Ok, I think I made a mistake. Not necessarily the worst mistake I could make, but... I think I screwed up.

The grand plan was to buy the G35 coupe and teach the wife to drive stick. I thought, "why not... She's athletic. Coordinated. It's not THAT hard."

So I tried, and tried and tried... She just couldn’t grasp the concepts. She was certainly eager to learn and wanted to learn, but just doesn't get it. She's not at all interested in cars and her parents/friends have never owned a manual. So it's not at all familiar with thw history, the benefits, etc. She just wants to hit the gas and go.

Welp, we tried again yesterday and failed miserably.

She rarely, if ever needs to the drive the car as she has the Murano to zip around in. But damn... I don't know if I feel comfortable having her have access to only one car. It doesn't seem fair or it could be dangerous if she ever needed the car in a pinch for an emergency.

No, I'm not whipped. It's simply a lesson in life that I may have to face. I should have gotten an automatic.

I'm sure she can learn. I could probably find a driving school or maybe even someone who can explain the concepts and have more patience that I have. Perhaps one of the biggest problems is my inability for her to simply "not get it".

In any event... I don't know what to do. I do NOT, under any circumstances want two car payments. That fact alone will probably make me come off the bridge and not jump. But I’m really wondering WHY I did this in the first place. Other than my desire to get a stick… The way I drive my car around, shit… I’ll get 40,000 miles out of the Pilot Sports and the same out of the break pads. The car will never be tracked. It’s a shame.


Your thoughts?

 

Trade it in for a ABP TSX 5AT

G35c's have a decent resale value (at least they do now, before all the leased 03's are turned in).

EDIT: I know you said you don't want payments, but you might not take that big of a hit trading a G35c on a tsx...

More background on Scrib's situation here:

https://acurazine.com/forums/car-talk-5/am-i-crazy-164992/

 

Keep trying.

you're right, it's not THAT hard...but then it seems that she doesn't want to break her habit of just hitting the gas to go.

I learned to drive stick early when I first started driving. It was easy because my aunt had this tiny '77 toyota pickup 4-spd. She loaded it up with mulch, and I learned because I HAD to ride the clutch because the engine was so weak. I learned to control the clutch by riding it and eventually figuring out the combo between gas and clutch to keep it from stalling.

The other way that helped was when the truck was UNLOADED, I would sit in a flat empty parking lot and use ONLY the clutch to get the car moving. I would be in 1st gear and slowly let go of the clutch all the way to get the car moving without stalling and without using the gas pedal. This way I can get use to the "feeling" of the clutch catching. After doing that several times, I add in the gas pedal and eventually get the right combination.

So maybe what you need is a junker that you don't care if the clutch burns up in. Try having her do the clutch-only method to get the "feel", and add the gas pedal later once she's used to the clutch.

 

My gf was the same way when I tried to teach her to drive stick. The first 3 or 4 times we went out, she didn't seem to grasp it and kept stalling or squealing the tires. However, the final time that we tried it, she finally started to get it and was enjoying herself. She still needs some practice, but I'm confident now that if she were forced to, she could drive a manual tranny.

Maybe your wife just needs a few more attempts. I'm sure she'll get it soon enough. And besides, it's better if she knows from just a safety standpoint since if you're ever stuck out in the middle of nowhere, driving the G35, out of cell range, and something happens to you, you want to make sure she can at least make it to the next gas station to call for help.

 

trade in your g/f for one that can drive stick...

j/k man, does she want to learn or is she happier driving the auto?

 

You did what you had to do when you got the manual. You enjoyed it. You are enjoying it. I personally do feel some people can't drive stick, no matter how hard they try - kind of like how some people can't roll their tongue and other things that seem to have a genetic basis...

that being said, maybe you could check this thread.

 

At least she wants to learn. My wife knows how more or less. But refuses to drive an MT

And I aree with the others. Keep trying, some take longer to pick it up.

 

i taught my wife years ago some basics on crappy cars, so it wouldnt matter, i bought my frontier and let her drive it a little and then she bought her accord that was 5 speed(and she is not the most coordinated person around) and after a while she had no problems driving it, it took a couple of weeks to be real confident and go by herself. and now she shifts smoother than i do.
now she has it in her for life, you never forget how to drive stick, just stick it out scrib, she'll get the hang of it, it will take longer than you expected

 

Sell your G35/mt to bgsm1th as was talked about a couple of weeks ago and go out and buy an auto G35....

B

 

Not for $25K....

 

You'll come crawling back eventually.....the G35/mt coupe is SO hard to sell used...there is almost no market for them.....





















B

 

 

i know im going to get flamed here

I LEARNED STICK ON A BRAND NEW NSX
3 miles on ODB

i interned at Curry Acura senior yr highschool a few years back

first day. im moving cars around the lot. i got tossed a set of keys and im told to move this new car and to be careful. i hit the panic button to find the car. and its a NSX with the plastic still on the seats.

i didnt even know that u needed to hit the clutch to start the car, but other than that, i understood the concept of stick. yea, yea, yea.

stalled it once, bogged it once. luckily, i didnt hit other cars bc i was going up a hill. i should of gone back inside and told them i prety much didnt know how to drive stick.

im a peice of shit, what can i say. i know stick now though

the forgiving cluth of older Tegs helped me learn withing a few tries. after that i had to move brand new 6spds (just came out at the time) and never stalled or bogged since then

 

so all you with 6 spds from curry, i never stalled, alrite

 

and anyone with a red 2002 nsx from curry, my deep apologies

 

Did your wife want a stick in the first place?

 

so she doesn't want to learn or are you just being a nancy?

 

Oh hell no...

I just went out and bought it when she was at work. I thought she'd be able to pick up driving it, no problem.

I was wrong.

 

She wants to learn, but it seems she's just unable to grasp the concepts.





And ya... Maybe a little bit of a nancy.

 

Man scrib I am a little scared to imagine your wife out on the road. My wife has virtually no athletica ability or hand eye coordination and she picked it up after just a few minutes.

may be the teacher, not the student that is the problem here

 

I was a slow learner.

Keep trying.

 

Well...

Here's what I would do:
1) Take over the G35C you bought her for your own car (because it seems that enjoy driving it)
2) Take your car and her SUV and trade it in on a car she wants.

Problem solved: You get a new car, she gets a new car, you get brownie points and get to

 

Its his car already. She has the Murano which from what Scrib says, she seems to like. He just wants her to know how to drive his car in a pinch and hes having difficulty teaching her.

 

In best Chris Farley voice - "I was just checking out the specs on the rotary gurt......I'm retarded."

 

yih... she loves the murano. I bought that for her because that is what she wanted.

 

I love the NSX, will you buy me one of those?

 

And you bought the G35c beause that's what you wanted...

Maybe try to find someone else to teach her ?? You can keep trying, and hopefully it'll work with you being the teacher, but maybe she isn't "getting it" because you're in the car...

When I learned to drive (yeah, it was a Model T ford - for all you smart ass young whippersnappers), I had my mom take me out 'cause I was uncomfortable w/ my father in the car (plus he didn't have the patience).

Eric, I agree that she should learn to drive a stick "just in case". I can't see you getting rid of the G just because she "might" need to drive it tho'.

 

yea my woman wasn't interested at first. I started with automotive basics etc., showed her the concepts behind engines, designs, different kinds, performance. Lot's of work. Finally took her out in a 5AT TSX. She had a blast and has been chomping at the bit since. I took her out once in the CLS. She made a little progress but the CLS isn't a teaching car at all. She had difficulty not being nervous so she would rush things and pop the clutch, etc., Since i've revised the strategy a little. When driving i'd have her shift the car for me. First with her hand on top of mine and then she got the feel. Eventually moved to her shifting by herself. Now just getting the shifting down.

she'll get it. remember she's a girl. encouragement, and more encouragement and more encouragement. She's gotta feel ok about it. Good luck

 

you guys both have a car. what's the problem again?

 

logistics. sometimes if yer out or if there is a medical emergency etc., i'm in the same boat. If i drive, i'm driving back.

 

yih... It's a combination.

I want her to feel comfortable in the car. And right now, she's not. God forbid she is forced to drive the G for whatever reason and wrecks as a result of her not understanding the mechanics or the car in general.



The LAST thing I want is to get rid of the car. But I need to get her comfortable with what sits in the garage. And that hasn't happened yet.

 

just keep at it. maybe buy a complete piece of poop to show her on. maybe she is nervous because it's YOUR car and it's such a nice car.

I am trying to force myself to learn by selling my car and buying a maxima or civic while I am in school. I know that the way I'm going to learn is going out to a parking lot and sitting there by myself. I know the concepts, just need to put them to use. I figure my buddy can drive me there, drop me and the car off, and then come back three hours later to check on me.

maybe this might work with the wife. maybe you take her to a parking lot, explain the concepts in simple turns (push the clutch in, take foot off gas, shift gears, release clutch, give it a little gas) and then give her the keys and go hang out. make sure it's a huge empty lot and just trust that she will not wreck it. maybe you both drive there and then you leave for an hour or two. obviously you both have cell phones so tell her to call you with any questions. just my 2 cents.

 

if she has her own car i dont see the problem, keep the G

i was a slow learner also, first time out i stalled like 7-8 times in 20 min, 2nd time out stalled 3 times and i havent ever since so i guess it just takes time

 

Don't be technical with how the car works until after she has learned how to do it. For right now all she needs to now is to lift SLOWLY off the clutch and ease into the gas and balance between the too. All the technical mumbo-jumbo is just that to a woman. Take her on a nice long highway only road trip where she can be in 5th or 6th for long amounts of time. This will get here comfortable with the car without having to actually shift, therefor building her confidence. Find a local college campus and have her drive around there on a sunday morning. There are a lot of stop signs which will get her practice with the stoping and going and light traffic which will give her a sense of urgency that won't be to overwellming.

Don't give up, anybody can learn to drive a stick.

 

lock her in the car and dont feed her till she learns

 

have you tried letting her go on her own without you in the car?

 

My insurance umbrella policy kicks in on the 22nd. Maybe then I'll consider it.

 

HAHA!!

My girlfriend doesn't like driving my car because my windows are too dark...

B

 

Over the course of your marriage, how many times has it been absolutely necessary that she drive your car? If this happens infrequently then other options such as taxis or rental/friends'/neighbors' cars may be viable.

Just another data point: My wife and I have been in the "MT for him, AT for her" situation for 12 years. We've never been in a situation where she had to drive my car.

 

My wife taught ME how to drive stick about 13 years ago. Although she can, she hates driving stick. But I have met more than my share of women that prefer driving stick over auto.

Relative to this thread (somewhat), I've been teaching my son how to drive MT using a 95 Hyundai Accent that belongs to my wife's cousin. And I plan on doing likewise with my daughter as well. (My son took to the MT like a fish to water....courtesy of The Fast and the Furious. )

So when the time comes to purchase their own car, they'll have a good grasp of it. But I would never initially buy ANY new car with the intention of teaching them how to drive stick.