I discovered something interesting last year. Not only do I know a lot of parents with teenage kids, but most of the dozen or more teens I know are not at all interested in driving. They’re more interested in Roblox or Fortnite or Among Us and figure they’ll just hitch a ride when they need to get somewhere. There’s nothing wrong with not wanting to drive, but the idea of teens not itching to get behind the wheel boggles my mind. But hey, the future is still bright!
I say that because today, Lewin published a story about the 27 cars that still can still be had with manual transmissions as of this year. Russ McLean commented with a story of his own about some cool teens getting into manuals:
I live on a couple of acres out in the country. And have a 1962 Volvo PV544 and a 1986 Ford F150 – both have 5 speed manual transmissions swapped in. After Christmas, a long time friend brought by two 15 year old kids that wanted to learn how to drive a manual transmission.
I got both of them soloing (no adult supervision in the vehicle!!!!). And they did not hit each other or any solid obstacles. NOTE: Over the years, my kids and grand kids have managed to run into bushes, fences and a tether ball pole. We managed to get the accidents out of their systems before we turned then loose on the general public <wink>.
Both want to come back when they get their Arizona learner’s permits. I have a series of roads available for them to develop their driving skills.
As an 80 year old, it feels good to pass the knowledge on to new generations.
And a p.s. – The 6 foot male liked the little Volvo and the 5 foot female liked the bigger F150.
Consumer Reports loves talking about what cars it thinks are best, so we decided to do something similar Autopian flavor. Jatco Xtronic CVT continues to be my favorite meme account on here:
I see no cars equipped with the Jatco Xtronic CVT on this list. There are plenty of affordable options, and all of them are no-brainers considering they’ll get excellent MPG, never have to do that awful shifting thing, and best of all, be very reliable, as the transmission fluid never needs changed. Come on, Thomas. Your readers deserve the truth.
Hey now, I did compliment a Nissan Rogue with a CVT. That has to count for something, right?
Finally, Bozi wrote an update on turning the sleek new Prius into a hot hatch. OHsnap notes that the Prius is pretty quick now:
Handling notwithstanding (which is what Bozi’s working on) 0-60 in 6.6 seconds for the Prius Prime is definitely in traditional hot hatch territory. It’s on par with a GTI, a Clio, a Civic Si, a Veloster…the list goes on.
Have a great evening, everyone!
Top graphic photo: Volvo
20 years ago when I started (legally) driving, it was me and 2 other friends that were close. Myself and one other got our permits/licenses immediately. The other waited to get his license until he was 18 (in PA you didn’t need to get a permit if you were 18 or older, just pass the written test). He just assumed we were all going to the same place so what was the point of getting his license?
It may not be as fair slung as it is now, but it isn’t anything new to teens not wanting to drive. I myself am really encouraging of my 2 year old to want to drive and ride bikes and get behind the wheel of anything he can. I need that kid to drive me around once Im too old and tired to do it myself!
While none of us are kids, me (28) my sister (27) and my younger brother (23) have all learned driving stick for various reasons. My parents are always happy about how cool it makes them seem
It’s true! Jatco CVTs are the cockroaches of the transmission world.
About as desirable too.
I probably have better odds of getting my hands on a Clio than an actual Prius Prime, though 🙂
Sincerely, America
I learned to drive stick around 1995 in an ’88 Civic in a private parking lot. About 10 of us got some beers and took turns until we all had it nailed. Say what you want, but my noob clutch work was 10x smoother after a couple of Red Wolfs (Wolves?) than stone-cold sober on public roads where I’d be a hazard. Again, private/closed parking lot with no other cars present. Hard to recreate, but still recommended.
It’s also how I learned to drive in the snow. My dad grew up in Western PA and did a lot of driving around Erie and eventually Cleveland, so he knew how to drive in the snow. We rarely got snow in DC, but one day we got something like a foot of snow. Dad took me out to a big parking lot with his manual C-10 and we drove around and experimented and learned until someone called the cops about an idiot doing donuts in the school parking lot.
Last year, we had a bad ice storm where I live (in the South). I have a stick shift FWD car (ironically a Camry). Our heating system broke so I called in a company to fix it and drove off to get space heaters from anyone that was open. On the way back, I found 4 vehicles from the HVAC company I called stuck. All 4WD, all stuck in the same place where it was down hill and glare ice. I used my dad’s trick of using the parking brake to rotate the backend to get to a spot of not so glare ice and managed to get home. Fortunately, I had bumped into a guy with chains that could get me up and running the next day.
PS, don’t use wire nuts on aluminum wires. When they heat up, the expand too much and lead to a lose wire nut that falls off and leads to shorts. Ask me how I know.
We dodged that one down in Birmingham, but 2014 was a real sh*tshow with ice. The problem wasn’t driving skill, it was that every single onramp and offramp was blocked, so even people with AWD and/or M/T tires couldn’t go anywhere. It took me 8 hours to go 9 miles (as the crow flies…25+ miles on odometer) only to abandon the car for 3 days on a road filled with, you guessed it, immobile cars. I also live on a hill with 3 access roads, and all three were too iced to climb. I have no idea how I managed to avoid any dents or curb rash. I did end up in a front yard once (T-intersection, downhill).
I live in a VERY hilly neighborhood. I keep thinking about getting a set of chains just in case and leaving them in my trunk. What I can’t figure out is the idea of having chains on just the drive wheels. My problem typically isn’t going uphill. I know how to climb hills with bald tires from college. My problem is my neighborhood is full of tight turns on downhill slopes. I fear that if I have chains on the front, I will be able to turn, but without chains on the back, I won’t be able to stop turning.
Every time I get an Ice or snow storm, I think “I’ll buy chains next time.” and never do. Advantages of living in the South, I can typically put off bad decisions for 4-5 years before it bites me in the rear.
Best front wheel drive hack I learned is to go up a steep hills backwards when traction is bad.
Use the hand brake if you have one. Step on the brake until you feel the steering go light. Then apply the hand brake until the car feels a bit loose. I can outbrake ABS any day of the week on really bad roads this way by using my butt and hands to feel traction. ABS is great in the rain and dry, but it’s confused by ice.
Roller coaster the hills. If you stop at the bottom of a hill to see if you can make it up.. you won’t. But if you think of the hills like a roller coaster you can normally make it to the top of the next one by letting gravity build up the speed to make the next hill.
Look where you want to go, not where you fear to go.
Your feet are your enemy.
I learned a lot in that C-10 with the 350 and an old school L,1, 2, 3 transmission.
I cannot wait to take my daughter to drive the Renault 4 in a deserted parking lot. I’m way more excited about it than her – totally overcompensating for my father never teaching me how to drive. This gentleman letting youngsters drive his cars to learn stick is doing some public service right there. We have very strict driving instruction laws where I’m from, and everyone learns stick by default anyway, but if I lived somewhere where kids needed to hunt for stick shifting experiences, I’d be all up for teaching some lessons.
Thank you for keeping a dying skill alive Russ. You’re a true hero.
I learned to drive a manual in my ancient Volvo 144S 4 speed.
I brought a friend along to buy the car and drive it home for me.
I then set about teaching myself – alone in that car – how to drive the thing based on the memories of numerous pages of instruction from Car and Driver.
There was no yelling or frustration – just a lot of clutch slippage.
I occasionally enjoy car revival videos, and recently saw a Pole Barn Garage video about an incredibly rusty Blazer plow vehicle prominently featuring JD who doesn’t have his license yet, but has a couple field cars that he gets to hoon around their rural property. The footage of him near the end beating on a manual Kia brought back fond memories.
Some of the kids are definitely alright
Taught my kids to drive stick in my ‘66 Beetle, “48 Crosley, ‘02 Focus SVT, and in the family’s ‘29 AA lumber truck (world’s most forgiving clutch). Country backroads, farm lanes, and church parking lots helped a lot.
Now young adults, my daughter dailies her Jeep Compass (actually a decent car with a manual), while my son dailies a ‘92 Mercury Capri manual and hobbies a ‘29 A roadster pickup.
Next summer my son and I are planning an 1100-mile roadtrip in my ‘52 Crosley speedster and his ‘29 Model A.
[parenting achievement badge unlocked]
We all learned on Suzuki 90’s and Honda 125’s and even the odd Harley Sprinter. Graduated to Beetles, TR’s , a random Sunbeam and of course the 84 GTI. Somewhere in there were a few Saabs and my brother had an XR4TI. The only real issue these days is fucking traffic on freeways with a roll your own, gets tiresome, instead of fun.
Shit I forgot the 2 liter 914.
I taught numerous friends to drive stick in the local cemetery. Quiet, no traffic, and if you hit someone they are probably already dead.
I learned on my uncle’s Series IIa, diesel, RHD, Land Rover 109. When I was about 12, in the back woods of Maine. Good times!
Jatco is here to brainwash us! He is evil! I should know. I’m a space lizard bent on world domination! And I really don’t like competition.
Unless something has changed massively, those things suck. I can think of about five friends and family members who had Chrysler and Nissan products with them who went through multiple transmissions. One friend with a less than 5yo Pathfinder is on his *third*.
My son bought a manual NC Miata for his first car and now does track days. He has a network of friends who also love cars and other things with wheels. I basically revert to being a teenager when around them since we get along thick as thieves when talking about cars. I’ve helped them at 2am when they get stuck on repairs and modifications and now they can wrench pretty well. The kids are alright. We just need to keep the world from imploding around them so they have something to enjoy.
Kindly take note: we have heard from Mr McLean before. I think it was something about covering one or two hundred miles in search of brake calipers for one of umpteen older vehicles on his yard. In Arizona I think? One of you gals/guys please do some reporting on him. Send Gossin to meet him is what I really think. I know, probably not affordable. There’s a story there, I am sure. Member’s Rides, at the least.
Slower Louder – That was a little over 400 miles (I was quite surprised that I was able to make this trip in one day (80 years old is beginning to restrict me). We are South-West of Tombstone, AZ on the (old) Mexican border. Only 3 older vehicles, the 2 mentioned above and a 1973 Dodge D100 stepside pickup (“Li’l Redneck Pickup”) – all the “excitement” of working on someone else’s abandoned project.
The 1986 F150 has a 4 cylinder Cummins diesel engine (4bt) and a 1952 Bell Telephone Systems service bed. Over the last 10+ years, this truck was driven in 37 states.
Mercedes – I would consider contributing – All 3 vehicles are modified – This will require pictures.
Russ
Thank you Russ. OK, Mercedes, Matt, you hear that?
Dear Sir, you’re clearly a wonderful person and a blessing to your community. I hope those around you show you how much they appreciate your public service.
Agreed! We need to see & hear more about Russ’s trio.
In this crazy digital world, it’s always comforting when the young folks take an interest in analog technology.
I’m one of them! Back in 2017 I bought a 1966 Ford Thunderbird as my first car, before I even had my drivers license (had to get my mom to drive it home, lol). That car taught me how to rebuild a 390 V8, do an alignment, service the brakes, chase electrical gremlins (sometimes successfully!), and repair irreplaceable parts in totally not sketchy ways with JB weld. Then someone rear-ended me because they weren’t paying attention, so now I’m driving a 1990 Miata (manual, of course!) while saving up to replace half the rear bodywork of my T-bird and eventually finish restoring it – the car still tracks perfectly straight and doesn’t drive any differently after the accident, so at least to me it’s worth saving even if it costs more than the car is worth to do so. In the meantime, the Miata’s already taught me how to replace a convertible roof, and I intend to do as much maintenance on it myself as I can. These two cars couldn’t possibly be more different, and I love them both 🙂 Cars are much more interesting than online drama!
Yeah, the kids are alright as long as we let them for sure. I wish my daughter told me she wants a 5 decade old crapcan as her first car. And I wish your generation had the chance to experience a time when so many cool older cars were universally seen as crapcans and practically given away – I myself envy gen Xers around me who all seem to have been the final owners of a free Renault 4 (I had to pay for mine).
Thanks for the laugh. My brother aged 14 rolled a 66 Tbird that my dad let us drive to the pool. It was in excellent condition even in 1974. When he rolled it, it went over in wet grass and landed on its tires. No issues, no damage. That was one fine car, we would drift it easily on dirt roads, wet pavement, whatever, that thing was a blast for teen kids. BTW, it was only 400 bucks in 1974 money.
Good luck with the restoration, and the Miata too.
I am actively looking for my first Miata now but the pickings are thin for what I want and can afford.
Thanks 🙂 Yeah, most Miatas are either worn out from years of being driven hard, or modified to the point of being sketchy/ruined, or both… Or otherwise not as cheap as they used to be.
I was lucky in that the one I bought was stock (aside from the radio), restored ~10(?) years ago, and well cared for by an older guy who’s heavily involved in the local Miata club (essentially the club’s librarian). In fact, the previous owner told me he’d even show me how to replace the convertible roof when it inevitably tore, as he’s done this for several other Miata drivers in the area as well. And he did! Gave me coffee and a little Hot Wheels Miata too. Absolute legend of a guy, I’m eternally grateful for his help and generosity. I’ve owned the car for over a year now and it’s held up fantastically well, seems it was indeed as well maintained as he stated. Not perfect by any means, and the clearcoat faded quickly after purchase, but still a great driving car which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
That car cost me over six grand though (with a new convertible top in addition to that), which seems to be the ballpark for decent Miatas nowadays. They might not be the most fun you can buy in their price range anymore (there are probably cheap BMWs that offer more thrills), but I do think you’d still be hard pressed to find anything more fun AND reliable for the price. Other than the roof, the car hasn’t needed anything besides oil changes so far. I plan to keep it stock and as nice as I can (though any paint correction will probably wait until after the T-bird is restored), and hopefully continue to enjoy it for many more years. It is joy on four wheels 🙂
Jatco, you gem.