Can you drive a stick? You may be coming back in vogue. You may actually be on the cutting edge of nostalgia.
Get the episode here.
Links
“Manual vs. Automatic Transmission | Stick-Shifts Save Gas – Consumer Reports”
“Understanding What’s Really Killing the Manual Transmission“
Manual transmission FTW! The most fun I’ve ever had driving was my manual transmission cars. The “daddy mobiles” were ok to drive, but there’s a kind of disconnect when driving an automatic, whereas my dearly departed 94 Mazda 323 and my current 91 Honda Civic are the funnest little go carts to boot around town with. I think that a manual transmission makes you pay more attention to your driving, while automatic transmission cars provide the opportunity for distracted driving since your right hand is not hovering over the stick. YMMV
In our little town, in N. Illinois, we have found unintended benefits of a manual transmission. There have been several car jackings since spring, and, in more than a few of them, the scoundrels didn’t more than a block away… Manual transmissions, and a lack of skill driving them, kept them from a getaway… Who knew?!
I live in the mountains in BC, Canada, and I really do prefer manual transmissions.. the roads in the wintertime are really unpredictable, and the ability to manually gear down instead of having to brake to slow down is a huge asset. It can prevent someone from having the brakes lock ( yes, even with ABS, braking and hitting ice at the same time will lock things up) and losing control of the vehicle.. possibly ending up in the ditch, or worse.