? for anyone that has a stick daily driver/commuter

[OS]

Is it a PITA to drive stick as a commuter car? I'm talking like up to 1 hour of moderate bumper to bumper one way. Also, how hard is it to parallel park? Parallel parking on an incline must be a nightmare

I haven't driven stick enough to know how it is in those conditions.

 

[vegetation]

It depends on your car and clutch. I wouldn't want to drive a racing clutch around in traffic, but stock clutches are usually pretty easy to work with so it's no big deal. Working the inclines is just something that takes practice.

 

[The Stigenator]

The BMW is painful in heavy traffic, cause its got a Heavy clutch, however the toyota is easy. Infact if I can let it doddle along in first without me pressing the gas or teh clutch.. only when needed do I press teh clutch in to prevent a stall.


Edit:

My dad's saturn's clutch is very light (lighter than the toyota) and its a pain to use sometimes in slow traffic. Especially if your up a slope.. what a pain in the butt I had when I drove up to lake tahoe in bumper to bumper traffic.

 

[OS]

<< Working the inclines is just something that takes practice. >>



I'm ok at starting on inclines, I don't have problems rolling backwards. Just gotta do your business quickly. But I can see parallel parking on an incline being a complete nightmare.

 

[The Stigenator]

I have no problem parallel parking in an inclien with the toyota. The other cars I can do it, however the BMW's heavy clutch and its torque lock prevents me from gaining much power when needed in 1st or Reverse.

 

[OS]

<< I have no problem parallel parking in an inclien with the toyota. >>



Took some practice getting there though right?

I was thinking I'd like to get a stick car, but I don't feel I'm good enough to be driving a new car w/o possibly causing damage and/or frying the clutch. I think I'd be more comfortable getting a beater, like say a 240SX, and then learning stick inside out on that than a new car. Good idea?

 

[Thegonagle]

I'm a regular pro. All but one of the cars I've owned have been manuals. I only had that one auto because it was a very nice deal.

Inclines are no problem, not parking, not ever. If you're parking on a sharp incline, you just use one gear, 1st or reverse, and you let gravity pull the car the opposite direction. Learning to heel and toe also helps in some cases.

Bumper to bumper traffic is rarely a problem for me since I always find an alternate route, except in some very poorly "planned" suburbs <cough>Eden Prairie</cough>. I such cases of stop and go traffic, my best friend would not be an automatic transmission, but a map.

 

[Thegonagle]

<< I was thinking I'd like to get a stick car, but I don't feel I'm good enough to be driving a new car w/o possibly causing damage and/or frying the clutch. I think I'd be more comfortable getting a beater, like say a 240SX, and then learning stick inside out on that than a new car. Good idea? >>


Definitely.

 

[milagro]

I learned to drive stick in bumper to bumper traffic when I took summerschool in highschool. I lived about 10 miles from my school and new I would be stalling back and forth...but because I was in such lousy traffic no one noticed...when my car would lurch forward I'm thinking people thought I was playin around because I was bored, or they thought they should get the hell out of my way which may have made things faster anyways..

those were the days..

 

[Brutuskend]

Most new?er cars with sticks have hydraulic clutches so it's not too bad holding them in.

The TRICKY part of driving a stick is starting on a steep hill with some LAME'O 2 inches off your rear bumper!!

But some car's (Subaru?s are one make that come to mind) have a neat little feature where you can lock the brakes on a hill and when the clutch start's to engage the brakes disengage automatically.

 

[The Stigenator]

<< Most new?er cars with sticks have hydraulic clutches so it's not too bad holding them in. The TRICKY part of driving a stick is starting on a steep hill with some LAME'O 2 inches off your rear bumper!! But some car's (Subaru?s are one make that come to mind) have a neat little feature where you can lock the brakes on a hill and when the clutch start's to engage the brakes disengage automatically. >>



or you use your handbrake and the brake and switch between the two quickly. - well that is what I do.

outersquare> I didnt take much practise to parallel park on a slope, infact none. The only time it does get hariy if there is not enough space to make my move. Though I do agree if its really steep I maynot parallel park teh first time around it would take a few tries. But for normal slopes (like my friends place) i have no problems, never had it from day one.