POLL: Can you drive stick?

[AustinZeWhiteGuy]

Just recently got my permit. And looking forward to my first car. My grandpa works at a VW dealership (only reason imma be able to get a nice car and plus i have always loved hatch's and VW's). And since the R doesnt come with DSG ive been learning stick and to me it was super hard to get used to since i was driving my moms honda civic before. But i have been learning stick from my grandfather and its a lot more fun. Its become a natural thing for me.
Well thats my story.. So far :thumbup:

 

[DRedman451]

I first drove stick when i was about 12 in a junk carolla...after that i drove my family's company's parts getter 95 toyota t100 p/u...when i turned 18 i got my cdl permit, and this summer when i turned 21(no in state restrictions after your 21) i got my CDL and now i drive 18 speed transmissions haha

 

[rcopp]

learned when I was like 12 I think, in a Suzuki Sidekick. Got my first car and it was an auto, and refreshed in my friend's crappy hyundai accent, then picked up my 6 speed GTI last year.

 

[rx4brdm]

Thought about the DSG 'cuz I really liked it but the thoughts of what it may cost me later down the line kept me from doing it. I'm planning on keeping this car for a long while.

Due to medical issues only got my license 10 years ago but learned on a '94 Toyota truck with a V6 and the clutch going out. Just like to be a little more "involved" in my driving experience.

 

[pov]

I voted no. I had a friend teach me 11 years back as a freshman in high school but I don't consider myself proficient at it. I'm not afraid to admit it.

 

[D Griff]

I voted no. I had a friend teach me 11 years back as a freshman in high school but I don't consider myself proficient at it. I'm not afraid to admit it.

Respect to you. I would agree that it doesn't really count unless you've driven one every day (owned the car for a period of time).

I learned when I was about 17. My dad had an early 80's VW Rabbit diesel when I was growing up and ever since asking him how it worked as a little kid I wanted to learn. My first car when I got my license in 2005 however, was a 1993 Ford Taurus automatic. I was happy to have it as it was a freebie from mom and dad, but I still had the manual itch. A few buddies taught me some my first year of driving in an 1978 MGB (total piece) and an RSX. After driving for about 18 months, I got my Civic, where I "perfected" the art. Now I'm manuals for life! It was a no-brainer for me to get the manual GTI. I will say though, that of every manual I've driven, I think the Honda Fit has the best gear box, definitely better than my GTI... Most interesting gearbox I've driven- four on the column in my dad's 1968 Citroen DS.

 

[lon888]

I have been driving manuals exclusively for 35 years. I had to learn to drive a stick hard and and fast. My father boought me a Datsun 240Z in Dallas, Texas. I got about 20 minutes of practice and then drove it over 200 miles to home. What an experience!

 

[Cackalacka]

Learned on a '69 MG Midget, and I piss standing up, thank you very much.

 

[ihaveme]

I did not have a choice in learning to drive stick. My father made it a must or I couldn't get my driver's license. I am one of those strange women that actually enjoys driving stick. When gas prices went up years back I made sure my next vehicle was a stick. Now it's all I drive. VW Cabrio and new Fiat 500c both sticks.

 

[scottie46]

Learned on my mk6 driving it away from VDUB

 

[Redzgti]

I started to learned to drive stick in a 93 protege. then bought my gti and got it down.

 

[McQueen77]

Learned on a '69 MG Midget, and I piss standing up, thank you very much.

Haha, possibly the best reply thus far! Right on.

 

[bmanMKVI]

Learned on a friend's 1980 Toyota Supra. After that, spent about the next 6 years driving manuals. Since then, I've been auto only, due to traffic, laziness, and spouse.

 

[bmanMKVI]

Yeah, if you could force everyone on the site to take your poll, I think the results would be interesting. Unfortunately, I think the only ones who are going to respond to the poll are the ones who can drive stick (which based on your results, it looks like is happening). I've heard somewhere that half of the GTI's in the US are sold with stick and the other half DSG, so the split on this site is probably similar.

I would guess that more than 50% of GTI drivers *can* drive a manual. Just because you can drive a manual does not mean that you will choose to.

 

[kashak]

My dad used to let me drive his Lada Niva(4x4) back when I was only 7, in a forest of course and with his supervision. Before I got my GTI all I drove were automatics. 2 weeks prior to getting my dub I asked my friend to let me drive his civic. Took about a week to learn it. Surprisingly I only stalled a manual once during that period. Never getting anything other than manual from now on