My second son prefers sticks…he’s on his second vehicle (of his own) and he can get good deals because many people simply don’t know how to drive a stick or never learned how. I know how, but I prefer not having to think about it and I don’t “feel the clutch” very naturally. I could drive one in a pinch/emergency especially if the vehicle had a tac.
When I was 16 my friend taught me to drive a manual transmission on her parents’ Land Rover. I had several manual transmission cars but have had automatic for the last 20 years or so. To celebrate the empty nest my husband got a manual transmission pick up truck. It was like I had a driven a manual yesterday. It’s all muscle memory I guess.
I guess my muscle memory of manuals isn’t great. I used to drive my BF’s manual and drove a friend’s across SW US in late 70s, early 80s. Tried driving a manual when we went shopping for a new car but the salesman was so nervous, he switched it for an automatic.
I was never that fond of manuals, so glad we have only owned automatics.
I taught DW to drive a manual thirty some years ago and she’s been driving sticks ever since.
I agree with the suggestion of taking a demo ride in a manual from a used car dealer.
I test drove a Jetta wagon in a manual before I got my newest car. I liked it , but the back wasn’t big enough to put two dog crates, so that was the end of that. My husband rented a Passat in diesel in Europe and I almost won the car battle ( he loves diesel ) They only sell Passat wagons in gasoline models here in the USA. I would have liked that car in a manual …oh well, then came the VW scandal, so I am glad to have my Landcruiser.
One day, I will have a fun mid-life crisis car to drive for recreation
Another advantage of manual transmission - less likely to be car jacked -
http://www.cbs8.com/story/30965200/pittsburgh-carjackers-run-away-from-stick-shift-vehicle
Pittsburgh police are searching for two would-be carjackers who apparently can’t drive a stick-shift…Police spokeswoman Emily Schaffer says when the victim told the suspect the car had a manual transmission they decided they didn’t want it and ran away.
The cars my husband and I have owned for ourselves (3 between the two of us during our 30 years of marriage because we buy and then own for years) have been manuals. We both like being able to control the car, particularly in bad weather. It’s a lot less dangerous to downshift on ice and snow than it is to brake. But we bought an automatic when our boys got their licenses. We felt that we wanted them to learn the rules of the road and how to drive in general before having to learn how to operate a manual transmission. Well, one is 22 and the other 19, and neither has yet driven our manuals. There is a driving school nearby (we’re in westchester, NY) that offers manual lessons. At some point, I hope they learn because my mom lives in Italy half the year and when we visit, we rent a car and manuals are a lot easier to come by.
Just as an aside, every parking garage in NYC that we’ve used has attendants that drive manuals. And I can’t tell you how often we’ve been asked by parking attendants if we were willing to sell our cars.
All 3 boys learned to drive on an automatic and then once they had some experience under their belts, we taught them to use a stick. Their first cars were all manuals and another advantage was that their friends at college never asked to borrow their cars. When we bought S1’s car, H was injured and unable to drive. I hadn’t driven a stick in many, many years but had to do the test drive with H next to me. I was a nervous wreck but it went fine. It really does come right back to you.
@alwaysamom -S2 and DIL have talked about trying to get on the Amazing Race, and the first thing we said was the DIL has to learn to drive a manual transmission!
If you want to practice go to a used car lot that has older Toyotas and Hondas. When I was looking for a used Corolla type car for my daughter the manuals were usually a full $1000 cheaper than comparable automatics.
Manuals get better gas mileage, are harder to steal, cheaper to fix, can be started when the battery is dead, and a kid cannot text and drive.
It’s easy to learn to drive them. In college two friends and I decided to drive to Key West over Christmas break. Neither of my friends could drive a stick. Somewhere in northern Florida I got really tired of driving and one of my friends quickly learned. On I-95.
“I agree with the suggestion of taking a demo ride in a manual from a used car dealer.”
The time spent in a demo car isn’t remotely enough time to learn how to drive a stick correctly.
I looked for a place to teach my son - and even here in a large metro area, could not find a single driving instructor / school offering manual.
@Pizzagirl - Google “Chicago manual transmission driving school” and you will see a couple of options. Unless I’m not remembering your location correctly.
Thanks! I can’t believe I couldn’t find them before - a few years ago when I was searching for S.
Driving a manual transmission certainly isn’t going the way of the horse and carriage. It appeared to be for a while - in 2007, last time I bought a new car, the dealer looked at me like I was from outer space when I asked about availability of manual transmission vehicles. He said even pickup trucks were hardly being produced with manual transmission anymore. Last fall when I had to replace the car, not only were Corollas available in manual, they had quite a few on the lot.
I drove a stick shift for over 20 years, and never hesitated to teach others how to drive. And somehow I still managed to get over 100K miles out of a clutch. Didn’t need to replace the brakes as often either.
My sister learned how to drive a manual transmission on her way home from the dealership with her new car
I have 130,000 miles on the original clutch on my Scion xB.
H got 145,000 miles on the clutch on his F150. He won’t volunteer it for D to learn to drive though. S1 and S2 could drive a stick at 12. I don’t know many farm kids that can’t. H is sad that the salesman said F150 won’t be sold with manual any more.
My dad got sick of me sucking the gas with his '71 Ford LTD, a real boat of a car, and took me to the nearest town, full of hills, and said “learn”. A '72 Vega 
Ha ha, I love the story about the car thieves not wanting a manual. They probably thought they would be too conspicuous trying to drive it away and stalling.
My son reminds me that you can order a new 2016 Tacoma with stick.
He gets to help maintain the sports fields at school because he can drive a stick …tractor.