Do you drive a stick shift car?

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I enjoy looking at my average and instantaneous gas mileage, having owned a Prius, where I learned a few mileage tricks.

With a stick shift it's all about RPMs. With some effort and mixed driving, I am squeezing about 38 mpg from my new Scion xD. Without paying close attention, it's about 34 mpg. You can literally see the mileage drop if you rev up to the power band (a high-ish 3500 rpm in this vehicle).

Shift in the 1600-1800 range and it just sips gas.

 

[Dreamer]

I offered to show her advanced skills like "downshifting", "peeling rubber", heel&toe braking, and "doughnuts" but she kept muttering about losing her license and mid-life crises.

Thanks for the laughing out loud paragraph above. I know that you are on the countdown to when your DD leaves, but I think that both of you are going to miss the other more than you know. You do so many activities together. It sounds like you enjoy each other's company and that you have been a great parent, even though you try to downplay it.

I don't know how many people watch the Amazing Race, but I really enjoy it. Anyway, they were given vehicles to drive that had standard transmissions. One of the teams is two brothers and one of the brothers had to get out of the car and push it in order to get it turned around, since neither of them knew how to drive a standard. It was hilarious! They look to be 20 something.

 

[RunningBum]

Left foot gas Not in Japan. When you drive on the other side...pedals the same. Stick is on the left....no problem switching back and forth for me.

I was going to say, they don't really swap the pedals, do they?

 

[Westernskies]

I was going to say, they don't really swap the pedals, do they?

No, instead they just pin 'em to the firewall with the runaway floormats and blame the drivers...

 

[travelover]

I was going to say, they don't really swap the pedals, do they?

When I was younger my brother and I had motorcycles that had swapped brake / shift pedals. That made for an interesting adjustment when we traded bikes.

 

[RonBoyd]

No, instead they just pin 'em to the firewall with the floormats and blame the drivers...

 

[F4mandolin]

Talk about things like pedals on the wrong side...here in the UK they put bicycle brakes in reverse to the US. Back brake is on left, front brake on the right. This has evidentely caused several Americans to bite the dust when braking hard with what they thought was the back brake...

 

[TromboneAl]

Manual -- the only way to fly.

 

[Westernskies]

Talk about things like pedals on the wrong side...here in the UK they put bicycle brakes in reverse to the US. Back brake is on left, front brake on the right. This has evidentely caused several Americans to bite the dust when braking hard with what they thought was the back brake...

...so they can appear on the next episode of "UK's Funniest Home Videos"

 

[kumquat]

Mustang GT - manual (who buys an auto here)
Ranger - auto (more towing capacity)
old British roadster - manual (they only came this way)

I learned to drive in a 38 Ford, no option but to use a clutch.

Both kids have manuals. When DD went to buy her's and told the (female) salesperson what she wanted, the nice lady told her "us girls drive automatics". She lost a sale as DD went elsewhere to buy.

 

[Westernskies]

2 autos (daily drivers) and 1 stick in this household - who would a want a Z3 roadster with an automatic?

 

[ls99]

For many years all my transports had stick, originally learned to drive a Russian built Volga with three on the column. Now all wheels are auto trans since selling my 79 Chevy truck. That had a granny gear. Great for pulling stumps.

While thinking of cars, recall getting off the research ship in Cape Town, Africa. Rented an Opel kadett. About ten minutes after leaving the rental place got pulled over by Cape Town's finest, for an illegal right turn. He asked for my license, showed him my NY issued, license. He looking at me quizzically asks , how long have I been driving. I said about ten minutes. Rolled his eyes, and said, do pay a little more attention to the traffic signs. No ticket.

Oh yeah, the stick shift was on the left, and they did drive on the left.

A day or two later driving through the national park, came up on a bunch of baboons. Noisy buggers they are. Buddy wanted pictures so we stopped. A few came up to the car, showed their fangs. Huge. One got up on the hood and started pulling on the wipers. No amount of shooing wold get this sucker off. So got up to about 40 Mph. Jammed on the brakes, he went a$$ over tea kettle flying. The rest of the clan was keen on taking revenge, so we took off in a cloud of dust. Luckily the wiper blades stayed on the car.

 

[cantlogin]

I enjoy looking at my average and instantaneous gas mileage, having owned a Prius, where I learned a few mileage tricks.

With a stick shift it's all about RPMs. With some effort and mixed driving, I am squeezing about 38 mpg from my new Scion xD. Without paying close attention, it's about 34 mpg. You can literally see the mileage drop if you rev up to the power band (a high-ish 3500 rpm in this vehicle).

Shift in the 1600-1800 range and it just sips gas.

I learned the same lesson with my Mini. I also learned that I could have just as much fun challenging myself to maximize the mileage numbers as I used to by driving as fast as I could. Two year running average: 42mpg.

Talk about things like pedals on the wrong side...here in the UK they put bicycle brakes in reverse to the US. Back brake is on left, front brake on the right. This has evidentely caused several Americans to bite the dust when braking hard with what they thought was the back brake...

I reversed the brakes on my bicycle to be consistent with right hand braking on motorcycles

 

[FinanceDude]

heck, I took my driver's test in a STICK, a Gremlin with a 3 speed on the floor...........

Stick shift cars I've owned:

67 Chevelle SS 396 HO Convertible
79 L82 Corvette Convertible
84 Fiero GT
78 Toyota Corolla
85 Subaru GL-10
94 Firebird
00 M3

 

[Texas Proud]

I have a manual... and two with autos...


One of the problems with the young uns is they just don't know... my mother was traveling overseas and was with some 20 something lawyer... asked her if she wanted to go to "X"... that if she did and she drove my mom would pay for the rental car... to make this short... the guy asked her if she could drive 'stick'... she said "YES".... so they get out to the car and the lady gets in... and asks my mother 'what is this other pedal for?'... Seems 'stick' means the shifter on the floor and not on the tree... she was not even aware of 'manual' cars...


I like my 6 sp TL... but would hate it if I had to drive stop and go to work.. now that I do not work downtown I do not have to worry...

 

[calmloki]

...
I reversed the brakes on my bicycle to be consistent with right hand braking on motorcycles

Ah yes - memories of coming from my old 57' Triumph 650 bike to my brother's something or other Japanese dirt bike - and launching over the handlebars when my clutch grab locked the front tire.

Was nothing but manual transmissions till my latest car (with the brief exception of a $100 horrible urine yellow AMC product decades ago) - have to admit that hill stops and traffic congestion are way simpler now - just sit,steer, and press the go/no go pedals. Lazy non-thinking driver time in my car means that now when having to wake up and drive in my gal's BMW 325i manual I'm guilty of slamming the brakes when going back to the auto and thinking its shift time.

 

[haha]

You kids have a lot to learn...

How come this suicide knob is not white with a naked girl painted on it? And where is the leopardskin wrap on the steering wheel?

Ha

 

[Bimmerbill]

My F-250 Diesel is a 6-speed manual, but I just sold it.
My BMW 530 is a manual, and it's fun to row thru the gears.
The Honda Pilot was not available with a manual, so had to get an automatic.

I find manuals most helpful in snow/ice conditions. You can downshift and not have to worry about braking and causing a skid.

 

[rescueme]

Mustang GT - manual (who buys an auto here)

Exactly. If you want to drive an auto, it must be a rental ...

 

[cantlogin]

How come this suicide knob is not white with a naked girl painted on it? And where is the leopardskin wrap on the steering wheel?

Ha

I have a blue one on my tractor

 

[samclem]

I find manuals most helpful in snow/ice conditions. You can downshift and not have to worry about braking and causing a skid.

Can you help me understand your reasoning? If I use my brakes, then the needed deceleration is provided by friction at all four tires. If I downshift, I need to generate the same deceleration using just the rubber/road junction at my drive wheels (which, in most cases, is just two tires). Seems I'd be better off using the brakes, since they'd be less likely to lock up a tire. In addition, I might have the benefit of any ABS system, (somewhat useful on ice, not so much on snow, sometimes), which I wouldn't get if I downshift.

On the LBYM side--downshifting to slow down as a routine habit is expensive. A brake job is a LOT cheaper than replacing a clutch.

 

[Orchidflower]

Always drove a stick until I bought this last new Camry. I love sticks and say, "Bring them back!" I hate automatics, but have no desire to own another truck which I understand still have sticks. Automatics, no! Sticks, YES!

 

[scrinch]

I drive a 1998 4-cyl 5-spd Dodge Dakota. Gonna replace it soon with a 6-cyl auto trans Tacoma for a better towing capacity. Then I'll have to find something else for my left leg to do while the rest of me is driving.

 

[FIREd]

When we bought our new toy (2010 Mazda Miata), we decided that nothing but stick shift would do.

I can drive the Camry either with full automatic transmission and semi-automatic transmission (manual gear shifting but no clutch). The semi-auto option is just too weird, I keep wanting to press a pedal with my left foot when I change gear.

Like Martha, I learned to drive on a tractor: a 1963 McCormick Farmall...

 

[cantlogin]

Can you help me understand your reasoning? If I use my brakes, then the needed deceleration is provided by friction at all four tires. If I downshift, I need to generate the same deceleration using just the rubber/road junction at my drive wheels (which, in most cases, is just two tires). Seems I'd be better off using the brakes, since they'd be less likely to lock up a tire. In addition, I might have the benefit of any ABS system, (somewhat useful on ice, not so much on snow, sometimes), which I wouldn't get if I downshift.

On the LBYM side--downshifting to slow down as a routine habit is expensive. A brake job is a LOT cheaper than replacing a clutch.

Your thinking is correct Sam.