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When I learned to drive, I learned on an automatic Nissan Sentra and then started driving my Mom's auto Passat. At the moment I'm driving my brother's auto 03' vic. By this time I'm getting kinda bored of the auto. I'm starting to learn stick on my father's 350z but it's def. not the best car to learn on - we don't have any other manual cars in the family though. I'm looking into a 6thgen Si Coupe - from your experiences - can any vouch if it's an easier car to learn stick on or should i just learn on someone else's car first. The 350z is just a little too fast and a little to expensive to start grinding gears and ruining anything. The only thing is - I live in the suburbs and theres a lot of stop and go traffic - do you tihnk it's even worth it to get a stick for everyday driving - the auto vic is boring on highways and such but I can imagine that driving a stick for my usual errands and such would get annoying - I don't know though since I've never really done much driving with a stick. Any opinions would be appreciated! Thanks.

 
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I learned to drive stick right off hondas lot when i bought my car....no one taught me.

 
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i learned when i bought my car. in my car

 
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i want a stick

 
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In my opinion the easiest car the learn stick would be a 7thgen because the clutch is so soft and the shifter is easy to get into gear. The worst would have to be a VW with the E-throttle and the clutch is kinda hard.

 
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i tried learning on my 72 vette and that was a pain, and very difficult. than i went out and my friend taught me in his m3, and was fine after a half hour

 
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Personally I don't like Automatic cars and I live in Houston (alot of Stop and Go traffic) and as for learning manual tranny, any civic is a good car. When I was 14 I learned off of my cousins '95 civic and perfected my talent on my 01 civic. ALot of my friends like driving my car because of the "easy going" clutch and gears, well good luck.

 
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Ha! I learned on other peoples Expensive sports cars....... Like BMW M3s and 911 Turbos.. I loved working at my dads autobody shop!

 
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Absolutely. the 7th gen clutch is very soft, to the point that it has started to **** me off. However, my GF had no clue how to drive stick, and she learned on my ride with like no probs.

I bet if you went to a dealer and asked to test drive a DX stick with like no AC because you couldnt afford anything else, they'd probably teach you in the hopes of making a sale.

 
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lol i get to learn tomorrow when i pick up my new car. hope it's not too tough

 
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yep the dealer at honda taught me, than I drove off the lot in my own civic (I did have some lessons from my dad previous but not alot)

 
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you should goto a dealers lot with your dad and test drive any car thats manual. that way u can learn

if not, im pretty sure theirs "drivers training" with a professional. its when you get behind the wheel with a professional instructor teaching you how to drive. their about $20-$30 an hour over here in cali,oakland. prices may vary


i'd definately wouldn't grind gears with an brand new 350z. rather watse a clutch on an older model honda. because newer cars = harder to find parts AND more $$$ to pay for.

goodluck and hope you dont stall in middle of traffic and receive embarassment lol

 
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i learned on my 01 civic, the day i brought it home was the second time ever driving a stick...it was also snowing that night!

Stalled at the first light i got to....but i learned on that car, and was also very irritated by the stop and go traffic at first.

Now, its actually fun at times shifting through gears, whenever i drive my moms/friends cars its really boring and i always find myself looking for a clutch that isn't there...at first you may not enjoy a stick in traffic, but you'll eventually get use to it, and not worry so much about it

 
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that's what she said.


but, hondas are great to learn on...even the si is smooth. the s2k is real nice n clicky though. hmm..i learned on a 91 celica gts and 88 toyota supra. the honda so far is the easiest one. you should be good w/ a honda.

 
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i learned when i bought my car. i agree, the clutch it very soft.

 
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same here. Stalled quite a few times, but at least I learned.

 
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yesh until Mr. Revo SS take over the place...

 
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Well before I was looking for the 6thgen Si I was looking for a Prelude. I was always looking auto since that's all I knew how to drive. Now I think I'll look into the manual ludes too! Does the 97-01 lude have a soft clutch like the Civic and will it be easy to learn on too. They do have professional driving schools around me however my Dad can teach me in a parking lot for free. I'm excited to learn though - it always looked fun to drive stick and none of my friends do cuz they're too lazy. Thanks for all the positive input so far!!!!

 
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http://www.standardshift.com/videos.html
Good site, check it out. It has video instructions. Good Luck!

 
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Ditto

 
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learned in my old 89 celica when i was 16. i was always scared of stalling so i would drop the clutch and burn out at almost every stop sign and red light, lol.

 
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I first drove my friends cars to get the idea of the clutch work.
Then I got myself an beater Probe and damn did it suck because it was so old and beaten. After I was able to drive the Probe properly, I let my friend with a Rsx-S drive it. My friend, who learned stick with the Rsx, had so much difficulty driving it because he was used to the silky smooth Rsx. I, on the otherhand, thought the Rsx was a joke because it was so easy to drive.
What am I trying to say?
Get yourself an old cheap beater to learn from. Sure the learning curve is high since the car won't be as forgiving as a new car, but in the end you'll have an easier time with any other car. Thats how it was for me.

 
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I learned on a wrangler set up for 4 wheeling...highperformance clutch and lowered gears. THen I perfected it on MY wrangler. When I test drove my Civic I almost shoved the clutch pedal through the floor it was so easy to push in..

I prefer the stiffer clutches for learning, because you can feel them start to engage, whereas our "silky smooth" clutches and transmissions offer no feel, so it's hard to guage where you apply gas as you let the clutch out.

6thgens are a bit firmer though. You should be fine

 
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yea i learned straght off the lot i tolk my civic for a test drive and i didnt even stall so i baught it. yea i taught my self how to drive stick. clutch is soft and easy to learn. i practiced with a 2000 mustang boy was that a pain.