How long does it take to get good with a manual transmission?

[Panos]

Here in Greece,everyone traditionally learn to drive with a manual.You are supposed to get used to it in a matter of about 2-3 hours of driving lessons,together with understanding road signs,overcoming the intial fear ,not forgeting the seat belt,blinkers etc.
For an experienced driver it should be an comparatively easy task.
I remember the first time I drove a motorcycle with a clutch after 5 years of driving a moped (automatic clutch).Got used to it after one or two days max.

 

[Skippy722]

Define "good." I can't heal-toe downshift or anything fancy like that, or rev match. But for the most part, I can get in and go without stalling.

Like others said, the throttle is like a hair trigger which makes it hard in those. My buddies STI was the hardest thing I've driven. Honda made a great manual transmission though. That thing, even with 300k though it did have a new clutch, shifted perfectly.

 

[02SE]

Depends on the car, and depends on the driver. I taught my sister the basics 30+ years ago, and she still has mediocre skills. She doesn't want to learn to drive well, just enough to get by. I gave up trying to help her improve, long ago.

 

[ndfergy]

Like others have said you'll get the nick of it in no time. Short of a race track learning to operate a manual proficiently is only a small percentage of all the other stuff needed in becoming a good driver. You've already done the hard part.

Normal Acceleration from 1st:
From first release the clutch slowly to the friction point and hold while at the same time giving it a bit of throttle, e.g. 1000 to 1500 rpm depending how cold the engine is on my car. Once the car is moving smoothly (no more than walking speed usually) fully release the clutch at a moderate, not abrupt, pace. If done successful you should be able to release the throttle completely without the car stalling( if on level ground). Once mastered, your hold (clutch slip) will get to the point of feeling almost instantaneous.

Good luck

 

[Kurtatron]

I am not athletically inclined, The type that gets picked last at PE. I hate soccer or anything related to catching a ball. I credit that with my slow learning rate of manual transmission. It took me a whole 2 months to learn how to drive manual reliably. That is, no jerking and stalling. It really does suck, but if you stick with it, you are rewarded with a newfound joy of driving. Once you get past the errand of learning, driving will be more fun than you have ever felt before. No one buys stick for performance advantages anymore. They buy them for fun. Good luck!

 

[Nickdfresh]

Originally Posted by OppositeLocK
I've been driving for about 12 years. Covered plenty of miles, with many different types of vehicles, in all kinds of traffic, roads, and situations. From Wranglers, to Minivans, to F-150's, to RAMs, to Corollas, Altimas, etc. But... I've only ever driven automatic.

Well...I bought a brand new WRX with a manual transmission. Needless to say, I've never felt more emasculated in my life. I've driven it about 3 days and put about 60 miles on it. For the life of me I can't master clutch control. It's always either too much gas or not enough, or I miss the friction point. Always a clunky start, with a jerky shift... and that's good because it means I haven't stalled it...

Feels like I'll never get good. I've only been driving it on the weekend on isolated country back roads. I refuse to commute or drive it in general traffic until I can drive it like I do any other car. It's honestly been very a demotivating, disheartening, and disappointing experience for me. Feel like an idiot through and through.


You should have started with a used economy car like a 5/6-sp Corolla or Civic or something before jumping to a performance car, it's easier to learn on a lower horsepower vehicle and a clutch you don't care that much about. I would think about getting a small, cheap 5-sp and drive that as a daily driver (or winter car if it applies to where you live) and use that for a while before you smoke your WRX clutch...

In any case, there are several good Youtube videos with some going on up to an hour or more on how to properly drive a standard transmission...

 

[Bailes1992]

This thread has somewhat surprised me.

In the UK generally you learn in a manual unless you have a disability. If you do your driving test in an automatic then your license will only cover you to drive an automatic. If you do your test in a manual as most of us do, then you can drive a manual or an automatic.

To think that you can learn in an auto, get your license and then just jump in a manual car completely baffles me.

 

[skyactiv]

My wife has never owned an automatic. I had an 07'WRX that had a stiff clutch and she had no problem with it. She drove the WRX to see her parents in Brooklyn/NYC several times. You'll get better at it.

 

[555]

You'll get the hang of it, don't be discouraged. Find a safe flat place away from others where you can let the car idle in first gear and press on the brake so it stalls. When taking off from a stop just use lower and lower revs. I prefer to stall more than to flare the revs. Both are going to happen. Remember you do this somewhere safe. People generally freak out about stalling, in an urban environment stopped uphill at a red light with a car behind you it can be a little nerve wracking but in suburbia just relax. If you stall at a light and people start honking take your time, switch the key off, put in neutral, press on clutch and turn key. Have fun. Great car.

 

[Speak2Mountain]

It took me about a week to get good (but still had to think about it). But after a month, I shifted w/out thinking. I love it but its not for everyone.

 

[wings&wheels]

Congrats, this is almost becoming a lost art here. Once you learn, you will have the skill for life.

Well, you are not stalling it, you are beyond the hard part. Now you are working on finesse, which does take time but you will get the hang of it. I'd say a month or so of focus and you will be much better. Then you can work on double de-clutching

Always use your parking brake if you don't already.

Now you've opened up a new world of exploring the subtle, or not, differences between all of the manuals out there. Make sure to experience an S2000, one of, if not the best accessible manual transmission cars made.

 

[klt1986]

In 1982 at the a age of 14 my mom helped me get the hang of a clutch on hills in my dad's Chevy LUV truck. He did not have the patience to teach me and would make me really nervous when he was trying, which made matters worse. I had driven some farm equipment, dirt bikes and my grandpa's old 48 Chevrolet, so I had a decent understanding of what it should feel like. I was fine as long as I was on flat land. Mastering the hills took a few short trips out with my mom. She would demonstrate it and then tell me I could do it. Since that time I have driven or had several performance cars & trucks with manuals in them. I had not driven a manual car in several years when my nephew showed up with a WRX STI edition and let me drive it. Personally, I liked the clutch in it. It reminded me of the older Trans Am's, Chevelle's and trucks I used to drive. My nephew still talks about how I hopped in his car and drove it like it was nothing. I truly think once you get the hang of it you never forget, although you might get a little rusty!

 

[sloinker]

You can definitely use up a clutch in a few days of abuse. My wife is terrible with a clutch and I usually inherit her cars after she gets a new one. I've taken to getting her automatics the last couple vehicles. The clutch cars I inherited needed new clutches oon after I got them. I dutifully replaced them and added 100k miles before getting rid of them for various reasons, never the clutch though. Concentrate and try to be smooth. Start on level ground and work your way up to hilly areas. Completely take your foot off the pedal once the next gear is engaged. If you rest your foot on the pedal the throwout bearing will persish fairly rapidly.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I leaned how in a 1940s Jeep at the deer lease when I was around 8 or 9. I hopped right in it and went,nothing to it!

 

[Shannow]

1990, when I lost my ACL on my left knee, I drove home (it was warm and sore when I started, and cold and imobile when I got to town), I hit peak hour traffic in Canberra with no clutch leg.

That's when I realised I could drive a manual

 

[wings&wheels]

Originally Posted by Shannow
1990, when I lost my ACL on my left knee, I drove home (it was warm and sore when I started, and cold and imobile when I got to town), I hit peak hour traffic in Canberra with no clutch leg.

That's when I realised I could drive a manual



….had the same a few years ago. Drove the Lotus to play tennis, did a grade 2 high ankle sprain and drove home.

 

[supton]

I showed my wife how to drive on my Saturn; few months later she decided to buy a Civic. With a manual. For about a day she worried that she bought the wrong car, until I took it out for a spin (we were dating at the time and lived an hour apart). I took it out and realized it was a gutless engine--you really couldn't just let the clutch out, you had to burp the motor. Once I "gave her permission" to give it a bit of throttle to take off, she was fine.

Takes a bit of practice, but some cars are a bit more demanding than others.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

It's basically muscle memory. Experience just shortens the time period that it takes to become relatively competent because engagement points differ from transmission to transmission.

 

[Dave Sherman]

My first DD with a stick was my Saturn. Dad taught me the basics on his 1947 Lincoln, and had to borrow a friend's S-10 pickup with a 5 speed once. I'd say it probably took a week to get comfortable with the Saturn, and it took a little practice to master hills. Although I learned how to do them using the parking brake, eventually I got to where I didn't need it unless it was a particularly steep hill and somebody was close behind. The Midget has synchros that aren't that great, so I learned about double clutch downshifts.

 

[Bud]

Took driver ed in 63 using a car with 3 on the column. Taught both my kids using my MGB with 4 speed with OD. Just start using your car on a regular basis. It will become natural before long.