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What's a stick shift?

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Want fuel economy? Consider a good old stick shift Posted Sep 03 2008, 05:12 PM by Karen Datko Filed under: Spending, Saving, Karen Datko, Transportation Rating: Better gas mileage can be had from what used to be standard in cars -- the manual transmission, or stick shift. But how many drivers know how to use one these days? It's a lost art, but a very efficient one. For its October issue, Consumer Reports bought two versions of seven different cars -- ranging from a $15,800 Scion to a $24,000 Mini Cooper -- and found a gain of 2 to 5 mpg with a standard versus automatic transmission in the same model. Extra bonus: The three-pedal versions were not only faster, they were $800 to $1,200 cheaper. This sounds great. A Green Lantern piece at Slate says a very proficient driver can improve gas mileage by about 15% -- cutting annual carbon dioxide emissions by two-thirds of a metric ton. (Green Lantern also informs us of this shocking fact: A gallon of gas puts out 19.564 pounds of carbon dioxide.) Plus, your brakes will last longer, and your transmission will be cheaper to repair or replace. Also, we know from experience that stick shifts are more fun to drive. Our current new-to-us car, purchased about four years ago, is our very first automatic. Plus, as this post at DigitalJournal.com suggests, run-of-the-mill car thieves don't know how to drive with a clutch. But, as the Lantern says, don't count on the manual becoming the transmission of the future, at least in the U.S. "Fewer than 9% of new cars in the United States are manuals, and that figure is set to drop to 6% by 2012," the Lantern writes. (In more energy-savvy Europe, most cars have manual transmissions.) Also, although stick shifts are more expensive to make, car companies can charge more for an automatic transmission "because it's a marketable creature comfort," wrote Tom Whitehurst of the Corpus Christi Caller. Yet another reason stick shifts aren't popular: Fewer people know how to use them or are inclined to learn, even though Patrick at Just Wondering ... says it takes only 45 minutes. We like his instructions about what to do if you stall while trying to get moving after stopping on a hill. "Don't freak and don't let the guy with the horn bother you. Brake. Clutch. Key to restart and try again."

Coming from a country where it's mandatory to know how to drive a car with a manual transmission in order to get a driver's license, I find this appalling. No offense, but it's really impressive how fucking lazy people in the US have become.

yep. only 'tards can't drive manual.

I can't be bothered doing all the manual shit when I got my 128oz. diet coke, large french fries, and a cigarette keeping me busy.

Yeah, and the fact that the moron who wrote the article refers to driving manual as a "lost art" is ridiculous.

I had 1 driving lesson... i was on a steep hill and my dad was like:
"you know *by youself) how to drive a auto.... we are on a steep hill, lets see if we can teach you how to drive a stick"



after 30 minutes of anger he lefft and i was left hopeless. i learned after about a month of drving his car by myself up and down the hill. Now my car is a stick and with gas prices, thank god.

A stick shift is great....unless it's coupled with a turbo charger. Driving in traffic = powned

I always prefer my manual to my girlfriends auto. Unless we go into San Fran. I wont drive my car on those damn hills. But the gas mileage is definitely better.

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Originally posted by nchs09 I had 1 driving lesson... i was on a steep hill and my dad was like: "you know *by youself) how to drive a auto.... we are on a steep hill, lets see if we can teach you how to drive a stick" after 30 minutes of anger he lefft and i was left hopeless. i learned after about a month of drving his car by myself up and down the hill. Now my car is a stick and with gas prices, thank god.

Was that here in Guate?

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Originally posted by woscar99 Was that here in Guate?

San Salvador. Even though truely i learned to drive a stick in out finca.... but i was 5 or somethign.

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Originally posted by nchs09 San Salvador. Even though truely i learned to drive a stick in out finca.... but i was 5 or somethign.

Same here, lol. My grandfather has a 'finca' in Escuintla and he gave me the car once when I was about 10. It was awesome

I got written up at work for calling one of my new co-workers a fag for driving an automatic. I don't talk to him anymore because he's a sensitive minivan driving bitch(and a snitch).

It's not just a transmission- its a reflection of your character, pride, self-esteem and legacy.

You won't get a license here if you can't drive manual.

I used to love driving a manual all teh time. Until I got stuck in traffic driving to LA. 2 hours of stop and go 15 feet is the worst, especially uphill.


I think it's appalling that people get so worked up over someone's transmission. kind of homoerotic if you ask me.

i've only ever owned manual cars, myself, but i absolutely hate them.

auto > *

You can't even call it driving when you're not doing it manual.

It depends what you're driving.

My two-seater convertible is a stick, my winter sedan is auto. One is for fun, one is for practicality. Auto is nice in traffic jams however.

Still wish I had learned to drive with one, as I think I'd prefer it. My first car was an auto though.

I can see how people could be put off or intimidated by a manual transmission.

There's always the fear of starting on hills, rolling back into the other car, driving in gridlock, or prematurely wearing out the clutch. Not to mention the convenience of being able to shovel food in you mouth while talking on your phone and swapping out your CD.

But I think it's much to everyone's advantage to at least learn how, especially nowadays, when so many manufacturers make these really gentle pedestrian clutches that engage with incredible ease (and also burn with equal ease).

It can become kind of obnoxious, depending upon the car. My car ('07 Civic Si) has a high compression inline four coupled with a close ratio six speed manual, which amounts to rowing through almost the entire gearbox in between stop signs.

I drive manual. I hate automatic cars. I like the manual because I have better control of the car. Although I thought I was going to die in San Fran when the traffic had me moving 30 feet every 20 minutes and I was going up steeeeeep hills, and everyone else drove auto so they were riding my ass

CVT is the future. Not the stick or regular auto gear box.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contin...le_transmission

If I haven't gone to Croatia every year I probably would have never learned to drive a manual.

Lol, learned how in one of these

I've had 3 cars since I started driving. My very first car was an automatic and the 2 cars after that have been sticks. I'll never go back to an auto.

Also I don't get people who bitch about driving a stick in traffic, it's not that bad.

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Originally posted by Paradox Lost It can become kind of obnoxious, depending upon the car. My car ('07 Civic Si) has a high compression inline four coupled with a close ratio six speed manual, which amounts to rowing through almost the entire gearbox in between stop signs.

Lulz, get something with torque.

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Originally posted by Superstring CVT is the future. Not the stick or regular auto gear box. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contin...le_transmission

Its not the future seeing how its more expensive than putting a stick attached to the gear box.

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Originally posted by CyclonesWorld I've had 3 cars since I started driving. My very first car was an automatic and the 2 cars after that have been sticks. I'll never go back to an auto. Also I don't get people who bitch about driving a stick in traffic, it's not that bad. Lulz, get something with torque.

My thoughts exactly, lol

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Originally posted by Superstring CVT is the future. Not the stick or regular auto gear box. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contin...le_transmission

CVT is still a slushbox no matter what you say. Auto is auto is auto. As an auto, CVT is the best, but manual will always have a ton of advantages over auto. Most of them being the mashing the gas pedal to get it to actually get off its ass with the 10minute delay before it downshifts and speeds up.

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Originally posted by CyclonesWorld Lulz, get something with torque.

+1. Fucking Hondas and their torqueless wonders.

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