Learning to drive stick

[UncleSid]

my bro bought a cobalt ss/sc and didnt know how to drive a stick...the dealer gave him lessons. he still sucked at it tho.

[Quantum]

I learned how to drive stick on my first MT car that I bought. The first 2 days were gruesome but I picked it up pretty quickly after that. Just find a big parking lot at night and practice starting from a stop and shifting to 2nd over and over for a couple hours. You will feel embarrassed and red faced when you stall in traffic and stuff but don't sweat it, everybody had to learn some time.

[radianttree]

I think that learning to drive stck is just something you need to practice. I drove stick on my buddies 05 6spd accord for like two hours before I picked up my civic. All you need to do is drive your car. After a week or two it becomes natural and you don't even need to think about it.

[grc0456]

I know a guy who's dad took him out for a ride in a MT car he was going to give to him (Jetta, I think). He told him the basics of how to use the clutch and gear shift. The son had never driven a stick before. The dad drove about 10 miles away and, without warning, stopped and got out of the car and into a waiting car. He told his son "O.K. you drive home," and drove off in the other car.

The guy said he stalled out what seemed like a hundred times and was on the verge of tears, but did make it home.

That's how he learned. Talk about tough love!

I agree the best thing is to get the gar you are going to drive or borrow a similar one and go to a large parking lot. All you work on is getting the car moving from a dead stop (and then, when that is mastered, practice hill starts). Once this is learned, the rest is easy - especially with these buttery-soft Honda clutches and short-throw sticks.

[Civic4u]

geee! The only stick shift I know how to used was the military vehicle. Yet, I think it all auto.... by now

[blitz911]

since all my friend's drove stick, i'd just sit shotgun and observe them, ask questions if i don't know what's going on. when i finally got my own standard car, i just practiced over and over again, finding the grabbing point, stalling the car on purpose, how much gas to give and basically just get comfortable in all environments(traffic, uphills, parking lots, etc...). just practice and you should be fine.

[myhondacivic]

The dealer that I went to was kind enough to allow me to practice on an empty parking lot and then after i signed the paper i practice more on their parking lot. then i was off to interstate in traffic and rain in Atlanta. Didn't stall at all, but my rpm was all over the place..LOL now its more like a habit. love the stick...love it love it!!!! the car still drive smooothhh.