18% Of New Yorkers Say They Don’t Know What This Is, Do You?

How long has it been since you learned how to drive? Did you drive a car that looked like any of the ones pictured here? Did you have three pedals to choose from instead of just two?

Do you recognize what the item is in the center of the car that is shown in the photos? Do you know how to use it?

How many people in New York know what that "thing" is?

That thing that I am referring to is a stick-shift car, also known as a manual transmission car. According to US News & World Report, only 18% of people know what that is and know how to use it.

How many cars in the United States are available new in a manual transmission or stick-shift?

In 2022, less than 5% off all new cars in the United States are sold with a manual transmission. If you are trying to find one, you might start with VW, Subaru, Jeep and Mini, and then don't hold your breath.

Is it hard to learn how to drive a stick-shift car?

To be honest, that depends on you. I learned how to drive a stick on my sisters 1989 Ford Festiva, that she had named Fred. I was also living in California at the time, which means learning to stop at a stop light, on a hill, and learning to float the clutch or just how to quickly get the car going forward in that situation.

Will stick-shifts continue to disappear or will they become collectors items?

Listen, I am the most diehard stick shift driver you will find. I waiting two months to get my current car because I really wanted it in a stick. I hope to always have a stick shift car to drive. Do I think differently when I am stuck in bumper to bumper traffic? Eh, maybe.

As the move toward more all electric and hybrid vehicles, you will probably also see the extinction of the manual cars. Save the manuals!