Poll: Can you drive a stick?

Yes! It's way fun. It's easier to control speed/acceleration in the mountains. But it does suck in traffic. CUrrently I drive an automatic for the purposes of traffic, but if I lived somewhere with less congestion I would definintely have a manual transmission.

Translation: never own a standard in Houston. My dad talked me out of buying one and I'm so glad.

:1: It is definitely a plus in the mountains. My car had no clue what was going on when I drove in the mountains. My friend is from Costa Rica which is pretty mountainous, and the roads can be much steeper. Over there everyone drives a stick because automatic transmissions last a few months.

Dad's are great for that reason!
And to scare away wussy boyfriends.

And to scare away wussy boyfriends.

:LOL: Bad news homer!

Manuals transmissions get better mileage and less lost power than their automatic counterparts. A manual transmission offers a mechanical connection (flywheel to clutch to pressure plate) between the engine and driveshaft. An automatic utilizes hydraulics and mechanics in making this same connection. Power and therefore mileage is lost thru the use of the hydraulics. Automatics need engine power to operate the hydraulic pump and they create considerably more heat than standards also. And since the automatic trans is generally cooled thru the radiator on a stock vehicle a more costly radiator is req'd to cool them both. Other things that add to the cost of automatic equipped vehicles are transmission cooler lines, electronics to control shifting and they are inherently more expensive to produce because the internals of an automatic are immensely more complicated than a manual.
I've heard of people easily getting 100k miles out of stock clutch/pressure plate combo's these days. If you learn to shift correctly, don't slip the clutch holding the vehicle at a stop on a hill, etc. a clutch can last a very long time.
Need any more info?

Modern automatics have 7,8,9 speeds to achieve better fuel mileage along with over drive and have always had a better rear axle ratio which would add to fuel mileage. My old Jeep Wagoneer also had a lockup torque converter and got 17 mpg on a trip. Not bad for a 5000 pound vehicle with a carburetor. That was with a Chrysler 727 Torqueflite which has been around since the late 50s and was used in many trucks also. If driven properly those are capable of well over 100,000 miles. The 58 NY I used to tow and push start my dragsters was doing well with over 200,000 miles on it. The Jeep that I used to plow my driveway for 15 years never had a problem with it's transmission. If I had worked a plow truck like that with a standard in it I would expect to have done some serious repairs, several times. I guess you can tell I'm NOT a fan of standard shifts. While sitting in the waiting room of a truck spring shop waiting for heavier springs to be installed on my Jeep for carrying the plow I listened to a couple big rig drivers discussing the computer controlled shifters in their trucks. That was pretty close to automatic as the only time they intervened with their left foot was to stop and start. With the computer doing all the shifting it was apparently synchronized with engine speed to eliminate using the clutch. They both seemed to like it.