STICK SHIFT!!!!!

You will probably not be able to learn stick shift smoothly unless someone personally teaches you. If you insist on learning yourself, be prepared for many hours of stalls and bucking. Most important rule: NEVER idle the car without the clutch fully depressed or the stick in neutral.

Another must is learning the handbrake maneuver for hills, which is very hard to understand without it being shown to you.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by a_licenwondrland

Also, stopping on an incline and then starting again from a dead stop is probably the hardest thing you'll have to learn.

Hence why learning the parking brake maneuver is essential. I've been driving a stick fine for years, but the numerous close calls with rolling back into cars finally compelled me to learn.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by a_cat_is_fine_too

Last I knew you could still drive fast with an automatic.

So uh, what else is fun about driving that I'm missing here.

With the manual transmission, you choose what gear you want to be in when you want it. In other words, I can accelerate much faster in a manual than an automatic. Driving a manual also gives you a sense of greater connectivity with the car.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Quote:

It's rather difficult to explain without experiencing it. The key point is that when driving a manual you don't NEED to drive fast to have fun.

True. I actually don't feel as comfortable running my manual at high speeds on the interstate as I do with an automatic. I just enjoy the interfacing!

However, manuals are HELL in bad stop-and-go traffic.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?