of the lining left.
  • matthew_b
    matthew_b Posts: 137 Member
    I drove stick for at least a decade and loved it. However, when my kid was on the way, I traded in my coupe for a sedan, which just happened to be automatic. I really do miss driving stick. It gives you much more of a sense of control when driving. And it's just nice to know how to do it.

    What I hate the most is that you can't control downshifting with an automatic. If find it most annoying on curvy roads. I like with a manual I can push the throttle down deep and not worry when it shifts. With an automatic I can't predict when it will shift and I don't like cycling through the gears at every curve. I either baby it to keep from shifting or end up shifting down after every corner.

    The flip side is that often when I want to get going, it won't shift until I bury the go pedal and then it rockets once it finally downshifts.
    I think it is probably a vanishing art.

    I think it is inevitable as hybrids become less expensive. In another decade the cost of all of the components will drop to the point that the costs will be the same.

    I lament the loss of stick shift pickups. Ford doesn't even make a stick shift 1 ton anymore. When I'm backing a heavy trailer I like that my truck is an automatic, but just about any other time I'd much prefer a stick.
    I had to edit this post when I just remembered that my current car is one of those "automatic/manual" deals. I forgot because I don't really get how the "automatic manual" transmission works without the clutch, and my husband and I figured using it would just end up blowing the transmission fast, so we decided not to. It really seems like kind of a silly idea, either make it automatic or make it manual - don't try to do both.

    I do like the Hyundai combo transmissions. I've had several rentals and I did like them. They're the only one that it truly is a 'manual' mode. It won't shift on you in manual mode, EVER. It will let you do 6th gear at 10MPH if you make it. I like putting it in auto in stop and go traffic and then going manual on the highway. Every other brand I've had will shift for you at some point. This goes back to the point I made above about not liking automatic transmissions for highway driving.
  • matthew_b
    matthew_b Posts: 137 Member
    Currently have a VW TDI Jetta wagon (kids and dogs)...love manual diesel even better than gas! The torque you get is awesome and makes driving that much smoother (in mho)!

    Can you even kill it if you try? My FIL has a Dodge diesel pickup and you can't kill it. Even if you dump the clutch it just squeaks the tires and lurches off without killing the engine.
  • mathteacher2010
    mathteacher2010 Posts: 85 Member
    I drove a stick for 30+ years! I only recently got an automatic because I was sick of sitting in traffic and having to shift all the time! (Plus when you are VERY short, as in 4'10", you have to stretch to fully press down the clutch!)
  • I love driving my husband's car because it is a stick. my car is an automatic but a lot less fun. I also enjoy the look on people's faces when I say I can drive a stick. Funny part, they are not hard to drive.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
    Sorry to disappoint some, but this is really about my car.

    So since I could drive, I've driven stick. I learned how to drive in my dad's old 5 speed truck and both cars I've owned have been manual. I love the feeling of control, the growl of the engine when I downshift through a turn and the awesome gas milage. But, my favorite part is when a guy sees my ride, lifts his eyebrows and says, "you know how to drive stick?" The most awesome feeling ever.

    How many of my fellow ladies drive a stick? Do you guys think its cool if a chick drives one or does it not matter to you? Does anyone even care since this post has nothing to do about sex?

    I learned how to drive on a stick when I was 13. I was great at it. I was driving an ancient land rover at 18.. not a big deal.
    That was ages ago. I now live in a city with a LOT of truck traffic, one of the highest truck trafficking cities on the east coast due to our location, and I don't have time for a stick.

    If someone doesn't like that my car isn't a stick, and it matters to someone that I don't know how to drive a stick anymore, they're not worth my time or energy. I know a guy who creates jeep accessories for taking jeeps off-road... if he doesn't care that I can't drive stick.. then no one should.
  • matthew_b
    matthew_b Posts: 137 Member


    I downshift as much as possible before taking it out of gear.. my first clutch lasted for over 10 years in my subaru... It was the original that my came in the car when my family bought it... I plan on having the new clutch last just as long.

    So far, you're the only one who approaches a light properly. Cars prefer it when you downshift through the gears while slowing down. It'll save your clutch and your brakes.

    I'm sorry, ladies, but just because you drive a stick doesn't mean you know how (that goes for men as well).

    Heel-toe shifting. Learn it, do it. It's easy once you get used to it.

    *puts on flame suit*

    How do you figure that is better for the clutch? Most definitely better for the brakes but not for the clutch. If you coast to a stop, the clutch is used 1/2 as often and will wear 1/2 as much. I can do a full brake job in 2 hours, and clutch is at least twice as long and much more involved. I'd much rather wear out the brakes than the clutch.

    As far as the transmission: Unless you double clutch, most syncro wear comes from downshifting. When you upshift, the gear cluster is slowing down anyway and the syncros have much less to do. When upshifting without double clutching, you are forcing the gears to spin up against the drag of oil. Dropping to neutral eliminates more than 50% of the syncro wear. Manual transmissions used in town will die from syncro wear before anything else.

    Double clutching does little in a car anyway because the inertia is small compared to the drag. It is much more helpful in trucks where the gears will actually keep rotating for a bit at high speed while you shift.