Poll: Manual Trans Drivers: How Old Are You?

32 now. My history: '97 Sunfire 5MT, '98 F150 5MT, '86 Chevy G30 3AT, '98 Saturn SL1 5MT, '07 Tacoma 6MT

 

Years ago I went to a Funeral and the staff puts everyones cars in line, the idiot guy had my car bouncing off the rev limiter just trying to move it and ended up just putting it first in line even though I was not supposed to be in that spot.

 

32. Been driving stick since I could reach the pedals, since our farm buggies growing up were all standard shift.

Currently the GF & I have the following in our household fleet:
2016 Ford F150 (auto)
2016 Ford Mustang (auto)
2004 Kawasaki Ninja (6 speed)
1999 Toyota Rav4 (5 speed)
1984 Dodge W150 (4 speed)
1969 Dodge D100 (4 speed)


Historically, I've personally owned 21 vehicles, 5 of which have been Automatics

 

I actually own an AT Taco (my wife's car is a stick) and my previous truck was also an AT. I offered it to our daughter (22 years old) when I bought the Taco, and she said she'd only take if it had been a stick. Years ago I had a manual trans GM car with some problems the dealer couldn't/wouldn't solve. So the GM regional service rep came in ... but he couldn't drive a stick! And this was back in 1981. So this isn't just a millennial thing, and I'm glad to see young folks know how to use three pedals.

 

36 here. I've owned 3 vehicles (not including the family Highlander) in my life. All three were Toyota trucks (1980 Toyota pickup (my profile picture), 2000 Toyota Tacoma, 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro). All three were manual. I actually get fairly frustrated with autos as I feel like the vehicle has a mind of its own when shifting. Dislike.

 

Age 34. The only cars I've had in automatic were cars where it wasn't an option. This is my 2nd MT Taco. Can't stand how boring it is to drive an automatic, can't stand constant gear hunting driving around in the mountains. Much more fun and more control driving a manual in snow and ice if you know what you're doing.

 

I'm in the 26-35 group. If they stop selling manual transmissions I'll probably never buy a new truck/car again.

 

I went from a MT truck I had since 1995 to this one to find that there aren't many MT vehicles left. There were none in my tri-state area to even test drive--I ordered mine. How many MT vehicles do you think will be available in 2039?

 

I had to Order a Manual too, got to test drive an Auto 17 for a few days and thought it sucked with that constant up and down shifting.

 

Last time I took an extended highway drive in an automatic I went to go downshift for the exit ramp and ended up slamming one of those big wide brake pedals to the floor.

 

Almost 40, and I have only ever owned MT. I cannot stand how automatics drive. Number 1 factor when I go to buy a vehicle is if I can get it in MT. If not I move onto something else. Whatever vehicle I own when MT stops being made will be the vehicle I own until I die (even if it means rebuilding everything on it several times).

 

for my last vehicle purchase it went like this:

1- find a MT vehicle i want, can use well, and can afford.
2- oh shit there's only 1 available.
3- buy said tacoma.

 

I personally went out my way to buy a manual 2nd gen. Drove from Charlotte NC to Murfresboro TN because there wasn't a manual taco closer.

 

I do that all the time if I'm not driving my tacoma or civic

 

I'm 63 and my new Tacoma is an automatic. I currently have another vehicle (2011 Honda CR-Z) bought new that is a 6-speed manual. The manuals I've owned have been a 1967 VW Beetle I bought used in 1970, a 1974 Fiat X-19 bought new, a 1974 Honda Civic bought used in 1976, and 1976 Honda Accord bought new, a 1979 Datsun 310 bought new, a 1982 Mazda RX7 bought new, a 1991 Ford Explorer Sport 2-door bought new, and lastly a 2009 Tacoma bought new for my son (now 24) to drive in high school. I bought it with a stick to force him to learn. Now he doesn't want to drive anything that's not a stick. He stole my 2009 this past August when he moved out.. it was gonna be that or the CR-Z. I'm keeping the CR-Z as an extra vehicle because it is sooooo much fun to drive.

 

That was me with this truck, only MT I could find in either Colorado or the surrounding states was in Utah, ended up flying there to buy it because dealers in Colorado were being dumb.

 

You knew the general age by the fact that boomers and older don't think they have accomplished the equivalence of brain surgery because they can operate a manual transmission.

But...how many can operate a trans with straight cut gears and no synchronizers?

 

Strange that you can't even find MT vehicles anymore. I was trying to find data on percentages of MT trucks produced for 2016 or 2017 and couldn't track anything down. Most searches say 5% for all vehicles. I found 1 thing that said ~2% for trucks. If anyone can find anything on percentages of MT trucks produced for 2017 post them up.

 

im 22 and all 5 vehicles i have owned have been manual transmissions, 4 of them being toyota 4x4s. they can be a bit of a pain in traffic, but i wouldnt trade that for being able to shift when i want, not when the truck thinks is best.

 

29.

learned how to drive on a 5-speed saab 9000. then got a 5-speed honda accord.
at this point, driving stick is just so damn normal to me. i actually zone out (not good....) a bit when i drive an automatic now.

manual transmission was a BIG reason why i got a tacoma.
wanted a 4x4 for snow, but with a stick. only solid options were tacoma, wrangler, xterra...easy choice.