Safe car for skiing and kids to drive

[dovski]

The thread of this conversation on stick shift reminds me of the time I took the kids to Grizzly's in Banff. This is a great restaurant that was on the bleeding edge of technology back in the 60s when it installed push button phones so you could make table to table calls while in the restaurant. My kids had never seen something like this before and it took them a good 30 minutes to learn how to use them and understand why these phones were so big, had a a cord and did not have any apps.

Simply put kids these days don't even know what a clutch is or why you would need one let alone how to drive stick. With CVT transmission and electric vehicles, manual shifting is pretty much a thing of the past for almost all new cars. Driving schools do not even them anymore, so if you want to teach your kids to drive stick it is all on you provided you do not mind them grinding the crap out of your gears

At this point I plan to take the path of least resistance. Given the current pricing on used vehicles I am also thinking I will wait a few months in hopes that prices edge back to normal as what I am seeing makes absolutely no sense. At these prices I am happy to get my kid a new pair of snow shoes and call it a day

 

[markojp]

I learned to drive a stick on a farm at 13, 3 years before drivers ed and a license. The older guys (18-19) taught me. 3 on a tree in driver's ed. That said, the whole stick thing was just a quick thought. Drive whatever... first world problems.

 

[dovski]

I learned to drive a stick on a farm at 13, 3 years before drivers ed and a license. The older guys (18-19) taught me. 3 on a tree in driver's ed. That said, the whole stick thing was just a quick thought. Drive whatever... first world problems.

Hey if I still had a stick shift that would be a no brainer but alas my 4-runner 2 door is but a fond memory at this point

 

[James]

Or, say, you were fishing...and..you know...somehow...a fish hook go embedded in your shifting hand...and..you have 20 miles to get back to civilization...and..well...nobody else can actually get the car moving without stalling it. This happened to a friend of mine..ahem...

Life is hard. Lifting a receiver and pushing real buttons on phones, turning knobs on radios, loading a camera with film and only having 36 shots, fish hooks in shifting hands, no cup holders in the car!

Your “friend” found out it’s not that hard to shift with the left hand.

 

[Uncle-A]

Those of us in the USA don't think driving a stick is important, I remember traveling to Europe and most of the rental cars had a stick shift. I don't know if that is still true because I have not travel there in a long time. Could any of our members that live outside the USA chime in to this thread. Or anyone that has traveled overseas as many skiers do share their experiences.

 

[Philpug]

Your “friend” found out it’s not that hard to shift with the left hand.

I learned that early on when I was holding me beer with my right hand hand and steering with my knees.

 

[socalgal]

Those of us in the USA don't think driving a stick is important, I remember traveling to Europe and most of the rental cars had a stick shift. I don't know if that is still true because I have not travel there in a long time. Could any of our members that live outside the USA chime in to this thread. Or anyone that has traveled overseas as many skiers do share their experiences.

When I was traveling around Europe in 2008, I was the only one of my friends who knew how to drive stick. All our rental cars were manuals, so I was the designated driver. I too am curious if it's the same still.

 

[coskigirl]

I would look at a RAV-4 or CX-5. I drove the 2021 CRV hybrid and HATED it. The power issue was real but even if you were looking at gasoline and the power wasn't an issue, it just felt like a tin can compared to the RAV-4 and the RAV-4 felt tinny compared to my 2018 CX-5. If I wasn't set on a hybrid I would have seriouslly considered a new CX-5 or CX-9 when I leased in February. I ended up with a Highlander which is definitely more car than you need.

 

[dovski]

When I was traveling around Europe in 2008, I was the only one of my friends who knew how to drive stick. All our rental cars were manuals, so I was the designated driver. I too am curious if it's the same still.

I will say this, driving through French Polynesian islands in Citroens and Peugots was a blast, loved those little French cars with manual shifting. Driving in the UK and trying to shift with my left hand while staying on the opposite side of the road is not so much fun. Also renting a saloon car was much more exciting when it sounded like a bar on wheels, driving one through narrow streets with squiggly center lines not very pleasing.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

in the last ten years the small cars I've rented in Europe have been stick, but auto transmissions are available if you want either a bigger vehicle or pay more.
Was the same in the Carribean, Central ,South America and South East Asia.
In the US I've never seen a stick on a rental unless your paying a premium for a more exotic ride.

 

[Philpug]

Since we got rid of the last Miata, this is the first time in 40 years or so that I have not had a manual transmission vehicle in the household. I will also add, that I would rather drive a good automatic than a bad stick and right now the automatics that are in most of the cars are very good and there are some marginal sticks out there.

 

[Uncle-A]

I will say this, driving through French Polynesian islands in Citroens and Peugots was a blast, loved those little French cars with manual shifting. Driving in the UK and trying to shift with my left hand while staying on the opposite side of the road is not so much fun. Also renting a saloon car was much more exciting when it sounded like a bar on wheels, driving one through narrow streets with squiggly center lines not very pleasing.

The Peugeot was a cool car, back in the early 1990's I had a friend that was a mechanic at a dealership that sold foreign cars one of the cars he drove was a Peugeot and I was a passenger several times in his vehicle. They never sold well in the USA and I don't think I would have purchased one because he was always working on his. As a mechanic he only had to pay for the parts so if he was working on his all the time I guess that they had some issues.

 

[Uncle-A]

Since we got rid of the last Miata, this is the first time in 40 years or so that I have not had a manual transmission vehicle in the household. I will also add, that I would rather drive a good automatic than a bad stick and right now the automatics that are in most of the cars are very good and there are some marginal sticks out there.

Does @Tricia drive a stick as well or did you keep the Miata to yourself? I do know that my daughter does know how to drive a stick and for a while one of the cars she owned was a stick.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

I answered this question for my daughter last year with a used 2015 Audi allroad. I wanted her to be in a safe surefooted car while doing the kind of drives that you do as a young ski racer, Stowe to Sugarloaf at night and you just never know what those roads are going to be like. It's been good so far.

 

[Philpug]

Does @Tricia drive a stick as well or did you keep the Miata to yourself? I do know that my daughter does know how to drive a stick and for a while one of the cars she owned was a stick.

You better hope she doesn't see that. She came into the marriage with a CDL license too.

 

[bbbradley]

... Stowe to Sugarloaf at night and you just never know what those roads are going to be like. It's been good so far.

After 4 years of the carnival circuit coming from Colby/Sugarloaf, going East/West across ME, NH, and VT just plain sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The worst trip was the pilgrimage to Iceface, that is a long slog no matter what you are driving.

Night driving in the snow sometimes feel like hitting hyperspace

 

[markojp]

Since we got rid of the last Miata, this is the first time in 40 years or so that I have not had a manual transmission vehicle in the household. I will also add, that I would rather drive a good automatic than a bad stick and right now the automatics that are in most of the cars are very good and there are some marginal sticks out there.

What, out of all the short of a couple handfuls of manuals left?

 

[markojp]

You better hope she doesn't see that. She came into the marriage with a CDL license too.

I think most N. Michigan lasses come with one.

 

[markojp]

I will say this, driving through French Polynesian islands in Citroens and Peugots was a blast, loved those little French cars with manual shifting. Driving in the UK and trying to shift with my left hand while staying on the opposite side of the road is not so much fun. Also renting a saloon car was much more exciting when it sounded like a bar on wheels, driving one through narrow streets with squiggly center lines not very pleasing.

After 12.5 years in Japan, it really never bothered me. Thankfully the pedals and the shift order aren't mirrored.

 

[Tricia]

Does @Tricia drive a stick as well or did you keep the Miata to yourself? I do know that my daughter does know how to drive a stick and for a while one of the cars she owned was a stick.

Not only do I know how to drive a manual, I had a CDL with tanker endorsement, and air brake endorsement. I can back up a trailer operate most heavy equipment (but its been awhile) but I never attempted to pull doubles or get that endorsement.

I did give up my CDL a few years ago because I didn't want to mess around with annual drug tests or physicals for something I no longer used. That $$ was better spent on things that are applicable to my current lifestyle.