lylen

Drove a standard transmission car for the first time in my life. It was fun, but i absolutely failed.

teranfon

You didn't fail, you just need practice. And more practice. Once you learn to drive a manual correctly, you'll find it to be one of most rewarding experiences while driving an automobile.

Keep at it, and good luck.



Terry

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

Practice makes perfect. I love driving my 6MT!

Costco

^^

I love driving stick. I will never buy anything except a stick car, unless my life literally depended on it.

speedemon90

Haha dont worry my first experience wasnt soo great either. But maybe you weren't taught right. The first time i stalled frequently, but when i did it my second time with another friend I was taught a lot better and I only stalled once. I've only driven manual a couple times sooo im no where near good but i can get the car moving. Not good with hills though haha

SpiderX1016

heh, my first time. I couldn't even stop the car without stalling. I was nervous and I thought I already put it in neutral.

1 year later, I test drove a Civic SI and I only stalled once
Well twice, I couldn't get up the dealer's driveway LOL.

I learned from Youtube videos and used some tips from people.

speedemon90

Haha yea youtube vids ftw. Ive watched quite a bit of those. You can test drive manual cars even though you're not good at it? Didnt know that.

For sure my next car is gonna have a MT

majin ssj eric

Haha, you say that now....

neuronbob

We are all padawans at one point. Practice and manual transmission driving will become an enjoyable part of your driving life.

Don't give up yet!

03Type--S

iTrader: (1)

As with anyone i had a tough time with the manual when i was a teen, but i was working as a wash boy at a Acura dealership when i was as well, so i had the luxury of driving lots of manuals daily, including a few NSX back from various tire shops, 3 manual cars later ( all Acura Integra's ) i finally went back to the auto as i just wanted a daily commuter ...already miss my old GS-R, and now have the mod bug on my auto CL-S that was supposed to remain stock lol
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Rockstar21

iTrader: (1)

you'll get it. after owning 4 vehicles... 2 autos and 2 manual's.. i can say from experience that once you get the hang of it, you'll never want another auto car again.

accord and TL where auto. and my 944 and prelude are 5 spd.

speedemon90

quick question sorry for thread jack, but how much harder is it learning a manual on a more powerful car, say a sti versus a GTI?

CL6

Try learning in SF on the hills. That sucks!

Eoanou

I'm not sure how long you've been driving, but I drove for about 5 years before getting behind the wheel of a M/T car. In my opinion, learning to drive for a couple of years on an automatic and then learning on a M/T is the way to go.

A new driver learning how to drive M/T without much driving experience to begin with is just going to be tough for them, in my experience.

Costco

And I mean it with every bone in my body. Barring some injury that wouldn't allow me to operate the clutch properly or shift (in which case my life may very well be at risk) I'm only buying cars that are stick. I've taught and helped people learn before, and if the future mother of my children doesn't want a car that's stick, I'll let her get the car she wants and I'll get something cheaper as long as its manual.

I hope traditional manuals are still available in the future. If anything, I will never buy an automatic for my personal car. Dual clutch transmissions are becoming more common and more affordable.

It's not harder to learn on a more powerful car IMO, it depends more on how easy the clutch pedal is to modulate and where the engagement point is and how easy it is to find.

A GTI will have an easier clutch to modulate, and an STi's will be quite stiff. Not all (stock) powerful cars will have firm clutches though... a Corvette's clutch pedal is surprisingly easy to modulate. OTOH I have driven cars with aftermarket clutches that were so stiff that I had to lift my buttcheek to put more weight on the pedal to get it to the engagement point.

majin ssj eric

Believe me, I used to say the same thing. Almost every car I have ever owned was a stick. Now, though, I like the smoothness and instant power of the auto. I don't have to worry about what gear I'm in, or screwing up the launch. I just 'wick it and go (plus the rev-matched throttle blips sound killer and I never have gotten the hang of heel and toeing)...

Stapler

Torque is another thing that makes it easier. I was sitting in a parking lot driving my grandpa's f-250 diesel with a unloaded trailer and accidentally released the clutch in first. Instead of stalling it just lurched then idled forward.

Costco

Ever since I started driving stick, automatics were too boring for me to drive. In comparison, I liked driving my incredibly slow, bone stock, stereo with 1-working speaker Integra with a screwed up paint job more than our pristine, luxurious, fast and beautiful looking but automatic 2G TL-S. That's when it hit me.

I started practicing heel and toe in the same month that I bought my car. I like to rev match and heel toe in every car I drive, even if its my first time driving it. I do it every time I downshift when I drive my car.

I don't like driving manual. Driving manual is more like a requirement for me, like A/C or the heater. It's a passion for me. It's not just for fun.... I love a shifter that feels like a bolt-action rifle. I love ripping off a perfect shift, pulling off a perfectly rev-matched double clutched downshift.

I'm not going to say I will drive manuals forever..... I may change. But the way I see it now, if I look deep down inside myself.... I don't see it any other way.

Yeah, that too. With pretty much any big V8 or torquey engine, its hard to stall it.

speedemon90

Ohh I see, reason I ask is because I want my next car to be a manual. And I hear the GTI is pretty easy to learn manual since it has quite a bit of torque and the clutch engagement is pretty easy. But one reason I dont want a GTI is because I dont want another FWD car, I would prefer RWD or AWD to gain in a learning experience, and also has to be a car I can autocross and track. So I would love to get a used STI, M3 or some other car that is not FWD. Im pretty sure I will love driving manual, the times i practice on my friends cars i like it, even though im not good.

SouthernBoy

You and I are of the same mind when it comes to transmissions for our personal driving machines. I have never seen or understood the sense of preferring an automatic over a manual for my driving machine. A utility vehicle I can accept, but not my driving machine.

Other than the sheer joy of driving a manual in a fine car, manuals are far less expensive to own and maintain than are automatics. Plus they are much less prone to problems or damage than automatics.

If a car is not offered in a manual, then it is removed from my list of choices - I feel that strongly about this issue. So until I am no longer able to operate a manual transmission, automatics are not in my future. I don't hate them. I just don't see the need or sense in having one in my personal driving machine.

Rockstar21

iTrader: (1)

that seems a little backwards dont ya think? lol

instant power = manual transmission.

smooth shifts are subjective to the driver.
i can shift my car smoother than any auto car i've driven. when im driving casually there are no surges between shifts. now when im driving spiritedly, thats another story lol

lylen

Dont worry guys I am not giving up yet! haha. I practice on my friend's civic hatchback sometimes when he lets me. But so far, it's pretty fun. Getting out of first is so difficult!

SpiderX1016

Lol, we were looking at cars and my dad had been test driving all the MT cars we looked at. Including a 2010 MS3, damn I wanted to drive it.

Since he test drove the Si before. I was like, what the heck, I'll try it out. I even told the Salesman, I'm not very good at driving manual. He didn't mind.

speedemon90

Haha for me I've alrdy decided I want the GTI mk6 as my next car. Just a completely base model, maybe with the HID's. Ive test driven the mk5 dsg, and I have just sat in a mk6 model. I would wanna see if I can get a manual test drive

SpiderX1016

I had a Mk5 Jetta. I loved that car.

speedemon90

Nice, I was actually car shopping with my dad today, he ended up buying a corolla -_-, i wanted him to get a jetta tdi haha. But he just wants a car to get from point a to point b that is cheap easy to maintain and gets good gas mileage.

knavinusa

Couple of things that I thought helped when I first learned to drive manual:

1. You want to let out the clutch a little first before giving it gas or else you'll just be revving the engine and going nowhere.

2. Don't be afraid to add a little more gas to keep the car from stalling. It's hard to move the car with just the clutch especially in low torque cars, or if the road isn't perfectly flat.

Costco

^good advice. What helped me learn at first was my friend just told me to let out the clutch while revving it up to about 1200-1500 rpm or whatever is necessary and modulate the clutch pedal from there. A lot simpler to get the car moving that way, then once you get the hang of it you can launch at whatever RPM you feel like.

absolutely agree

Most people on the road today do not own a traditional manual transmission. We are a niche group.... a group which I am fervently loyal to. I completely understand the vast multitude of reasons why somebody would want an automatic. Heck, I will and have without hesitation paid 5-10% more of a car's value to get a manual instead an automatic.... but don't tell the automakers that.

On a side note, I once stumbled upon a Yahoo! user group that hated manual transmissions Ridiculous.

SouthernBoy

If you mean the select shift or paddle shift automatics, you're right. I call those "pretend-a-manuals".

I would never fault or chastise someone for buying an automatic. If that is what satisfies their wants and needs then who am I to criticize them.. I expect the same in return for my preference. That is why it amazes me about people such as the ones you mentioned on the Yahoo site who hate manuals. Crazy.

SouthernBoy

Here's a few links you might find helpful. Feel free to ask questions.

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...1#post11723530
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...n#post11509328
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...n#post10949963

majin ssj eric

I disagree with the maintenance costs of auto vs manual. Having just turned in my 6MT G37 after just two years, the clutch was on the bad side of "about to go" and replacing it runs at least $1000 if you go cheap ($2400 from the stealer). I have a feeling that the clutch in that car is a bit on the weak side (never raced it, never downshifted to slow down, etc) but now that I have the 7AT I don't have to worry about any "wear" items in the driveline that I'll have to replace out of pocket. Its a lease so it will be under warranty the entire time I have it.

The 7AT also gets around 3-4 mpg better gas mileage than the 6MT, the drivetrain is about 100x smoother with a torque converter, and when I'm not in "boy-racer" mode (i.e. reaching over to give my daughter the passy), I don't have to worry about shifting.

I still prefer manual to auto, no doubt. But in THIS car and in my current life-situation, the auto is just a better choice for me. Wait til you hit your thirties, have a wife who can't drive stick, and a newborn baby girl...

NeroDC2

heres my advice drive alone like that you dont got someone behind your back saying bad comments i took me two weeks to drive stick and now i can drive really good learn the basics and soon youll think your driving an auto when its a MT

speedemon90

Clutches cost that much to replace!!!!!!! Damn

speedemon90

I have a quick question, When engaging first gear, you should start hitting the gas as you hit the place where your clutch engages. At the point where your clutch engages and you have hit the gas do you hold the clutch in that position for like a second to get the smoothness then continue to slowly let off the clutch? Or should the clutch be constantly moving slowly?

Costco

I slowly hold the clutch pedal around the engagement point until it grabs, then I slowly let off. Very smooth that way

speedemon90

Okk good, I hope when i get a manual car and spend a lot of time learning i do not pick up any bad habits.

SouthernBoy

Assuming that nothing untoward goes wrong with your manual transmission (same thing applies to an automatic), a manual is much less expensive to own and operate. 2-300,000 miles from a clutch is in the to be expected range for a decently designed manual.

The "wait til you hit your thirties made me laugh a little (not a flame)". I'm 64 and have no plans for an automatic in my future.

SouthernBoy

From a standing start, you want to get moving with as little clutch slipping as possible and as few RPM's as you need under the circumstances. This will, of course, be affected by traffic conditions, load, road conditions (hill, etc.). You want to hit your initial engagement point right away, but smoothly, while feeding throttle. Then as you carefully add throttle you also increase engagement until you've reached full engagement. As I said, this is a variable process.

CL6

If that were true than why would $100,000.00 sports cars be dropping it? A good auto box is faster and smoother than a manual one.

SpiderX1016

uhh, I don't think anyone in the world can shift a manual with a clutch in milliseconds...