Most everyone drives an automatic transmission nowadays, however, there are some manual transmissions still out there. It's possible to get a new car, even a 2019, with a manual transmission, but only if you're willing to take on the beast. Learning on two pedals may have been hard in the beginning, but imagine having to re-learn how to drive with three pedals below your feet.
Things can get a little complicated and frustrating.
I got my driver's license in December 2016 and driving was a breeze until Christmas. That's when the beast showed up. This was a 2004 Scion XB with a manual transmission, also known as Baby. I left that car in the driveway and in my parents driving capabilities until January when I decided to take on the task of taming three pedals. Re-learning how to drive has never been so frustrating and so hard. I ditched my training in March but vowed to drive Baby unassisted by the time I turned 17, and I did.
Driving a stick shift has changed both my life and the way I drive, which may be a little for the worse. In many ways, driving a manual transmission has made me a better driver. It is easy to drive in autopilot when in an automatic because the car does all the work for you. You just barely have to press on the gas and the break; the car does the rest. So many people tend to use their cell phones, eat or even put their makeup on while driving down the highway at 75 miles per hour. It doesn't even seem dangerous to us anymore. But now step into the driver's seat of a stick shift, and things don't get done on their own. You have to downshift and press the brake when you come to a stop, which you need both hands for. You can't text and drive, eat and drive, or do anything and drive. Both hands have to be free, one on the wheel and the other on the shifter. With this setup, people have to pay attention to what is happening around them and be able to react within a moment's notice so they can shift into the proper gear for the situation. Not being able to go into autopilot when I drive has allowed me to see upcoming situations as they happen and I am better prepared to deal with them.
Overall, you'll be a safer driver and a cooler person if you know how to drive a manual transmission.
