chiaroscuro

Hi, does anyone have a recommendation of where I can rent a car with manual transmission in Dade or Broward? I've tried all the usual suspects but they say they only rent automatics. There are stick shift cars available at the luxury rental places, but they are way beyond my budget. Thanks!

P_M

Some people think this is strange, but I prefer a manual transmission to automatic. One time I did get a manual from Alamo, but that was a long time ago. Whenever I ask, the rental car companies always tell me there's not much of a demand for manual so they don't keep them in their fleet. At this point I've quit asking.

chiaroscuro

PM, when I checked Travelocity, Alamo and National showed up as having manual transmission available. However, I called both in the local offices and was told no

nytraveler

Since so many people only drive automatics that's all the regular car rental companies buy - otherwise they could be stuck with a bunch of manuals that nobody can drive.

The only way I know to get a manual is to rent an exotic.

Patrick

A few years ago I decided I'd try to learn to drive a manual shift for when we go to Europe. Only problem was, my friends with manual shift cars weren't about to let me learn to drive on their Porsches. I called all over to rent one -- totally impossible here in Florida. I still don't know how to drive one -- guess I never will.

TripleSecDelay

Ask your gardener/maid/poolguy, they typically have the manual trannys in their cars.

rjw_lgb_ca

I was able to rent a stickshift from Rent-a-Wreck. I don't recommend doing that. The car was truly a wreck.

Rental agencies with new cars will only stock automatics. Easier to drive for Americans. Until my present car, I only drove stick here in CA-- but I'm the exception in the US.

If you want to rent a stickshift, you're limited to the exotics. Sorry.

rkkwan

Once upon a time (like when I first got my license, or about 16 years ago), my cousing and I rented a Ford Festiva from Enterprise that's manual. For the sole purpose of learning how to drive one.

And also way back, U-Haul has some ancient (like 30-year old) Ford trucks for local rental. Also manual, but there's a 25-mile limit, or you pay extra after that. [Those trucks probably have like a million miles on them already - why even care about mileage?]

So, there you go. I had rented two non-exotics with manual before. But I don't know how and if you can find something like that in Dade today.

chiaroscuro

thanks for the replies! like patrick, i'm looking to learn and can't find anyone who will allow their car to be my classroom. in s. florida, no one drives old beaters
looks like i'm probably out of luck, or will have to spend the big bucks to rent an "exotic."
or maybe i should try hanging out at the homestead speedway and flirting with the drivers

sunny16

For those who want to learn, isn't there a local driving school that can teach you in a few lessons? I've done that in the past. Patrick, I don't blame your friends for not letting you drive their Porches. No offense, but you could do a job on their transmissions by grinding the gears.

starrsville

I'm the youngest of 4 and we had five cars in the family when I was learning to drive. My brothers WOULD NOT let me learn to drive on the automatics. They said one cannot drive if one can't drive a manual transmission. After quite of bit of grinding I did get the knack of it - and felt like Sabrina from Charlie's Angels zipping around in a Ford Pinto 5 speed. I THOUGHT I was cool (at the time)!

I'm glad I knew how when driving in Ireland and France.

If that's what you want to do, then rent a wreck from Rent-A-Wreck. Sounds like the perfect solution.

TripleSecDelay

Interesting, starrsville. I forced my first wife to learn a manual transmission and she hated it/me/the car during the entire experience. Later, she was glad she did, when that one emergency popped up in her life where the only car available was her neighbor's car w/a 5-speed.

billy_boy

I'm not a poolguy nor a gardener. Although, I do hang around in my garden plenty of times and I lounge by the pool in the hotels that I stay in at times.
But both my bimmer 5er and3er are manual transmission. I can't compromise and discount the better performance of the 6 and 5 speeds in these babies. My slow-assed Vovo is an auto.

BTW, my wife does complain about being like a maid, at times. Is that because she like's drving the 5er?

What do you drive, Triplesec?

P_M

As I stated in my earlier post, I prefer a manual to an automatic. This is not out of financial necessity. I like the manual because I feel like I have more control over the car.

When I first met my husband he had never driven a manual before. It took a lot of prodding, but I finally convinced him to learn. Once he got used to it he really liked it and now both of our cars are 5-speeds.

With the high price of gasoline these days, I appreciate my 5-speed even more. My car gets much better mileage than it would if it were an automatic.

J_Correa

I prefer manual transmissions to automatics as well. Just more fun to drive. Unfortunately due to some arthritis in my left ankle, I had to give up my clutch last year. I have an automatic now and I like my car, but I still miss the shifting when I am out on the open road or playing speedracer. Sitting in traffic, I live that automatic transmission thoug. I have an autostick in my car which I use sometimes, but it is just not the same, although it does come in handy when passing on hills and things like that.