Would it be useful to learn how to drive a stick?

Find someone with an old manual transmission car and go out on a clear day with them and practice in a giant empty parking lot. Make sure they teach you about how the gears function and how you could mistakenly stall the car. They should be fully aware that you will stall the car while you’re learning, it just happens. As long as you’re not around other cars (and pedestrians) and the owner of the car is with you, you probably won’t “break” their transmission. I would also watch videos online to get familiar with the foot positions and typical motions of driving a stick shift.

My first car was a manual transmission, and I learned by practicing…sometimes it didn’t sound very good and stopping on hills used to make me panic. But I learned that it was very intuitive and I learned to love it (except in traffic). I haven’t had a manual car in a loooong time, but I have on occasion rented one while on vacations (in Europe, and jeeps, convertibles, fun cars). I think it’s most helpful to know how to drive a stick-shift, and I think if you ask kindly some of your friends may be patient enough to let you practice in a parking lot. Go for it and best of luck!

Sorry, I didn’t answer the first part. I don’t know where you’re from, but driving in Europe is just a magnificent way to see the countryside. I wouldn’t recommend driving in Charles de Gaulle Etoile in Paris, but if you’re on low-traffic roads it’s just beautiful.

In this U.S., if you live in a snowy climate, you get much better control with a manual transmission all-wheel drive car than you do with an automatic front-wheel drive. Most people I’ve talked to say driving a manual transmission is more fun for the driver (although sometimes less comfortable for passengers).

If you have any relatives who live on a farm, they usually have well-broken in manuals that they likely wouldn’t mind letting you learn on. As an added bonus, you’d already be in the middle of nowhere, so the risk of hitting people would be lessened.

As an added bonus, you can usually get better fuel economy on a manual, rather than an automatic.

Driving Stick is MUCH more fun then Automatic – I have a standard and will never go back to automatic – however to answer your question. EVERYONE should know how to drive stick, if there ever was an emergency and the only car was standard, what would you do? When my kids grow up they will learn on stick first. once you get the hang of it, its easy and fun. Plus you do have more control over the car in crappy weather. find some one with an older standard (the clutch is what youll burn out anyway) and like Blastfamy says find a farm or old dirt road and GIVER!

I drive a manual. If you were somewhere with me (out of cell phone range) and I started having a heart attack, very likely, you not knowing how to drive a manual transmission will kill me.

One reason I drive a manual is because I get distracted easily and switching gears keeps my mind on the road.

If 1% of car thieves don’t know how to drive a stick shift that would be enough for me… but the number is probably closer to 50%ish. Also, your car will be worth less on the black market. Who wouldn’t want to drive a nice car that the thieves don’t want?

I will always drive standard from here on out until I die.

You should definitely learn, what if you are on the Amazing Race and need to drive a stick to get to a destination?

@Irk, you need to tell your friends to stop being stingy!

I’ve had a car with a manual transmission since I was 15 (now 23) and have taught at least six of my friends how to also drive a manual—on my car.

My dad also wanted me to learn in case there was an emergency and I had to drive someone who had a manual.

Plus being able to drive a stick in the US where young people are increasingly unable to makes the driver very sexy :o)

I will never go to an automatic!

I learned on a manual as well; I’ve only ever driven three automatic cars on three separate occasions, and I don’t like it as much. When I was driving in Europe this summer, it was really helpful to be able to drive it. Since you know how to drive in general, it shouldn’t take you too long to learn. It’s all about the motion of letting up the clutch while pushing down the gas – as soon as you get a hold of that motion, you’re good to go. In terms of getting your friends to let you use their car: tell them that you will pay for gas (or perhaps even pay for the use of their car, if you have the means), drive only in a large, empty parking lot, and allow them to set a time limit (or a limit on the number of times you kill the car as a result of letting up the clutch too fast). My parents taught me on a manual because they had no choice, but I’ve driven the car that I learned on for 4+ years, and it hasn’t had any transmission issues.

Definately learn to drive it! I have had both kinds if cars over the years and you never know when that knowledge will come in handy.
I remember one car salesman who tried to tell it husband that he would sell us a car for a good price but (he assumed) I couldn’t drive it so we would have to consider the more expensive car. It was kind of nice to flaunt my ability at the slimeball.

Definately learn!!! I learned in a couple hours, it isn’t hard at all. Its a very sexy skill to have. I will admit that the first few times you have to stop halfway
up an incline in traffic will be terrifying.

Once you learn how to drive stick you’ll never want to drive an automatic vehicle again. Its just so boring driving autos and i constantly find my self grabbing for the shifter lol. Learning will be kinda tricky at first with starting out from a dead stop and then starting on hills, but its worth the time to learn.

Plus its always good o know how to drive stick, you never know when you may need it.
ie i taught my girlfriend how to drive stick because im allergic to peanuts. If im out and get a reaction, she needs to know how to drive lol.