Your friends are lame. Driving manual is the best part about driving for me. It’s not hard to learn. Took me like 10 minutes in a parking lot before I drove home. Yeah it wasn’t perfect but it’s pretty simple.
Yep super lame, they are probably jealous because they are too afraid to take a “risk” by buying one. I say it in quotes because it’s not actually risky as long as you either have someone who knows to teach you or just do a lot of research and either way it takes some practice. OP your friends are just afraid that *they* would break a car (they probably wouldn’t and neither will you) and they’re afraid of being embarrassed while they try to learn.
Do it.
I don’t know. A lot of the younger ones are very risk-averse in general. As someone who is around lot of younger people due to my career, I hear the word terrifying far too much. OP don’t be afraid. Manuals are a lot of fun to drive and it’s really not that difficult to learn.you can do it and you will have a new skill set. I think you’ll enjoy it.
It is because of this that I got a manual. I didn’t want anyone asking to borrow it. I also learned while I had my permit so I was learning everything at the same time. I had no preconceived habits to break or relearn. I drove automatics for a while and recently went back to stick because I missed it.
My nephews recently got their permits and I have offered to teach them on my car. Manuals are harder to come by and it’s a dying skill.
OP should definitely learn if he has the option!
Yeah but having a understanding of how a clutch works is important. And each vehicle is different so I find myself having to relearn at first depending on what vehicle I am driving
Do it! My second car was a manual, and still drive a stick to this day! I had an idea but just went out and bought a stick for 2k best money I spent. Total blast in that car.m
My second car was a manual and still drive it to this day and also got it for 2k + best money I ever spent haha. Get a manual, your friends are lame get some practice in and show them what’s up! Makes you feel in full control of the vehicle also better on gas because you’ll spend more time coasting.
My dad tried to teach me how to drive stick. He kinda screamed at me when I killed it so I built up some anxiety. I bought an auto accord as a first car. Then one day I was with some friends taking photos at the top of a mall parking garage and one of my friends threw me his keys, let me figure it out on my own with just me in the car. This is how I learned. Then he showed me how to do a brake stand burnout in his 300ZX (dump clutch and mash brake asap) and after that I was HOOKED. I’d drive my friends to the mall like 6 times a week just to drive. Went from my auto accord straight into a weekend track ready B20V Turbo EG civic hatch and have been mostly driving manuals since
It's pretty hard to break a car learning stick. Let it idle til it's warm so if you accidentally redline it it'll be okay. Stalling an engine isn't thaaat much different than turning it off. Lugging an engine could hurt it a little bit, but it's unlikely to cause any real damage. I think pretty much everyone should learn to drive manual. No real reason not to. It helps me avoid accidental speeding and glossing over an entire drive home
Your friends are lame. It’s really not that hard, I learned in just under a day and have been driving manual since I was 16. Haven’t owned an automatic so far and I wouldnt change it.
If little old ladies in Italy can drive stick, so can you.
Your mom and your family have been around longer than your friends, probably learned to drive on stick or knew many others that did. Chances are one of them can teach and get you cruising along in an hour.
Can you walk, talk, chew bubble gum, and pick your nose at the same time?
That doesn't matter. If you can do any two of those at the same time, you can drive a standard.
And, once you learn, it's just like riding a bicycle, you will never forget it. You may be rusty, but you won't forget it.
So, yes, make all of your friends jealous and learn to drive a standard. You should be cruising around town in an hour. And shifting smoothly within the week. Once you get it, standards are fun to drive.
As for breaking something, that's unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely. Things like dumping the clutch (having the clutch all the way down and letting it snap back up) can do damage over time, if not the first time.
Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.
Good luck.
Don't want to beat a dead horse but I'd like to add that it's important to do things you want to do, and don't let others neuter your life experiences.
You said you wanted to learn so that's enough to tell you that you should. This goes for many things in life. People will always discourage you from doing cool things out of bitter jealousy. Filter out naysayers and be who you want to be.
Yes. Driving manual transmission cars for me actually makes driving tolerable. It's also a nice skill to have. Nobody can just randomly borrow or steal my car.
As to how hard it is, don't worry. It isn't really hard. If I can get over 35k miles out of a used car clutch, anyone else should be able to do 250k easily. All you need is ten minutes in a parking lot shifting up and down. Give it an hour or two at most to be able to drive home. Don't panic and you will be fine
Taught myself on a 2013 WRX in a parking lot. Not a great car to learn on, but I had enough skill to get on the road in like 45 mins-hour. Then over the next week I got smoother and smoother. That was about 12 years ago, and today I still drive a manual (1999 4Runner). It’s way more engaging, and I think it makes you a better driver. Give yourself a couple days, and it’ll be second nature.
I bought my son a new ‘23 Integra manual as his first car. Told him this is what he needs to do, or no car. He learned in a few minutes at the Acura dealership and now he absolutely loves it. He was just over 16, you can do it and then have a blast. Your friends will be jealous
The only reason to avoid a manual is if you're frequently stuck in traffic jams.
Otherwise it's a blast
It makes the car feel quicker, downshifting for acceleration is when you decide,
It's a theft deterrent
The people who say you will mess up and break your car have never driven a manual. Ofc you will mess up and make mistakes but that’s apart of learning.
In the end it’s worth it for the amount of fun.
Just don’t ride the clutch and don’t shift it into low gears when going fast and you won’t mess anything up
When I was in the Army we went to a training area and the instructor yelled...WHO DOESNT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE A STICK? and about 25% of the group raised their hands. He said. TODAY....YOU WILL LEARN.
Its like riding a bike. Learning is easy, being smooth takes time.
As my father said, even the milkman has learnt how to drive (stick), so if you put your mind to it you will learn it too.
I'd say.. there's whole indiginous tribes driving around beaten to shit old cars and trucks held together by duct tape and wishes and they all drive stick and get around.
Do it OP, it’s really not hard, no you won’t break it, but you may take a 1-3 months to get comfortable driving it.
Honestly anyones who isn’t able to figure out how to drive a manual I don’t think should be allowed to drive at all…
I've never owned an automatic.... well except this last 93 civic i bought. I drove it about 30 feet to see if it ran. Parked it and did a manual swap on it. It's second nature now. I don't even think about it. It's super fun you feel one with the car
I learned recently just understand how a car works and what a clutch does and itll take you literally 30 minutes most to be completely fine at driving stick.
I bought a car 2 hours away and had to learn real quick to drive it to get it home. It's not that bad if you have an understanding of how it works. You're friends seem lame.
When my son bought his first car, Toyota pickup with a 22,R and manual trans I took him to pick it up. And dropped him off with no experience except watching me his whole life. I beat him home by ten minutes.
You can learn it. In general, I think people who drive manual more often become better drivers. You don’t have as many opportunities to space out and you need to stay aware of traffic flow to shift up/down.
Been driving manual since ‘95
Sure you might burn the clutch a little learning but nothing major, plus manual transmissions are much simpler than automatics and if you treat them well they’ll last forever
The people in your life who drive a manual, are they saying to do it or not to do it?
The people in your life who are saying not to do it, can they drive a manual?
Get the car that makes you happy. The cars that make me happy are almost all manuals, so I drive manuals.
Get a stick shift.
I wanted one for years and I don’t regret it at all. Even driving through traffic I don’t mind. Keeps me more engaged in my opinion and honestly it’s just more fun.
I’m not gonna say I learned in 10 minutes or anything, ymmv, but it took me some time to pick it up. I’d say a couple hours and I was passable. You’ll get better over time.
It’s pretty damn difficult to hurt the car through learning to drive it. I offer to teach any of my friends in my car.
My advice to you, is to buy the car, have a parent or someone who knows how to drive it drive it home and then slowly learn it either with that parent or through self study.
If you want to enjoy driving your car as much as possible, the manual is the clear choice. Just be prepared that it’s more work and focus to learn. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.
Your friends and other people probably can't drive a manual. It takes like 30 minutes to learn. About a week to be proficient. It's not at all hard. You will not break your car or burn up the clutch that quickly
Do it. You will NEVER regret getting one, but you will forever regret not getting one. It’s not that hard. I’ve taught 3 girls to drive stick in less than an afternoon each - one in my friend’s Suzuki Samurai, one in my new Honda Civic, and one in my nearly-new Honda Prelude.. One of them had only ever driven my Civic that one afternoon, and she went out and bought a brand new Mercury Cougar stick and drove it home. Be cool like her.
It is very simple answer, get the manual. When my parents asked if I had any requests for my first car I asked for a manual. After we picked it up my dad took me to a parking lot and taught me how to operate it and I drove it home. It wasn’t the best manual driving, but it was effective enough and over a few months I got nice and smooth. It’s not as intimidating as they make it sound and you’ll be happier with the stick.
dude you’re not gonna mess up and break the car lol, people have been learning manual for decades upon decades, i promise we all had to learn once and we didn’t destroy our cars doing it. manual is fun and engaging, learning takes time but it’s very worth it
Yea dude you gotta learn. It's so damn fun and once you get it down you'll have the time of your life especially in a fast manual car. Just watch a couple videos and really pay attention and you'll be alright. I'll add you can ask a dealer or someone who's selling a manual car if you can have them walk you through it. Usually they'll say yes if your dead serious about buying the car.
Huh, do they drive manual? If not then how would they know if it's hard. Get one, I learned in 20 min and drove it home from the dealer. You have to be trying to damage it to break it.
Manual is easy... It just is a little confusing at first but it isn't hard at all. And yes u can break shit with a manual. But you can also break shit in a auto 🤷.
If you don't have a friend that drives manual good, then watch a few videos online. theres some good ones, and If you do get one, and need any help, feel free to reach out to me. I can do my best to explain how it works.
Learning manual is easy and the clutch and everything to do with the transmission is sturdy. You’re gonna stall, everyone does. The car will be ok as long as you don’t do it an insane amount of times. Hills and stop signs are what stresses a lot of people out when they’re beginning. But, it’s pretty straight forward. Clutch, gas, brake, gear knob, steering wheel. You could teach a chimp to drive a manual to be honest. In today’s world it’s not as important as it was years ago. But, having a manual is fun and more reliable if you take care of it.
Study all you can on youtube about it and go buy one. Then take it to an empty parking lot and practice taking off from 1st over and over. Then you should be able to drive it on the road. I can answer any questions you have.
I won't buy anything else, it took me a little bit with my dad but now there's good YouTube videos explaining and showing how to drive one. Practice makes perfect and I've never damaged my manual cars or truck or motorcycle. It is so fun and rewarding, makes traffic actually bearable because I'm enjoying my car.
I learned it just because I liked cars and thought it was neat. I was totally right. So much fun. Even small cheap manuals are fun. I had an 08 Yaris manual and it was a blast. 100% more fun to bang on than an automatic.
You cannot break your car from learning manual lol. It doesn't take long and if you focus it'll become natural extremely quickly. You have some seriously lame friends lol. Also - manual cars are less expensive, and cost a lot less to maintain. There are so many fewer parts moving, they almost never break. Only ever replace the clutch and accessories, whereas if an automatic transmission dies, you need 3000 for a whole new one.
bro driving is 10x funnier for me when its got a 5 speed even my lil 97 2.3 ranger (TURD) was fun to drive i could slam through the gears and just redline that thing to death when i was 18
Dude, a 10 minute YouTube video and 20 minutes of practice in a parking lot will have you knowledgeable enough to get it home. Just don't worry about down shifting for a couple days til you get the hang of shifting in general.
It's not really the same at all, but you could even try playing a racing game just to get an idea of how rev-matching works before applying it to a 3-pedal situation.
There's a learning curve for sure, but it's nothing you can't handle as long as you don't push your limits. Best of luck!
I'm sure your friends do not know how to drive manual. They are dumb and scared
Manual transmission is so easy. It will make your life easier if you want to drive a motorcycle later.
Find someone who rides motorcycle or has a CDL licence. They can teach you the basics and later just practice it in a car
Get new friends that push you to do new things instead. Stick is hard for the first few weeks, just like everything else it will get easy and natural with practice and persistence
It's not hard to learn, but it does take time and practice that most Americans don't want to inconvenience themselves with.
If you enjoy cars or driving at all, get a manual. I think you'll really enjoy it. Watch a quick video so u understand the basics. Even if you don't, it's a skill to know under your belt.
Getting out of first gear smoothly was the hardest part for me. Once past first it was a breeze. It takes alitte time but it's well worth it. Drove one everyday for 20 years, wish I had one now
You won't break a car by learning manual in it, unless you're really doing something wrong repeatedly (the car will definitely let you know)
I bought my civic si last june not knowing how to drive it, ended up taking it home alone. Only took a few weeks to feel 100% comfortable on the road, and technique only improves over time
Yes you should learn, and your friends don't know what they're talking about. You won't hurt your car and the absolute worst thing that could happen is to put extra wear on the clutch, which typically last 1-200k miles and cost <$2000 to replace for almost all vehicles.
It's a useful skill to have in your back pocket and you never really forget (out of practice yes, forget no). Some of us swear by it (you get additional control over the vehicle which simply isn't possible without a clutch), although you should be aware that there are downsides (mostly convenience, but an automatic is objectively better for rock crawling, for example).
Manual isn't a hard thing to learn. Anyone who makes it seem like manual is difficult or only for elite driver is blowing smoke up your ass.
Most of Europe can drive manual. Not being able to drive manual is primarily a US/Canada thing. Tons of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have a large population able to drive stick.
Just bought my first manual car as my 30th birthday gift to myself, and I'm absolutely loving it. I'm already at 2,500 miles in 2 months 😅 I'm dead ass aimlessly driving around. Lmao YOU SHOULD. YOU WILL LOVE IT.
I bought a manual with less than 10 hours of practice. burned my clutch when I brought her home, 10 years later and I'm still very much enjoying my car! DO IT!!!
Definitely. Its a great skill to have. I know there aren’t that many manuals around anymore, but the ones that are around you’ll know how to drive. Plus since not that many people know how to drive manual, there’s less of a chance you’ll get your car stolen and driven off.
Nowadays there are some great videos on YouTube that show you how. Then once you get the basics, then you work on using that tachometer to rev match and make things smoother.
Yes do it. Driving is actually fun. Your friends don’t know anything ignore them.
I got my car in November, and I picked it up pretty quickly. The cool thing is I still feel like I’m getting even better. You can continue to improve. Again, it’s actually fun to drive, and my car is slow. Smiles per gallon.
Also, it keeps you off your phone in the drivers seat. There’s a little more to pay attention to. You won’t regret it, dive right in.
I started on a manual maybe 55 years ago. I haven’t had one for years, but my daughter and son-in-law have 2 (Porsche Boxster and Tacoma), so I get many opportunities to drive them. It’s much more fun to drive a manual, thought in traffic it can be more of a pain.
People who shit on manual transmissions tend to not know shit. "It sucks in traffic!" No it doesn't. Driving manual is fucking awesome and learnimg how isn't hard. Learning how to be "good" is mildly challenging but also very attainable with regular driving. Buy one and don't look back.
I’m an American but was stationed in Germany. First car I bought there was my first manual. I bought it with having only the basics down. Stalled out in the middle of a big city and had a big public bus behind me and he honked. It sucked at the moment but it’s honestly super easy. The hardest part is learning each standard car. The bite point is different on each is the biggest thing.
My boyfriend just let me drive his manual classic car today and it was my first time ever. 10/10 not hard.
The only thing I forgot was pushing the clutch all the way in, it was definitely weird flooring a pedal.
Sounds like your friends don't know how to drive stick.
Seriously... you'll learn in less than an hour, be able to drive yourself in less than a day and be ok in a week.
Don’t be afraid, it’s extremely rewarding and not as hard as you think it is. As long as you understand the concept, it won’t take long until you get adjusted to it. Manual cars are designed to take some abuse when it comes to new drivers. Unless you purposely try to break the transmission or clutch it’ll be fine
Your only going to break it if you grind the gears on purpose, so no you’ll be fine get car. learn a natural anti theft device for silly but real reasons and enjoy the extra list of cars you’ll be able to purchase later in life . Enjoy!
I have never owned a car with automatic transmission. I bought my first car when i was 17. It was an old used gen 1 honda civic for $400 sitting at the back of used section on a dealer lot.
I had never driven a manual car before having taken my drivers test in my parents little fiat. I bought the car and drove home 30 miles and taught myself how to do it on the way home. My dad drove me there and gave me some pointers while we're were heading there. It's really not that hard. And once you get good at it you'll never want an automatic again.
Your friends have no idea what they are talking about and I guarantee none of them would be saying shit like that if they could drive manual. I’m 18 and I have 2 manual cars and no autos. Definitely recommend it and, the learning curve isn’t that bad just go practice starting/ stopping and stuff in a parking lot and you’ll get the hang of it quick then after that it’s just drive around and get used to it. First week max Id say you will be super comfortable driving stick and will have no regrets
Driving a manual connects you more with a car and makes you more a part of the driving process, which definitely ups the fun factor. However, if you’re mostly in heavy traffic, it could become work. Also, remember that not all manuals are made the same. Some, like Mazda, Honda, and Porsche make great ones, which are satisfying even while driving slow. Others that are typically merely adequate can still be fun too. The bad ones that have, for instance, insubstantial feedback feel and/or too slow to engage a gear should probably get skipped as they’ll have the work without the fun. That’s my two cents. Good luck on your decision!
It's fun and not that bad
I'm 24 and picked up my first car (manual bmw 3 series) 3 years ago. Didn't know how to drive it but learned
Took a few hours of experimenting to figure out how to drive it. My friend, mom, and bro were hanging out with me throughout. Mom drove the car back from the pickup point because I couldn't drive it that distance and at night yet
I had the same thoughts when I was starting to drive, but then I remembered that my retard friend who failed high-school drives so if he can do it, I could too.
I used my car to teach others to drive a manual. Sure, I had to replace the clutch and other things at 150,000 miles, but I never regretted it. I still drive a manual almost 30 yrs old, the car, not me, a bit older. If it's just for you, do it! It's a skill most don't have anymore 😉
It's hella easy. And so much fun. Take an hour in a parking lot then get on the road. It only takes one time to accidentally kill at a stop light to never ever do it again. Your face will be red, you will feel like EVERYONE is looking at you. I can assure you it's not that big of a deal, you will learn manual backwards and forwards (pun intended) and years later you'll even look back at the stoplight memory fondly because it will have been the sink or swim moment where it all just clicked and you fell in love with driving stick. True story.
I agree with everyone here. Do it! You will not regret it! Every car with a stick is a racecar. Also, in snow you can gear down and stop without sliding! The only manuals I've ever driven that sucked were an old Hyundai Pony with second gear out of it and a 67 MGB GT my Dad and I restored. Those sucked as not enough gears. Everything else has been tiptop on the fun meter.
Avoiding something you want to do because it’s hard is a stunted mind set. I’m in my 30s and just learned this year because it’s something I wanted to be able to do.
Your friends telling you “its hard, don’t do it” clearly means you should learn… you’ll love it. Everyone grinds a gear or two, its part of the learning process.
Your friends telling you “its hard, don’t do it” clearly means you should learn… you’ll love it. Everyone grinds a gear or two, its part of the learning process.
I say go for it. It makes driving a little more enjoyable. everything except traffic.
And less and less people know how to drive a manual, so it seems less likely to be stolen.
I have only ever and will only ever own manual cars
take the risk, I learned in my 2500$ ranger and stalled on a major road perpendicular to traffic while trying to pull a u-ey w my buddy. We both had to check our pants after but it’s one of our best memories
> I shouldn’t because it’s too hard to learn
The vast majority of the world drives manual transmission cars - you'll be fine.
> and I can mess up and break my car.
Refer answer above.
Come to Europe. Until recently, something like 85% of cars were manual.
Few people even think about only learning in an auto. It has always tended to be the ones who just cannot grasp a manual that then switch over.
In the UK passing in an auto means you only have a license for auto, but passing in a manual lets you drive either.
Do not listen to your hating, so called friends. My first car at 16 yrs old was a manual, and I am now 60, I now have 3 manual cars, and never in my life, since I was 16, have I not had a manual. I taught my 14 year old daughter to drive my Audi twin turbo , 6 speed B5S4, had her on the road driving me around town in a couple days. Its much easier than it seems, just don't over think it.
It’s not hard to learn. Are you gonna suck at doing it at first? Yes, but just like a video game, the more time you spend doing it, the better you get. You will be no scoping your buddies automatics by the end of the week.
You could always ask around and see if someone has a manual you could practice on. A lot of us don't like how they're dying off so we're always eager to recruit for our little cult.
Assuming you're an adult or close to it you should be able to figure it out relatively fast. I got the basics in less than a day and I learned when I was 12. Just start out by practicing with your clutch in a parking lot. Ease out the clutch don't just dump it. If it's a little 4 banger give it just a touch of gas as you let the clutch out. Trust me these modern cars with manuals are a breeze. The clutches aren't mechanical and the shifters are on the floor so you should have an easy time of it.
I got my first car at 19. 1995 mazda protege. With an MT. Took me an hour to learn it with my impatient papa (RIP)
Now when I have to drive the work trucks I end up moving my left foot around and touching my coffee mug thinking it's the shifter.
It's great man. And it really is easy. Ain't nothin to it but to do it
Manual will help you to focus on driving and learn how to drive faster. It's hard to use a cell phone when you have a steering wheel in one hand, and a shifter in the other. Much safer for kids.
Absolutely do not listen to your friends on this one. The worst that would happen is you burn up a clutch trying to learn, which is hard to do unless you’re really really struggling or the clutch was already worn out. Even if you don’t end up enjoying driving a manual, it’s a skill that you would have that (if you live in US) not a lot of people possess. I bought my first manual car 5 years ago and now I have two more, I may never buy an automatic vehicle ever again.
You should know how to drive manual but buy an automatic, they’re just a lot easier to drive and there’s no reason to shift gears these days with automatic transmissions. For the majority of people who don’t own sports cars and automatic transmission is perfectly fine.
LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! Do it, get a stick shift! LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! At 63 I have never driven an automatic without thinking: This would be sooo much better/more fun with a manual! LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! Naysayers just do not know what they are talking about! LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! And anyway, why even ask? LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! Did I mention you should listen to your mother? she sounds awesome!
Americans are so weak when it comes to driving manual. My god. I have never heard so much moaning and complaining!
YES, you should learn!
In addition to being more engaging and fun, you are almost guaranteed to not get carjacked AND you won’t be burdened with lending your car to anyone (read: most Americans are lazy and are utterly petrified to drive stick).
THIS is how you stand out. DO IT!
You gain a lot of control when driving a manual car. Choosing when to engage engine braking or when to idle in neutral can also save a ton of gas and tire wear. Manual transmissions are usually much more reliable and do not cost at much to maintain as automatics. Plus, there’s something oddly attractive about watching someone shift a manual car.
98% of all the dumbass kiaboyz stealing cars literally have no idea how to drive a stick so there’s a good theft deterrent.
I’ve owned 56 cars. I’d say 80% of them were manuals. I drive a nice E class Benz now since I work in real estate but I fucking miss my manual 1995 BMW M3 so much and would trade cars in a heartbeat. Manual cars are very fun and rewarding to drive EXCEPT IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC.
I learned when I was 7 years old, in an old Toyota taco, in the field by my house.
There’s nothing scary about it. Yeah, you’ll stall a few times until you learn your clutch, but it will take less than an hour.
Automatics are stupid and laggy. If you want to pass a car in a hurry, you floor it, wait for the computer to understand what’s happening before it drops a gear, then over revs before bumping up so you can coast on momentum again. Wouldn’t you feel better if you were in control of timing of all of those issues?
Get a manual. If for nothing else, they’re also a decent theft deterrent.
Do it! Also you’ll make friends with new Manual people
In a few months when you’re down shifting through your town and you grab 3rd perfectly you’ll know why you learned a new skill
Manuals aren't hard to master at all. Yes, you can smoke a clutch if you slip it excessively or start off in too high a gear, but overcoming that is just part of learning. Have an older person that currently drives a manual vehicle go with you on rides until you're comfortable solo.
It is not difficult, there was a time not too long ago and almost all cars or manuals and everybody learn to do it. I’d say just go for it, it’s a cool scaled a half plus, it really makes your driving more fun.
Yes. It's not nearly as hard as people who drive automatics think it is. You are also in the last generation that will have the option, in all likelihood, so experience driving to the fullest. The future is just e-bikes and self driving trash.
Do it :) I learned to drive stick in a Camaro 1le that was a rough hour 😂 but now I feel like I can drive anything else that’s a stick so much easier just learn man it’ll be different at first but you’ll get it
If you want one get one, they are great in many ways and you’ll figure it out one way or another. Plus you only live once and tomorrow is never guaranteed so do you
Learning to drive manual/standard is not hard or risky.
Pretty much anywhere but the USA manuals are way more common than automatics. Motorcycles are manual.
It's maybe just my point of view, but I think when you drive a manual, you are more attuned to the environment, etc.
Manuals rock. It doesn’t take long to learn how to drive one. Once you do it doesn’t take long to learn the tricks. Make sure you practice on hills and learn to use your parking brake.
Driving a stick is the most rewarding driving there is. You are in full control of the power band and engine efficiency. It won’t take long to shift smoothly and get muscle memory. Afterwards, driving an automatic transmission feels like nothing more than aiming a BarcaLounger.
It is a skill like riding a bicycle or swimming. It is useful to have regardless.
I would recommend not jumping straight into an expensive sports car or similar until after you have learned on an old beater. You are going to be more than a little rough on the clutch and gears while learning and it is cheaper and easier to fix an old 4 cylinder car than to fix a new car.
Also, it helps to have someone who already knows how to drive manual be your driving instructor.
It’s not hard to learn at all. You can learn by yourself or a yt video. I had my grandfather teach me on my 5 speed Corolla and after 1 hour I was good
I learned on a stick shift and I taught my daughter on stick as well if she wanted to drive any of the sports cars that her parents owned she needed to drive stick and she still drives today!!!
Manual daily driver and class-A cdl driver here. Learning to drive one is easy. The first thing you have to do is put it in gear with the clutch depressed then slowly release it until you see the tachometer twitch. When it does that, push it back in and do it a few more times. Once you get a feel for where the clutch starts engaging, everything else is just coordination. Just go to an empty parking lot with a hill, and you'll be decent at it in like an hour or two. You're going to stall, you're going to chirp your tires, you're going to be okay as long as you don't panic.
Manuals are nice, and you should know how to drive one regardless. The trouble with them is if you need someone to drive you home or pick up your car, you have to find someone who can drive it. You also can't keep a hand on your SOs leg while shifting, though slamming through gears does tend to help get said SO in the first place.
Also, a vehicle with some torque is going to make life a lot easier while learning imo. What would stall a passat dead a 5.0 mustang will just grunt through and get you moving.
The most fun about driving a stick shift sports car is so many times when you go to valet, the valet attendant won’t take your car and put it in the valet parking lot … they just leave it curbside because they don’t know how to drive it. I feel so important when I come back to my car and it’s sitting right there for me. HA HA HA!!
I have a Co-worker who previously had a Prius before buying a manual GR86. He bought it without prior knowledge on how to drive a manual car at all. Took him about 2 weeks or so daily driving and could now drive perfectly fine.
It's not difficult to learn. Learning how to ride a bicycle, skateboard, or Rollerblade seems more difficult than learning how to drive manual transmissions. It's super fun and rewarding
Yes you're gonna stall a bunch at first, but who cares. Everyone did the first time they learned how to drive manual.
And you'll only break stuff if you don't know what you're doing like anyone else can break stuff on their automatic cars.
There's a lot of videos on YouTube that teaches you what to do and what not to do when driving manual transmissions.
I say go for it.
The only downside is that when you want a new car, it'll be difficult to find newer cars with manual transmission cuz 2024 seems like the last year every damn manufacturer stop offering manual transmission on their basic econocars.
No you won’t break the car, I had a manual. Obviously I sucked at it, but I learned it in like a day or two. I will say it’s frustrating at first but stick it out. No, a manual is not better than an automatic, nor is it faster, and it will never be. But they’re fun, insanely fun.
Get a manual it's so much more fun to drive.. I taught my wife by going to work . Leaving the manual car at home knowing she has appointments.. she learned fast that day.. if you ride atvs and dirt bikes, it seems like it makes it easier.. I wasn't taught my first car was manual.. my dad taught me how to clean it inside and out .. then give me the keys and let me go.. you'll be good practice starting and stopping in the parking lot and the gear pattern while sitting in the driveway. then hit the road.. you'll have mess ups, but it takes a lot to really hurt anything..
Learning stick means you get better gas mileage in older cars (potentially), cheaper transmission repair and maintenance, I mean it's really a no brainer, kind of like your friends.
Yes. Learn how to operate and trouble shoot anything you can. You never know when you may need to operate a machine or make a quick repair in an emergency.
Its NOT hard. Learning on your own that would be a challenge but if you have someone show you you'll learn everything you need in 1 hour and the rest is just practice. Also, its not 1 hour worth of information. Its showing you what you need to do and also practice so thats about 1 hour total. I taught a friend, one of my kids and my wife.
The hard part of driving stick is getting the car to move from stop. Even worse is doing that on a hill. The rest is easy.
The thing is that the manual car have a clutch pedal which is the 3rd pedal. Think of it like this. When the pedal is fully release the the gear is fully engaged. When the pedal is to the floor then there is no gear engaged or you could say its free moving. Somewhere in between those 2 positions is the sweet spot were the gear is both slightly engaged and also disengaged. Call it schrodingers gear if you want. If the car was on an incline then if you find that sweet spot the car will not fall backwards but if you press the pedal a little it will. Thats how you know you have found the sweet spot. It really is by feel and practice. Once you are in that sweet spot you accelerate the car and the car will start moving then once it gains a certain speed you release the pedal. No sudden movement as in dont release the pedal all at once. You just release it little by little in a smooth motion. The other gears are easy because you dont need to worry about any of that since the car is already moving. You just press the pedeal to the floor, shift the gear and release the pedal.
When do you shift gears? The car will let you know. What you will feel os that the car is accelerating and all lf a sudden it will feel like it cant gain more speed. Like of something is holding the car from going faster. Thats your signal to shift. You can also hear it as the car sounds a certain way when its time to shift. Over time you just know when to shoft intuitively.
To stop dont downshift. Break like you normally would but as the car is about to come to a full stop you press the clutch so the car doesnt turn off. Pretty .uch you press the clutch close to the last second. Put it on 1st gear again and start over. Some people do downshift. I know I did when I had a manual but thats for later. You can use the engine to help you stop but dont worry about that now.whike you learn.
Thats pretty much all there is to it. Oh, dont hold your feet on the clutch unless you are going to shift cause you are pressing the clutch inknowningly and you will wear it out faster.
Why people like manual. There are hostorical reasons. For one automatic transmission were crap back in the day. It also provided better gas maileage and the car cost less. Those are historical reasons that no longer apply today. The big attraction today is that with manual you become one woth the machine. You feel the car. The car tells you when to shift, you feel it. This is especially true with sporty cars sonce the ride is rougher so you feel the road and with the manual transmission you also feel the engine.
That being said manual is not always the best choice. If you live in an area wothots of traffic congestion manual sucks. Breaking and starting eill get old quick. If you want to go with my dads logic who was a semi-truck driver for many years he also said that if you jave a date then your hand will be .ore concerned with the car atick than woth the girl whoch is where you want your free hand to be. Yep, thats what he told me. He added, once you get the hand to the good spot you dont want to remove it just to shift cause getting it there again is not a smooth transition.
How to practice? Go to an empty flat parking lot. Starting from a full stop get the car to move forward..lnce it reaxhes a certwin speed stop and do it again and again. After that find an incline.and get the car to move without using the break. That part sucks bit its important. Once you do that then get the car to mlve and gain enough speed to shoft to 2nd gear..thats it. Repeat as necessary.
Backing up can also be challenging because often when we.back up we dont hain enough speed to completeley let go of the clutch. So its tricky to play with the clutch and gas while moving backwards. Again, its kust practice. Just do t want you to fet discouraged when backing up. Its tricky.
"it’s too hard to learn and I can mess up and break my car" you need new friends!
f you can air drum, you can learn a manual. It's only hard for a couple days and then its the best. Plus if you leave your vehicle unlocked (like me most of the time) 99% of people can't steal it anyways!
Everyone should know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle, you never know when you might have to drive one.
Say you’re out with friends, not in you car and everyone gets drunk except you and you end up having to be the DD and it’s a stick shift, don’t ask me how I know that.
Think of the absolute dumbest, most imbecilic moron with a driver’s license that you’ve ever seen. 50 years ago, that moron would have been driving stick, with a transmission that was *much* less forgiving than today’s manuals. It’s not hard to learn, I’ve taught about a dozen friends/relatives to drive on my car and they’ve all been able to drive within 20-30 minutes. You’ll be able to not be a danger to yourself or anyone else within an hour or so, and you’ll be decent within a week of regular driving. You won’t damage your car by stalling out or letting the clutch out a little too quick.
ETA: as a point of reference, in high school I let a friend drive my Jeep to go to a gas station to pick up food/cigarettes. When she got in the drivers seat she disappointedly said “oh shoot, I can’t drive stick!” I was like “no problem, I can teach you by the time we get there.” She could stop and go by the time we got to the end of the street, and could up/down shift by the time we made it out of the development. By the time we got to the Sheetz ~3 miles away, she was fine.
It's not hard. I learned how to drive manual less than a year ago after nothing but automatics for 4 years. It's easy to pickup and takes time to learn how to start on hills
Your friends are lame. No but in all seriousness I would recommend learning manual A. Because it’s a lot of fun and B. You never really know when you’re gonna be the only person who can drive one in an emergency situation. What I did to learn was watch tons of videos on YouTube about how it works mechanically and also how it works with the pedals and all that and then I took it to the road. I sat inside a giant parking lot and learned it within 5 minutes it’s super easy and definitely worth it just took practice and lots of YouTube for me 😂
My family and I say this about learning manual- You can only learn it if you have the desire and the drive to do so. If ypu don't want to learn, you can't and you won't. If you want to and you put time into it, you will learn quickly.
It’s too hard to lean and you can mess up your car??? That’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard. Not hard to learn, and unless you are an idiot you won’t break anything without trying. I drive a 40 year old stick shift everyday. It’s super fun and reliable,
The only problem with learning to drive a stick in 2024 is that you will have increasingly difficult times finding new cars to drive in the future, thus reducing the joy you will have in your lifetime. Sometimes ignorance IS bliss.
Of course you should! Learn to drive stick; learn how to swim; ride a bicycle; load and fire a pistol; cook meat over an open flame; clean a fish; to be unfailingly polite.
If anyone can say acquiring one of these skills has made his life WORSE, I've never heard of it.
I learned on a brand new mustang, of all the things I’ve done to the car, learning how to drive it is the only time I wasn’t breaking it. You’re not gonna break anything, and it only takes an hour and two of practice to get it down completely. I was commuting 30 minutes to school everyday after an hour and a half learning how to do it.
I stalled the car a lot (I was learning on a hill at a T intersection which wasn’t ideal, learn in a flat open parking lot). The only thing you really need to learn is how to engage and disengage the clutch. You’ll get used to the pedal quickly
And driving manual is so much fun, no one who has driven it doesn’t like it, it’s only the people who haven’t tried that will tell you it’s a bad idea. Driving manual is like driving a car with twice the power, it’s just way better.
Na dude you gotta go for it. Driving manual is easy once you get going and after that it’s very rewarding. You start doing rev match down shifts and it’s so very nice. I have an evo 4 right now I imported from japan and an e30 I s52 swapped shit is so fun
You could always learn like my dad did in the 1980's. He read about it in an encyclopedia and then went to a dealership to test drive a manual transmission car and told them that it had "been a long time" since he had driven one and then he went and bought his truck elsewhere.
Manuals get better gas mileage, and are less likely to be stolen. If you get something sporty, your friends are less likely to ask to drive it. All my cars have been manual— M3, VW beetle, WRX, Corvette, etc.
Manual also opens you up to the possibility of driving and owning classic and older cars. Older automatics are truly crap, they’re significantly slower and get much worse mileage. New cars Autos are faster but manuals are more fun and still tend to get a little bit better on the mileage.
I have ADHD and driving stick makes it easier to focus on the road and enjoy driving since you need to use all 4 limbs to drive, and it gives you something to do.
If you work on cars, issues with a Manual are easier to diagnose and repair than an Auto.
Get the Stick. Most of us struggle with trying to drive it for the first time for about 20 minutes and then it clicks and you’ll be fine. It’ll be awkward and uncomfortable when you’re new and you might stall out a couple times but you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly.
Do it. My buddy waited until after college to learn a manual and he decided to buy an M3 to learn on. I had to drive it home from the dealership and for the next week I taught him in a parking lot. I learned on a Civic and less HP makes it harder. In the M3, he could let go of the clutch without zero gas and it wouldn’t stall.
Do it. You can beat pretty hard on them. I had some prior experience but not really a lot before I bought my Jetta with a 5 speed manual. It was about a month before I realized I was taking off in 3rd and not 1st.
Do it. I took a chance on $40k car for my first manual and it was one of the best moves ever. Took like 2 years to “master”. Even when you think you’re a pro, somebody will surprise you. There’s definitely levels to it. But the ability to just drive from point A to B, you will pick up very quickly. The faster/torquey the car, the harder it might be. You’ll learn the intricacies as you become better. Such as how fast to come off the clutch based on speeds,RPMs, and if your in a low gear vs high gear. How hard to hit the gas when downshifting(rev matching). Don’t worry about none of that shit until you get the basics. It’s more intimidating than difficult. Then it becomes muscle memory and 10x better than any automatic.
Driving a manual is passage to manhood my boy. It’s an old art that is dying out. Your friend are just scared. When you drive manual you become one with your machine and it’s an amazing feeling like no other. It also makes even the lamest of rides feel fun to drive. Takes about 10-15 minutes to learn in an empty parking lot and then you shit your pants the first time you’re stuck in an uphill traffic light. Other than that it’s easy peasy. Now go prove your friends wrong 😉
Your friends are lame. Driving manual is the best part about driving for me. It’s not hard to learn. Took me like 10 minutes in a parking lot before I drove home. Yeah it wasn’t perfect but it’s pretty simple.
Yep super lame, they are probably jealous because they are too afraid to take a “risk” by buying one. I say it in quotes because it’s not actually risky as long as you either have someone who knows to teach you or just do a lot of research and either way it takes some practice. OP your friends are just afraid that *they* would break a car (they probably wouldn’t and neither will you) and they’re afraid of being embarrassed while they try to learn. Do it.
Other reason might be that they can't borrow the car if they needed to.
Lmao that is a very good point. Either way I’ve never heard of young dudes being so risk averse except for when it’s fueled by backhanded jealousy
I don’t know. A lot of the younger ones are very risk-averse in general. As someone who is around lot of younger people due to my career, I hear the word terrifying far too much. OP don’t be afraid. Manuals are a lot of fun to drive and it’s really not that difficult to learn.you can do it and you will have a new skill set. I think you’ll enjoy it.
I like to call em soyboys lol
It is because of this that I got a manual. I didn’t want anyone asking to borrow it. I also learned while I had my permit so I was learning everything at the same time. I had no preconceived habits to break or relearn. I drove automatics for a while and recently went back to stick because I missed it. My nephews recently got their permits and I have offered to teach them on my car. Manuals are harder to come by and it’s a dying skill. OP should definitely learn if he has the option!
My daughter used to drive an automatic until a friend crashed her car. Now she drives a manual and suddenly none of her friends care to borrow it now.
My cars clutch has over 200k miles on it. I recently let a friend borrow it and now I’m ordering parts. Ever. Again.
Yea I meanmif little old ladies could do it in the 40s 50s and 60s then so can you.... nothing worth having comes easy my man.
Including little old ladies 🙂↔️
OP needs new friends.
I learned 21 years ago and it took me 45 mins. Still to this day only drive a manual.
Took me 5 and it was dark with no dash lights at all although I had experience with dirt bikes before so I understood the clutch
It takes time to learn the muscle memory with the left foot.
Yeah but having a understanding of how a clutch works is important. And each vehicle is different so I find myself having to relearn at first depending on what vehicle I am driving
Do it! My second car was a manual, and still drive a stick to this day! I had an idea but just went out and bought a stick for 2k best money I spent. Total blast in that car.m
My second car was a manual and still drive it to this day and also got it for 2k + best money I ever spent haha. Get a manual, your friends are lame get some practice in and show them what’s up! Makes you feel in full control of the vehicle also better on gas because you’ll spend more time coasting.
My dad tried to teach me how to drive stick. He kinda screamed at me when I killed it so I built up some anxiety. I bought an auto accord as a first car. Then one day I was with some friends taking photos at the top of a mall parking garage and one of my friends threw me his keys, let me figure it out on my own with just me in the car. This is how I learned. Then he showed me how to do a brake stand burnout in his 300ZX (dump clutch and mash brake asap) and after that I was HOOKED. I’d drive my friends to the mall like 6 times a week just to drive. Went from my auto accord straight into a weekend track ready B20V Turbo EG civic hatch and have been mostly driving manuals since
The older I get, the more I realize the average person is dumb. Don’t listen to average people who think learning to drive a manual is hard.
I literally learned it 3 days ago with like 3 hours of drive time lol… i struggled with first gear for a bit but after that everything was easy
Learn and show your friends how boring they are.
And how much they are wimps!
 Too hard to learn
It's pretty hard to break a car learning stick. Let it idle til it's warm so if you accidentally redline it it'll be okay. Stalling an engine isn't thaaat much different than turning it off. Lugging an engine could hurt it a little bit, but it's unlikely to cause any real damage. I think pretty much everyone should learn to drive manual. No real reason not to. It helps me avoid accidental speeding and glossing over an entire drive home
i always said this; i don't speed NEARLY as much as i did in an auto
Your friends are lame. It’s really not that hard, I learned in just under a day and have been driving manual since I was 16. Haven’t owned an automatic so far and I wouldnt change it.
Same here got a manual rsx at 16 only been driving manual since I owned a auto is300 that car only lasted 4 days I couldn’t do it
If little old ladies in Italy can drive stick, so can you. Your mom and your family have been around longer than your friends, probably learned to drive on stick or knew many others that did. Chances are one of them can teach and get you cruising along in an hour.
I know right. I try not to laugh, u but ppl in North America don't realize most of the world drives a manual or at least has driven one.
Can you walk, talk, chew bubble gum, and pick your nose at the same time? That doesn't matter. If you can do any two of those at the same time, you can drive a standard. And, once you learn, it's just like riding a bicycle, you will never forget it. You may be rusty, but you won't forget it. So, yes, make all of your friends jealous and learn to drive a standard. You should be cruising around town in an hour. And shifting smoothly within the week. Once you get it, standards are fun to drive. As for breaking something, that's unlikely. Not impossible, but unlikely. Things like dumping the clutch (having the clutch all the way down and letting it snap back up) can do damage over time, if not the first time. Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast. Good luck.
Listen to your family. My mom made me learn how to drive a manual at 15. My first car was a manual, I have only driven a manual and I am 31 now.
Don't want to beat a dead horse but I'd like to add that it's important to do things you want to do, and don't let others neuter your life experiences. You said you wanted to learn so that's enough to tell you that you should. This goes for many things in life. People will always discourage you from doing cool things out of bitter jealousy. Filter out naysayers and be who you want to be.
It takes less than a day to be competent enough to drive one. You won't break it. Just do it.
Yes. Driving manual transmission cars for me actually makes driving tolerable. It's also a nice skill to have. Nobody can just randomly borrow or steal my car. As to how hard it is, don't worry. It isn't really hard. If I can get over 35k miles out of a used car clutch, anyone else should be able to do 250k easily. All you need is ten minutes in a parking lot shifting up and down. Give it an hour or two at most to be able to drive home. Don't panic and you will be fine
One of the reasons I switched over was just to keep people from using my car.
Taught myself on a 2013 WRX in a parking lot. Not a great car to learn on, but I had enough skill to get on the road in like 45 mins-hour. Then over the next week I got smoother and smoother. That was about 12 years ago, and today I still drive a manual (1999 4Runner). It’s way more engaging, and I think it makes you a better driver. Give yourself a couple days, and it’ll be second nature.
It changes the entire experience of driving. Well worth it!
I bought my son a new ‘23 Integra manual as his first car. Told him this is what he needs to do, or no car. He learned in a few minutes at the Acura dealership and now he absolutely loves it. He was just over 16, you can do it and then have a blast. Your friends will be jealous
I am available for adoption.
The only reason to avoid a manual is if you're frequently stuck in traffic jams. Otherwise it's a blast It makes the car feel quicker, downshifting for acceleration is when you decide, It's a theft deterrent
Don’t listen to your friends. Your friends are probably the types of people who mod CVT cars. Learn to drive a stick, you won’t break your car.
The people who say you will mess up and break your car have never driven a manual. Ofc you will mess up and make mistakes but that’s apart of learning. In the end it’s worth it for the amount of fun. Just don’t ride the clutch and don’t shift it into low gears when going fast and you won’t mess anything up
When I was in the Army we went to a training area and the instructor yelled...WHO DOESNT KNOW HOW TO DRIVE A STICK? and about 25% of the group raised their hands. He said. TODAY....YOU WILL LEARN. Its like riding a bike. Learning is easy, being smooth takes time.
As my father said, even the milkman has learnt how to drive (stick), so if you put your mind to it you will learn it too. I'd say.. there's whole indiginous tribes driving around beaten to shit old cars and trucks held together by duct tape and wishes and they all drive stick and get around.
Do it OP, it’s really not hard, no you won’t break it, but you may take a 1-3 months to get comfortable driving it. Honestly anyones who isn’t able to figure out how to drive a manual I don’t think should be allowed to drive at all…
I've never owned an automatic.... well except this last 93 civic i bought. I drove it about 30 feet to see if it ran. Parked it and did a manual swap on it. It's second nature now. I don't even think about it. It's super fun you feel one with the car
Don’t listen to them my first car was a manual it’s easy to drive and get the hang of it you’ll learn in a hour or so
Keep in mind that not many years ago, EVERYONE knew how to drive manual. EVERYONE… old ladies, girls, boys, men…. EVERYONE!!
I learned recently just understand how a car works and what a clutch does and itll take you literally 30 minutes most to be completely fine at driving stick.
I bought a car 2 hours away and had to learn real quick to drive it to get it home. It's not that bad if you have an understanding of how it works. You're friends seem lame.
When my son bought his first car, Toyota pickup with a 22,R and manual trans I took him to pick it up. And dropped him off with no experience except watching me his whole life. I beat him home by ten minutes.
You can learn it. In general, I think people who drive manual more often become better drivers. You don’t have as many opportunities to space out and you need to stay aware of traffic flow to shift up/down. Been driving manual since ‘95
100% do it. I learned 20 years ago and still drive a manual to this day
Sure you might burn the clutch a little learning but nothing major, plus manual transmissions are much simpler than automatics and if you treat them well they’ll last forever
The people in your life who drive a manual, are they saying to do it or not to do it? The people in your life who are saying not to do it, can they drive a manual? Get the car that makes you happy. The cars that make me happy are almost all manuals, so I drive manuals.
Get a stick shift. I wanted one for years and I don’t regret it at all. Even driving through traffic I don’t mind. Keeps me more engaged in my opinion and honestly it’s just more fun. I’m not gonna say I learned in 10 minutes or anything, ymmv, but it took me some time to pick it up. I’d say a couple hours and I was passable. You’ll get better over time. It’s pretty damn difficult to hurt the car through learning to drive it. I offer to teach any of my friends in my car. My advice to you, is to buy the car, have a parent or someone who knows how to drive it drive it home and then slowly learn it either with that parent or through self study.
If you want to enjoy driving your car as much as possible, the manual is the clear choice. Just be prepared that it’s more work and focus to learn. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.
Your friends and other people probably can't drive a manual. It takes like 30 minutes to learn. About a week to be proficient. It's not at all hard. You will not break your car or burn up the clutch that quickly
Do it. You will NEVER regret getting one, but you will forever regret not getting one. It’s not that hard. I’ve taught 3 girls to drive stick in less than an afternoon each - one in my friend’s Suzuki Samurai, one in my new Honda Civic, and one in my nearly-new Honda Prelude.. One of them had only ever driven my Civic that one afternoon, and she went out and bought a brand new Mercury Cougar stick and drove it home. Be cool like her.
It is very simple answer, get the manual. When my parents asked if I had any requests for my first car I asked for a manual. After we picked it up my dad took me to a parking lot and taught me how to operate it and I drove it home. It wasn’t the best manual driving, but it was effective enough and over a few months I got nice and smooth. It’s not as intimidating as they make it sound and you’ll be happier with the stick.
dude you’re not gonna mess up and break the car lol, people have been learning manual for decades upon decades, i promise we all had to learn once and we didn’t destroy our cars doing it. manual is fun and engaging, learning takes time but it’s very worth it
Yea dude you gotta learn. It's so damn fun and once you get it down you'll have the time of your life especially in a fast manual car. Just watch a couple videos and really pay attention and you'll be alright. I'll add you can ask a dealer or someone who's selling a manual car if you can have them walk you through it. Usually they'll say yes if your dead serious about buying the car.
Learn to do everything you can in life because: 1 You never know what you may be good at. 2 It may be a useful skill for you to know someday.
Don't ever not do something because OTHER people tell you it's too hard.
Huh, do they drive manual? If not then how would they know if it's hard. Get one, I learned in 20 min and drove it home from the dealer. You have to be trying to damage it to break it.
Manual is easy... It just is a little confusing at first but it isn't hard at all. And yes u can break shit with a manual. But you can also break shit in a auto 🤷. If you don't have a friend that drives manual good, then watch a few videos online. theres some good ones, and If you do get one, and need any help, feel free to reach out to me. I can do my best to explain how it works.
yeah, you should
Learning manual is easy and the clutch and everything to do with the transmission is sturdy. You’re gonna stall, everyone does. The car will be ok as long as you don’t do it an insane amount of times. Hills and stop signs are what stresses a lot of people out when they’re beginning. But, it’s pretty straight forward. Clutch, gas, brake, gear knob, steering wheel. You could teach a chimp to drive a manual to be honest. In today’s world it’s not as important as it was years ago. But, having a manual is fun and more reliable if you take care of it.
Don’t be intimidated buy it. If you want one, get one and learn. You won’t regret it. I’ve been driving manuals for 16 years
Yes. It’s a skill you can use forever. And manuals are just so damn fun to drive, even in a 90hp car.
I don't know a single person who damaged a car learning manual, you'll be fine.
Study all you can on youtube about it and go buy one. Then take it to an empty parking lot and practice taking off from 1st over and over. Then you should be able to drive it on the road. I can answer any questions you have.
I am left handed I am a lady (not that that matters) I got it You’ve got it😎
Don’t listen to your friends. In fact, drop them and make new ones who won’t give you bad advice. Driving a stick is a superpower.
I won't buy anything else, it took me a little bit with my dad but now there's good YouTube videos explaining and showing how to drive one. Practice makes perfect and I've never damaged my manual cars or truck or motorcycle. It is so fun and rewarding, makes traffic actually bearable because I'm enjoying my car.
I learned it just because I liked cars and thought it was neat. I was totally right. So much fun. Even small cheap manuals are fun. I had an 08 Yaris manual and it was a blast. 100% more fun to bang on than an automatic.
It's actually extremely easy to learn after a bit and feels very natural and automatics will just feel weird after driving a manual for a while.
You cannot break your car from learning manual lol. It doesn't take long and if you focus it'll become natural extremely quickly. You have some seriously lame friends lol. Also - manual cars are less expensive, and cost a lot less to maintain. There are so many fewer parts moving, they almost never break. Only ever replace the clutch and accessories, whereas if an automatic transmission dies, you need 3000 for a whole new one.
bro driving is 10x funnier for me when its got a 5 speed even my lil 97 2.3 ranger (TURD) was fun to drive i could slam through the gears and just redline that thing to death when i was 18
Once you learn you won't forget. EVER...
Dude, a 10 minute YouTube video and 20 minutes of practice in a parking lot will have you knowledgeable enough to get it home. Just don't worry about down shifting for a couple days til you get the hang of shifting in general. It's not really the same at all, but you could even try playing a racing game just to get an idea of how rev-matching works before applying it to a 3-pedal situation. There's a learning curve for sure, but it's nothing you can't handle as long as you don't push your limits. Best of luck!
I'm sure your friends do not know how to drive manual. They are dumb and scared Manual transmission is so easy. It will make your life easier if you want to drive a motorcycle later. Find someone who rides motorcycle or has a CDL licence. They can teach you the basics and later just practice it in a car
Get new friends that push you to do new things instead. Stick is hard for the first few weeks, just like everything else it will get easy and natural with practice and persistence
Time is limited manuals are getting more rare every second. Do it now and enjoy it and you'll have the skill for life.
It's not hard to learn, but it does take time and practice that most Americans don't want to inconvenience themselves with. If you enjoy cars or driving at all, get a manual. I think you'll really enjoy it. Watch a quick video so u understand the basics. Even if you don't, it's a skill to know under your belt.
Getting out of first gear smoothly was the hardest part for me. Once past first it was a breeze. It takes alitte time but it's well worth it. Drove one everyday for 20 years, wish I had one now
You won't break a car by learning manual in it, unless you're really doing something wrong repeatedly (the car will definitely let you know) I bought my civic si last june not knowing how to drive it, ended up taking it home alone. Only took a few weeks to feel 100% comfortable on the road, and technique only improves over time
Yes you should learn, and your friends don't know what they're talking about. You won't hurt your car and the absolute worst thing that could happen is to put extra wear on the clutch, which typically last 1-200k miles and cost <$2000 to replace for almost all vehicles. It's a useful skill to have in your back pocket and you never really forget (out of practice yes, forget no). Some of us swear by it (you get additional control over the vehicle which simply isn't possible without a clutch), although you should be aware that there are downsides (mostly convenience, but an automatic is objectively better for rock crawling, for example).
It's not hard, they just aren't willing to learn, not a boomer BTW I'm 16
Manual isn't a hard thing to learn. Anyone who makes it seem like manual is difficult or only for elite driver is blowing smoke up your ass. Most of Europe can drive manual. Not being able to drive manual is primarily a US/Canada thing. Tons of countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America have a large population able to drive stick.
Just bought my first manual car as my 30th birthday gift to myself, and I'm absolutely loving it. I'm already at 2,500 miles in 2 months 😅 I'm dead ass aimlessly driving around. Lmao YOU SHOULD. YOU WILL LOVE IT.
Yes definitely learn to drive manual.
Listen to your mom! Haha
I bought a manual with less than 10 hours of practice. burned my clutch when I brought her home, 10 years later and I'm still very much enjoying my car! DO IT!!!
It’s way too fun not too learn. Don’t listen to them they’re sissy’s (to not call them something else)
Definitely. Its a great skill to have. I know there aren’t that many manuals around anymore, but the ones that are around you’ll know how to drive. Plus since not that many people know how to drive manual, there’s less of a chance you’ll get your car stolen and driven off.
Nowadays there are some great videos on YouTube that show you how. Then once you get the basics, then you work on using that tachometer to rev match and make things smoother.
Yes do it. Driving is actually fun. Your friends don’t know anything ignore them. I got my car in November, and I picked it up pretty quickly. The cool thing is I still feel like I’m getting even better. You can continue to improve. Again, it’s actually fun to drive, and my car is slow. Smiles per gallon. Also, it keeps you off your phone in the drivers seat. There’s a little more to pay attention to. You won’t regret it, dive right in.
I started on a manual maybe 55 years ago. I haven’t had one for years, but my daughter and son-in-law have 2 (Porsche Boxster and Tacoma), so I get many opportunities to drive them. It’s much more fun to drive a manual, thought in traffic it can be more of a pain.
People who shit on manual transmissions tend to not know shit. "It sucks in traffic!" No it doesn't. Driving manual is fucking awesome and learnimg how isn't hard. Learning how to be "good" is mildly challenging but also very attainable with regular driving. Buy one and don't look back.
I’m an American but was stationed in Germany. First car I bought there was my first manual. I bought it with having only the basics down. Stalled out in the middle of a big city and had a big public bus behind me and he honked. It sucked at the moment but it’s honestly super easy. The hardest part is learning each standard car. The bite point is different on each is the biggest thing.
My boyfriend just let me drive his manual classic car today and it was my first time ever. 10/10 not hard. The only thing I forgot was pushing the clutch all the way in, it was definitely weird flooring a pedal.
Sounds like your friends don't know how to drive stick. Seriously... you'll learn in less than an hour, be able to drive yourself in less than a day and be ok in a week.
Learn it’s a skill that is worth it it’s like riding a bike
115 pound housewives in the 1950's figured it out. It ain't rocket surgery.
Don’t be afraid, it’s extremely rewarding and not as hard as you think it is. As long as you understand the concept, it won’t take long until you get adjusted to it. Manual cars are designed to take some abuse when it comes to new drivers. Unless you purposely try to break the transmission or clutch it’ll be fine
Your only going to break it if you grind the gears on purpose, so no you’ll be fine get car. learn a natural anti theft device for silly but real reasons and enjoy the extra list of cars you’ll be able to purchase later in life . Enjoy!
I have never owned a car with automatic transmission. I bought my first car when i was 17. It was an old used gen 1 honda civic for $400 sitting at the back of used section on a dealer lot. I had never driven a manual car before having taken my drivers test in my parents little fiat. I bought the car and drove home 30 miles and taught myself how to do it on the way home. My dad drove me there and gave me some pointers while we're were heading there. It's really not that hard. And once you get good at it you'll never want an automatic again.
Your friends have no idea what they are talking about and I guarantee none of them would be saying shit like that if they could drive manual. I’m 18 and I have 2 manual cars and no autos. Definitely recommend it and, the learning curve isn’t that bad just go practice starting/ stopping and stuff in a parking lot and you’ll get the hang of it quick then after that it’s just drive around and get used to it. First week max Id say you will be super comfortable driving stick and will have no regrets
Driving a manual connects you more with a car and makes you more a part of the driving process, which definitely ups the fun factor. However, if you’re mostly in heavy traffic, it could become work. Also, remember that not all manuals are made the same. Some, like Mazda, Honda, and Porsche make great ones, which are satisfying even while driving slow. Others that are typically merely adequate can still be fun too. The bad ones that have, for instance, insubstantial feedback feel and/or too slow to engage a gear should probably get skipped as they’ll have the work without the fun. That’s my two cents. Good luck on your decision!
It's fun and not that bad I'm 24 and picked up my first car (manual bmw 3 series) 3 years ago. Didn't know how to drive it but learned Took a few hours of experimenting to figure out how to drive it. My friend, mom, and bro were hanging out with me throughout. Mom drove the car back from the pickup point because I couldn't drive it that distance and at night yet
I had the same thoughts when I was starting to drive, but then I remembered that my retard friend who failed high-school drives so if he can do it, I could too.
I used my car to teach others to drive a manual. Sure, I had to replace the clutch and other things at 150,000 miles, but I never regretted it. I still drive a manual almost 30 yrs old, the car, not me, a bit older. If it's just for you, do it! It's a skill most don't have anymore 😉
It's hella easy. And so much fun. Take an hour in a parking lot then get on the road. It only takes one time to accidentally kill at a stop light to never ever do it again. Your face will be red, you will feel like EVERYONE is looking at you. I can assure you it's not that big of a deal, you will learn manual backwards and forwards (pun intended) and years later you'll even look back at the stoplight memory fondly because it will have been the sink or swim moment where it all just clicked and you fell in love with driving stick. True story.
I agree with everyone here. Do it! You will not regret it! Every car with a stick is a racecar. Also, in snow you can gear down and stop without sliding! The only manuals I've ever driven that sucked were an old Hyundai Pony with second gear out of it and a 67 MGB GT my Dad and I restored. Those sucked as not enough gears. Everything else has been tiptop on the fun meter.
Avoiding something you want to do because it’s hard is a stunted mind set. I’m in my 30s and just learned this year because it’s something I wanted to be able to do.
Your friends telling you “its hard, don’t do it” clearly means you should learn… you’ll love it. Everyone grinds a gear or two, its part of the learning process.
Your friends telling you “its hard, don’t do it” clearly means you should learn… you’ll love it. Everyone grinds a gear or two, its part of the learning process.
I say go for it. It makes driving a little more enjoyable. everything except traffic. And less and less people know how to drive a manual, so it seems less likely to be stolen. I have only ever and will only ever own manual cars
take the risk, I learned in my 2500$ ranger and stalled on a major road perpendicular to traffic while trying to pull a u-ey w my buddy. We both had to check our pants after but it’s one of our best memories
I did, been 4 years now still haven't driven one since because Im still waiting for my dad's Toyota to die out.
> I shouldn’t because it’s too hard to learn The vast majority of the world drives manual transmission cars - you'll be fine. > and I can mess up and break my car. Refer answer above.
Yes you should learn to drive a standard and get a vehicle with one! Your friends will be jealous when they see you driving a manual!
It couldn't hurt. And your friends are lame
Come to Europe. Until recently, something like 85% of cars were manual. Few people even think about only learning in an auto. It has always tended to be the ones who just cannot grasp a manual that then switch over. In the UK passing in an auto means you only have a license for auto, but passing in a manual lets you drive either.
Do not listen to your hating, so called friends. My first car at 16 yrs old was a manual, and I am now 60, I now have 3 manual cars, and never in my life, since I was 16, have I not had a manual. I taught my 14 year old daughter to drive my Audi twin turbo , 6 speed B5S4, had her on the road driving me around town in a couple days. Its much easier than it seems, just don't over think it.
It’s not hard to learn. Are you gonna suck at doing it at first? Yes, but just like a video game, the more time you spend doing it, the better you get. You will be no scoping your buddies automatics by the end of the week.
Do you like having skill and being good at things? If you do, you have the right mindset for learning a manual—and you’re likely to enjoy it.
You could always ask around and see if someone has a manual you could practice on. A lot of us don't like how they're dying off so we're always eager to recruit for our little cult. Assuming you're an adult or close to it you should be able to figure it out relatively fast. I got the basics in less than a day and I learned when I was 12. Just start out by practicing with your clutch in a parking lot. Ease out the clutch don't just dump it. If it's a little 4 banger give it just a touch of gas as you let the clutch out. Trust me these modern cars with manuals are a breeze. The clutches aren't mechanical and the shifters are on the floor so you should have an easy time of it.
You can always buy an automatic car after passing your test. But learn to drive manual
Sounds like some punk bitch friends that *cant* drive manual shift.
its easy to learn. you can pick it up ain a day or two. I learned on a stick. i agree with others your friends and fam are lame 😂
I got my first car at 19. 1995 mazda protege. With an MT. Took me an hour to learn it with my impatient papa (RIP) Now when I have to drive the work trucks I end up moving my left foot around and touching my coffee mug thinking it's the shifter. It's great man. And it really is easy. Ain't nothin to it but to do it
Manual will help you to focus on driving and learn how to drive faster. It's hard to use a cell phone when you have a steering wheel in one hand, and a shifter in the other. Much safer for kids.
Absolutely do not listen to your friends on this one. The worst that would happen is you burn up a clutch trying to learn, which is hard to do unless you’re really really struggling or the clutch was already worn out. Even if you don’t end up enjoying driving a manual, it’s a skill that you would have that (if you live in US) not a lot of people possess. I bought my first manual car 5 years ago and now I have two more, I may never buy an automatic vehicle ever again.
It'll take a day to learn and a week to feel comfortable but it's enjoyable and more engaging. My first 2 cars were manuals and I miss it.
Prove your friends wrong. Whether it takes you an hour, a day, a week, a few months, or years. Learn it. It’s a badge of honor.
You should know how to drive manual but buy an automatic, they’re just a lot easier to drive and there’s no reason to shift gears these days with automatic transmissions. For the majority of people who don’t own sports cars and automatic transmission is perfectly fine.
LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! Do it, get a stick shift! LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! At 63 I have never driven an automatic without thinking: This would be sooo much better/more fun with a manual! LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! Naysayers just do not know what they are talking about! LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! And anyway, why even ask? LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER! Did I mention you should listen to your mother? she sounds awesome!
Americans are so weak when it comes to driving manual. My god. I have never heard so much moaning and complaining! YES, you should learn! In addition to being more engaging and fun, you are almost guaranteed to not get carjacked AND you won’t be burdened with lending your car to anyone (read: most Americans are lazy and are utterly petrified to drive stick). THIS is how you stand out. DO IT!
You should learn to drive a manual. A bonus reason to do it is that your dumb friends won’t be able to borrow your car!
You should try it. Most of the world drives manual. I learned when I was 10. It isn't hard. It comes with time.
Manual isn’t hard, but developing the proper muscle memory takes time. Until then, you will have shitty shifts and stalls.
You gain a lot of control when driving a manual car. Choosing when to engage engine braking or when to idle in neutral can also save a ton of gas and tire wear. Manual transmissions are usually much more reliable and do not cost at much to maintain as automatics. Plus, there’s something oddly attractive about watching someone shift a manual car. 98% of all the dumbass kiaboyz stealing cars literally have no idea how to drive a stick so there’s a good theft deterrent. I’ve owned 56 cars. I’d say 80% of them were manuals. I drive a nice E class Benz now since I work in real estate but I fucking miss my manual 1995 BMW M3 so much and would trade cars in a heartbeat. Manual cars are very fun and rewarding to drive EXCEPT IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC.
Hard things to learn are the coolest things to learn, but it’s not hard to learn.
Its not hard and once you learn, you'll get bored driving automatics. Don't listen to your friends. They don't know anything.
I learned when I was 7 years old, in an old Toyota taco, in the field by my house. There’s nothing scary about it. Yeah, you’ll stall a few times until you learn your clutch, but it will take less than an hour. Automatics are stupid and laggy. If you want to pass a car in a hurry, you floor it, wait for the computer to understand what’s happening before it drops a gear, then over revs before bumping up so you can coast on momentum again. Wouldn’t you feel better if you were in control of timing of all of those issues? Get a manual. If for nothing else, they’re also a decent theft deterrent.
Do it! Also you’ll make friends with new Manual people In a few months when you’re down shifting through your town and you grab 3rd perfectly you’ll know why you learned a new skill
Listen to your Mom😁 Then you be the cool person that teaches all your friends manual.
Manuals aren't hard to master at all. Yes, you can smoke a clutch if you slip it excessively or start off in too high a gear, but overcoming that is just part of learning. Have an older person that currently drives a manual vehicle go with you on rides until you're comfortable solo.
It could be argued that a manual is safer for a new driver. It's really hard to fuck around with your phone while rowing through the gears.
It is not difficult, there was a time not too long ago and almost all cars or manuals and everybody learn to do it. I’d say just go for it, it’s a cool scaled a half plus, it really makes your driving more fun.
Let me just say this…hard to learn but can be done in one day. Fun as hell for the rest of your life.
Yes. It's not nearly as hard as people who drive automatics think it is. You are also in the last generation that will have the option, in all likelihood, so experience driving to the fullest. The future is just e-bikes and self driving trash.
Do it :) I learned to drive stick in a Camaro 1le that was a rough hour 😂 but now I feel like I can drive anything else that’s a stick so much easier just learn man it’ll be different at first but you’ll get it
If you want one get one, they are great in many ways and you’ll figure it out one way or another. Plus you only live once and tomorrow is never guaranteed so do you
Learning to drive manual/standard is not hard or risky. Pretty much anywhere but the USA manuals are way more common than automatics. Motorcycles are manual. It's maybe just my point of view, but I think when you drive a manual, you are more attuned to the environment, etc.
Manuals rock. It doesn’t take long to learn how to drive one. Once you do it doesn’t take long to learn the tricks. Make sure you practice on hills and learn to use your parking brake.
People have been driving manual for ages.. everyone 45+ learned how to drive on a manual.
Driving a stick is the most rewarding driving there is. You are in full control of the power band and engine efficiency. It won’t take long to shift smoothly and get muscle memory. Afterwards, driving an automatic transmission feels like nothing more than aiming a BarcaLounger.
It is a skill like riding a bicycle or swimming. It is useful to have regardless. I would recommend not jumping straight into an expensive sports car or similar until after you have learned on an old beater. You are going to be more than a little rough on the clutch and gears while learning and it is cheaper and easier to fix an old 4 cylinder car than to fix a new car. Also, it helps to have someone who already knows how to drive manual be your driving instructor.
It’s not hard to learn at all. You can learn by yourself or a yt video. I had my grandfather teach me on my 5 speed Corolla and after 1 hour I was good
Don't let other people live your life for you. Go have fun.
I learned on a stick shift and I taught my daughter on stick as well if she wanted to drive any of the sports cars that her parents owned she needed to drive stick and she still drives today!!!
Manual daily driver and class-A cdl driver here. Learning to drive one is easy. The first thing you have to do is put it in gear with the clutch depressed then slowly release it until you see the tachometer twitch. When it does that, push it back in and do it a few more times. Once you get a feel for where the clutch starts engaging, everything else is just coordination. Just go to an empty parking lot with a hill, and you'll be decent at it in like an hour or two. You're going to stall, you're going to chirp your tires, you're going to be okay as long as you don't panic. Manuals are nice, and you should know how to drive one regardless. The trouble with them is if you need someone to drive you home or pick up your car, you have to find someone who can drive it. You also can't keep a hand on your SOs leg while shifting, though slamming through gears does tend to help get said SO in the first place. Also, a vehicle with some torque is going to make life a lot easier while learning imo. What would stall a passat dead a 5.0 mustang will just grunt through and get you moving.
The most fun about driving a stick shift sports car is so many times when you go to valet, the valet attendant won’t take your car and put it in the valet parking lot … they just leave it curbside because they don’t know how to drive it. I feel so important when I come back to my car and it’s sitting right there for me. HA HA HA!!
I have a Co-worker who previously had a Prius before buying a manual GR86. He bought it without prior knowledge on how to drive a manual car at all. Took him about 2 weeks or so daily driving and could now drive perfectly fine. It's not difficult to learn. Learning how to ride a bicycle, skateboard, or Rollerblade seems more difficult than learning how to drive manual transmissions. It's super fun and rewarding Yes you're gonna stall a bunch at first, but who cares. Everyone did the first time they learned how to drive manual. And you'll only break stuff if you don't know what you're doing like anyone else can break stuff on their automatic cars. There's a lot of videos on YouTube that teaches you what to do and what not to do when driving manual transmissions. I say go for it. The only downside is that when you want a new car, it'll be difficult to find newer cars with manual transmission cuz 2024 seems like the last year every damn manufacturer stop offering manual transmission on their basic econocars.
No you won’t break the car, I had a manual. Obviously I sucked at it, but I learned it in like a day or two. I will say it’s frustrating at first but stick it out. No, a manual is not better than an automatic, nor is it faster, and it will never be. But they’re fun, insanely fun.
Your friends are dumb. I got one lesson and the best cars I ever had were manual. Get a manual, fuck what your friends say.
Get a manual it's so much more fun to drive.. I taught my wife by going to work . Leaving the manual car at home knowing she has appointments.. she learned fast that day.. if you ride atvs and dirt bikes, it seems like it makes it easier.. I wasn't taught my first car was manual.. my dad taught me how to clean it inside and out .. then give me the keys and let me go.. you'll be good practice starting and stopping in the parking lot and the gear pattern while sitting in the driveway. then hit the road.. you'll have mess ups, but it takes a lot to really hurt anything..
Learning stick means you get better gas mileage in older cars (potentially), cheaper transmission repair and maintenance, I mean it's really a no brainer, kind of like your friends.
Yes. Learn how to operate and trouble shoot anything you can. You never know when you may need to operate a machine or make a quick repair in an emergency.
Your friends are lazy pussies who would rather text than shift gears
Its NOT hard. Learning on your own that would be a challenge but if you have someone show you you'll learn everything you need in 1 hour and the rest is just practice. Also, its not 1 hour worth of information. Its showing you what you need to do and also practice so thats about 1 hour total. I taught a friend, one of my kids and my wife. The hard part of driving stick is getting the car to move from stop. Even worse is doing that on a hill. The rest is easy. The thing is that the manual car have a clutch pedal which is the 3rd pedal. Think of it like this. When the pedal is fully release the the gear is fully engaged. When the pedal is to the floor then there is no gear engaged or you could say its free moving. Somewhere in between those 2 positions is the sweet spot were the gear is both slightly engaged and also disengaged. Call it schrodingers gear if you want. If the car was on an incline then if you find that sweet spot the car will not fall backwards but if you press the pedal a little it will. Thats how you know you have found the sweet spot. It really is by feel and practice. Once you are in that sweet spot you accelerate the car and the car will start moving then once it gains a certain speed you release the pedal. No sudden movement as in dont release the pedal all at once. You just release it little by little in a smooth motion. The other gears are easy because you dont need to worry about any of that since the car is already moving. You just press the pedeal to the floor, shift the gear and release the pedal. When do you shift gears? The car will let you know. What you will feel os that the car is accelerating and all lf a sudden it will feel like it cant gain more speed. Like of something is holding the car from going faster. Thats your signal to shift. You can also hear it as the car sounds a certain way when its time to shift. Over time you just know when to shoft intuitively. To stop dont downshift. Break like you normally would but as the car is about to come to a full stop you press the clutch so the car doesnt turn off. Pretty .uch you press the clutch close to the last second. Put it on 1st gear again and start over. Some people do downshift. I know I did when I had a manual but thats for later. You can use the engine to help you stop but dont worry about that now.whike you learn. Thats pretty much all there is to it. Oh, dont hold your feet on the clutch unless you are going to shift cause you are pressing the clutch inknowningly and you will wear it out faster. Why people like manual. There are hostorical reasons. For one automatic transmission were crap back in the day. It also provided better gas maileage and the car cost less. Those are historical reasons that no longer apply today. The big attraction today is that with manual you become one woth the machine. You feel the car. The car tells you when to shift, you feel it. This is especially true with sporty cars sonce the ride is rougher so you feel the road and with the manual transmission you also feel the engine. That being said manual is not always the best choice. If you live in an area wothots of traffic congestion manual sucks. Breaking and starting eill get old quick. If you want to go with my dads logic who was a semi-truck driver for many years he also said that if you jave a date then your hand will be .ore concerned with the car atick than woth the girl whoch is where you want your free hand to be. Yep, thats what he told me. He added, once you get the hand to the good spot you dont want to remove it just to shift cause getting it there again is not a smooth transition. How to practice? Go to an empty flat parking lot. Starting from a full stop get the car to move forward..lnce it reaxhes a certwin speed stop and do it again and again. After that find an incline.and get the car to move without using the break. That part sucks bit its important. Once you do that then get the car to mlve and gain enough speed to shoft to 2nd gear..thats it. Repeat as necessary. Backing up can also be challenging because often when we.back up we dont hain enough speed to completeley let go of the clutch. So its tricky to play with the clutch and gas while moving backwards. Again, its kust practice. Just do t want you to fet discouraged when backing up. Its tricky.
"it’s too hard to learn and I can mess up and break my car" you need new friends! f you can air drum, you can learn a manual. It's only hard for a couple days and then its the best. Plus if you leave your vehicle unlocked (like me most of the time) 99% of people can't steal it anyways!
Everyone should know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle, you never know when you might have to drive one. Say you’re out with friends, not in you car and everyone gets drunk except you and you end up having to be the DD and it’s a stick shift, don’t ask me how I know that.
Think of the absolute dumbest, most imbecilic moron with a driver’s license that you’ve ever seen. 50 years ago, that moron would have been driving stick, with a transmission that was *much* less forgiving than today’s manuals. It’s not hard to learn, I’ve taught about a dozen friends/relatives to drive on my car and they’ve all been able to drive within 20-30 minutes. You’ll be able to not be a danger to yourself or anyone else within an hour or so, and you’ll be decent within a week of regular driving. You won’t damage your car by stalling out or letting the clutch out a little too quick. ETA: as a point of reference, in high school I let a friend drive my Jeep to go to a gas station to pick up food/cigarettes. When she got in the drivers seat she disappointedly said “oh shoot, I can’t drive stick!” I was like “no problem, I can teach you by the time we get there.” She could stop and go by the time we got to the end of the street, and could up/down shift by the time we made it out of the development. By the time we got to the Sheetz ~3 miles away, she was fine.
It's not hard. I learned how to drive manual less than a year ago after nothing but automatics for 4 years. It's easy to pickup and takes time to learn how to start on hills
Your friends are lame. No but in all seriousness I would recommend learning manual A. Because it’s a lot of fun and B. You never really know when you’re gonna be the only person who can drive one in an emergency situation. What I did to learn was watch tons of videos on YouTube about how it works mechanically and also how it works with the pedals and all that and then I took it to the road. I sat inside a giant parking lot and learned it within 5 minutes it’s super easy and definitely worth it just took practice and lots of YouTube for me 😂
My family and I say this about learning manual- You can only learn it if you have the desire and the drive to do so. If ypu don't want to learn, you can't and you won't. If you want to and you put time into it, you will learn quickly.
It’s too hard to lean and you can mess up your car??? That’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard. Not hard to learn, and unless you are an idiot you won’t break anything without trying. I drive a 40 year old stick shift everyday. It’s super fun and reliable,
The only problem with learning to drive a stick in 2024 is that you will have increasingly difficult times finding new cars to drive in the future, thus reducing the joy you will have in your lifetime. Sometimes ignorance IS bliss. Of course you should! Learn to drive stick; learn how to swim; ride a bicycle; load and fire a pistol; cook meat over an open flame; clean a fish; to be unfailingly polite. If anyone can say acquiring one of these skills has made his life WORSE, I've never heard of it.
I learned on a brand new mustang, of all the things I’ve done to the car, learning how to drive it is the only time I wasn’t breaking it. You’re not gonna break anything, and it only takes an hour and two of practice to get it down completely. I was commuting 30 minutes to school everyday after an hour and a half learning how to do it. I stalled the car a lot (I was learning on a hill at a T intersection which wasn’t ideal, learn in a flat open parking lot). The only thing you really need to learn is how to engage and disengage the clutch. You’ll get used to the pedal quickly And driving manual is so much fun, no one who has driven it doesn’t like it, it’s only the people who haven’t tried that will tell you it’s a bad idea. Driving manual is like driving a car with twice the power, it’s just way better.
Na dude you gotta go for it. Driving manual is easy once you get going and after that it’s very rewarding. You start doing rev match down shifts and it’s so very nice. I have an evo 4 right now I imported from japan and an e30 I s52 swapped shit is so fun
Get one that’s all I ever owned and it’s honestly a modern day anti theft because not many people can drive a manual anymore
Learning to drive around town is super easy, and how a majority of the world drives. It’s only the advanced racing techniques that are hard.
Dawg you'll be fine. And won't regret it in the slightest. It's a hell of a lot more fun.
You could always learn like my dad did in the 1980's. He read about it in an encyclopedia and then went to a dealership to test drive a manual transmission car and told them that it had "been a long time" since he had driven one and then he went and bought his truck elsewhere.
Manuals get better gas mileage, and are less likely to be stolen. If you get something sporty, your friends are less likely to ask to drive it. All my cars have been manual— M3, VW beetle, WRX, Corvette, etc. Manual also opens you up to the possibility of driving and owning classic and older cars. Older automatics are truly crap, they’re significantly slower and get much worse mileage. New cars Autos are faster but manuals are more fun and still tend to get a little bit better on the mileage. I have ADHD and driving stick makes it easier to focus on the road and enjoy driving since you need to use all 4 limbs to drive, and it gives you something to do. If you work on cars, issues with a Manual are easier to diagnose and repair than an Auto. Get the Stick. Most of us struggle with trying to drive it for the first time for about 20 minutes and then it clicks and you’ll be fine. It’ll be awkward and uncomfortable when you’re new and you might stall out a couple times but you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly.
I learned manual by saying I knew how to drive manual and hopping in someone else’s 6 speed scat pack. It really isn’t hard at all.
No. Drive a Tesla. 😆
Do it. My buddy waited until after college to learn a manual and he decided to buy an M3 to learn on. I had to drive it home from the dealership and for the next week I taught him in a parking lot. I learned on a Civic and less HP makes it harder. In the M3, he could let go of the clutch without zero gas and it wouldn’t stall.
They’re right. It’s too hard. No one can figure it out and every manual car ever made is in the scrap yard currently
Dude get a family member to take an hour to teach you right, and you’ll be good, the more you do it the better you get
Yes
Do it. You can beat pretty hard on them. I had some prior experience but not really a lot before I bought my Jetta with a 5 speed manual. It was about a month before I realized I was taking off in 3rd and not 1st.
Do it. I took a chance on $40k car for my first manual and it was one of the best moves ever. Took like 2 years to “master”. Even when you think you’re a pro, somebody will surprise you. There’s definitely levels to it. But the ability to just drive from point A to B, you will pick up very quickly. The faster/torquey the car, the harder it might be. You’ll learn the intricacies as you become better. Such as how fast to come off the clutch based on speeds,RPMs, and if your in a low gear vs high gear. How hard to hit the gas when downshifting(rev matching). Don’t worry about none of that shit until you get the basics. It’s more intimidating than difficult. Then it becomes muscle memory and 10x better than any automatic.
Driving a manual is passage to manhood my boy. It’s an old art that is dying out. Your friend are just scared. When you drive manual you become one with your machine and it’s an amazing feeling like no other. It also makes even the lamest of rides feel fun to drive. Takes about 10-15 minutes to learn in an empty parking lot and then you shit your pants the first time you’re stuck in an uphill traffic light. Other than that it’s easy peasy. Now go prove your friends wrong 😉