Driving a car with a manual transmission varies in difficulty depending on the car. Cars with a new clutch are much easier to drive because the clutch is very soft. Older cars tend to have a worn down clutch making it harder to drive.

You can learn to drive a stick shift in the matter of an hour or so depending on how quickly you are able to learn new information. It really just takes some time to get used to the feel of the clutch and finding its soft spot.

There is a certain spot in the clutch where letting go to fast or too soon can cause your car to jerk around and possibly stall. The clutch must be held in at all points when the car isn’t moving unless it’s in neutral. To start the car the clutch also must be held in.

To start out, hold in the clutch to start the car and put it into first gear. Give the car some gas while slowly letting go of the clutch and once your foot passes the clutches soft spot, you’re able to slowly let go of the clutch and shift to your next gear. As you get more and more used to a manual transmission you will be able to know when to shift based off of feel and sound but for now just up shift when the RPM’s reach around 2500.

Most 5 speeds sit comfortably in forth gear around residential areas going around 35-45 mph. When traveling around 25 mph third gear is most comfortable, it really just depends on your car. That’s why it takes time to familiarize yourself with your car. When going up steep hills it is important to down shift to a low gear depending on how large the hill is. Just make sure your car never goes below 1000 RPM’s because that is when you can stall. To reverse your car hold down the clutch, put the car in reverse, hold the clutch at its soft spot (usually around half way) and give it gas.

Having a manual has many benefits such as; fuel efficiency if you drive right, easier to work on, fun to drive… etc. If you have a rear wheel drive manual you can drift and burn out. To burn out, rev up your engine to about 4000 RPM’s and let go of the clutch and slam it into first gear. To drift, put the car in a low gear, turn the car and give it some gas.

One down side to driving a stick is that if you get stuck in traffic it becomes annoying to constantly keep pressing down the clutch to keep slowly moving forward inch by inch.

I love driving a stick shift; it gives you a feeling of more control over your car and keeps driving fun and more excited. I have always owned sporty cars that have a stick shift so I prefer it because it sounds nice when the car gets in the 4000 RPM range. I always plan on owning a sports car so I also plan on always having a stick. Having a nice sports car and having an automatic transmission takes away all the fun.