Tbh, I never learned to drive a stick. My cousin offered to let me drive his stick once back when I was 18, but I declined because I thought I would cause a massive pile-up because I'm so clumsy. So I looked into the differences between driving a stick vs automatic since I'm going to buy a new car soon. Personally, I really don't care, I just want to get from point A to point B. Nothing more, nothing less.

During my search, I came across multiple "stereotypes" about driving a stick. On facebook (and God knows I HATE facebook), I saw someone post a meme saying that if your man can't drive a stick, he might as well be wearing these (a pair of panties). It didn't make sense to me, so I googled it out of curiosity. I've seen a few guys ask questions on ask.com asking whether chicks think guys who drive a stick shift are more attractive. The responses were mixed about 50/50. Half said they didn't care, others said they like it. What kinda baffled me the most was this pathetically written article on askmen.com (I hate that site too btw). It essentially said at some point that you are less of a man if you can't drive a stick. Wtf? The sad part was some guy calling this lady's husband a pussy because he drove an automatic. Of course, this is just a few people.

But seriously, I don't get it. I couldn't find one bit of evidence supporting this notion that driving a stick makes you more manly. As I stated before, I just want to get from point A to point B. Although with my salary, I can afford to buy a brand new Porsche and make double the monthly payment with money still left over if I wanted to. But frankly, I don't feel the need to impress anyone with a fancy car, nor do I need to place my masculinity in a car. My girlfriend doesn't care because she appears to appreciate the finer things in life. When I read stuff like that, it reminds me of how we used to judge coolness based on the consoles you owned. Very childish.

So, what are your thoughts all ye blokes and ladies?

Shogun.

I couldn't find one bit of evidence supporting this notion that driving a stick makes you more manly.

You mean macho ideas about masculinity aren't based on evidence!? What next??!

As for the actual car topic... manual transmission seems to be the default choice here in Australia. Automatic transmission is a luxury feature that you get if you don't mind paying more for the car, and more for servicing, and don't like driving manual.

Personally, I hate automatic cars. They always have a feeling of lacking power, unable to give quick acceleration when required, or struggling with inclines. Manual transmission gives you so much more control over your torque output. I feel I'd be more likely to cause a massive pile-up in an automatic because it is so clumsy - sometimes you need to be able to quickly drop into a lower gear to avoid an incident
Of course, all these issues go away once we can all afford to buy a Tesla

On the highway, I have no particular objection to automatics. For work, though, I vastly prefer a stick. For play, also. Like Hodgman said, you can often make more efficient use of your available torque with a standard transmission. Additionally, in some scenarios such as a stall on a steep incline, if you are geared low enough in a manual you can re-start without having to shift out of gear. An old 4x4 of mine, I could start it even if my front wheels were against a 1 ft tall obstruction in 4 low. Thing would climb the stair just on starter torque alone. Automatic you have to shift out of gear to restart, increasing the wear on the transmission.

I'd suspect the whole manly thing comes from 4x4 enthusiasts, who tend to be mostly male, quite caught up in the "more power!" aspect of things, and prefer manual transmissions.

I couldn't find one bit of evidence supporting this notion that driving a stick makes you more manly.

You mean macho ideas about masculinity aren't based on evidence!? What next??!

As for the actual car topic... manual transmission seems to be the default choice here in Australia. Automatic transmission is a luxury feature that you get if you don't mind paying more for the car, and more for servicing, and don't like driving manual.

Personally, I hate automatic cars. They always have a feeling of lacking power, unable to give quick acceleration when required, or struggling with inclines. Manual transmission gives you so much more control over your torque output. I feel I'd be more likely to cause a massive pile-up in an automatic because it is so clumsy - sometimes you need to be able to quickly drop into a lower gear to avoid an incident
Of course, all these issues go away once we can all afford to buy a Tesla

I think this is one of the better arguments for owning a stick instead. I can see having an advantage with inclines. I think in the states, we mostly have automatic transmissions. The other good argument I read was more about knowing your vehicle better. Frankly, I'd like to experience driving a stick, but I don't know anyone who owns a stick to practice on. I wouldn't be surprised if I liked the stick better, considering that my city's terrain features many mountains and hills. I live in a similar terrain to JT afaik.

On the highway, I have no particular objection to automatics. For work, though, I vastly prefer a stick. For play, also. Like Hodgman said, you can often make more efficient use of your available torque with a standard transmission. Additionally, in some scenarios such as a stall on a steep incline, if you are geared low enough in a manual you can re-start without having to shift out of gear. An old 4x4 of mine, I could start it even if my front wheels were against a 1 ft tall obstruction in 4 low. Thing would climb the stair just on starter torque alone. Automatic you have to shift out of gear to restart, increasing the wear on the transmission.

I'd suspect the whole manly thing comes from 4x4 enthusiasts, who tend to be mostly male, quite caught up in the "more power!" aspect of things, and prefer manual transmissions.

Maybe so. I just want to get somewhere without having to wait on a dammed bus, essentially doubling my commute time.

Shogun.

One of the biggest reasons I would consider someone less of a man is if he thinks another less of a man for being unable to <insert retarded feat here>.

Driving a stick never got me women, and it never even occurred to me that it should. Frankly, if I imagine myself going up to a woman and bragging that I can drive a stick, I’d feel pretty pathetic. As a person who can drive a stick, if I thought that were a selling point of mine, I’d have to be pretty desperate to sell myself. That’s the kind of guy who thinks you have to drive a stick to be a real man. Pathetic and desperate.

I’ve never put 2 thoughts into manual and automatics. It’s a non-issue. These days I use trains.


You have to realize that those “real men do X” guys are literally a self parody—I only say those words in mocking jest of them. “Well, real men wear their underwear on the outside.” Macho != real man. Real man == respectful to women, generous, humble, etc.


L. Spiro

Manuals don't really exist much in the US outside sports cars and a few random budget options. Everyone else in this thread is not USA-based ;) Even if they're technically available, finding them on dealer lots is difficult. Modern automatic transmissions yield better gas mileage (and better performance in some cases), which has accelerated their sprint towards complete takeover. Manual in the US doesn't make sense for a point A to point B daily driver unless you really want to save $500 on a $18,000 ish product. It would be better to shortlist your cars entirely around factors that actually matter to you personally, and then evaluate if you have some desire for manual.

There's actually a quite wide spectrum of automatic transmissions out there - old school 4 speed planetary gear/torque converter, modern efficient computer controlled using torque converters with lock up, continuously variable (CVT), dual clutch systems, and even the Tesla one-speed. The different manufacturers have transmissions that behave differently, and reviews often shed light on how a certain transmission is set up to behave. Mazda does a better job with transmissions (either kind) than many others, as does Ford. Both are tuned to be crisp and responsive. Toyotas and Hondas usually try to make the transmission as unobtrusive as possible - good for mileage and comfort, bad for performance and responsiveness. Subaru and Nissan seem to have settled into the CVT thing, which... well, it's neither here nor there. Probably best to test drive it. VW Group offers their DSG dual clutch type box on higher end cars, which is very nice but expensive.

Also, modern automatic transmissions are learning systems. They adjust the programming based on the first couple hundred miles of driving, plus you can reset them by unplugging the car battery for a while. This means that often you can get much better response out of the transmission by resetting it, and then driving aggressively for a while. They'll learn to give you torque earlier and hold gears longer.

Obviously asking the internet for advice on masculinity is a foolish strategy.

One of the biggest reasons I would consider someone less of a man is if he thinks another less of a man for being unable to <insert retarded feat here>.

Driving a stick never got me women, and it never even occurred to me that it should. Frankly, if I imagine myself going up to a woman and bragging that I can drive a stick, I’d feel pretty pathetic. As a person who can drive a stick, if I thought that were a selling point of mine, I’d have to be pretty desperate to sell myself. That’s the kind of guy who thinks you have to drive a stick to be a real man. Pathetic and desperate.

I’ve never put 2 thoughts into manual and automatics. It’s a non-issue. These days I use trains.


You have to realize that those “real men do X” guys are literally a self parody—I only say those words in mocking jest of them. “Well, real men wear their underwear on the outside.” Macho != real man. Real man == respectful to women, generous, humble, etc.


L. Spiro

This. I stopped caring a long time ago what others thought of me. High school is over.

I also get sick and tired of everyone saying "a real man is <insert nonsense here>" and posting that nonsense on facebook as if they are defining masculinity. Men and women do this I noticed (and I noticed many of those who say this stuff on the net are single to begin with). I don't need a pathetic meme or keyboard warrior to tell me. As long as I have a sense of decency, morality and self-respect, I do consider myself and anyone else who fits the bill a real man.

Manuals don't really exist much in the US outside sports cars and a few random budget options. Everyone else in this thread is not USA-based ;) Even if they're technically available, finding them on dealer lots is difficult. Modern automatic transmissions yield better gas mileage (and better performance in some cases), which has accelerated their sprint towards complete takeover. Manual in the US doesn't make sense for a point A to point B daily driver unless you really want to save $500 on a $18,000 ish product. It would be better to shortlist your cars entirely around factors that actually matter to you personally, and then evaluate if you have some desire for manual.

There's actually a quite wide spectrum of automatic transmissions out there - old school 4 speed planetary gear/torque converter, modern efficient computer controlled using torque converters with lock up, continuously variable (CVT), dual clutch systems, and even the Tesla one-speed. The different manufacturers have transmissions that behave differently, and reviews often shed light on how a certain transmission is set up to behave. Mazda does a better job with transmissions (either kind) than many others, as does Ford. Both are tuned to be crisp and responsive. Toyotas and Hondas usually try to make the transmission as unobtrusive as possible - good for mileage and comfort, bad for performance and responsiveness. Subaru and Nissan seem to have settled into the CVT thing, which... well, it's neither here nor there. Probably best to test drive it. VW Group offers their DSG dual clutch type box on higher end cars, which is very nice but expensive.

Also, modern automatic transmissions are learning systems. They adjust the programming based on the first couple hundred miles of driving, plus you can reset them by unplugging the car battery for a while. This means that often you can get much better response out of the transmission by resetting it, and then driving aggressively for a while. They'll learn to give you torque earlier and hold gears longer.

Yeah, the fancy sports cars tend to have manual transmissions more often than the other daily drivers. A car is just a car to me. I mean, I wouldn't mind having a nice car with a bit of prestige, but it's really meaningless in the end game (unless you're some pick up artist with no game).

And that last bit is also something to consider.

Obviously asking the internet for advice on masculinity is a foolish strategy.

Hence why I don't. My girlfriend loves the fact that I have a spine.

Shogun.

So, what are your thoughts all ye blokes and ladies?

No true Scotsmen pay attention to "No true Scotsmen" assertions.



Pragmatically: If you find yourself needing to learn manual, avoid 90's Nissans. They have REALLY narrow clutches. Find someone with a crappy 80's Jeep Cherokee to learn on.

I've been driving cars with manual transmission for the last 10 years, but recently opted for an automatic one. My guess is I'll never go back to manual transmission again, it's such a huge leap in comfort. Where I live (Sweden) manual transmissioned cars are more common and are easier to sell, but automatics are getting more and more common as a luxuary option.

I've also heard that you're less of a good person if you drive automatics. ;)

Edit: Keep in mind you'll have trouble selling your car (in the U.S) in the future if you buy a manual transmissioned one.

Lamborghini R&D Chief Explains Why Manual Transmissions are Dead

You can't buy a Lambo with a manual transmission anymore.