Is Learning To Drive A Stick Shift Hard?

It’s relatively easy. Requires minimal coordination and can be learned pretty fast.
 
I learned to drive stick, got my licence this way too, in my state you need to do the test in a manual to allow you to drive one while you're on a probationary licence (first 3 years).

Didn't drive a manual again until a few years later when i bought a hatchback, stick shift in those cars is way better so glad I learnt it.
 
If you're in the US, the most difficult part will be finding a vehicle with a stick shift. There are very few sold anymore.
 
Well, I learned when I was 14, so it can't be that difficult. It probably helped that I had already been riding a motorcycle with a clutch transmission before that. Once you figure out the feathering of the clutch, it's pretty easy. Only real difficult part was starting off on an uphill, but if you have a hand brake, it helps to hold the car while you start on hills.
 
I'd take a manual to a quiet area and mess around for a couple of hours. Practice hill starts if you can as well.

It's just a case of learning to find the biting point, releasing the clutch and knowing what gears to use for every situation.

It becomes second nature after a while.
 
Yea it's pretty easy.
 
AFanNotAFighter said:
No. I taught myself. Takes practice though. The hardest part was having to be stopped on an incline and then starting up again.
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If you drive a stick in a hilly city, make sure to the car has this kind of parking brake, or hill assist.

MinitTune_EmergencyBreak.jpg
 
It's like anything, learning how to ride a bike. Learning how to drive. Learning anything to do with hands on tools or what not. There is a learning curve that you have to go through until you get into the comfortable sweet spot. It's nothing new, you will feel frustrated at first because you got to get the rhythm and the feel down. But once you get that down, it becomes smooth sailing.

So enjoy the process.
 
Depends on the car. Most manuals in the last 10 years have all kinds of assists such as hill hold, rev matching, anti-stall, auto restart if you stall, etc that make it as easy as ever to learn how to drive one. If you really want a manual and don't have someone with one that will teach you/let you learn, just go for it and buy one. That's what I did. My first manual I bought brand new over 2 hours away and with only about 10 minutes of experience driving one prior.

I got it across the street from the dealer into a big parking lot and practiced for about an hour before driving home. No matter what you are going to screw up and make mistakes at first, eventually it will be second nature.
 
MLarson said:
Always wanted to learn.
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It is not hard. If you do try to drive stick. Start off with practicing on how to get the car moving forward by just letting the clutch out. No gas just slowly let the clutch pedal out and get a feel for where the clutch engages and the car starts to move. Once you have that down, then start working on giving it gas as you let the clutch out.

People always focus on trying to give it gas while releasing the clutch pedal and then they stall the car. Take it one pedal at a time and it will be easier.
 
Staph infection said:
It is not hard. If you do try to drive stick. Start off with practicing on how to get the car moving forward by just letting the clutch out. No gas just slowly let the clutch pedal out and get a feel for where the clutch engages and the car starts to move. Once you have that down, then start working on giving it gas as you let the clutch out.

People always focus on trying to give it gas while releasing the clutch pedal and then they stall the car. Take it one pedal at a time and it will be easier.
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This.

My uncle taught me using this same method, combined with parking it on a hill, and me getting in and trying until it stopped going back down. Best to learn stick first when you are young. Even after years, I was able to go back and drive stick after 20 years of solely having automatics, albeit not in the smoothest manner anymore.
 
Be a real ass, and fuck with people by learning stick and then driving a 3 on the tree.
 
You seem like a gentleman who has explored buttstuff so I don't think you should have too much problems with a standard stick shift. Just go slow.
 
Takes about a day to learn how and be able to drive. Maybe a few months to get comfortable and a year to get 2nd nature.


It's just so un needed unless your driving for high performance though.
 
I'm old enough that when I was growing up probably at least half of cars were manual so I had to learn. It probably was easier for me because I had to learn both in driver's ed.

I haven't owned one in a decade so I bet I would probably kill it a few times now.
 
Nope, it's fairly easy once you get the coordination of the clutch and gas peddle from stoping, moving and going up incline is probably the hardest part of it. My first 2 vehicles were manuals from the time high school, it were all hand me down vehicles from my grandfather & brothers.

Manual is great as it keeps you awake, aware and in control, but automatic is the best if you're in a busy stop and go city with lots of traffic.
 
ralphc1 said:
If you're in the US, the most difficult part will be finding a vehicle with a stick shift. There are very few sold anymore.
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We have valet drivers at work that can't drive stick now. We have an old stakebed truck that I have to move for them every once in awhile.
 
I’ve been driving manual stick shift for the last 15 years. I had tried learning back in 2005 and 2007 but if you’re only just trying it for like half an hour in an empty parking lot you won’t get the hang of it. For me it took just a consistent two hour drive across the city and back. By the time I got home I had it figured out, and from there it was just ongoing practice to work on my finesse.
 
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