Why do Americans drive autos and not manual cars like we do in Europe? originally appeared on Quora, the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus.

Manual cars can actually be somewhat difficult to find in the US, particularly for commuter cars. There are lots of new cars that don’t even come with manual options anymore, due to their low popularity.

Manual cars often have a lower resale value as well, mostly due to the much smaller potential group of people who buy them.

It’s also somewhat difficult to find somebody to teach you how to drive a manual. My father drives manual just fine, but when I came of driving age we didn’t have a manual car so he couldn’t teach me. I didn’t learn how to do it until I went to college - several people on my rugby team drove manual, so I learned how to do it in case one of them got injured on an away game/it was my turn to be designated driver.

As to why the shift in American driving culture occurred, I’m not entirely sure… but I have a few theories. One of them is that Americans tend to start driving much younger than most Europeans do, because of the lack of public transportation. I started driving solo when I was 16 and started learning when I was 14. Driving automatic is easier than driving manual, particularly when you’re learning - it’s one less function to worry about. Parents want their kids to get behind the wheel so they don’t have to drive them around all the time. Parents also don’t want to add another distraction.

So most Americans start on automatic, and then just continue to buy automatic cars. Plus, while in the past manual cars would save you on gas… with modern technology that’s no longer really the case. So there’s no serious practical reason to learn how to drive a manual.

There are exceptions to this. Americans who buy sports cars often get manuals. My father now has a Mustang and it’s manual. Motorcycles are still manual shift as well. My whole family rides and, yeah, you’re not gonna find automatic motorcycles.

So, basically, manual is reserved for “fun” vehicles. Daily transport is left to the automatic workhorse, just because it’s easier.

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