gearbox - auto/manual?

[st39.6]

As I was driving to car exhibition (still lame driver btw), I was wondering about gearing in US and other countries. I know that its very popular in US to have automatic gear.
I think its kinda lame. I mean yeah, why not, but driver should know how to shift - gear, right? You´re not a driver unless you can do that.

I have tried both on a very long distances already. Yeah, its very comfortable to drive with automatic gear, but the drive just isnt as enjoyable as it is with manual gear

So ... next poll (me the poll master)

[chernabog_ca]

Yes here in North America we pretty much drive automatics. I've been driving now for 11 years and have never driven a manual. When I was doing my driver training, I requested to be taught on a manual but was told that they didn't have a instructor currently teaching stick and that it would be better for me to learn on a automatic to learn how to drive and then learn stick.

I would love to drive stick but every car that we've owned since has been an auto (most cars here you can only get in auto except for sports cars and trucks). None of my friends drive stick as well so can't do it that way.

[st39.6]

Thats too bad
Here its totally different. There were pretty much never automatics in our country, nor in whole europe except some exceptions. But its changing lately, the expensive cars are more often and often with automatics.
But its good that you at least tried to learn with it (well you wanted).

[chernabog_ca]

I've heard that about Europe. Is it because of the higher fuel costs? Same as more diesel engines being available.

I determined to learn one of these days. I'm tempted to just pick up some old beater to learn on.

[corfy]

My first car was a manual, although I haven't driven a manual in 10 years. Quite frankly, I probably won't get another manual. Driving in downtown city and driving in a traffic jam (both of which is a lot of stop and go driving, well, maybe I should say, "stop and sneak forward" instead of "stop and go") is much harder to do in a manual. Otherwise, it really doesn't matter to me. Of course, the one manual car I drove was made 30 years ago, so manuals may have changed somewhat since then.

[Jax]

Thats too bad
Here its totally different. There were pretty much never automatics in our country, nor in whole europe except some exceptions. But its changing lately, the expensive cars are more often and often with automatics.
But its good that you at least tried to learn with it (well you wanted).

Same here, usualy in Belgium automatic (semi-automatic or tiptronic) is found in more expensive cars. Almost everyone learns to drive a manual if for whatever reason you wanted to learn to drive with an automatic from the start, your driving license would only be valid to drive an automatic. If you learned to drive with a stick you may drive either.