Guidance First Time Manual Driver

[bluesramsrock]

I agree with learning on a car that is much more forgiving. I originally learned on an old 74 ford pickup. I would definitely recommend learning on something with a much more forgiving clutch.

This part is really interesting to me. I haven't driven a stick much since my 1979 Celica 5-speed. (Giving away my age I'm guessing. By the way I see that Subaru and Toyota are joining forces to develop a new celica, that combination has some promise. But I digress.)

I found driving the WRX really easy. I haven't even come close to killing the engine (something I expected to do.) I just assumed it was a hydraulic vs. mechanical issue and the WRX was hydraulic and everything I had driven in the past was mechanical. So maybe it's just my point of reference but I didn't think learning to use the clutch part would be hard. I was just worried about him being pre-occupied with looking at the road, the boost gauge, seeing if girls are watching him, etc. that he might not pay enough attention to the rpm's.

I like the suggestion of "if you red-line" you will "blow it up" a lot. I think that will get his attention. He's a really smart kid so I'm thinking he will know more about this car in a week than I"m finding out but I can keep him scared for a little while!

[Noryn]

I agree with the parking lot. I remember a co worker taught me how to drive a stick. We had an old Ranger we took trash off in. Later on my father bought me a stick and I drove it home.

I think I would have him avoid hills for now, unless you can find one to practice on. The thought of rolling backwards in another vehicle is very distracting, not to mention scary as hell.

The first few days I would just go over the basics, pulling out, stopping shifting in a few gears, etc.

Having said that, I agree that it is a difficult vehicle to learn. I drove a stick about 10 years ago. Despite the saying that once you learn you always have it, when I tested a WRX I had a horrible time. I have had mine for about a week and to be honest there have been some really frustrating moments for me, mainly when pulling out. I can reverse and shift through the gears fine but pulling out is killing me.

I typically shift around 3-3.5 rpm. I would explain to him that it is a very fun car to drive, but to give it time. It is coming a bit easier to me now but damn...I don't feel so bad though my dad has stalled 2 times the first time he drove it too.

[bluesramsrock]

I think I would have him avoid hills for now, unless you can find one to practice on. The thought of rolling backwards in another vehicle is very distracting, not to mention scary as hell.

I was taught as a beginner to put the emergency brake on and to engage the clutch while releasing the brake. With the placement of the emergency brake release in the WRX this should be fairly easy. If you kill the engine you just pull up on the brake. It was an easy way for me to learn. I eventually learned to accomplish this without the brake but this will be the process I recommend to minimize some of that fear of rolling back into a car behind you.

All of that said I'm seeing the need to for some extensive parking lot time! Ah takes me back to when he was 15.

[cavallino333]

I learned to drive stick on my WRX. Spent a lot of time in the parking lot going around and around and around. I don't think there's anyway to really help someone learn it's just about the practice.

I don't remeber having a problem with redlining, stalling yes and maybe some extra clutch wear but that's it. The car should be fine.

[wrx0131]

I've downshifted from 4th to third countless times on my car. One of those times I shifted AT REDLINE to third and heard my tires chirp, so i pushed my clutch in immediately. It will take some time to get used to stick, mainly trial and error. Experience is the best teacher.

As for renting stick cars, I've tried before and never found any companies that did that. All I found were driving schools that offered stick lessons, but were expensive, so I didn't even bother.

The hardest part other than taking off from a stop are taking off from a stop on hills and/or traffic.

[Noryn]

I was taught as a beginner to put the emergency brake on and to engage the clutch while releasing the brake. With the placement of the emergency brake release in the WRX this should be fairly easy. If you kill the engine you just pull up on the brake. It was an easy way for me to learn. I eventually learned to accomplish this without the brake but this will be the process I recommend to minimize some of that fear of rolling back into a car behind you.

All of that said I'm seeing the need to for some extensive parking lot time! Ah takes me back to when he was 15.

Yeah I was never taught that. Does the 2003 have hill assist? If so that just adds more fun to the learning heh.

[EJ257]

Like Matthew said, the main thing is to have him play around with the engagement point in an isolated spot. Then have him learn how to manage finding the engagement point without stalling on a hill.

I actually learned on my driveway using only the clutch (no brakes) to prevent me from rolling back. That was the thing that best taught me the engagement point of the clutch.

[Sinister]

I've downshifted from 4th to third countless times on my car. One of those times I shifted AT REDLINE to third and heard my tires chirp, so i pushed my clutch in immediately. It will take some time to get used to stick, mainly trial and error. Experience is the best teacher.

As for renting stick cars, I've tried before and never found any companies that did that. All I found were driving schools that offered stick lessons, but were expensive, so I didn't even bother.

The hardest part other than taking off from a stop are taking off from a stop on hills and/or traffic.

I rented a kia rio once with a stick

[mycologist]

Yeah I was never taught that. Does the 2003 have hill assist? If so that just adds more fun to the learning heh.

Yup. It has three peddles.











Seriously though, that was started in like 2008 maybe.

[wrx0131]

Yeah I was never taught that. Does the 2003 have hill assist? If so that just adds more fun to the learning heh.

Hill assist is for sissies.....just playing


But seriously....it is.

Nope 03 does not have hill assist. It will roll back right into the car behind you.

[Drunk Skunk]

I drove my first WRX yesterday(keeping fingers crossed that they will be able to get the payments where I want them), and found the clutch to be pretty forgiving. My first car was a '66 Mustang three speed, drove it 'til I was 19. Since then, I have only driven a stick a few times in eight years. Granted, those cars were more high performance cars(SVT Focus, Mustang GTs, etc), but I was pleasantly surprised by the clutch on the WRX.

[wrx0131]

I drove my first WRX yesterday(keeping fingers crossed that they will be able to get the payments where I want them), and found the clutch to be pretty forgiving. My first car was a '66 Mustang three speed, drove it 'til I was 19. Since then, I have only driven a stick a few times in eight years. Granted, those cars were more high performance cars(SVT Focus, Mustang GTs, etc), but I was pleasantly surprised by the clutch on the WRX.

I hate the clutches on these cars....Well I have the STi clutch, and I HATE it.

[Sinister]

I drove my first WRX yesterday(keeping fingers crossed that they will be able to get the payments where I want them), and found the clutch to be pretty forgiving. My first car was a '66 Mustang three speed, drove it 'til I was 19. Since then, I have only driven a stick a few times in eight years. Granted, those cars were more high performance cars(SVT Focus, Mustang GTs, etc), but I was pleasantly surprised by the clutch on the WRX.

more high performance... SVT Focus... I don't know about the rest of the group, but I'm slightly offended!

SVT Focus: 170hp 145tq at the front wheels
06 WRX: 230hp 235tq at all 4 wheels
09 WRX: 265hp 244tq at all 4 wheels

Yup... definitely offended

[Bebop]

I just got a 2003 wrx in January and it was my first MT car at the age of 23. I always wanted a MT but even after all the information I looked over again and again, it didn't matter much. I'd say the hardest thing for me to get right was giving it enough gas (never thought I'd say that). Of course letting the clutch out too fast when starting from a stop is another problem most have, including myself, when learning. I tended to over think every move I made and not let myself get the feel for it.

At this point I'm shifting just fine and even impressing myself sometimes.

When I'm driving sloooow, I'll shift at 3k rpm and it's nice and smooth. I've gotten up to 24.5mpg with a mix of highway, city and back road driving. When driving more aggressive I get about 21mpg. Just let him know that when you give it gas in 1st gear, get ready to shift to 2nd right away because it revs to 7k fast to someone that's not used to MT.

[Drunk Skunk]

more high performance... SVT Focus... I don't know about the rest of the group, but I'm slightly offended!

SVT Focus: 170hp 145tq at the front wheels
06 WRX: 230hp 235tq at all 4 wheels
09 WRX: 265hp 244tq at all 4 wheels

Yup... definitely offended

I wasn't suggesting the Focus was more of a high performance car than the WRX - I should have said "more so than the Neon that I occasionally drive to work."