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Good car to (re)learn manual on?

GoodRevrnd

GoodRevrnd

Diamond Member
I'm considering picking up a BMW M5 (E39) but would like to brush up on my manual driving before taking that plunge. I learned manual on assorted clunky trucks and occasionally drove whatever friend's random car, but it's probably been 8 years since I've driven a manual.

What would be a good inexpensive car to get to brush up with?
 
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GoodRevrnd said:
I'm considering picking up a BMW M5 (E39) but would like to brush up on my manual driving before taking that plunge. I learned manual on assorted clunky trucks and occasionally drove whatever friend's random car, but it's probably been 8 years since I've driven a manual.

What would be a good inexpensive car to get to brush up with?
Click to expand...

You may be able to find a rental agency that will rent out a car with a manual transmission...
 
completely forgot we have an auto forum...

As far as a rental, I think I'd want to drive for a bit longer than that before jumping to an M5. Maybe not though, I really have no clue.
 
If you were actually adept at driving a manual it should come back to you in about 10 seconds. Its like riding a bike.

I bought a manual a few months back, not having driven one in longer than I can remember, I jumped right in and had no issues at all.
 
I never drove it regularly, and probably 80% of that was on back country dirt roads, though I guess in many ways that is more challenging.
 
I wasn't trying to be a dick. Once you know how to do it, you can always do it.

You may stall a few times, but no need to buy a cheapo car to re-learn. You have the muscle memory, you know how to do it. All it will take is 1 minute to adjust yourself to how the clutch on a particular car engages.
 
Those E39 M5s are fantastic, and that 6MT is incredibly easy to work with.

Probably the most PITA manual I ever tried was some *badly* riced Integra with a lightweight flywheel and oversized, not particularly light 18" wheels. It was lowered as well. Would stall or bog easily, was such a shame to see it in that shape. Stock they're cool little cars, modded by idiots they're just garbage.
 
Learned driving stick shift in my younger years (early'70s). Pain the butt at first, but when you get to learn the basics and how to's, it's usually easy how to relearn it again after a few years.
Haven't burned any clutch disks in all those years of driving.

BMW M5 - Greg's Shifting School for YouTube videos.
A BMW M5 E39 (2000) was used. 😉
 
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I learned on an Acura RSX. It feels completely different than a BMW M3 though. BMW clutches are much stiffer and have much more depth.
 
After not touching a manual after I sold my first 12 years ago, I certainly didn't buy anything else to "relearn" recently. It took a week and a half (and a stall every other day or so) for me to stop thinking about it and just drive.
 
I learned on a 1989 Isuzu trooper. Great car to learn on because it was so under powered. If you didn't shift quite right it would stall very easily.
 
Just put it into first, push the gas pedal to the floor and then quickly let go of the clutch like you're yanking your foot off of some hot coals or you realized you stepped onto a slug.

Just kidding.

Just drive the car in a parking lot for 2 minutes to make sure you can get a roll going without stalling or bucking. The rest should be easy.
 
If you've successfully done it before the learning curve won't be any worse than driving any unfamiliar car - you'll kill it a couple times and then you'll be fine.

It's not going to do any damage, if you want one buy one and don't worry about it.

Viper GTS
 
Its too bad you can't just go to a transmission repair place and learn on a car that is going to get a new clutch anyways.
 
It's not that big of a deal...you're not going to kill it unless you repeatedly slip the shit out of the clutch.
 
That M5 is going to have a much stiffer clutch than the wet-noodle clutches found in most Japanese cars, so they wouldn't be that good to practice on anyway.

Just get the M5, it'll come back to you.
 
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