How hard is it to learn how to drive a stick?

[samarth]

I learned to drive on a car with stick shift.
Now i look for the clutch in automatics.
Certainly get a stick shft if you want more control.

 

[Emulex]

driving a stick is all about learning to use the gas pedal correctly. Most people that drive autos are "romp and go" , they romp the gas and then back off.

I like the exercise where you learn to feather or feel the gas by holding the car at 250rpm increments for a few seconds and then going up. It's all about giving your car enough gas to let the clutch in slowly so that it doesn't stall.

Most rompers' are the ones that get behind a stick, and give you the shakes as they slam the gas, and then let off and slam it and let off

a good way to learn to feel the gas pedal is to drive with socks or barefoot too.

 

[mpg]

I still didn't understand (was driving a 91 integra) when you did the clutch and you had to time when you let the clutch up (about halfway) then to press the gas. I would like to have two cars later on, one with automatic and one with stick. I imagine stick can be real fun when racing your friends with automatics! I raced 3 people already none with stick yet. I imagine they would beat my ass with stick.

 

[jehh]

And away sticks go...

Fewer and fewer cars and trucks have them, well real sticks anyway.

Seen the new Audi, BMW, and other cars with the autosticks? Just move the leaver or on the Audi just press a button on the wheel, no cluch or anything. They are really auto tranys with manual control over the shifting.

I've never driven a stick, but I'll bet they are not that hard, people have been doing it for awhile.

Jason

 

[KameLeon]

It's SOOOOO Easy. I learned to drive my new 2000 frontier in less than a day...
I've never driven a stick car though, It wouldn't be much different..

 

[Soybomb]

jehh: Actually most "sporty" cars still have sticks available, thankfully.

Sticks aren't hard to learn, they just take some time. I was assuming you are aren't aryll. If you're aryll, take "not that long" and add two months.

 

[Soybomb]

Wow right from the expert on "special" too.

 

[lepper boy]

Well, go find a farm, with some old ford tractors.... and learn that way. then move up to the old ford pickup.. that you have to put it in geer with 2 hands.. then go from there to a newer ford pickup.. then move to a small little car.. by then you'll have it mastered. oh and if you can find a nice old falcon to drive with.. (3 on the tree) that would be fun to....

not to hard... just remember, foot on clutch all the way. or foot off clutch all the way. no inbetweens..... don't wanna burn the clutch. been drinving sticks since I Was 7....

and yes I grew up on a ranch.

 

[nightowl]

Thaks for all of the replys. Sounds like that it is not too hard to learn. Hopefully I can get it over Spring Break and learn how to drive it.

 

[SuperSix]

Easy if you have a big enough sledgehammer.

And here's a great link to get you started: How Stuff Works: Clutches

 

[SillyBoy]

nice link, very informative site.

-

 

[vi edit]

I personally think that they are damn easy to drive. But, 2 out of the last 4 vehicles that I've had were sticks

Easy way to learn them is to head out to a gravel road or a road with very loose dirt on it. This way, you can give it a lot of gas and peel out in the loose gravel instead of chirping the tires on the dry pavement. Peel out a couple of times on the gravel and you'll eventually get the feel of things.

After you initially figure out how to work the clutch, you'll gradually get things smoothed out. Once you get used to it, you'll never go back.

 

[GeekDrew]

just watch where you're at when you decide to peel out (practice common sense). don't do it beside any sheer drop-offs or anything

 

[lazyboy]

As long as you can drive a normal car it shouldn't be hard. I'm 16 and learned to drive stick with my learners permit. It was really hard because I still had/have to think about driving. And thinking about the clutch ect + driving was hard.

 

[jimmygates]

From my experience once you get the car moving it shouldn't be too hard. The hard part for me was actually getting the car moving from a complete stop. Try practicing around streets with stop signs?





-Jimbo

 

[Electricice]

im just now learning did it for about 5 minutes yesteday and tought had it sown to a sience then i had to go up my driveway(very steep) and i stalled hills are kinda tricky but other than that its prety easy.