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

[opus1]

More than 3 days. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

With practice and time, you'll get better. You're learning both a new process and a new vehicle.

 

[jeepman3071]

Took my 13 yr old cousin a few trips around my house then 3 hrs at the dry lake bed.

That's honestly the best way to learn. Most of my driving skill was likely learned back when I was working on a farm before I was of legal driving age. Driving big trucks and tractors at low speeds on farm land gave me a respect/understanding for operating vehicles and equipment, so by the time I was actually on the road I was cautious but confident enough to know what to do. I think with many new drivers the lack of confidence/experience is what gets them into trouble. Both from not being able to process situations, and not understanding how to handle a vehicle, braking too late, etc.

One of my younger sisters had never operated anything, and was actually very afraid to drive. She did not want to get her license, and when she obtained her learners permit it was quite the struggle to get her to drive with my parents. My mom had to keep reminding her to stay away from the white line, because being close to the yellow line scared her that oncoming traffic was too close. Add in situations like school busses, city driving, or going around a mail truck and she would panic. I wish more younger people (wow I sound old saying that) had more exposure to vehicles before going on the road so they could understand how to handle them.

 

[ABN_CBT_ENGR]

Substantially longer than a short time but significantly less than a long time?

 

[4WD]

Substantially longer than a short time but significantly less than a long time?

It could go either way and I’m pretty sure it will.

 

[bunnspecial]

Originally Posted by JHZR2
Depends upon the car.


Very true! Some are a lot easier than others. It really takes a few months until you can mindlessly drive a stick, a few weeks to get the hang of it.

I can remember the initial feelings first of all of dread, but grudgingly do it because I wanted to(even though I had a perfectly good auto next to mine at the time). Better clutch control/not hopping came in a week or two, while stalls dropped over the next few weeks. I just kept going, I can remember a day probably 4 months after I'd bought the car that I was out driving and it hit me that I really just didn't even think about driving it anymore and I'd be completely comfortable driving it anywhere.

BTW, this was a secondary/fun car for me, not my primary driver, so again I didn't HAVE to drive it and also wasn't driving it every day. Still, though, it was a revelation to go from being intimidated to getting by to actually being comfortable and then to just being able to relegate shifting to a "low level" mental process the same way you do staying in the lane. In other words, you do it perfectly but don't normally have to expend any great amount of thought to do it.

 

[GoldDot40]

Taught myself how to drive around 13-14 years old in a 1985 Ford Brono II with a 5 speed trans. I drove 90% on dirt roads out in the sticks. 1st car was an auto trans...but every vehicle after that were manual transmission vehicles up until 2011 when I bought a Silverado pickup...and I don't think I'd ever want another manual personal vehicle.

I drive an 18-speed around 350-450 miles everyday at work...so climbing into an automatic transmission vehicle to go home at the end of my shift is a luxury.

 

[Hogwash]

You can master the very basics in an hour. But learning how to truly drive one....knowing how to properly downshift while rev matching, understanding what each gear's range and purpose are, knowing if and when you can skip gears, not unnecessarily slipping the clutch, knowing when depressing the clutch is enough or whether you should be in neutral instead. The list goes on. All that can take time....and vary greatly from vehicle to vehicle