Do your teens know how to drive a stick shift?

[Anonymous]

I’m 50 and barely know how. Kids definitely not. Though I did meet a 16 yo the other day who is learning on his dads car, I was super impressed

[Anonymous]

I drive a stick shift. My 15-year-old is currently driving my husband's car only with his learner's permit. The current plan is that once he gets his license next year, we will teach him to drive the stick shift.

[Anonymous]

It's so fun to drive a manual! I feel like Mario Andretti.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Because those are the cars we have.

[Anonymous]

Yes, I taught my teen to drive on my 911 turbo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Because those are the cars we have.

This will be us. But most families we know don't have manual transmission cars.

[Anonymous]

My kids are 3 and 4 but they will learn because DH and I both want them to and consider it a basic life skill (I realize in the US it's not actually necessary but still). We had only a standard until our second kid was born.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 3 and 4 but they will learn because DH and I both want them to and consider it a basic life skill (I realize in the US it's not actually necessary but still). We had only a standard until our second kid was born.

If you don't own a manual, then how will your kids learn to drive one? Will you rent one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kids are 3 and 4 but they will learn because DH and I both want them to and consider it a basic life skill (I realize in the US it's not actually necessary but still). We had only a standard until our second kid was born.

If you don't own a manual, then how will your kids learn to drive one? Will you rent one?

We'll buy one when they're older and we don't need car seats/boosters. My husband strongly prefers them. I wanted something easy for the little kid years so we have the standard small SUVs that everyone has (Outback, GLC).

[Anonymous]

^^^ That makes sense. I love my manual Honda Fit!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^ That makes sense. I love my manual Honda Fit!

That sounds awesome! Our old car was a Subaru WRX that my DH got right after college and it was so much fun to drive.

[Anonymous]

I can’t believe how many PPs own stick shifts with how much traffic is around the DMV. I loved my old wrangler in my teens/20s that was stick but then when it was time to get a 4 door “family” jeep it just made much more sense to get automatic since there is so much time spent sitting at intersections in traffic around here. I’m still sad about it and feel lame for having automatic jeep and that’s what our teens will learn on.

[Anonymous]

I learned on a manual back in the Midwest in the 80's. But after driving in Chicago traffic - coming and going from college - I promised myself never to buy a manual. My first car out of college - automatic and never looked back. Of course, it probably means DS won't learn to drive a manual unless he does it on his own b/c he wants a sports car.

[Anonymous]

No. They also can't churn butter or send Morse code.

[Anonymous]

No. We got rid of our stick shift car when the oldest was 5. I sometimes miss my stick shift car.