Can you drive a stick shift? Do you prefer automatic or manual transmission?

I learned to drive a manual transmission about a year after I got my license. Personally, I prefer to drive a manual over an automatic. It makes me feel like I am more in control of the vehicle. Also, I think it forces me to pay much more attention to the way I drive and what's going on around me. I think with automatic transmissions, it's easy to let your mind wander and think about other things while you are driving because you don't have to think about changing gears.

I prefer to drive a stick, by far. It is so much more fun and also you have greatly control of the vehicle. They get better gas mileage, accelerate faster and cost less. Unfortunetly they are getting harder and harder to find, unless you are looking at a sports car. One of the best features of stick is that they are great for driving in bad conditions like ice and snow. You can use your gears to slow you down and don't have to rely on the brake. Conversely you have a lot more control when starting from a stop in the bad conditions as well so you don't spin your wheels or get stuck nearly as much.

My first car was a manual transmission. My mother gave it to me and said if I wanted to drive that I would have to learn in that. It took me about 30 minutes going back and forth in the driveway and I was hooked. I have had auntomatic transmissions but there is some I find deeply pleasing about driving a manual. Sort of like driving a sports car. I have more control over the engine and I like the feel of it. I also taught my daughters to drive a manual first so that they would always know how to drive any car. They prefer a manual as well.

I drive a manual car. My husband has an automatic, which I can drive too. My daughter will be able to apply for her drivers license in two years time, & we are unsure whether she will do manual or automatic. I used to drive one of those old fashioned gear stick cars.

i learned how to drive a car on a stick shift. and personaly i find driving a stick much more fun. i dont live in a big city so traffic really isnt a big deal. but i remember taking a trip where i spent a few hours on the 405 in heavy heavy traffic and i was hating that stick shift something fierce lol!!

i prefer automatic transmission.i like automatic transmission over manual transmission because automatic transmission is easier to handle and drive.i think you can go faster.

i prefer manual, i think autometic are meant for ladies and old people. i love the thrill of changing the gears as you want.

Yes, I can drive a stick shift. I really do prefer a stick shift. I drove a semi truck when my daushter was a year old and she is 43 years old. She can drive them also though it has been a long time since we have either one done it.

I drive automatic. I donot know how to drive stick shift. It seems a little involved to drive a stick shift compare to the automatic.

i am just a new driver, just got my license two weeks ago and for me, i prefered using the manual transmission as i have more control on the car. i am comfortable in using manual transmission and my driving instructor told me that its easier to learn automatic when you already using the manual. driving a car with manual transmission makes you more focused and alert while driving, just my POV. i know some people don like manual because of the heavy traffic and they dont like changing gears,so they prefer an automatic.

i am from india and have never driven an automatic shift car but i still feel it wudnt be better than manual transmission where i get that extra edge over acceleration..for me its not at all painful aslo its fuel conserving ...thx

I think a manual transmission is good for learning how to drive. If you start learning with an automatic, you'll never be able to drive a stick. I can easily drive a manual because that's how I learned. But now I prefer to drive an automatic, because here in Metro Manila the traffic is horrendous.

I do know how to drive stick shifts but I prefer automatic cars. Automatics are so much easier to drive.

I have never learned to drive standard but I would like to know how. I asked my boyfriend to teach me but he laughed and said i would leave the transmission on the road.

i learned to drive in a standered. i like them for several reasons. first off if it want start you can push it off. i love manuals (standered). i now have a automatic and a standered. the automatic is good for when i go to the city but were i live in the country standereds are better.

I cannot drive stick and I definately prefer automatic.

actually i feel stick shift is better than the ordinary automatic because you have a better pick-up and better mileage than the automatic and moreover you can enjoy your drive with stick shift and the speed of the car is also high.yes i can drive stick shift and i would prefer manual

My father and older brother purposely didn't teach me how to drive stick shift when I was learning. My mother doesn't know how, so she couldn't teach me. Anyway, after I got my license, not knowing how to drive stick shift, you know what they did?! They both ended up buying cars that were manual! Jerks! hahahaha.....So, they could use my car whenever they wanted, but I could never borrow theirs. *sigh* Oh, well...

I was driving a 1947 Massey Ferguson tractor by the time I was 7 years old. I learned how to drive stick (all of our tractors were manual). In vehicles like cars and trucks I do prefer automatic though because hoenstly, and this sounds truly BAD on my part, it's just easier. Gives me one less thing to have to worry about when you must watch your speed, the traffic lights, the pedestrians, cylists, other cars, stray pets, wild animals, etc... But when it comes to driving tractor, I'll always drive stick, it jumps me back in memories of when my grandfather first taught me.

I can drive a stick shift. A friend of mine had an old GMC that I messed around with well before taking classes to learn how to pass the drivers test. I can drive a manual as well, I feel there'sa difference between more recent manuals and a stickshift, moreso if it's three on the tree or something large enough to need a splitter. I liked it well enough, kindof prefer the automatic because I learned to shift by sound, and as such would need to hear the engine. Which isn't always possible, especially in these modern chunks of plastic.