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Pros and Cons of Driving Cars With a Stick Shift

Some people really enjoy driving a manual vehicle stick shift, while other people avoid doing so at all costs. It really just comes down to whatever your personal preference is. Stick shifts are just like any other vehicle. You should do your research before purchasing one so that you know what you are getting and what you can expect down the line.

Pros

Numerous advantages generally come with driving a stick shift. For starters, vehicles with manual transmission usually have better fuel economy. It all depends on your personal driving style, but most people will see a 15 percent increase in fuel economy with manual vehicles. If you are looking at a vehicle to purchase, know that cars with a stick shift typically tend to be less expensive than automatic vehicles.

Once you purchase your new car, you can be reasonably certain that it will not require as much maintenance as its automatic transmission counterparts. At the end of the day, cars that utilize a stick shift are not as complex, which means there are fewer things that could go wrong.

Cons

Even though stick shifts have some great advantages, there are a few drawbacks. The main reason why most people are hesitant to get a stick shift is the fact that they take a little getting used to. Learning to drive a car like this takes a bit of practice, and you should be prepared when first learning to miss shifts and stall the vehicle the first few times you take it on the road.

Learning to drive a stick shift on a hill can be a particular challenge. You will need to learn how to pull away from whatever hill you are going over or else you risk rolling back into other cars. Again, practice makes perfect for learning how to do this.

If you do learn how to drive stick shift, then it can be a lot of fun. Consider the pros and cons to see if you are ready for driving a manual transmission.