Automatic transmissions are pretty self-explanatory, and for the most part, fairly foolproof. Most of us will be familiar with the usual settings found on an automatic shifter, with P, R, N, and D ...

A computer also controls the transmission now, so it won’t even let you downshift into a gear if you’re going too fast for ...

The manual transmission is starting to go the way of the dodo, although there are still several new cars, trucks, and SUVs you can buy that have a stick shift — and, of course, used options abound.