DanielNC06

stick with it!...i know what you mean when you say jumpy i had the hardest time adjusting...in my old car it was a cable clutch and it seemed alot easier...i could just let out the clutch til it started to grab and then give some lite gas....that doesnt work too well on the tC..its easier if you hold the rpms at about 1k-1.5k and then disengage the clutch.....now that im used to it, i can sorta "bounce" the acclerater so that my rpm is at 1.5k right at the "sweet spot" of the clutch....

one tip..slide your seat closer..try new heights and seat angle's.....its hard to control the speed and accuracy of your clutch foot when your leg is cramped or extended too much!...

keep with it adn good luck!

engifineer

Well... I rode a motorcross bike starting at 7 years old, so I at least had an idea of how to handle a clutch. However, the clutch is used to launch on one of those, and it gets used very little after that

But, when going out to ride one day, dad drove us out on the flats in his 73 3/4 ton chevy, walked away and said "when you get it parked at camp we can start riding". So I was about 9 when I learned... in a full sized pickup Once I started driving for real it pretty much came naturally, but took me a week or so to get it down nice and smooth. But, you get better at it the longer you do it. The trick is to get to the point to where you dont have to concentrate on it. After that it gets better and better.

Dispatcher138

Took me 2 days on the the car and about 10 minutes on the bike...like you said once you get the general idea its pretty easy on anything.

InExe

I was 15. Took me about a week or so. It's all timing. You'll figure it out. Just pratice, Go somewhere by yourself or something and just practice taking off. You'll get it.

RS3_tC

Took me a couple hours and alot of tread but I got that hang of it. Now I would never get a automatic again. I also had the same second thoughts your having but I just stuck with it and i'm glad I did.

davedavetC

iTrader: (4)

took me a day to learn enough to get by, and 2 years and 66000 miles later im still learning... but i had to learn again when i put my new clutch in this summer. i shoulda just gotten an oem clutch but nooo i had to get a comp stage 1 clutch.

Cupcake

That reminds me of that VW commercial...
My girlfriend tells me that would be me if we ever went anywhere nice, but Taco bell is too tasty, so 'nice' has to wait until special occassions.

But in reply to the actual topic, I learned HOW in about 20 minutes on my friends Civic. That thing was so riced out. She hooked up a boost gauge so some vaccum hose just so the needle would move around when she drove...huge honda logo on the back window. "Girls drive fast too" under it. Fart can. *sigh* The rear axel decided to pop off once and now its totalled. But yep. Stick is simple once you get the footing right. I'm still perfecting the technique on the tC. Everynow and again I have a not-so smooth launch but i'm getting better. You'll never get auto again though if you own manual.

PakanaHerruus

took me a few days to learn it, and driving across the country to perfect it.. once i learned how, i never wanted to drive an automatic again, my XB is a manual, and i requested it to be so at the dealership.. not cause its cheaper. cause it makes driving that much more fun.. it doesnt go fast but you decide how fast you want to make it go..

i honestly believe that people that drive stick, are better drivers, they know how to be more conscious of whats going on, rather then other stupid distractions

IntegreS_350

it took me a few weekends to learn how to drive stick but i learned on my dad's '88 nissan pickup and it was a big king cab lifted truck-- for me the hardest part was being able to depress the clutch all the way because i just couldn't get the seat in the best position......but then i am 4'9"....so...haha that probably played a big part in it

HaYnSktC

ya seat position helps a lot when driving stick as well
dont wanna be to far back so you have to stretch to press the clutch all the way

IntegreS_350

hehehe i had a hard enough time reaching the pedals as it is and i didn't wanna wear heels everytime i drove so i ended up with an automatic

tC4italy

I keep having dreams that I sell my tC to get a manual lexus

eff that

Sciontctuner

......I only got the auto because my parents didn't think I could handle it on a steep slope and they though I needed to focus on the road rather than worrying about the correct gear to be in . They thought i'd stall it and roll backwards into a mercedes or summthin and make the insurance go through the roof. But now I can focus on getting my ipod on the right song, lol.

2007_wichitaSCION

the tc is not a very good car to learn to drive a stick... get your friends POS corolla or something and learn... trust me if my girlfriend can be taught in a corolla then you can learn... i taught her in 2 hours and she drove us home! my advise find a POS rev the hell out it and drop the clutch, then gradually get less rev and less dropping of the clutch till you find middle ground... thats how i taught her... that way you know what its like to be overly revving and wont do it and think its the right thing to do... my step dad taught me by making me drive him to get my first tank of gas lol

Zebman

I had to drive home the first day of learning... so, one day. Man, you'd never see a more scared 15 year old.

Dispatcher138

Scions are I think the easiest cars to learn how to drive stick...

scribble

It took me a few days to get comfortable driving a stick, but I was forced to when I got a new 1992 Paseo back in '92 (I was 17 then . . .). I've driven nothing but manuals since then, which is 15 years. I was very smooth with my old VW and it had a heavy clutch. I still screw some launches in the tC, though. I've noticed it has a very "grabby" clutch.

I'll echo the past sentiments, keep the manual and stick with learning it. You'll enjoy it a lot more and will never go back.

garciaog

Manual trans is the way to go in small cars. Autos, while not complicated and easier in traffic do not allow you to manipulate the engine to its full capacity (IMO). I started my driving experience behind the wheel of an `80 Corolla, which had a 5-speed trans at the age of 9 (thanks sis). Aside from the time that I hit my neighbor's AMC Pacer (the same day I started driving), it is now second nature. It can be scary, especially on hills (even more so in winter on an icy or snow-packed hill with someone right on your bumper), but what I was always told to be aware of was the "sweet spot" or "balance" between clutch and gas.

It just takes practice, like anything else. Once you get the hang of it, you'll never want to drive an automatic. It's also good to know how to drive a stick in case of an emergency where a manual trans. vehicle is your only option.

toeveryhour

iTrader: (3)

Took me two weeks until I felt comfortable enough to actually drive it around. After I learned the whole stop-start and how to do hills semi-well without the e-brake, I took it out and here's what happened: I stalled at times, I realized that some hills I couldn't do yet so I used the e-brake. I was scared.

But I got over it by the middle of the week. And now here I am, going on 7 months later and I'm still learning every day.

So give it a bit of time. You're not going to be a pro at it the first day. But one important thing - make sure you are driving it EVERY day to get the hang of it.

flipguy206

The guy I bought my very first car from taught me how to drive stick in about 30 min. It was a 1982 Honda Accord POS that I paid $300 for. The thing was mangled but actually ran well until I never put oil in it and crapped out about a year later. Then I sold it for $350

But yeah, similar to what I'm reading in other posts the guy taught me in 30 min. but it took me a few months to get used to it. That was 8 years ago now and after 4 other automatics from that first POS I made sure my xB was stick. Took me a few weeks to get used to driving stick again. I've had my box for 7 months now and I'm still perfecting my clutch technique. I'm alot better now but I hate to admit, I still occasionally stall and grind gears