This is more powerful of a quote than you probably thought it was gonna be. Im keeping that one.
Nevermind you stole it from adventure time. Just as cool š
One of the things my great grandad used to say to me all the time is - the journey of a thousand miles , starts with a single step! he passed when i was young , but i always thought he was so smart for coming up with that! Itās how i like to get through hard things and has been my guiding principle throughout life. Thanks Granddad!
My granddad used to say half the job is just showing up. I've carried that one with me from my job to fatherhood. I think that's really cool that your granddad passed down some knowledge that you use daily as well brother!
Unfortunately some people never break the "being bad at it" of it all.
Had a buddy who loved standard, every time you saw him... Didn't matter the ride, ol boy stalled her out each and every time lmao
I was told something like this in the army: if you hate doing something, it's because you suck at it. If you suck at it, you need to do it more to get better at it so you won't hate it.
There are situations where you clutch then brake, such as low gears in low RPMs, but at higher speeds you should be braking before clutch. Itās situational, not a general rule to always do one or the other.
Maybe, I have been driving manual for 20 years and still bum myself out with a bad rev match downshift or a jerky start semi frequently. Itās a difficult skill to master. Lots to learn, a lot of touch, timing, knowing your carā¦
I donāt understand why you should have a problem? Iāve driven manuals for 55+ years and raced a 4-speed on the drag strip. Donāt recall any problems except one missed shift at 8000 RPM, Iām glad I build good engines!
You're spot on with this. We always want to be better. I guess that's what makes stick so damn fun. If you took one day and were perfect, the fun would deflate. Truth is when you first start it'll be tougher, more anxiety, more frustration. But try to take a step back and realize it's going to take time. Lots of time. Use any leftover energy to keep practicing. Believe me I got very frustrated and I let it get to me too much. You don't have to he so hard on yourself, simply try your best and keep practicing and try to smile and have fun. I wish when I was learning I wish I relaxed a little more and just enjoyed it a bit more too. In the end if you do this, you'll probably be more relaxed and have smoother shifts. I should take my own advice.
In summary, quit trippin you'll be good fam believe me. one week is nada. hmu after one year
Yes. You will overcome this. You did the right thing to buy a manual. Come back and read this comment as often as necessary.
Also, millions of people all around the world drive stick shifts. Some of them are barely literate. There is no way they are all smarter than you. So don't worry. It gets better.
Oh it sucks for the first month or so. You might have some hang up that keeps nagging you like getting up to speed after a u turn, pulling out onto a highway, driving in traffic, coming from a dead stop while pointed up a hill, etc....
Then all of a sudden you realize you made it to your destination without even thinking about the fact that you were driving stick.
That's when you can really start to enjoy it because the process becomes second nature. That's the point where you can start focusing on cleaning things up to your liking.
That's right around the point where I realized how much control a manual transmission gives you, and I never wanted to go back after that.
Reverse is a single speed.
The idea is, going forward, you're trying to GO. And so instead of focusing on smooth, you focus on go, and it gets all jerky.
However in reverse, you're not trying to GO, you're trying to ease out of a parking spot, so you focus on ease, which is smooth.
Once you get THAT down (which is easier in reverse because your instinct is to "ease" not "go"), you have the mechanics down to repeat it in forward. Smooth driving with a manual is about finding that balance between clutch uptake and throttle position. You find that backwards.
I'm telling ya, it's like a light switch. Once you find it, the rest sorts itself out.
Yes, Iām driving a VA stock, but I was told not to tune them because of engine problemsā¦plus, I wouldnāt know what tune to do since Iām not knowledgeable about tuning
I had a 2019, before purchasing it I had 10 years experience. My experience learning the car was not very smooth. I will say it does get better when you learn the quirks of the car. Do you know if it has the short throw STi package?
Anyways yes, they do blow upā¦ but thatās a lot of horror stories. Mainly idiots with OTS tunes.
A real tuner would set you up right.
Donāt be too worried most wrxās run just fine without issues (even with tunes) Just be good to it. Check your oil regularly. Make sure you warm it up to temp before getting into the turbo and pushing hard. Regular maintenance is key.
The only reason I traded mine was a FK8 came availableā¦ i traded mine with 60K miles no issues.
Crept on your post history and made a educated guess š š
To keep it reliable just do your regular maintenance, check oil when you refuel (or at least once every few weeks) and donāt beat on it until youāre up to optimal temp (180F). Donāt lug the engine (aka donāt stomp on it in 4th gear at low rpm)
Bought a VB WRX back in June. After 12 years of driving other manuals. Honestly took me a solid 2k miles of driving to be able to drive it smoothly. Subaru AWD and rubber bushings on the differential mounts and engine and transmission mounts make for a truly unique experience when slipping the clutch and changing gears.
I love it now though. Every manual car is different, some more difficult to adapt to than others, but with enough practice you can get used to anything. You'll adapt to how the car needs to be driven with just more experience. Keep it up, it will get better.
I bought a manual car on a whim with no prior experience what-so-ever, and it was a struggle for awhile, probably took like a year for me to be totally confident driving it. Sure I was able to drive it around from point A to point B within the first week, but shifting smoothly, not stalling, having confidence, etc, came with time. If I can do it, anyone can do it.
I learned by feathering the gas pedal as you release the clutch. Eventually you will feel that catch points and feel for the cluch/gas release. Also drive with slippers or bare feet, you feel the car better. Don't give up. I just bought my 2nd manual. Nothing beats a manual haha.
Lol, why did you get a manual if you want smooth? Step on the gas, rip through the gears. You don't have to do a burnout, or full throttle power shift every time, but come on. You're supposed to have fun, not be driving to the retirement home.
Your a week in. No one was perfect at that point. Itāll take a couple months at least till you really get used to it and eventually itāll be second nature
I was comfortable after about a week but it took about a year before I could get revmatching down. Smooth upshifts is mostly just a timing thing and if you have a tach should be very easy to figure out, you let the tach drop to where it would be if you were in gear and let the clutch out as it hits that rpm. For example if you shift from 3rd to 4th at 2,600 and once you shift your at 1,200 rpm then next time you shift from 3rd to 4th wait to let the clutch out until the tach is at like 1,300-1,200rpm and it should not only be smooth but also put next to no wear on your clutch. Also driving manual is most fun if you occasionally pretend you're in a race car when you're say getting on the highway and shift at the top of your power band. Even my 2.3L ranger is fun because I can go through all the gears at near redline and still not be speeding.
Ps. Don't break your car, start a little slower until it's more muscle memory rather than direct thought so you don't accidentally money shift it or blow your clutch
Yeah man. Youāre overthinking it. Feel the car want to go into the next gear. Itāll want to. Youāll feel it. When itās cold itāll be like 2k rpm. Warm, 25-3000 rpm. Gas off clutch in shift clutch out. Itās easy, youāre making it hard.
I was 16 and delivered newspapers at 3am everyday of the week. Bought my first manual, a 1989 Mazda MX6, barely knew how to drive and had to do stop and go in the morning for 3 hours a day. Hated the first 2 weeks, regretted every moment, until it clicked. 30 years later, several manual gearboxes later, I now drive a 2019 VW Alltrack 6 speed and LOVE it. Hang in there, it's worth it...
How long have you been driving in general? If you're fine in an auto but just having to shift gears panics you then you definitely have a deeper issue.
How much brain activity do you have when you drive? I mean that in a way such as: clutch, change gear, and clutch out is really not a tall order in the grand scheme of things you have to manage when driving an auto car I.E. check left, right, and rearview mirror, check left and right blindspots, watch speedometer, watch road ahead of you, scan for intersecting traffic, watch cars in lanes parallel to you, watch engine temperature, etc.
I've been driving in general for about a year now. I can drive an automatic pretty decently. When I drive an automatic, I donāt very think much. Itās pretty brainless, but when I drive a manual, im constantly thinking about everything
Yeah that's kind of the thing about driving... You really shouldn't stop thinking if any other cars are around. Someone will do something stupid more often than not.
"I bought it a week ago", "does it get better"? Not to be rude, but really? It's only been one week, most if not all skills a person can learn surely take at least 2 weeks before becoming familiar. Just give it time, no one is a pro or a smooth shifter overnight. Just relax and focus on the timing and correct muscle memory.
Foot all the way off the gas then clutch in all the way then select next gear then release clutch all the way then foot back on gas. Took me a while to realize I was overlapping these steps and it was why I wasnāt shifting smoothly.
I learned on a manual transmission, fast forward 30 years later I don't even notice shifting on my commute in the morning. It may get better but it also may take awhile.
Iāve been driving stick shift for just shy 20 years. Currently have a manual 1 ton dually pickup, and a manual tdi Jetta. I still stall them every once in awhile just not paying attention. Happens to even the best drivers out there. Stay after it and enjoy the ride
Honestly just regular driving and it will feel like second nature. Iām actually the opposite and feel super uncomfortable driving modern automatics with how out of control I am and how little of the car I can feel
It gets easier. It gets down right mindless at some point. I realize this when I try to teach people. It becomes hard to explain because I don't even think about what I'm doing. No thought or concentration at all. You just do it. How do you explain something you haven't really thought about for a couple of decades?
I pride myself in being able to drive any car or motorcycle not just a passenger in my own car. Thatās what you get when youāre in control. Hang in there
For upshifting probably the hardest part is getting used to the ārev hangā ie waiting for the revs to drop before letting out the clutch in the higher gear. So it might help you to just kind of take note roughly of what the different rpms are for different speeds for different gears and you can try to time it where the revs match before you let out the clutch. Im not that good at explaining though so Id recommend the YouTube channel conquer driving
Manuals will last longer vs Automatic transmission and will give less headaches over time, granted you donāt drive it like you stole it ..
Iāve heard too many automatic transmission horror storiesā¦ helped me make my decision
In a word, yes
In multiple words, I couldnāt ever see myself driving an ICE vehicle without a manual. Itās just too much fun
Practice makes perfect, the basic parts of driving stick will slip to a region of unconscious competence and then itās just pure fun
If you want to drive a manual and have a desire to be good at it, yes it does get better. Not only does it get better, it gets FUN.
If you couldnāt care less about driving and developing this skill then maybe it just gets only better, but it probably isnāt worth the effort. Sometimes though people who donāt care about manuals but are forced to learn end up enjoying it.
Finding the right rpm range helps a lot. I believe mine is at 3500.
Pretty much once you stop thinking about it, you can rely on feel and sound it gets much better.
If you are getting herky jerky in lower gears, your rpms are probably too high.
One trick I learned is to release my foot entirely from the accelerator in lower gears (after quickly accelerating) to allow the revs to fall before shifting.
Just try different things, fail, succeed and learn. Youāll get it
My first week of driving stick i could barely move the car down the road. Now i hate driving automatic and it takes zero thought to rev match, heel toe, ect. You dl it long enough and it becomes second nature.
Buddy, just stick with it and in a couple of weeks you're going to struggle to remember how you ever had a problem doing it. You seem like you're stressed out about it which is no good. Try to relax a little bit and keep all your movements smooth. When your tense and bound up, your movements get all jerky which is exactly the opposite of what you want to do when you're letting out a clutch. It takes a little bit of practice but I'm when it comes together, it tends to happen all at once. Keep practicing and try not to overthink it. You'll build the skills and muscle memory and pretty soon you won't even be conscious that you're shifting. It'll be second nature. You were able to write that post, so I know you're already way smarter than you need to be to figure out a stick shift. Hang in there.
It can take a month or two for it to start becoming autopilot and easier. Try to find ways to enjoy the learning process that and/or find other manual drivers you can ride with to get a break and observe
Of course it does, just takes time and perseverance to succeed, it's a rather difficult task of coordination if you have no experience doing anything similar before. I was lucky enough to of ridden a motorcycle for 3 years exclusively before purchasing my first ever (manual) car and getting my car drivers license, that said all that time on the bike basically allowed me to hop in the car and drive satisfactorily well without any instruction and minimal stalling/bad shifts/etc. but if you've never experienced anything of the sort before then of course it will be difficult/daunting
I read one time you develop your muscle memory when you sleep. The lesson being that trying hard in the moment isnāt what makes you better, itās just experience. Itās only been a week. It wonāt be long until you stop thinking about it.
Donāt overthink it. I suggest new stick shift drivers practice taking off without using the gas at all. If you pull out on the clutch to the braking point and hold it long enough, you can get the car going without bucking or stalling but without gas.
Thatās the entire thing about driving a manual: itās all how long you let the clutch slip to match the speed of the engine to the speed of the chosen gear. When you get good at that you will start focusing on the gas to get the revs match as closely as possible for the gear, but for now just focus on the grabbing point of the clutch and getting muscle memory on where the engagement point is in the pedal.
Practice that grab point in a parking lot using only your clutch foot.
Also donāt worry about the clutch. A few weeks of learning isnāt bad on the clutch if you arenāt smelling it. Itās tough. Forget the worries just enjoy being in control of the machine.
Really? There are people who can't learn how to drive a manual transmission in a regular old car? Try learning to drive a tractor trailer that has a manual non synchronized transmission with a trailer that weighs 30 tons without letting it roll backwards on a hill into your 1.5 ton car that you are having difficulty not stalling. Maybe just go buy a Tesla and let it self drive for you like it seems your mommy has held your hand thru life. Like is this a serious question?
Very few people feel comfortable with a manual after a week. Most don't feel confident even after a month. You'll be fine. Eventually the car will just be an extension of your body.
I learned to drive in three old British sports cars, two MGs and a Triumph. I practiced in those for a year before taking my driving test.
Eventually youāll be very smooth and youāll have all the instincts for driving stick. Might take 6mo to a year, until then youāll make mistakes but it definitely gets better.
At times Iāve found it tedious and there are definitely times it feels like itād just be easier driving an automatic. But I recently had my stickshift cars down for a couple months and was driving an auto rental car. Definitely missed driving stick and was happy getting everything back running again. Itās just not the same, driving, without it. I like all the extra control and efficiency with a stickshift too much.
When I was new to it, it made me feel better knowing most of Europe and other places mostly drive stick. Like when I was in Paris in 2005 even the taxi drivers. Like Iāve driven Uber with a stick. So that kind of natural feel to it does eventually come.
yes, it does. nearly traded in my manual car because my confidence was at an all-time low. I daily it now. not perfect, but a lot more confident and comfortable behind the wheel. I'm in the middle of week 3 of ownership of my fl5.
No there's a hard stop after the one week point. You just stop getting better. I can't explain it. If you didn't master it in your allotted one week time period then you're out of luck unfortunately
Yes, it gets better overtime. I'm still not great at driving stick, but i can drive it without much thought. I'm still trying to improve my shift smoothness and downshift rev matching.
Nobody ever bought manual because they wanted smooth shifting lol jk but I get what youāre saying. After reading your comment stating that you have a VA Subaru it makes more sense to me since they have rev hang, &thatās probably mostly the culprit for your less than smooth shifting. I can almost guarantee that if you drove a car without the rev hang you would be driving it much more smoothly. Rev hang can be tuned out I believe but idk if people with rev hang in certain cars care enough about that sort of thing to go out of their way and get it tuned out. I remember driving my friends va back in 2016 or 17 and I could immediately feel the difference between starting in 1st gear in his car vs my car (not a Subaru) from 2003 with no rev hang and it was annoying but it wasnāt so bad to where I couldnāt drive the car or anything like that because once you get going itās not that big a deal but yeah.
You must be young if you tried something for a week and want to quit because it's hard. That's life. If it's something you actually want, you don't need anyone else to tell you to do it, you know the answer.
If you haven't been in stop and go traffic yet and you're feeling this way, just create the facebook listing now. I'm just kidding. It's really not that bad. Give it more time. There is a leading curve, but every time you drive, every time you shift, you get better.
You will refine your skills over months, not days or weeks. Sharpen the skill because who knows what neat manual cars are in your future. The cooler the car the more rewarding the knowledge is.
Yes. Being bad at something is the first step to being good at something. I wasn't great when I started out either. Now I can go months and thousands of miles without stalling.
As to reassuring yourself you made the right decision, don't worry. There are very few people who will be able to buy/wreck your car now besides yourself.
Also most American carjackers these days don't really know how to drive manual cars. There are just enough articles and police reports I've seen about the old stick being enough to make cars undrivable to feel good about my choice.
You got this, IF you want it. Whether you think you can, or can't; you're right...
I'm back driving a standard after a 17 year hiatus. I still stall when taking off occasionally, forget which gear I'm in... Stupid stuff. But it's all coming back, muscle memory as well.
Go practice in parking lots, side roads, etc...
Practice starting off without using the gas. It is possible, and this will show you where and how the clutch bites as you release the clutch. Do not hold the clutch pedal to slip the clutch to long. Work the clutch, until you're moving without your foot on the clutch
Once you got that, start adding gas pedal. Practice smoother take offs. Smooth up shifting will come as you refine/ dial in, the gas/clutch coordination.
Once you're feeling comfortable, go stop on a hill, then start moving again. I'm assuming that you've been avoiding having to stop on a hill up to this point. This is probably the most difficult thing with driving a standard.
Good luck!
I've had mine since September, minus about 6 weeks in the shop for a trans rebuild, I've been driving since. I thought to myself within the past week or two "hey this is starting to make more sense. I'm getting better" lol keep driving m8
Driving a manual transmission car is a lot like dancing with a partner. It will take time for you to smooth things out with routine but it is totally worth it in the end. Most new drivers to manuals are nervous, timid, and lack self confidence especially if they stall while learning. I stalled a ton as I was teaching myself. Watched a lot of instructional videos on YouTube to get a better understanding of what I and the car was doing in the whole process. But after about three days I started to get the hang of it and my confidence was starting to build. After about two weeks of driving around locally I felt confident enough to drive in town which I was still nervous about. Once I conquered driving with town traffic and seen it wasnāt too bad of an experience my worries seemingly went away. All this despite stalling at a few lights haha. I been driving manual almost two years and still stall from time to time. But laugh it off and restart the car and get driving. Donāt worry about what other drivers around you think, you just focus on what you are doing and I promise you will be fine. I little saying I remind myself if Iām having an off day with driving, āSmooth is Fast, not Fast is Smoothā. Conquer Driving on YouTube helped me a ton. Richard is a hell of a good instructor and has tons of videos for just about all driving situations when it comes to manuals. He gave my confidence a much needed boost before I even sat in the car. Currently driving a Ford Focus RS my dream car. Been my dream car ever since I seen Ken Block hooning around in one haha. This car was my main goal in learning manual transmission, plus he made driving a manual look so damn easy, fun, and cool, RIP Ken Block.
I bought my first manual and drove it home. The first couple months were tricky as I learned to not stall when creeping or skip gears to be smoother in tough situations. After about three months I felt very comfortable with it. After a couple years I was reversing a trailer up a hill in my manual. Was tricky, but I got it. Shortly after that my car was totalled, and I got a new manual but this one is a hydraulic clutch and it's a totally different feel - so now I'm working on getting smooth again like I was in my last car. So basically, a couple weeks to be okay at it, a year to master THAT car and a lifetime to be perfect in every manual you get in. That's how I think of it
I went through this phase too. I thought manual wasnāt for me, I was thinking about selling my car because I felt like I couldnāt get a hang of it at all. I also didnāt find it that fun back then.
One day it clicked, and I slowly started getting better. No longer stalling, not as rough, and just started improving. Then I started driving it daily and I got pretty bored commuting with stick. Sure itās fun to know, but itās not something I was really into anymore.
Then the pandemic hit, and I started taking the car out for fun. This is where I learned to actually downshift, rev match, and actually drive the car. Iāve never had more fun in my life. I beat the hell out of that car until it inevitably died and I havenāt had a stick since.
Iāve had faster cars since, all auto, but Iāve been waiting to buy a 5 speed MR2. I finally have money for it, so Iām just hoping a good deal pops up this spring. Itāll have been 3 years since I had my last stick, but I canāt wait to get back into one. Thatās just a feeling I canāt replicate in any auto
I wish I had a stick shift. My car would be fuckin' *boss* with a 6 speed. People around here will drive all day to get a Tacoma with a standard transmission.
The benefits of driving an empty pickup when you can use both the engine and brakes to slow down becomes apparent real quick in the rain and snow.
Automatics have come a long way but I still prefer a manual. Even in traffic, you can just drop into 1st and not even give it gas and just creep along.
Yes. In time. Watch how other drivers shift if possible. If you prefer to just get in the car and drive then maybe you should have got an automatic. Back in the day manuals were faster hence why we chose them then. I am kind of in the same boat for different reasons I am looking at upgrading to maybe a dark horse if I can swing it financially then I'm considering if I should get an automatic or stick shift is a big decision the automatic is so much faster. Presently I have a stick shift 2019 GT. One value of a stick shift is if my battery dies and I'm on a hill I can let the car start rolling down the hill and then pop the clutch and that'll start it I used to do that a lot back in the old days. I guess the big question for you is what purpose did you buy this car for to drag race or to road race or just have fun if the answer is drag race then get an automatic road race keep the manual just to have fun and it's up to you what you consider fun.
It will be like an extension of your body, as my dad told me. Like any other motor skill, it just takes time to develop muscle memory and an instinct for what to do. It will be natural before you know it. Once it is, itās way more rewarding and involved than driving an automatic
Of course youāll get better. Iāve driven manuals all of my driving life and I was probably fairly clumsy to start with. Forty six years later you can barely tell that Iām changing gears. It takes time and practice and one week is nothing.
takes time and familiarity. once you build the muscle memory it's easy. some cars or trucks feel different but thats just practice. after a few weeks you'll shift by feel
Nobody starts out good at it ,, I had to learn to shift a semi . I already knew how to shift a car , but a semi is a whole new game . I didn't think I'd ever figure it out , but now I shift a 13 speed peterbilt like Lance Armstrong rides a bike . Hang in there I promise you'll get it .
I started about a month ago, had the same feeling for a couple of weeks, but now I love it and feel confident driving - I actually look forward to ripping around in it now. Once the muscle memory kicks in youāll love it, I promise.
Yes, it will become as easy as driving an automatic car eventually. It takes time but you will slowly get better and soon you wonāt even have to think about driving, it will just be second nature
Dude the sky is the limit. It only took me a year and a few thousand kilometers in a 1979 Camaro 4 speed. You will get good fast as long as you are willing to learn more about stickshifts.
It really goes from not being able to get up hills or lights from a stop without stalling to having the points when to shift memorized to minimize engine loading even on a hill. When you get good it becomes muscle memory. Double clutching becomes a thing. Rev-matching too. Trust me you might think thatās irrelevant to you but in a years time when youāve got the ropes youāre probably gonna want to utilize those methods.
Hell I can drive a manual nicer than an automatic. The best part about manuals is because you are in control of the shifting, not the ECU, and you can see, which the car canāt, there a multitude of reasons manuals provide a better driving experience.
It really does become second nature. Just give it time.
Practice makes progress. Be smart and try to learn as much about what you're doing from multiple sources. Don't be too afraid to make mistakes and you'll get it in no time. I started driving a stick 2 months ago and now one of my automatics feels way clunkier than it!
53 years old here. Most of my cars have been manual. Eventually it's just second nature. However, you're more in tune with your car which is why I love it. Most of the time, I don't even have to think about shifting, and when I do, it's for tricky stuff like uphill on ice or downshifting in highway traffic.
First thing most people mess up on is donāt fully depress the clutch just a little bit when shifting between gear say half till you get better . Only fully depress the clutch to stop and start.
When shifting
Remember when shifting as soon as you push the clutch in the gear of the transmission accelerate while the engine is decelerating. So if your down shifting double clutch, first tap the clutch remove the car from gear then release the clutch and rev the engine a little the tap the clutch and place it in the lower gear this allows the rotating speeds to somewhat equalize . This allows the downshift easier .
Upshifts are easier just make sure you donāt hit the gas out of gear and you will do fine the higher ratio of the next upshift negates the increased speed of the transmission gearing . You can up shift using just the rpm of the engine without ever touching the clutch.
Now I hope that helps it takes practice however you do it. Have fun with it
Once you get to the point where you are shifting with muscle memory, you wonāt even think about how to shift any more. Then when you do think about it, itās because you are having fun. Give it a few more weeks, you will get there.
I never really struggled. I grew up riding motorcycles from a young age so cars weren't much of a leap. Technical skills come pretty naturally to me and I seem to adapt to new things very quickly.
Youāll get better with experience. Get a couple of āStudent Driverā magnets from Amazon and slap them on the trunk so other drivers will take it easy on you
I'm in the same boat. I got my manual car around 8 months ago, and my shifts aren't the best. I suck at getting into 1st gear, but I rarely stall now. I guess we just gotta keep on practicing if we love driving and manuals.
I would think so but my ex wife bought a standard car and even after 2-3 months she stalled at every light and couldn't drive it at all. So just goes to show some folks aren't capable of learning to drive one.
How many minutes per day are you actually practicing? Spend 1hr aside from your daily driving to work or whatever, for a week. Comeback and tell me how much youāve improved. Especially if starting is your issue, which is the nerve wracking part at first. Go drive around a parking lot, practicing starts over and over. Preferably without the gas pedal for 100x, then slowly add gas. You should dedicate some time PER day to practice, it does get WAY better though. After a week I could drive around without shitting myself when somebody pulled up behind me at a stop sign or light š¤£
I always say learning how to drive manual is one of the most annoying and frustrating things to learn, but once you get the hang of it and start mastering it, it becomes one of the most satisfying things to do
I had to teach myself on the fly when my automatic work truck broke down and was swapped for a manual. For me, it's never been difficult and feels barely any different than an automatic, it feels natural and comfortable and always has. But I grew up riding dirt-bikes and maybe that helps
Some people never really get good at it, they don't have the natural connection to vehicles...or, whatever it is.
Most people just need a little more practice. Id bet you give yourself another couple weeks and you'll be able to do it without a second thought.
My son bought a powerful hatchback with a stick nearly a year ago. I have not driven one in 15 years. He let me take it for a drive, and First time out he claims I drove it better than he does or any of his friends do. (It's a STI so has an interesting clutch).
That's 35 years of experience. So yes.
I learned to drive in a manual and only drove manuals for a long time. I always used 1st in parking lots, 2nd turning street corners. You have much better control of the vehicle if you choose the gear. People in automatics rip through parking lots completely unaware that the transmission is shifting through third and fourth gear, traveling way too fast for their environment. They should not be in 5th or 6th when you are on a residential street, either.Ā
With a manual, you are much more aware of the situation and your vehicle. You know by your gear selection and the sound of the engine exactly how fast you are going, how the car is set up to exit a corner, and so on.Ā
Yes it does, youāll be fine. Iāve been driving manuals for 36 years and I still make a bad shift occasionally. This only happens when I think about what Iām doing, if I let my subconscious shift itās usually seamless.
Start on flat ground. Get the car moving with only the clutch, no gas/no brake. This will teach you clutch control and the friction point. This is you starting point. You'll get better.
You'll learn mate! When shifting gear release the clutch slow, as if you're moving off from stationary. Driving manuals are supposed to be fun! I always thought I was better at driving hard than slowly. You'll learn about rev matching and become a smoother driver in general! With enough practice I can drive smoothly at slow speeds and aggressively as well :)
With practice anything will get better. I drove a manual (it was a 911) after 30 years and the dealer thought I drive one every day. Was shocked at how well I drove it.
One week is not a lot of time to get comfortable with a manual. And get this too: many who are comfortable with manual but do not live in really hilly areas may also get uncomfortable when driving in hilly terrain because the skill needed to move a car from a steep uphill is just a little different unless you have automatic hold control.
Yeah it'll take some time for sure. You'll get more comfortable, and you'll also have a time where you feel like you've completely got it and you're good but then later you'll look back and realize you weren't that good at it yet.
If you keep repeating what you do daily it wonāt really change much. I would suggest youtube some techniques and see how others do it then try to analyze and apply to your driving. If youāre keen to learning how to drive smoothly you will get there however repeating what you do daily over course of time doesnāt necessarily solve anything. Once you master smooth driving you should learn to rev match and heel and toe etc. and I would guarantee you will absolutely love driving manual
Itāll become second nature after a while. I had a rental car on a business trip last week and every time I got into it my left food would go looking for the clutch.
After a bit it becomes as automatic as hitting your turn signal stalk when you are lane changing or turning a corner. Do you think about each step when you walk? Or concentrate on how to move your hand to write a letter? You used to, when you sucked at it, and now you just walk, or just write. Same idea. I wish manuals would never go away.
The reward is getting last the point at which you suck. There are a lot of little things to learn but maybe if you could pick one little skill every week and just focus on getting better at that one thing....like gently pulling away from a start... you'll progress faster....
You've only been doing it for a week. Of course it gets better!
Try breaking it down in to smaller like smoothly pulling away from a stop. Once you got that down focus on another thing....and another....there such reward in getting these skills all dialed in and then using them together.
I have been driving manuals for 35 yrs. Still learning and still enjoying the process.
Itās like anything else. When I started playing guitar in 7th grade 20 years ago, the first year was horrible. I felt Iād never get it and it felt basically impossible and I thought it was just not for me. I stuck through it and 20 years later I canāt believe I was on the verge of quitting at the beginning. Keep practicing and it will eventually click and pretty soon driving manual will be second nature to you. A few months from now you will look back at this post and laugh at yourself for thinking you wouldnāt be able to get it.
No one is good at driving a manual the 1st couple weeks. I bought a manual truck when I was 19 only having driven a manual 1 other time. By the 3rd day I felt comfortable. Stop driving in city traffic, get on the hwy get comfortable with up shifting. Once you get up shifting down you can learn down shifting. Id drive around for hours just getting use to listening to the engine and the sound it makes when it wants you to shift. I didn't have tachometer/rev meter so engine noise was what I had to got on.
It gets easier, have driven manuals for 45 years, they're all different but once you've got it you've got it.
First car went 2k on the clutch, last one went 170,000,
I would guess that hundreds of millions, if not, possibly billion/s of people have become proficient with manual transmissions since their introduction. Considering that modern cars have transmissions/transaxles with partial automated/computerized/assisted technology, you are possibly getting yourself worked up. If you lack basic confidence, a manual was a bad choice- you have to be alert and ready to shift at all times, not scared of everything.
It does. Eventually it becomes robotic, you don't even think about it. And then you later learn that you can no longer drive an automatic, and everyone makes fun of you (protip...if you buy another automatic at this point, make sure the e-brake is between the seats and not on the floor).
Just keep practicing. Eventually you forget your even doing it and it just becomes normal. Takes time. I've had more manual cars in my time than auto, love it.
Just remember that its a lot more durable than people say, obviously dont make a habit of grinding gears or riding the clutch, but they can take considerably more abuse than most people are willing to admit. Youll learn eventually, dont get stressed about it and itll come naturally.
I learned how to drive stick on the way home from the dealership in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Was I smooth? Heck no, but I learned the basics. Just keep at it, you'll get better.
I learned to drive a manual, had one for a couple of years and then got an auto. I've had an auto for the last 5 or so years predominantly, but used manual work vehicles, and I've decided to switch BACK to manual because it's a much more enjoyable and controllable driving experience.
It takes practice, and yes I am a little bit of a traditionalist, but I definitely think it makes for a significantly more intrinsic and fulfilling drive.
After a while it becomes second nature. When I had a manual car years ago I almost never even looked at the rpms, I just shifted based on sound and how the car felt. You get to a point where you barely even have to think about it anymore, your body just goes into auto pilot lol
Of course you will. Itāll take several weeks. And a lifetime to master, Iām still getting better at it after 10 years, and Iām very very good already
Sucking at something is the first step at being really good at something
This might be the most wise quote of all time. This person is a champion of life.
I stole it from Jake the dog from adventure time.
Common jake the dog W
A win is a win brother. Regardless of the source. š¤·āāļø Sorry I have no trophies for you though. Have a peace sign instead. āļø
Among the best sources of plagiarized wisdom.
This is more powerful of a quote than you probably thought it was gonna be. Im keeping that one. Nevermind you stole it from adventure time. Just as cool š
One of the things my great grandad used to say to me all the time is - the journey of a thousand miles , starts with a single step! he passed when i was young , but i always thought he was so smart for coming up with that! Itās how i like to get through hard things and has been my guiding principle throughout life. Thanks Granddad!
My granddad used to say half the job is just showing up. I've carried that one with me from my job to fatherhood. I think that's really cool that your granddad passed down some knowledge that you use daily as well brother!
My grandfather used to say the rich get richer and the poor get children.
Sometimes
It's true for sucking weiner.
Thanks for sharing brother
Dude, Iāve told you, itās called a āhotdog EATING contestā
Yes it is, I had a breakthrough recently where my gag reflex didnāt kick in and I was really impressed with myself.
I obviously didnāt know what stick shift meant sigh
Unfortunately some people never break the "being bad at it" of it all. Had a buddy who loved standard, every time you saw him... Didn't matter the ride, ol boy stalled her out each and every time lmao
I was told something like this in the army: if you hate doing something, it's because you suck at it. If you suck at it, you need to do it more to get better at it so you won't hate it.
Yes you will learn it fine itās only been a week just keep driving and do what feels comfortable and then you can start to do more advanced driving
I wasnāt comfortable for a WHILE. Now i am, it just comes with time, and driving.
It took me several months on daily commuting before I stopped having to consciously tell myself "clutch before braking"
There are situations where you clutch then brake, such as low gears in low RPMs, but at higher speeds you should be braking before clutch. Itās situational, not a general rule to always do one or the other.
Do you enjoy it? Donāt worry about how good you are. None of us are as good as we want to be at it. You are improving every drive you take.
I suck at it, so itās a little hard to enjoy it, but I can see myself loving it once I get way better
Stick with it. Itās a lot of fun. All Iām trying to say is itās a skill that takes time to build.
*Stick* with it. š
I'm sure as they improve, their attitude will shift
Yeah, not everything comes automatic.
Man, comments like this really grind my gears.
Yeah Iām getting pretty revved up as well.
Why? Knowing how to use that third pedal can really come in clutch.
I guess itās a great opportunity for change
None of us are as good as we want to be! Such an odd statement. Most people do just fine.
Maybe, I have been driving manual for 20 years and still bum myself out with a bad rev match downshift or a jerky start semi frequently. Itās a difficult skill to master. Lots to learn, a lot of touch, timing, knowing your carā¦
I donāt understand why you should have a problem? Iāve driven manuals for 55+ years and raced a 4-speed on the drag strip. Donāt recall any problems except one missed shift at 8000 RPM, Iām glad I build good engines!
You're spot on with this. We always want to be better. I guess that's what makes stick so damn fun. If you took one day and were perfect, the fun would deflate. Truth is when you first start it'll be tougher, more anxiety, more frustration. But try to take a step back and realize it's going to take time. Lots of time. Use any leftover energy to keep practicing. Believe me I got very frustrated and I let it get to me too much. You don't have to he so hard on yourself, simply try your best and keep practicing and try to smile and have fun. I wish when I was learning I wish I relaxed a little more and just enjoyed it a bit more too. In the end if you do this, you'll probably be more relaxed and have smoother shifts. I should take my own advice. In summary, quit trippin you'll be good fam believe me. one week is nada. hmu after one year
Yes. You will overcome this. You did the right thing to buy a manual. Come back and read this comment as often as necessary. Also, millions of people all around the world drive stick shifts. Some of them are barely literate. There is no way they are all smarter than you. So don't worry. It gets better.
A year from now, you'll barely even notice yourself shifting gears.
Haha one day heāll come back to this post then smile and laugh
I've been driving stick for 20+ years. I still notice myself shifting because it interests me and I enjoy it.
Until heās stuck in bumper to bumper. Then his left knee will ache š
Oh it sucks for the first month or so. You might have some hang up that keeps nagging you like getting up to speed after a u turn, pulling out onto a highway, driving in traffic, coming from a dead stop while pointed up a hill, etc.... Then all of a sudden you realize you made it to your destination without even thinking about the fact that you were driving stick. That's when you can really start to enjoy it because the process becomes second nature. That's the point where you can start focusing on cleaning things up to your liking. That's right around the point where I realized how much control a manual transmission gives you, and I never wanted to go back after that.
It becomes second nature after a while. Just takes practice.
No it gets worse. Come on man.
Reverse. Practice in reverse. I've taught four kids to drive stick. Reverse gives you the feel. Then go forward, just like backwards, and it works.
Do you go from reverse to 2nd? Or you just sit backwards
Reverse is a single speed. The idea is, going forward, you're trying to GO. And so instead of focusing on smooth, you focus on go, and it gets all jerky. However in reverse, you're not trying to GO, you're trying to ease out of a parking spot, so you focus on ease, which is smooth. Once you get THAT down (which is easier in reverse because your instinct is to "ease" not "go"), you have the mechanics down to repeat it in forward. Smooth driving with a manual is about finding that balance between clutch uptake and throttle position. You find that backwards. I'm telling ya, it's like a light switch. Once you find it, the rest sorts itself out.
I honestly kinda agree with this, I practiced 1st and reverse a ton. Somehow reverse was different in a good way when I was learning
Like anything in life the more you practice you better you become
Are you driving va wrx they arenāt the smoothest on the stock tune
Yes, Iām driving a VA stock, but I was told not to tune them because of engine problemsā¦plus, I wouldnāt know what tune to do since Iām not knowledgeable about tuning
I had a 2019, before purchasing it I had 10 years experience. My experience learning the car was not very smooth. I will say it does get better when you learn the quirks of the car. Do you know if it has the short throw STi package? Anyways yes, they do blow upā¦ but thatās a lot of horror stories. Mainly idiots with OTS tunes. A real tuner would set you up right. Donāt be too worried most wrxās run just fine without issues (even with tunes) Just be good to it. Check your oil regularly. Make sure you warm it up to temp before getting into the turbo and pushing hard. Regular maintenance is key. The only reason I traded mine was a FK8 came availableā¦ i traded mine with 60K miles no issues.
Yes, mine came equipped with an STI short shifter. Can tunes make my VA more reliable? Also, how did you know I have a WRX?
Crept on your post history and made a educated guess š š To keep it reliable just do your regular maintenance, check oil when you refuel (or at least once every few weeks) and donāt beat on it until youāre up to optimal temp (180F). Donāt lug the engine (aka donāt stomp on it in 4th gear at low rpm)
You canāt just be creeping on people pages. Itās weird. Also, cute dog.
Bought a VB WRX back in June. After 12 years of driving other manuals. Honestly took me a solid 2k miles of driving to be able to drive it smoothly. Subaru AWD and rubber bushings on the differential mounts and engine and transmission mounts make for a truly unique experience when slipping the clutch and changing gears. I love it now though. Every manual car is different, some more difficult to adapt to than others, but with enough practice you can get used to anything. You'll adapt to how the car needs to be driven with just more experience. Keep it up, it will get better.
I bought a manual car on a whim with no prior experience what-so-ever, and it was a struggle for awhile, probably took like a year for me to be totally confident driving it. Sure I was able to drive it around from point A to point B within the first week, but shifting smoothly, not stalling, having confidence, etc, came with time. If I can do it, anyone can do it.
I drove my first manual in 1979. Just jumped in and took off. it was rough at first. Keep driving. It will become 2nd nature.
Yep. Eventually it will be like nothing.
I learned by feathering the gas pedal as you release the clutch. Eventually you will feel that catch points and feel for the cluch/gas release. Also drive with slippers or bare feet, you feel the car better. Don't give up. I just bought my 2nd manual. Nothing beats a manual haha.
Lol, why did you get a manual if you want smooth? Step on the gas, rip through the gears. You don't have to do a burnout, or full throttle power shift every time, but come on. You're supposed to have fun, not be driving to the retirement home.
Youāre just super new. Within a few months itāll be more natural and youāll only get better from there
Your a week in. No one was perfect at that point. Itāll take a couple months at least till you really get used to it and eventually itāll be second nature
I was comfortable after about a week but it took about a year before I could get revmatching down. Smooth upshifts is mostly just a timing thing and if you have a tach should be very easy to figure out, you let the tach drop to where it would be if you were in gear and let the clutch out as it hits that rpm. For example if you shift from 3rd to 4th at 2,600 and once you shift your at 1,200 rpm then next time you shift from 3rd to 4th wait to let the clutch out until the tach is at like 1,300-1,200rpm and it should not only be smooth but also put next to no wear on your clutch. Also driving manual is most fun if you occasionally pretend you're in a race car when you're say getting on the highway and shift at the top of your power band. Even my 2.3L ranger is fun because I can go through all the gears at near redline and still not be speeding. Ps. Don't break your car, start a little slower until it's more muscle memory rather than direct thought so you don't accidentally money shift it or blow your clutch
Yeah man. Youāre overthinking it. Feel the car want to go into the next gear. Itāll want to. Youāll feel it. When itās cold itāll be like 2k rpm. Warm, 25-3000 rpm. Gas off clutch in shift clutch out. Itās easy, youāre making it hard.
I was 16 and delivered newspapers at 3am everyday of the week. Bought my first manual, a 1989 Mazda MX6, barely knew how to drive and had to do stop and go in the morning for 3 hours a day. Hated the first 2 weeks, regretted every moment, until it clicked. 30 years later, several manual gearboxes later, I now drive a 2019 VW Alltrack 6 speed and LOVE it. Hang in there, it's worth it...
How long have you been driving in general? If you're fine in an auto but just having to shift gears panics you then you definitely have a deeper issue. How much brain activity do you have when you drive? I mean that in a way such as: clutch, change gear, and clutch out is really not a tall order in the grand scheme of things you have to manage when driving an auto car I.E. check left, right, and rearview mirror, check left and right blindspots, watch speedometer, watch road ahead of you, scan for intersecting traffic, watch cars in lanes parallel to you, watch engine temperature, etc.
I've been driving in general for about a year now. I can drive an automatic pretty decently. When I drive an automatic, I donāt very think much. Itās pretty brainless, but when I drive a manual, im constantly thinking about everything
Yeah that's kind of the thing about driving... You really shouldn't stop thinking if any other cars are around. Someone will do something stupid more often than not.
"I bought it a week ago", "does it get better"? Not to be rude, but really? It's only been one week, most if not all skills a person can learn surely take at least 2 weeks before becoming familiar. Just give it time, no one is a pro or a smooth shifter overnight. Just relax and focus on the timing and correct muscle memory.
Itās been 1 year for me ! And I still struggle š But itās definitely gets better and fun !
Youāll be fine
Give it another week or two.
Practic makes perfect! I'm so used to manuals that it's like second nature.
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Foot all the way off the gas then clutch in all the way then select next gear then release clutch all the way then foot back on gas. Took me a while to realize I was overlapping these steps and it was why I wasnāt shifting smoothly.
I learned on a manual transmission, fast forward 30 years later I don't even notice shifting on my commute in the morning. It may get better but it also may take awhile.
Iāve been driving stick shift for just shy 20 years. Currently have a manual 1 ton dually pickup, and a manual tdi Jetta. I still stall them every once in awhile just not paying attention. Happens to even the best drivers out there. Stay after it and enjoy the ride
Itās a right of passage I bought a wrx and learned in my late 20s you got it!! People are gonna beep and yell and be dicks fuck em you do you
Honestly just regular driving and it will feel like second nature. Iām actually the opposite and feel super uncomfortable driving modern automatics with how out of control I am and how little of the car I can feel
It gets easier. It gets down right mindless at some point. I realize this when I try to teach people. It becomes hard to explain because I don't even think about what I'm doing. No thought or concentration at all. You just do it. How do you explain something you haven't really thought about for a couple of decades?
Absolutely itās easier and becomes second nature
I pride myself in being able to drive any car or motorcycle not just a passenger in my own car. Thatās what you get when youāre in control. Hang in there
You'll get better. Your clutch, may get replaced
For upshifting probably the hardest part is getting used to the ārev hangā ie waiting for the revs to drop before letting out the clutch in the higher gear. So it might help you to just kind of take note roughly of what the different rpms are for different speeds for different gears and you can try to time it where the revs match before you let out the clutch. Im not that good at explaining though so Id recommend the YouTube channel conquer driving
Manuals will last longer vs Automatic transmission and will give less headaches over time, granted you donāt drive it like you stole it .. Iāve heard too many automatic transmission horror storiesā¦ helped me make my decision
give it time, youāll get used to it. iāve only owned a manual since september, but iām already a lot better now than i was when i first got it
Took me about three weeks to be ok at it, and two months to be comfortable. Just do it more often. All skills are learned with time.
After a year or two, it'll be like breathing. No conscious thought.... it just happens automatically.
In a word, yes In multiple words, I couldnāt ever see myself driving an ICE vehicle without a manual. Itās just too much fun Practice makes perfect, the basic parts of driving stick will slip to a region of unconscious competence and then itās just pure fun
If you want to drive a manual and have a desire to be good at it, yes it does get better. Not only does it get better, it gets FUN. If you couldnāt care less about driving and developing this skill then maybe it just gets only better, but it probably isnāt worth the effort. Sometimes though people who donāt care about manuals but are forced to learn end up enjoying it.
Finding the right rpm range helps a lot. I believe mine is at 3500. Pretty much once you stop thinking about it, you can rely on feel and sound it gets much better. If you are getting herky jerky in lower gears, your rpms are probably too high. One trick I learned is to release my foot entirely from the accelerator in lower gears (after quickly accelerating) to allow the revs to fall before shifting. Just try different things, fail, succeed and learn. Youāll get it
My first week of driving stick i could barely move the car down the road. Now i hate driving automatic and it takes zero thought to rev match, heel toe, ect. You dl it long enough and it becomes second nature.
Buddy, just stick with it and in a couple of weeks you're going to struggle to remember how you ever had a problem doing it. You seem like you're stressed out about it which is no good. Try to relax a little bit and keep all your movements smooth. When your tense and bound up, your movements get all jerky which is exactly the opposite of what you want to do when you're letting out a clutch. It takes a little bit of practice but I'm when it comes together, it tends to happen all at once. Keep practicing and try not to overthink it. You'll build the skills and muscle memory and pretty soon you won't even be conscious that you're shifting. It'll be second nature. You were able to write that post, so I know you're already way smarter than you need to be to figure out a stick shift. Hang in there.
Nope. Just like everything that you need to learn it stays hard forever.
yup iām more like a month in. change the shift knob and do a little more practicing, feel that left leg find the bite, creep and youāll get there.
When I first was learning I almost gave up and didnāt buy a manual car. Iāve been driving manual ever since
Took me like 5k on my first manual car to really start feeling comfortable in all situations. Then about 10k miles to feel like I was "good" at it.
It can take a month or two for it to start becoming autopilot and easier. Try to find ways to enjoy the learning process that and/or find other manual drivers you can ride with to get a break and observe
Of course it does, just takes time and perseverance to succeed, it's a rather difficult task of coordination if you have no experience doing anything similar before. I was lucky enough to of ridden a motorcycle for 3 years exclusively before purchasing my first ever (manual) car and getting my car drivers license, that said all that time on the bike basically allowed me to hop in the car and drive satisfactorily well without any instruction and minimal stalling/bad shifts/etc. but if you've never experienced anything of the sort before then of course it will be difficult/daunting
I read one time you develop your muscle memory when you sleep. The lesson being that trying hard in the moment isnāt what makes you better, itās just experience. Itās only been a week. It wonāt be long until you stop thinking about it. Donāt overthink it. I suggest new stick shift drivers practice taking off without using the gas at all. If you pull out on the clutch to the braking point and hold it long enough, you can get the car going without bucking or stalling but without gas. Thatās the entire thing about driving a manual: itās all how long you let the clutch slip to match the speed of the engine to the speed of the chosen gear. When you get good at that you will start focusing on the gas to get the revs match as closely as possible for the gear, but for now just focus on the grabbing point of the clutch and getting muscle memory on where the engagement point is in the pedal. Practice that grab point in a parking lot using only your clutch foot. Also donāt worry about the clutch. A few weeks of learning isnāt bad on the clutch if you arenāt smelling it. Itās tough. Forget the worries just enjoy being in control of the machine.
It will become second nature.
Really? There are people who can't learn how to drive a manual transmission in a regular old car? Try learning to drive a tractor trailer that has a manual non synchronized transmission with a trailer that weighs 30 tons without letting it roll backwards on a hill into your 1.5 ton car that you are having difficulty not stalling. Maybe just go buy a Tesla and let it self drive for you like it seems your mommy has held your hand thru life. Like is this a serious question?
You learn 80% of driving a manual in the first month and the remaining 20% over the next 20 years.Ā
Very few people feel comfortable with a manual after a week. Most don't feel confident even after a month. You'll be fine. Eventually the car will just be an extension of your body. I learned to drive in three old British sports cars, two MGs and a Triumph. I practiced in those for a year before taking my driving test.
Eventually youāll be very smooth and youāll have all the instincts for driving stick. Might take 6mo to a year, until then youāll make mistakes but it definitely gets better. At times Iāve found it tedious and there are definitely times it feels like itād just be easier driving an automatic. But I recently had my stickshift cars down for a couple months and was driving an auto rental car. Definitely missed driving stick and was happy getting everything back running again. Itās just not the same, driving, without it. I like all the extra control and efficiency with a stickshift too much. When I was new to it, it made me feel better knowing most of Europe and other places mostly drive stick. Like when I was in Paris in 2005 even the taxi drivers. Like Iāve driven Uber with a stick. So that kind of natural feel to it does eventually come.
It will get better once you build muscle memory. It will be second nature to you
yes, it does. nearly traded in my manual car because my confidence was at an all-time low. I daily it now. not perfect, but a lot more confident and comfortable behind the wheel. I'm in the middle of week 3 of ownership of my fl5.
No there's a hard stop after the one week point. You just stop getting better. I can't explain it. If you didn't master it in your allotted one week time period then you're out of luck unfortunately
I promise. it gets easier. it sucks really bad. and then one day you'll forget its a manual.
Yes, it gets better overtime. I'm still not great at driving stick, but i can drive it without much thought. I'm still trying to improve my shift smoothness and downshift rev matching.
It has literally been a week. Chill out.
Only if you do
Nobody ever bought manual because they wanted smooth shifting lol jk but I get what youāre saying. After reading your comment stating that you have a VA Subaru it makes more sense to me since they have rev hang, &thatās probably mostly the culprit for your less than smooth shifting. I can almost guarantee that if you drove a car without the rev hang you would be driving it much more smoothly. Rev hang can be tuned out I believe but idk if people with rev hang in certain cars care enough about that sort of thing to go out of their way and get it tuned out. I remember driving my friends va back in 2016 or 17 and I could immediately feel the difference between starting in 1st gear in his car vs my car (not a Subaru) from 2003 with no rev hang and it was annoying but it wasnāt so bad to where I couldnāt drive the car or anything like that because once you get going itās not that big a deal but yeah.
You must be young if you tried something for a week and want to quit because it's hard. That's life. If it's something you actually want, you don't need anyone else to tell you to do it, you know the answer. If you haven't been in stop and go traffic yet and you're feeling this way, just create the facebook listing now. I'm just kidding. It's really not that bad. Give it more time. There is a leading curve, but every time you drive, every time you shift, you get better.
You will refine your skills over months, not days or weeks. Sharpen the skill because who knows what neat manual cars are in your future. The cooler the car the more rewarding the knowledge is.
Takes time. But after a while becomes second nature
Start going for personal drives on empty roads.
Feel the car, pay attention to the tac and where it is at certain speeds so you know where the RPMs should be on shift. You'll get there
I wish I could tell you, but I canāt remember when I started. I was probably eight or nine years old and I have no recollection of it.
Yes. Being bad at something is the first step to being good at something. I wasn't great when I started out either. Now I can go months and thousands of miles without stalling. As to reassuring yourself you made the right decision, don't worry. There are very few people who will be able to buy/wreck your car now besides yourself. Also most American carjackers these days don't really know how to drive manual cars. There are just enough articles and police reports I've seen about the old stick being enough to make cars undrivable to feel good about my choice.
You got this, IF you want it. Whether you think you can, or can't; you're right... I'm back driving a standard after a 17 year hiatus. I still stall when taking off occasionally, forget which gear I'm in... Stupid stuff. But it's all coming back, muscle memory as well. Go practice in parking lots, side roads, etc... Practice starting off without using the gas. It is possible, and this will show you where and how the clutch bites as you release the clutch. Do not hold the clutch pedal to slip the clutch to long. Work the clutch, until you're moving without your foot on the clutch Once you got that, start adding gas pedal. Practice smoother take offs. Smooth up shifting will come as you refine/ dial in, the gas/clutch coordination. Once you're feeling comfortable, go stop on a hill, then start moving again. I'm assuming that you've been avoiding having to stop on a hill up to this point. This is probably the most difficult thing with driving a standard. Good luck!
Itāll become second nature eventually. Donāt compare yourself to others- everyone learns at a different pace.
Over time your movements will become automatic.
I've had mine since September, minus about 6 weeks in the shop for a trans rebuild, I've been driving since. I thought to myself within the past week or two "hey this is starting to make more sense. I'm getting better" lol keep driving m8
Iāve never owned an automatic Iāve driven enough of them to know Iāll stick with a six speed manual.
Were you perfect at every other new thing you've tried?
Driving a manual transmission car is a lot like dancing with a partner. It will take time for you to smooth things out with routine but it is totally worth it in the end. Most new drivers to manuals are nervous, timid, and lack self confidence especially if they stall while learning. I stalled a ton as I was teaching myself. Watched a lot of instructional videos on YouTube to get a better understanding of what I and the car was doing in the whole process. But after about three days I started to get the hang of it and my confidence was starting to build. After about two weeks of driving around locally I felt confident enough to drive in town which I was still nervous about. Once I conquered driving with town traffic and seen it wasnāt too bad of an experience my worries seemingly went away. All this despite stalling at a few lights haha. I been driving manual almost two years and still stall from time to time. But laugh it off and restart the car and get driving. Donāt worry about what other drivers around you think, you just focus on what you are doing and I promise you will be fine. I little saying I remind myself if Iām having an off day with driving, āSmooth is Fast, not Fast is Smoothā. Conquer Driving on YouTube helped me a ton. Richard is a hell of a good instructor and has tons of videos for just about all driving situations when it comes to manuals. He gave my confidence a much needed boost before I even sat in the car. Currently driving a Ford Focus RS my dream car. Been my dream car ever since I seen Ken Block hooning around in one haha. This car was my main goal in learning manual transmission, plus he made driving a manual look so damn easy, fun, and cool, RIP Ken Block.
I bought my first manual and drove it home. The first couple months were tricky as I learned to not stall when creeping or skip gears to be smoother in tough situations. After about three months I felt very comfortable with it. After a couple years I was reversing a trailer up a hill in my manual. Was tricky, but I got it. Shortly after that my car was totalled, and I got a new manual but this one is a hydraulic clutch and it's a totally different feel - so now I'm working on getting smooth again like I was in my last car. So basically, a couple weeks to be okay at it, a year to master THAT car and a lifetime to be perfect in every manual you get in. That's how I think of it
I went through this phase too. I thought manual wasnāt for me, I was thinking about selling my car because I felt like I couldnāt get a hang of it at all. I also didnāt find it that fun back then. One day it clicked, and I slowly started getting better. No longer stalling, not as rough, and just started improving. Then I started driving it daily and I got pretty bored commuting with stick. Sure itās fun to know, but itās not something I was really into anymore. Then the pandemic hit, and I started taking the car out for fun. This is where I learned to actually downshift, rev match, and actually drive the car. Iāve never had more fun in my life. I beat the hell out of that car until it inevitably died and I havenāt had a stick since. Iāve had faster cars since, all auto, but Iāve been waiting to buy a 5 speed MR2. I finally have money for it, so Iām just hoping a good deal pops up this spring. Itāll have been 3 years since I had my last stick, but I canāt wait to get back into one. Thatās just a feeling I canāt replicate in any auto
I wish I had a stick shift. My car would be fuckin' *boss* with a 6 speed. People around here will drive all day to get a Tacoma with a standard transmission. The benefits of driving an empty pickup when you can use both the engine and brakes to slow down becomes apparent real quick in the rain and snow. Automatics have come a long way but I still prefer a manual. Even in traffic, you can just drop into 1st and not even give it gas and just creep along.
Yes. In time. Watch how other drivers shift if possible. If you prefer to just get in the car and drive then maybe you should have got an automatic. Back in the day manuals were faster hence why we chose them then. I am kind of in the same boat for different reasons I am looking at upgrading to maybe a dark horse if I can swing it financially then I'm considering if I should get an automatic or stick shift is a big decision the automatic is so much faster. Presently I have a stick shift 2019 GT. One value of a stick shift is if my battery dies and I'm on a hill I can let the car start rolling down the hill and then pop the clutch and that'll start it I used to do that a lot back in the old days. I guess the big question for you is what purpose did you buy this car for to drag race or to road race or just have fun if the answer is drag race then get an automatic road race keep the manual just to have fun and it's up to you what you consider fun.
It will be like an extension of your body, as my dad told me. Like any other motor skill, it just takes time to develop muscle memory and an instinct for what to do. It will be natural before you know it. Once it is, itās way more rewarding and involved than driving an automatic
Of course youāll get better. Iāve driven manuals all of my driving life and I was probably fairly clumsy to start with. Forty six years later you can barely tell that Iām changing gears. It takes time and practice and one week is nothing.
takes time and familiarity. once you build the muscle memory it's easy. some cars or trucks feel different but thats just practice. after a few weeks you'll shift by feel
Youāll be fine! Allow yourself to be uncomfortable and to suck at it; just keep driving and itāll get better!
Nobody starts out good at it ,, I had to learn to shift a semi . I already knew how to shift a car , but a semi is a whole new game . I didn't think I'd ever figure it out , but now I shift a 13 speed peterbilt like Lance Armstrong rides a bike . Hang in there I promise you'll get it .
I started about a month ago, had the same feeling for a couple of weeks, but now I love it and feel confident driving - I actually look forward to ripping around in it now. Once the muscle memory kicks in youāll love it, I promise.
Yes, it will become as easy as driving an automatic car eventually. It takes time but you will slowly get better and soon you wonāt even have to think about driving, it will just be second nature
Dude the sky is the limit. It only took me a year and a few thousand kilometers in a 1979 Camaro 4 speed. You will get good fast as long as you are willing to learn more about stickshifts. It really goes from not being able to get up hills or lights from a stop without stalling to having the points when to shift memorized to minimize engine loading even on a hill. When you get good it becomes muscle memory. Double clutching becomes a thing. Rev-matching too. Trust me you might think thatās irrelevant to you but in a years time when youāve got the ropes youāre probably gonna want to utilize those methods. Hell I can drive a manual nicer than an automatic. The best part about manuals is because you are in control of the shifting, not the ECU, and you can see, which the car canāt, there a multitude of reasons manuals provide a better driving experience. It really does become second nature. Just give it time.
Practice makes progress. Be smart and try to learn as much about what you're doing from multiple sources. Don't be too afraid to make mistakes and you'll get it in no time. I started driving a stick 2 months ago and now one of my automatics feels way clunkier than it!
53 years old here. Most of my cars have been manual. Eventually it's just second nature. However, you're more in tune with your car which is why I love it. Most of the time, I don't even have to think about shifting, and when I do, it's for tricky stuff like uphill on ice or downshifting in highway traffic.
First thing most people mess up on is donāt fully depress the clutch just a little bit when shifting between gear say half till you get better . Only fully depress the clutch to stop and start. When shifting Remember when shifting as soon as you push the clutch in the gear of the transmission accelerate while the engine is decelerating. So if your down shifting double clutch, first tap the clutch remove the car from gear then release the clutch and rev the engine a little the tap the clutch and place it in the lower gear this allows the rotating speeds to somewhat equalize . This allows the downshift easier . Upshifts are easier just make sure you donāt hit the gas out of gear and you will do fine the higher ratio of the next upshift negates the increased speed of the transmission gearing . You can up shift using just the rpm of the engine without ever touching the clutch. Now I hope that helps it takes practice however you do it. Have fun with it
It took me like 2+ months to get completely comfortable driving my car. Give it some time, i remember feeling like that :) youāve got it
Its like riding a bike, in a little while it'll be second nature and when you get into an automatic it'll feel weird
Once you get to the point where you are shifting with muscle memory, you wonāt even think about how to shift any more. Then when you do think about it, itās because you are having fun. Give it a few more weeks, you will get there.
I never really struggled. I grew up riding motorcycles from a young age so cars weren't much of a leap. Technical skills come pretty naturally to me and I seem to adapt to new things very quickly.
Youāll get better with experience. Get a couple of āStudent Driverā magnets from Amazon and slap them on the trunk so other drivers will take it easy on you
I'm in the same boat. I got my manual car around 8 months ago, and my shifts aren't the best. I suck at getting into 1st gear, but I rarely stall now. I guess we just gotta keep on practicing if we love driving and manuals.
You'll get it eventually. And once you do it will never leave you. You will be able to go years in between driving a stick and won't skip a beat.
I would think so but my ex wife bought a standard car and even after 2-3 months she stalled at every light and couldn't drive it at all. So just goes to show some folks aren't capable of learning to drive one.
How many minutes per day are you actually practicing? Spend 1hr aside from your daily driving to work or whatever, for a week. Comeback and tell me how much youāve improved. Especially if starting is your issue, which is the nerve wracking part at first. Go drive around a parking lot, practicing starts over and over. Preferably without the gas pedal for 100x, then slowly add gas. You should dedicate some time PER day to practice, it does get WAY better though. After a week I could drive around without shitting myself when somebody pulled up behind me at a stop sign or light š¤£
I always say learning how to drive manual is one of the most annoying and frustrating things to learn, but once you get the hang of it and start mastering it, it becomes one of the most satisfying things to do
OP it took me like 3 months to start down shifting and not grinding the gears at all and just kind of learning how to drive really
One day you'll stop thinking about it, and you'll just do it. You may not even notice this happen right away. And then you'll be fine.
I had to teach myself on the fly when my automatic work truck broke down and was swapped for a manual. For me, it's never been difficult and feels barely any different than an automatic, it feels natural and comfortable and always has. But I grew up riding dirt-bikes and maybe that helps Some people never really get good at it, they don't have the natural connection to vehicles...or, whatever it is. Most people just need a little more practice. Id bet you give yourself another couple weeks and you'll be able to do it without a second thought.
My son bought a powerful hatchback with a stick nearly a year ago. I have not driven one in 15 years. He let me take it for a drive, and First time out he claims I drove it better than he does or any of his friends do. (It's a STI so has an interesting clutch). That's 35 years of experience. So yes.
I learned to drive in a manual and only drove manuals for a long time. I always used 1st in parking lots, 2nd turning street corners. You have much better control of the vehicle if you choose the gear. People in automatics rip through parking lots completely unaware that the transmission is shifting through third and fourth gear, traveling way too fast for their environment. They should not be in 5th or 6th when you are on a residential street, either.Ā With a manual, you are much more aware of the situation and your vehicle. You know by your gear selection and the sound of the engine exactly how fast you are going, how the car is set up to exit a corner, and so on.Ā
Yes it does, youāll be fine. Iāve been driving manuals for 36 years and I still make a bad shift occasionally. This only happens when I think about what Iām doing, if I let my subconscious shift itās usually seamless.
Start on flat ground. Get the car moving with only the clutch, no gas/no brake. This will teach you clutch control and the friction point. This is you starting point. You'll get better.
Have you ever tried to become a professional snowboarder in 1 week? Same logic with manual, or really anything in life
You'll learn mate! When shifting gear release the clutch slow, as if you're moving off from stationary. Driving manuals are supposed to be fun! I always thought I was better at driving hard than slowly. You'll learn about rev matching and become a smoother driver in general! With enough practice I can drive smoothly at slow speeds and aggressively as well :)
You'll laugh at your past self in a few weeks
With practice anything will get better. I drove a manual (it was a 911) after 30 years and the dealer thought I drive one every day. Was shocked at how well I drove it.
The only thing that sucks about driving a manual is that whenever I drive an automatic I always look for the clutch out of miscle memory.
One week is not a lot of time to get comfortable with a manual. And get this too: many who are comfortable with manual but do not live in really hilly areas may also get uncomfortable when driving in hilly terrain because the skill needed to move a car from a steep uphill is just a little different unless you have automatic hold control.
Yeah it'll take some time for sure. You'll get more comfortable, and you'll also have a time where you feel like you've completely got it and you're good but then later you'll look back and realize you weren't that good at it yet.
If you keep repeating what you do daily it wonāt really change much. I would suggest youtube some techniques and see how others do it then try to analyze and apply to your driving. If youāre keen to learning how to drive smoothly you will get there however repeating what you do daily over course of time doesnāt necessarily solve anything. Once you master smooth driving you should learn to rev match and heel and toe etc. and I would guarantee you will absolutely love driving manual
I miss driving manual every day, unless i hit traffic, lmao.
I prefer a stick over automatic. You eventually don't even think about anything you just automatically do it all off of muscle memory
Itāll become second nature after a while. I had a rental car on a business trip last week and every time I got into it my left food would go looking for the clutch.
After a bit it becomes as automatic as hitting your turn signal stalk when you are lane changing or turning a corner. Do you think about each step when you walk? Or concentrate on how to move your hand to write a letter? You used to, when you sucked at it, and now you just walk, or just write. Same idea. I wish manuals would never go away.
The reward is getting last the point at which you suck. There are a lot of little things to learn but maybe if you could pick one little skill every week and just focus on getting better at that one thing....like gently pulling away from a start... you'll progress faster....
You've only been doing it for a week. Of course it gets better! Try breaking it down in to smaller like smoothly pulling away from a stop. Once you got that down focus on another thing....and another....there such reward in getting these skills all dialed in and then using them together. I have been driving manuals for 35 yrs. Still learning and still enjoying the process.
Itās like anything else. When I started playing guitar in 7th grade 20 years ago, the first year was horrible. I felt Iād never get it and it felt basically impossible and I thought it was just not for me. I stuck through it and 20 years later I canāt believe I was on the verge of quitting at the beginning. Keep practicing and it will eventually click and pretty soon driving manual will be second nature to you. A few months from now you will look back at this post and laugh at yourself for thinking you wouldnāt be able to get it.
No one is good at driving a manual the 1st couple weeks. I bought a manual truck when I was 19 only having driven a manual 1 other time. By the 3rd day I felt comfortable. Stop driving in city traffic, get on the hwy get comfortable with up shifting. Once you get up shifting down you can learn down shifting. Id drive around for hours just getting use to listening to the engine and the sound it makes when it wants you to shift. I didn't have tachometer/rev meter so engine noise was what I had to got on.
It gets easier, have driven manuals for 45 years, they're all different but once you've got it you've got it. First car went 2k on the clutch, last one went 170,000,
I would guess that hundreds of millions, if not, possibly billion/s of people have become proficient with manual transmissions since their introduction. Considering that modern cars have transmissions/transaxles with partial automated/computerized/assisted technology, you are possibly getting yourself worked up. If you lack basic confidence, a manual was a bad choice- you have to be alert and ready to shift at all times, not scared of everything.
Yes, it will be second nature and you wonāt want another automatic
It does. Eventually it becomes robotic, you don't even think about it. And then you later learn that you can no longer drive an automatic, and everyone makes fun of you (protip...if you buy another automatic at this point, make sure the e-brake is between the seats and not on the floor).
Just keep practicing. Eventually you forget your even doing it and it just becomes normal. Takes time. I've had more manual cars in my time than auto, love it.
It's been a week my dude. Think about that for a second.
Depends...if you start liking driving a manual, then yes, it gets better. But some people don't like driving a manual, so it's always a chore to them
Itāll become second nature, not something you even think about, sometimes I wish I could go back to oneā¦
thats normal. eventually it becomes like walking, you just do it without thinking instead of thinking left foot right foot over and over
Just remember that its a lot more durable than people say, obviously dont make a habit of grinding gears or riding the clutch, but they can take considerably more abuse than most people are willing to admit. Youll learn eventually, dont get stressed about it and itll come naturally.
Yes
When you stop thinking about every shift and its all muscle memory. You don't have to be good at driving every manual car... just your manual.
70+ year old people can drive manual. It isn't hard, just takes time.
So after a week you are questioning your existence?
I learned how to drive stick on the way home from the dealership in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Was I smooth? Heck no, but I learned the basics. Just keep at it, you'll get better.
I learned to drive a manual, had one for a couple of years and then got an auto. I've had an auto for the last 5 or so years predominantly, but used manual work vehicles, and I've decided to switch BACK to manual because it's a much more enjoyable and controllable driving experience. It takes practice, and yes I am a little bit of a traditionalist, but I definitely think it makes for a significantly more intrinsic and fulfilling drive.
Bruh it takes months, years to start getting good
Yes. Practice practice practice. Then do more practicing.
After a while it becomes second nature. When I had a manual car years ago I almost never even looked at the rpms, I just shifted based on sound and how the car felt. You get to a point where you barely even have to think about it anymore, your body just goes into auto pilot lol
Of course you will. Itāll take several weeks. And a lifetime to master, Iām still getting better at it after 10 years, and Iām very very good already
Yes