Poll of the Day > Can you drive a stick shift?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Nope. My family didn't have one, so I never learned. Some people look at me funny when I say I don't know how to drive a manual, but how could I unless I bought one?

I understand the basics of it, but I've never actually tried and likely couldn't actually put it into practice.

No, never owned one. Don't see the point.

No, never owned one. Don't see the point.

Manual elitists are the weirdest thing. "I go out of my way to make a boring everyday activity more complicated for zero benefit, therefore I'm better than you!" It's like somebody who walks to work feeling smug because they do so in heels instead of wearing more sensible shoes.

a manual gives you more control over your vehicle, not less. it's more complicated, but it's not for zero benefit.

If someone tries to steal your car and they can't drive a stick shift then they're fucked

Its been a long time but Im sure I could get back into it quickly if I had to.

If someone tries to steal your car and they can't drive a stick shift then they're fucked

I didn't suggest that it gives less control. What benefit does that additional control provide?

Aside from giving more control, I find it to be a more enjoyable experience to drive.

It really only provides a benefit in certain scenarios (on steep grades, in inclement weather, etc) And even then modern automatics have made immense strides in offering the user options to adjust the gears. Day-to-day driving there's almost zero benefit to driving a manual over automatic. Even some of the newer semis that come with automatics have switches so you can downshift going up or down grades.

What benefit does that additional control provide?

you can choose precisely which gear to use in a particular moment, including when to shift up or down, providing more power or more braking as necessary. using a manual intelligently has a lot of benefit.

using a manual intelligently has a lot of benefit.

Not really. It has a little benefit, in certain situations, that don't really matter to the vast majority of people.

And as you say, to get the maximum amount of benefit out of it, you have to use it intelligently. I'd argue that the vast number of people who drive shift don't necessarily optimize their usage to a degree where it makes all that much of a difference. They're sufficiently skilled, but haven't necessarily mastered it.

You're kinda missing the mark there. Try bringing in some specific situations and measurable advantages.

providing more power or more braking as necessary

important in racing, but also important in low-traction conditions in general. ABS and traction control are intended to be assists for low-traction conditions but they fail miserably in extreme low-traction, like ice and snow. similar for automatic transmission: it's convenient, but pales in comparison to actually being in control of the gears and using them intelligently in adverse conditions.

ABS and traction control will absolutely work well in ice and snow, because that is what they are specifically designed for

no they're designed for wet tarmac. they're actually disadvantageous in extreme snow and ice. I know this from repeat personal experience. it actually better to threshold brake and try to avoid activating the ABS to stop in thick snow. activating the ABS in extreme slippery conditions is close to not having brakes at all due to how badly it works in those conditions.

When driving a vehicle equipped with an Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), a driver should press the brake pedal firmly when stopping on a snowy or icy surface. The ABS will pump the brakes more rapidly than a driver would be able to.

If conditions are bad enough that ABS and traction control aren't enough to keep you driving safely without having full control over the transmission, either you need new/winter tires, or conditions are bad enough that the vast majority of people shouldn't be driving in the first place. Even then, pretty much every automatic vehicle I've ever been in has the option to manually shift into a lower gear for exactly that reason (that, and driving down steep grades so you don't have to ride the brake), so that isn't even unique to manual vehicles.

Even I know enough not to go out when when snow is falling faster then the salt/plow trucks can keep up with it.

some of this is making deliveries in the middle of the night on unplowed residential roads yes.

also possibly with poor tires, yes.