YACT: When will I get comfortable with the 5-speed?

[Red]

So I've been driving this 5-speed Celica for about 3 or 4 weeks now, everyday to school and work and I still am not comfortable with it. I am still worried when coming to hills with stoplights and the thing is really more of a pain-in-the-butt for driving to and from school. I am not into racing or driving fast and I don't take turns at speeds high enough to break traction on my rear tires to notice a difference between RWD and FWD.

My fiancees father, who is 41, said that eventually I will get to a point where I don't even think about shifting the 5-speed and it becomes just like driving an auto, so I just need to stick to it and just keep driving it. But in all seriousness, I'm glad I've learned how to drive one in case I ever need to in the future, but for a daily driver, I won't be buying another 5-speed.

 

[XZeroII]

You will get used to it. It will be gradual and eventually you'll just forget about it. I had a manual for 5 years (my first 2 cars) and now have had an automatic for about 3 months now. I still get ready to stomp on the clutch every now and then and still rest my hand on the shifter when coming to stops at times. It just takes time.

 

[Glitchny]

you get used to it and then its fun as hell, maual can be so much more fun than auto once u get used to it

 

[XZeroII]

I admit, driving a manual is fun at times, but it's also a pain when driving in stop and go traffic. I like my auto now, but there are times when I long for the control of a manual.

 

[PunDogg]

you'll get used to it, but man i would love to my manual back soo much fun to drive

Dogg

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Glitchny
you get used to it and then its fun as hell, maual can be so much more fun than auto once u get used to it

Unless you have broken engine mounts and a broken right axle, in which case it can be quite the opposite....


Let's just say I'm "sort of starting" to wear down the clutch like "crazy" to soften the blows.

 

[2002R1Rider]

Hopefully you will get used to it before you go through a clutch...

 

[Confused]

I've been driving an auto for the past 3 weeks after only driving a manual for 2yrs. I still want to push the clutch when stopping, and rest my hand on the gear lever when I slow down/speed up etc...

Thankfully the car i'm in the process of doing up for my 2nd car (a 1967 Ford Anglia 105E with Mk2 Ford Escort 1600cc running gear ) is gonna be a manual!


Confused

 

[Demon-Xanth]

okay: a week
competent: 2 weeks
comfortable: a month
good: 3 months

You'll know you're good when you stop thinking.

 

[MysticLlama]

It does get better, it just takes time like anything else.

When I bought my Prelude, I had a friend drive it for me because I didn't know how. So I bought the thing without even test driving it, just from going for a ride.

The first 2-3 weeks I had it, I HATED the thing, I thought I'd never learn how to drive it.

Stoplights were the same thing over and over, green light, kill it, start it back up, drop the clutch and burn the tires across the intersection.

My front tires were gone after about the first month or so, but I had enough of a grasp of it by that time that I didn't trash my next set.

I only drive it about once a month now since my wife and I carpool to work, but after having it for five years, I can still hop into it after having driven the automatic for a month and take off just fine.

Your fiance's dad is right, it eventually becomes to where you don't even think about it. I still mash the floor with my left foot sometimes when I hit the brakes in the auto.

 

[GTaudiophile]

In my experience you constantly improve. Your shifts get more precise, smoother, and faster. Then you get into double-clutching and rev-matching. I still have yet to master heal-and-toeing. I've been driving a stick since summer 2001, and I still have room for improvement.

Edit: Yes, 30+ minutes of stop-and-go traffic during ATL rush hour gets old really fast!

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

On hills you should be able to hold the car with the hand brake. As you feel the clutch start to engage, throttle it....release the hand brake..and off you go. Practice when traffic is very lite.

Never use the clutch to hold a hill, it's called hill holding.
Avoid resting your foot on the clutch as you drive. It's a bad habit and it's not good for the throwout bearing, clutch release bearing.........:sun:

 

[Red]

Well, that's good. But as I mentioned, the fact that I don't drive "for fun" it really has been a PITA for me. Like the other guy mentioned, since I've been driving it for about 3 weeks or so, I've seriously thought about selling it, especially since I could get more money than what I paid....

but I'll stick it out another month or two to see if it becomes easy to me.

 

[StageLeft]

You will get used to it. I spend a good portion of every day in stop and go traffic and I still maintain that I would be hard pressed to ever buy a car with an auto, at the very least not until they have CVTs in greater numbers.

In terms of when, well it should just come more and more over time!

 

[Ryan]

I'd say 6-months to a year until you become seamlessly integrated with shifting, and controlling a vehicle through a manual transmission without having to think about any of it.

Don't worry, wiht enough practice, you'll get there. It took me about 4 months, but then again, i did put 15k miles on my vehicle in those 4 months (as a pizza delivery driver, and cross country trips).

 

[amdskip]

Like the others said, you will get used to it and you get better gas mileage.

 

[Confused]

This is yet another example of why I think the UK system of driving is better than the US.

Here in the UK, there are two tests, for manual and for automatic. If you take an automatic test, you aren't able to drive a manual without another driver in the car who has a license for manual, and who is both over 21 and has held a driving license for over 3 years.

If you learn to drive in a manual, then you can drive both. The majority of people in the UK drive manuals, and therefore learn to drive in a manual, and learn how to shift properly. If you can't shift properly, then you can't pass your test.

However there in the US, everyone seems to learn to drive in an auto, then try to drive a manual, without knowing the first thing about how to drive them, and end up causing obstructions on junctions when they try to pull away and stall the engine. And yes, it is a hazzard, as you are blocking the road, and stopping others from moving.


Confused

 

[shuan24]

Cmon RedHotJrm, put on your panties and get used to it. Manuals are macho, and you'll get used to it in no time.

When will I get comforable with a 5-speed? NEver! I need a 6-speed!:beer:

Whats wrong with hill holding? (other than wasting a lil gas) I'm from a very hilly place, and I do it all the time...because I'm lazy....

 

[Ornery]

I'm sure it's worth it.

Like repairing a toilet, it's something you should know how to do, but on a daily basis?

 

[Ryan]

Originally posted by: Confused
This is yet another example of why I think the UK system of driving is better than the US.

Here in the UK, there are two tests, for manual and for automatic. If you take an automatic test, you aren't able to drive a manual without another driver in the car who has a license for manual, and who is both over 21 and has held a driving license for over 3 years.

If you learn to drive in a manual, then you can drive both. The majority of people in the UK drive manuals, and therefore learn to drive in a manual, and learn how to shift properly. If you can't shift properly, then you can't pass your test.

However there in the US, everyone seems to learn to drive in an auto, then try to drive a manual, without knowing the first thing about how to drive them, and end up causing obstructions on junctions when they try to pull away and stall the engine. And yes, it is a hazzard, as you are blocking the road, and stopping others from moving.


Confused

Nah - I really don't think a lot of accidents are caused by drivers who don't know hwo to operate a manual.

 

[Jzero]

Whats wrong with hill holding? (other than wasting a lil gas) I'm from a very hilly place, and I do it all the time...because I'm lazy....

The excessive wear on the clutch is what's wrong with hill-holding.

 

[sciencewhiz]

It took me 6 months before I could do it occasionally without thinking. After 2.5 years, I still think occasionally.

But, I'm a slow learner

 

[LAUST]

Hmmm no actually they are not

 

[LAUST]

I agree, people are morons without how the vehicle is shifted.

 

[shuan24]

Anybody know how to tell when your clutch starts to go out?

I drive a 92 mazda, and the clutch has never been replaced. Now when I'm in first gear, the clutch is so loose that I can let go of it slowly and not have my car stall. But other than that, the shifting is still fine, I cant notice any problems other than that.