I have 8 weeks to learn how to drive manual, but I have no access to a manual car...

[futbol90x]

Youtube! This is my first manual and after 3 days I kinda got the hang of it.

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[Khyber]

this car is so easy with creep assist and hill assist. you'll be fine

 

[ForTehNguyen]

V8 manual is so easy to learn on, its so hard to stall. Smaller engines on the other hand...

 

[Sheenapple]

I've never touched a manual in my life until my GT, but as long as you understand the concept of how it works you will be fine. I walked onto the lot and spent about 15 minutes driving my GT from the overflow lot to the rear of the dealership where I later bought the car. Stalled it about 20-30 times before I got off the lot, got in traffic and it started raining hard. learned real quick.

 

[EcoSwag1990]

Save the hassle and modify order to an auto while u still have time to beat production ;)

 

[113]

As others have said, ask a salesperson to take you out in one. There's probably an older manual somewhere on the lot you can learn off of.

In terms of learning how? I've successfully taught people using the same way I learned how to ride a motorbike.

For starters, leaving your right foot off the brake/accelerator and the car in first gear, lift your left foot off the clutch slowly until the car starts to move. That is the "friction zone" where the clutch is engaged and the engine and transmission are now connected. After you get the car moving, press the clutch back in and apply the brake until you stop. Repeat for as long as you need until you have a good feel for 1.) how the clutch feels when it enters the friction zone and 2.) where the friction zone is. For part two, right where the friction zone starts, start adding gas and pressing the accelerator. You will continue lifting your foot off the clutch until it is completely off, and using more gas. Continue to vary how much gas you're giving the car, and see how it reacts. Is it stuttering? More gas is needed/needs gas sooner in the lifting of the clutch. Is it revving high and jumping? Too much gas/giving gas too early. For part 3, start to speed up/slow down the transition of adding gas and lifting off the clutch.

Too many people immediately start trying to give the car gas, without really knowing WHEN they're supposed to give the car gas.

I remember trying to wrap my mind (and foot) around that was the hardest thing back when I was learning.

And OP, I'm not sure how generous your dealer is but before I bought my current '09 GT, the dealership basically loaned the car to me for like 3-4 days to practice learning manual on prior to buying it, or even putting a deposit down.

It might have been lightning in a bottle for a dealer to do that as I think they were desperate to move cars. I bought the car during the height of the Great Recession (fall 2008).

But I never forgot that they were willing to help me out like that, which is why I continue to give them my business (Service & Sales departments).

 

[GoBlues38]

Don't touch the gas. most noobs fail at the stick because they worry about the gas.

Just use the clutch, feel it engage, and get the car moving. When clutch is all the way out, apply gas. Do this 3-5 times and you will understand how it all works and you can begin to apply gas from the start.

 

[SMJBA]

Put an add on Kijiji or Craiglist and offer $100 to someone to drive their car with him/her in a parking lot for 2 hours...you will be set for life.

 

[OxFord6G]

I learned to drive a manual the night I bought my first manual car. I had a late class and didn't pick up the car from the dealership until right at 9pm. I stalled it twice just trying to get off the dealership lot. I drove the ~10 miles home without too many issues (thankfully there were no hills and it was late so nobody was on the roads). I took it to the empty parking lot of a high school football stadium and practiced until about 2am. That's all it took. By the time I encountered any significant traffic or hills I was already comfortable with the clutch and shift points.

 

[Lowrider]

Since when do dealerships offer driving lessons? I find it ridiculous to walk at a dealership and ask the sales guy to teach me how to drive a manual.

You have 8 weeks, just go to a driving school if you do not have buddies who have manual cars. Driving a manual car is not just about stalling it. But lot has to go with what gear to be using when, and where and why. In other words the benefits of either using a driving school or a friend who has a manual car.

 

[coyot]

in turns second or third gear its simple

 

[Sheenapple]

Since when do dealerships offer driving lessons? I find it ridiculous to walk at a dealership and ask the sales guy to teach me how to drive a manual.

You have 8 weeks, just go to a driving school if you do not have buddies who have manual cars. Driving a manual car is not just about stalling it. But lot has to go with what gear to be using when, and where and why. In other words the benefits of either using a driving school or a friend who has a manual car.

if they want to make a sale you'd be surprised at what dealerships do. I had the guy teach me on the overflow lot before I bought the car. with the mustang's its easy to teach, trust the clutch, don't press the gas. that's all the dealer kept saying and eventually I trusted him. as for rev matching downshifts, that is an art that will take a while to figure out.

 

[MultiMediaWill]

in turns second or third gear its simple

What?

 

[Brownw01]

Put it in snow/wet mode. It's about impossible to stall out....

 

[ConspicuousConsumption]

Don't touch the gas. most noobs fail at the stick because they worry about the gas.

Just use the clutch, feel it engage, and get the car moving. When clutch is all the way out, apply gas. Do this 3-5 times and you will understand how it all works and you can begin to apply gas from the start.

Exactly. Just ease that clutch out like a millimeter at a time and magically you'll feel it bite (even the RPMs will increase slightly), and then just keep easing it out slowly. This car doesn't need any gas whatsoever as long as you ease it out and let the creep assist kick in. That's a very slow way to do it so you won't use that except stop and go slow traffic situations but it's helpful to start with.

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