I always enjoyed driving a manual, and owned several over the years. Unfortunately my left knee has deteriorated due to an old football injury to the point that continually clutching in/out/in/out/etc during city driving gets to be painful, so I'm pretty much an automatic guy now.

I’ve had manual transmissions all my life. I learned to drive in a 1952 Allis-Chalmers B tractor out of necessity on the farm (in the 90s).

Currently have a manual Jeep Wrangler and my brother’s 1994 Dodge Dakota.

My ex wife could not drive one and was not teachable. That should have been a clue.

Current wife handles one like a champ!

I will say, I mostly drive my work vehicle (auto transmission) these days. Hitting the imaginary clutch when braking in a hurry is quite a surprise every now and then lol

I have been driving since the mid 60's. Being from the muscle car era driving "stick" was almost mandatory.
My manual shift cars were;
1966 Shelby GT350 -4spd
1970 Vette with a 454-4spd
1957 Chevy with 3 on the tree (only two worked)
1980's something Toyota 4 runner
1994 Mazda 626 ( that's right Paul,the Mazdarati)
1970 Fiat Sport
1965 Mustang 3 spd.
1972 DeTomaso Pantera-5spd with 4500# Hays clutch (3 finger)

Used to be that a Sports car without a manual trans was blasphemy

My last one, not counting the farm tractors, was a 1994 Volvo 850.

I have always preferred a manual, but since that car, I have been driving 1/2 ton V8 pickups, and they just don't come with a manual anymore.

My 2018 F150 has the 10 speed auto, and it's the first auto trans that I think has better performance than the manual.

If I had a sports car, either high horsepower (Porsche, Corvette, Mustang) or low(er) horsepower (BRZ, MX-5) I would still want the manual just for the fun factor.

Yep, 911 manual

My wife and both our kids have owned and can drive manual transmissions

I just sold my 98 Sonoma with a manual yesterday after owning it for 22 years.

I’ll buy another in a few years. I’m thinking when my son turns 16 I’ll give him my current vehicle and buy something newer for myself.

When it was time for me to learn how to drive, Dad said learn to drive stick or don't drive. His reasoning: More control, more fun & your life may depend on it (Be able to drive anything).

The roster (1985 to today):

'72 VW Super Beetle 4 spd
'71 VW Super Beetle 4 spd
'86 Honda Accord LX 5 spd
'92 Honda Prelude Si 5 spd
'04 Acura RSX Type S 6 spd
'08 Acura TSX 6 spd
'12 Acura TSX SE 6 spd
'15 BMW 228i 6 spd
'18 BMW 230i 8AT (Damn you left knee!)
'21 BMW 230i 6 spd

I'll be driving manuals as long as they are available for sale.

I have a Boxster S with a 6 gear tranny. My buddy has the same car with an auto trans. I'm about a second faster on the track in his car. Manual tranny's make you feel fast but you're not. I'm going auto in my next car. I'd rather be fast than feel fast.

Yes, in avatar!

2010 VW GTI 2-door 6-Speed manual. I hear that VW no longer makes the GTI in either 2 door or real manual (they have the DSG, which I admit seems interesting.) When I want to replace the current car, I'll have some decisions to make.

2012 VW Golf TDI six speed manual. Daily Driver.

1976 Corvette (L-48... base model) four speed manual transmission. This vehicle needs some work, but it ran when I parked it.

quote:

Originally posted by Bytes:
I have a Boxster S with a 6 gear tranny. My buddy has the same car with an auto trans. I'm about a second faster on the track in his car. Manual tranny's make you feel fast but you're not. I'm going auto in my next car. I'd rather be fast than feel fast.

2 things, if you are tracking it then of course go with the auto option. Also, Porsche has an amazing auto transmission, the PDK, which is insanely good. Most autos are abysmal, that one is near perfection.

MT learner vehicle:
1961 Chevy Biscayne coupe 3 speed.
In HS, I built and drove Baja Bugs.
Last MT vehicle was a Corvette convertible with 6 speed Getrag.
I no longer feel the need for a MT. My new Charger has Paddle Shifters for its 8 speed auto.

I have one, a 2004 Z06. I dig it.

Still have my 99 Honda Prelude with a 5 speed. 56K in 21 years and my best diving experience was the Tail of the Dragon.

Does my Harley count? I learned on tractors and a three on the tree old crappy Ford wagon.

2002 BMW E46 325xi touring.

Back in around 2003, when we were dating, my wife had a 72 VW beetle with a manual, but at 6'5" I could barely get my leg between the clutch and the steering wheel, and that car blew the engine after a couple of months (not because of me!), so I never got really good at driving it.

I'd driven various M/T vehicles over the years out of necessity, but never owned one, so I didn't get a ton of practice. This spring we got a 2013 Mazda 3 with a 6-speed as a cheap run-around town car. It's been a lot of fun...not a ton of power, but the manual makes it interesting, and it gets 32mpg around town, which is nice.

The little 2.0 makes very little torque, so it's nowhere as forgiving as the old 7.3 diesels in the work trucks I used to drive. I've had some embarrassing stalls here and there, but I've been improving with practice. IMO it's a skill worth having.

Ain't nothing like "dropping" the clutch on a big cube American V8!
Brake torquing an auto is almost pathetic in comparison.

1997 Dodge Viper GTS