What kind of car would you use to teach stick?

[Vikas]

Nissan 3.0 engines have enough torque at the the idle. If you are smooth, you can start the car on level ground without ever touching the gas pedal. I tried to teach this concept to my son but first he needs to learn to drive automatic.

- Vikas

 

[mcrn]

Sifan there was also a good post awhile ago that was about the how to teach someone to drive a stick. You may want to do a search for that it had some good tips.

 

[55Test]

I learned the basics of manual transmission operation on a motorcycle, of all things. I got a bunch of practice on my dad's patheticically underpowered 85 Caravan with a stickshift, later he had a 86 Cherokee with a stickshift that I drove a few times. My first car with a stickshift was an 88 Tempo. It took me about 2 weeks to really get comfotable with driving it, after that it was smooth (occasionally leapfroggin') sailing.

 

[JHZR2]

I bought a 91 E30 BMW 318i to teach myself how to drive stick. It was great - excellent clutch and shifter feel, very forgiving, nice managable car.

I had tried to learn prior on a friend's acura integra, but couldnt get the hang of it when trying twice.

My fiancee has an integra (we met after I learned how to drive stick), and I absolutely hate the clutch action and feel on hers as well.

My brother got his license, and so we tried an experiment - we first tried to teach him on my fiancee's integra, and it was really tough... THen we put him into my BMW, and he got the hang of it in a short while.

My finacee's sister would have learned on my BMW when she was up here just this past week - except that the headgasket let go - causing a coolant leak overboard

But the E30 BMW is a great car to learn on - nobody can really beat a BMW MT in terms of quality and feel... and that makes it easy.

Make sure the clutch isnt too heavy (like my brother's 3000 GT VR-4) or too light (like a neon that we're test driving to buy for her sister). The cavalier with the ecotec/getrag trans setup had good feel, and Id anticipate that it would be easy to learn on... and I can also vouch for the ford focus MT (ive driven one of these in the US Virgin islands (talk about tough to drive on hills!) and it has been great in feel, smoothness, etc. I test drive the jetta after my MB gfot hit, and it was a mix of good and bad... I think it would be OK to learn on.

My choices would be:
1) BMW
2) cavalier (late model, and likely the cobalt too)
3) ford focus
...
i) VW Jetta
j) neon
...
n) heavy clutch (powerful cars)
...
zz) integra

These are just my set of experiences. YMMV

JMH

 

[alreadygone]

Have a Miata as a weekend "toy". Would reccomend as a starter for anybody, lots of fun too! Not fast enough to get in real trouble with.

First stick was a '66 Mercury Comet Cyclone GT with 335hp? 390 and 4 speed.

Bob

 

[Tosh]

I would use a dune buggy on the beach. Light car and soft sand for minimum driveline shock. Otherwise, use what you got, but learn on low traction ground like grass or snow.
I learned on a new 84 Toyota pickup, and it was a breeze: light vehicle, light clutch, and precise gearbox (and it was carburated). But I had been grooming myself for years.

 

[JavaMan]

My wife learned how in her Escort we bought many years ago. We took a short trip and she learned over the weekend. Never had a problem She didn't even know she was being taught "stick". She thought she was learning how to drive a standard transmission.

 

[Va Runner]

If you can find an older Subaru they used to have a feature called the "hill holder". I found this ideal to teach a new driver. As you pulled up to the stop, engage the cluch and depress the brake....you could then release your foot from the brake and the car would not roll back....the biggest fear of a new driver.
I loved this feature.

 

[sifan]

It wass a nice feature. Why was it discontinued on newer Subaru?

 

[bdcardinal]

i learded stick on a 2004 Ford SVT Mystichrome Cobra. the car had a Kenne Bell supercharger, with a centerforce clutch and a short throw shifter. it put down 531rwhp on 91 octane. that was one **** of a car to learn on. the owner was a friend of mine and made me learn one day after i did some install work on it for him.

 

[sifan]

It is a good point to teach the kids how to drive with automatic first before with stick. Both my car and van are automatic because my wife can't drive stick. I guess some women are just not mechanically inclined enough to learn stick. But, I surely would like to try to teach my daughter and two sons using stick.

I drove '73 VW Super Beetle in my college years. That was my last stick-equipped car. The rest of cars I drove were handed down from my parents. Then I got marry and stuct with automatic till now. I haven't touch a stick for long long time, miss the fun of driving stick. I am in my mid-40s and not sure if I still have enough reflex to handle it. I am thinking of buying an old used Miata as a daily drive to work. Is a Miata good for teaching my kids to drive stick?

 

[Drew99GT]

Heck yea! Miatas are easy as heck to drive. Old man's go-cart they are.

I think after a week of driving stick, you'll be right back to where you were with your 73. After riding with some women who have manual trannies, believe me, you can do it!

 

[brianl703]

Anything fuel injected. Why? The computer will attempt to maintain the idle by opening the air bypass valve to keep the engine from stalling.

So it is very easy to get any fuel-injected vehicle moving just by easing slowly off the clutch.

 

[Jimbo]

I learned in a VW bug, but an SS 396 Chevelle was actually the easiest to drive, gobs of torque right off idle. You could dump the clutch in second and it would just take off.

Of modern, commonly available vehicles, it would be a mini-truck, like the V-6 Ranger I used to own. EFI helps keep it from stalling and the torque band is at low rpm. Anything diesel would be good, if you have access to one. The Golf TDI is extremely easy to drive.

My kid's Corolla is terrible, clutch and shift linkage not as bad as the VW, but poor by today's standards.

 

[rmattingley]

One that isn't an automatic. lol
I learned on a 1968 3/4 ton 2wd ford pickup.

 

[Zee1]

a civic.... I learned because I forced myself to, how? first car I bought was an 87 RX-7 - that way I would HAVE to learn if I wanted to drive.

I would never drive an auto by choice, truth be told I'd rather drive a 5 speed civic than an auto vette - unless it was mine then I'd do a conversion haha.

 

[UncleS2]

I'm probably the wrong person to ask about this, as I don't know where you could find a similar vehicle today. What kind of vehicle? I'm glad you asked!

I got my lessons at age 13 & 14 in mostly 1967(a few sessions during huntin' seasons in Fall '66) from Dad on his 1958 Ford half-ton pickup, with 3-on-the-tree, a pitifully anemic 6-cyl engine and a *very* high-speed, highway-oriented rear end. As if that wasn't enough to overcome, some previous owner had put the wheels(16"? 16.5"?) & too-tall tires from a 3/4 ton Ford on it. So, the thing was effectively geared *way* too high for its engine, only did well on the highway at speeds over 60 mph. It was tough goin' for a while on the old red dirt & gravel ore roads, but I learned take off under any conditions, without frying the clutch. Hill holder indeed!

Dad said that if I learned on that old Ford truck I'd be able to drive anything. And he was right, everything since has been a piece of cake.

Therefore, I'd say that instead of trying to find the easiest thing possible for someone to learn on, in the long run it might much be better for them to learn on something that requires- ahh- a bit more commitment. Once they learn on that, they'll never forget & be able to drive anything. JMO

 

[andyd]

51 Ford with 3 on the tree

 

[JavaMan]

"51 Ford with 3 on the tree"

Thanks for reminding me. I almost forgot these existed. This would be a "stick" learning experience.

 

[gtx510]

a pick-up truck.

1. it's rwd so clutchs will be easier to change

2. the heavier flywheel will help the newbs

3. the heavier duty clutch will hopefully last longer.


And add a nice GL-4 (MT-90) to help the synchro action.
Or putsome crappy GL-5 in and make the kids work for it, they'll be better shifters in the end, but your transmission might not be.