Want to learn to drive a stick shift

[JoshuaNY]

OK, completely random thread. I am in the market for a new car and have been looking at a few hatchbacks.

I have ridden a motorcycle for about 7 years and I really want to get a manual transmission car. Been driving a hand me down from my parents since highschool. However, I have never driven one. Obviously, I understand the concept since I ride a bike. I just need to transfer the skills I already know to different limbs.

None of my friends or relatives have a stick. I could get my dad to teach me if I could get a car, so I called a few rental places. Unfortunately in this country manuals are imposible to find at any rental place. I am guessing since folks in similar situations rent em and burn the clutch. I even called the local U-Haul place to see if any of their trucks were manuals, no go.

I would like to be comfortable so I can confidently test drive the cars I am interested in. I test drove the VW GTI in auto, which was awesome, but I am thinking it would be a different experience with a manual.

So how does one such as myself learn to drive a stick when no car is available? You gents got any ideas?

 

[Saxman11290]

I was in a similar predicament a few months ago when I was planning to rent a manual transmission car during a trip to Europe and I wanted to learn to drive one before I got there. I searched around to no avail, and eventually found a family friend who was willing to let me practice on his car. I ended up making other arrangements and never actually had to rent the car. Either way, it's a very challenging situation to try to learn stick shift in the USA if you don't already have access to a car. Perhaps see if there are any local driving schools who specialize in teaching manual transmission and see if you can take a lesson or two.

Best of luck

 

[Commander Quan]

I've only ridden a motorcycle once, and that didn't go so well for me, but it has got to be easier to drive a car than a bike. As long as you understand the friction point of a clutch when starting in first gear the rest is a breeze. The first time I drove a stick for real was when I test drove, and drove home in my car last car. Taking a friend along who knows how do drive one isn't a bad idea either.

If your still not sure, just go test drive any manual car even if you don't intend on buying that one. There is no more motivated teacher and a car salesman.

 

[toyman]

If you can ride a motorcycle, you should have no issue with a car. The controls are a little different, ie: shift with your right hand and clutch with your left foot. Go to a dealership and take a test drive. Just have the salesman take you somewhere that is not very challenging, such as steep hills and a lot of stop and go traffic. Clutches in todays cars are very soft and the shifters are normally pretty short throws. You should be fine.

 

[dklaiman]

If you don't have a friend or relative with a manual transmision car, your best bet may be a local driving school.

As CommanderQuan said, first gear is the only one you need to worry about. Just like on a motorcycle, if you mess up and start to stall out, just put the clutch all the way back in and try again. That's why less busy roads are better to learn/practice on.

Of course, you could always do what my wife's parents did when she first got her license. They bought her a used car with a manual transmission and wouldn't let her drive their cars. With no option, she learned how to drive a stick shift pretty quickly. Buy the stick shift and then figure it out as you go--you won't do any real damage while you learn how to drive the car.

Finally, and this may sound like an odd suggestion, there must still be some farms on Long Island. See if a farmer will let you borrow a tractor for 30-45 minutes--offer to pay, of course. I learned how to drive a stick on a tractor, and while it's a little different than on a car, the basics are the same. At least you'll figure out the footwork.

 

[inspiringK]

It depends on the bike and how it compares to the car, but if your bike is smaller and older you can pretty much drive any new made manual car today. On the other hand, if you are riding a new 1600cc and you are looking to get into an old car with a cable clutch, you may have some difficulty.

I guess what I am saying is, depending on your situation, you may be safe in just buying a manual car and know that you will be able to drive it by the end of the first day. I have taught a lot of people how to drive manual and feel like teaching them the concept/theory is tougher than them simply picking up the motor skills - you already understand a clutch, so you should have no trouble finding the motor skills.

 

[ouch]

Old Double Clutch Ouch they used to call me.

Long Island? Blasting around 25A in the wee hours will be fun, but sitting in the world's longest parking lot (the LIE, for foreigners) for hours on end may make you reconsider.

Everyone should know how to drive a stick. I think you shouldn't be given a driver's license if you can't.

 

[inspiringK]

Just one more note: If you do try driving the car, and you have to pull away on a steep hill, and you feel the car start to run backwards straight towards the cars pedestrians and babies behind you, whatever you do, no matter how tempting it may be, don't try to stop yourself by putting your feet out

 

[Lather]

I say if you can ride a bike, one day is all you need to learn manual transmission in a car. I don't think you will burn the clutch out. As mentioned, if you know where the friction point is, then it is the same as a bike.

Get the car you want and drive it off the lot.

 

[njpaddy]

Manual is fine if you're moving, but not when stuck in traffic. Most of the cars I owned from the mid 60's to the late 90's were stick shifts. Even my oldest daughter learned on a stick. My wife and I still miss having one but with the NJ traffic we both went automatic. As for learning, I worked with a guy who several years ago got a good deal on a manual Civic. He was in his late 50's and and had always owned automatics. He said he found it very easy to pick up. The salesman gave him a quick lesson in their lot and he drove it home from the dealer. If you've been driving a motorcycle, you should have no problem.

 

[SmoovD]

Put your feelers out. Check with your friends, then with their friends and so on.

Like others have posted, if you know the basics of shifting from driving a motorcycle you should have very little trouble adapting to a car. You could probably pick it up over the course of a test drives if your search does not pan out.

Or you could enroll in a CDL course!

 

[Legion]

Is there a driver training course you can use? When I learned to drive I paid for lessons, and learned in a manual car (which had an extra break and clutch on the instructors side). In Australia you can choose to get a manual licence, or an auto one (and all your mates would laugh at you if you had an auto licence.) Since you already can ride a bike, and understand the concepts, you would probably only need a couple of lessons and some practice.

 

[Commander Quan]

As an aside, if the car you are driving has the drivers controls on the right side, is the gear pattern the same? First gear top left, and so on, or is it reversed?

Edit: never mind I found the answer. The gears are the same.

 

[plpenn]

I would just go to the car lot and give it a shot. Be up front with the guy but let him know you are serious about buying, they won't turn you away.

 

[rickboone1]

You're moving the clutch from your hand to your foot. And the accelerator moves, too. It's like driving a motorcycle with your feet. Try that, then you'll be able to drive a car.

 

[RaiserLiebe]

I have always owned a stick (since first car at age 16, so that's 42 years). Taught my 3 kids how to drive with a manual trans. Come over to the house and I'll teach you.

 

[professorchaos]

The only way to learn is to do it. I've always driven cars with manual transmissions and likely will until they can't be had. Even the worst traffic doesn't make me reconsider. It is second nature.

 

[shavious]

I can't vouch for the manual, but as an owner of a 2010 GTI w/ DSG I can fully vouch for the very fun, yet still refined nature of this car.

 

[Mick]

I had the clutch rod snap on my 51 Jag XK-120 roadster. I had to drive it home by "feeling" the teeth. Come to a stop and turn the engine off, stick it in first then start it when the light went green. Loads of fun but I managed to make it 20 miles in L.A. traffic without destroying anything or hitting anyone.

Learned to drive on a stick. Had been driving 2 years before ever driving an automatic. Kept smashing the brake peddle when I thought it was time to shift. Not good.

 

[JellyFox]

I was going to suggest getting lessons with an instructor, but I guess if America doesn't have separate license classes for automatics and manuals, most instructors would be driving automatics. If the opportunity comes up though, I really recommend learning on a diesel at first. At low revs they have a lot more torque than petrol engines, so they're harder to stall. I can start on pretty steep hills in our diesel car without using the handbrake, and without rolling back at all.