Who still drives a stick in 2025?

[ultrarunner]

I'm willing to bet most of the old timers here learned to drive on a stick. I learned to drive in a VW beetle in a 20 acre pasture at 14 yrs of age. When I was younger my Dad would let me shift gears while riding passenger in the MGB. I was fascinated with the timing and results of manually changing gears. Just for fun my almost daily driver today is a diesel Beetle with a turbo and 6 spd manual. It gets 50-60 mpg hwy. My first truck was a 54 GMC 4 spd. Followed by many manual trucks right up to my last manual truck, a 95 Ford 1 ton 7.3 diesel with a 5 spd. Loved em all.

I learned to double clutch on a 1950’s something VW bug convertible at the church parking lot… drivers license still years away and parking cars at the dealership didn’t let me practice shifting… just parking.

 

[hkbirdman]

I drive my stick shift samurai at least weekly if not more.

I was at the hardware store and a young guy asked me if it’s hard to drive?

I said no… I learned to drive with a stick.

Another skill set fading with time.

How many TBN members own/drive manual transmission vehicle(s) in 2025?

2014 Mustang GT and 1988 F-350 Ford dump. All other vehicles that see the bulk of the mileage are automatics.

 

[Engineer42]

No manuals here now. I learned to drive on a 4 speed 3/4 ton, and have driven quite a few different set ups. Was driving quadraplex B-61's before I had my drivers license. 5 speed, 5+2, triplex's, duplex's, 10 speeds, 13 speeds, and seven speeds.

3 speed on the column remains my favorite. I continue to look for a 64 Chevy or Ford step side 6cyl 3 speed on the column to maintain for a weekend cruiser.

 

[ultrarunner]

I taught my 12 year old niece to drive on a F150 with 5spd and 4wd with transfer case in low…

She said it was the most fun ever driving around the farm and near impossible to kill in compound low.

 

[Rustyiron]

I daily drive a manual 2023 Tacoma. There sure aren't many options these days when looking for a manual truck.

I think that the epa standards are behind this. They can't control your driving habits and shift points to meet mpg and emissions with a manual trans. The manufacturers are "knee capped" in this area. But it's (on average) probably true that the computer is a better, more efficient driver or at least shifter than most people.

 

[Jstpssng]

I think that the epa standards are behind this. They can't control your driving habits and shift points to meet mpg and emissions with a manual trans. The manufacturers are "knee capped" in this area. But it's (on average) probably true that the computer is a better, more efficient driver or at least shifter than most people.

25 years ago manufacturers were saying that only 10% of new pickup buyers wanted manual shift. I can't imagine that number has increased since then.

 

[QRTRHRS]

No manuals here now. I learned to drive on a 4 speed 3/4 ton, and have driven quite a few different set ups. Was driving quadraplex B-61's before I had my drivers license. 5 speed, 5+2, triplex's, duplex's, 10 speeds, 13 speeds, and seven speeds.

3 speed on the column remains my favorite. I continue to look for a 64 Chevy or Ford step side 6cyl 3 speed on the column to maintain for a weekend cruiser.

Ah, two sticks. The ole' stick one arm through the steering wheel trick. Maybe even trickier were the days of "constant torque" engines with 5-6-7 speed transmissions even though there was only one stick. These engines lugged down to like ~1200 rpm's. I saw more than one transmission tore up because someone could not grasp letting the rpm's drop to shift. Usually no upshifting on a hill because the rpm's did not drop quickly enough unless the engine had a brake.

Two of my best vehicles in snow were 6cyl 3pds. Both had posi rears. One was a 56' Chevy wagon (nerd car) and the other was a 66' Chevy van (hippy van) with the engine between the seats. I did interstate highway work for three winters. It snowed, I went to work. That 66 van always got me to the yard to get the truck.

 

[deserteagle71]

Been driving manual transmissions for 70 years now. Still have two...Jeep Wrangler and Dodge/Cummins dually, both with 6 speed manual trannies.

 

[aba4430]

An 87 Brat with dual range 4-speed, 98 Z3 and 2000 328Ci, both with 5-speeds; these three do not see much action in winter. The rest are autos.

 

[Rustyiron]

25 years ago manufacturers were saying that only 10% of new pickup buyers wanted manual shift. I can't imagine that number has increased since then.

25 years ago transmissions were better. Think about a C-6 ford or the GM TH 350-400. As long as you changed the juice every 70k+/- they would last forever.
As I type this I'm thinking about today's HP also.....
never mind, maybe.