Finally drove my first Stick, Boring for many of you, but exciting for me! Options

[solidxsnake]

Ever since I've been looking to drive, I've been hell-bent on getting a stick (being the kind of person I am, there's just no other match).

My dad wasn't too keen on the idea of me getting a stick for my first car. I wasn't too keen on getting a slushbox =_=

He won out luckily enough, because my brother was nice enough to go buy himself a new car and give me his '95 Celica ST (he decided on a brand new '09 Corolla SE). So I'm not going to complain about my first (free) car's transmission.

Still, finally got behind the wheel of my friend's '08 Corolla S 5spd yesterday. It was only for 5 minutes or so just to get the hang of taking-off and shifting (small parking lot, couldn't even get to 3rd), and only stalled it twice. I can see why sticks are so much better just from that. I'm not sure if it's just the ST's auto trans., but it is incredibly sluggish in comparison.

So, excitement for me, annoyance for (most) of you. I just felt the need to share =_=

When did you guys learn to drive stick? When you first started driving, or later? I feel like I'd have been better off learning stick at first, as when I was driving the Corolla yesterday, I had some trouble breaking the habits of driving an auto. I consciously knew about the clutch pedal, but my muscles were a different case.

This post has been edited by solidxsnake: Aug 15, 2009 - 11:30 AM

[njccmd2002]

learned when i was 12, completely despise cars with auto. I have one, but dont like to drive it...

[Rymaster]

Driving stick is never boring!

After all thes years, I still love getting in my car to drive, just cause the fact that it is stick.
I love driving manual cars, even if they are slow =P

Never gets old.

[SwissFerdi]

I wish I had a stick.

I learned in my dad's '04 GLI, not exactly the easiest...but I got it rolling after only stalling once!

[96bluevert]

Learned on my friend's S10, similar to what you did, parking lot only for like 5-10 min, but it is pretty fun to be able to change the gear instead of waiting for the car to do it. I've been looking at cheap manual cars recently, thinking about getting one as a second car to help me get experience with driving a manual.

[95CelicaST]

My dad gave me the keys to a 92 GTI when I was 16 and said, "You learn how to drive it, and it's yours."



And I've never looked back

[dustin15brown]

I bought the celica when I was 15 and had no idea how to drive it..... it sat there for a month before anyone taught me how to drive it.... Now after more than 6 years I doubt I buy another car that isn't a stick. My truck is an auto though and that's alright by me.

[SwissFerdi]

^ That's awesome. My dad used to have a red GTI vert with black BBS'...I was too young to remember it, but I'm sure that thing was sick. I wouldn't mind having a hatchback of that generation.

[Keiri]

Drove my first stick like some of you guys, around a parking lot for about 25 minutes just getting used to clutch and not stalling when changing gears, in my friend's '87 Integra. That was my sophomore year of college (about 3 years go) and I haven't driven one since...unfortunately.

I really need to get my hands on some wheel time with my buddy's Eclipse GT stick before I get Suzuka swapped to 5Spd.

[Tom_SS2]

stick? crazy trans-atlantians, i'm from the UK so i've never owned any thing other than an MT, first learnt when i was a kid not even old enough to hold a licence, i doubt i'd ever go and purchase a car with a lazy box (AT) where's the fun?

[vincent_doggy]

Nothing but stick!!!

[keison2000]

I was very keen to driving and how manual trans missions needed to be shifted. I watch some people drive one, saw a few movies, and got behind the wheel like I was a pro at it. That was 13 years ago and I still love it.

[SwissFerdi]

stick? crazy trans-atlantians, i'm from the UK so i've never owned any thing other than an MT, first learnt when i was a kid not even old enough to hold a licence, i doubt i'd ever go and purchase a car with a lazy box (AT) where's the fun?

I agree. In Switzerland, I NEVER saw an automatic...the first auto I probably rode in was my uncle's Volvo V70, and it was really weird because I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that the car could shift itself...I hadn't heard of it. I think that was when I was 7...

[Cavegod]

do you need another driving test over there for manual transmission? over here in uk you learn in a manual unless you really want an auto, but if you pass the test in an auto you can't drive a manual, but if you pass in a manual you can drive an auto, from my expeirience auto's give less mpg.

[SwissFerdi]

You don't need another driving test for an auto, they're pretty loose here when it comes to letting people drive.

[CelicaST_CALI]

learned to drive stick on the celi when i was 15

[richee3]

My first 2 cars were autos, but my parents wanted me to have a manual. It's a good idea, because when you're a kid just starting out, you want to do all kinds of crap behind the wheel- eating, texting, etc. Their thinking was if you have a manual, it's more difficult to do all of that and I would have to focus on my driving more. So aftermy first 2 cars, I finally got a manual Celi, but I learned how to drive a stick before that in my brother's Dodge Dakota. Of course, now that I'm used to shifting it, I do all the stuff my parents don't want me to anyway

The only reason I would buy an auto.. and there is ONLY one reason... is if it's an automatic Supra. The first mod would be a manual swap

[solidxsnake]

do you need another driving test over there for manual transmission? over here in uk you learn in a manual unless you really want an auto, but if you pass the test in an auto you can't drive a manual, but if you pass in a manual you can drive an auto, from my expeirience auto's give less mpg.

Nope, even worse. You're not allowed to take the road test in a car with a manual transmission, it's an instant fail. At least, it is in Massachusetts.

[lagos]

It's the only way to drive a car. Period.

[tomazws]

It's the only way to drive a car. Period.

Agree.


And I hate when people say driving stick in traffic is hell. It is not, they just need to keep a slightly further distance and you can just glide in one gear.