Learning Stick

[tophsubie]

Hello All,

 

I am a new member and I am looking forward to buying a Legacy GT (Wagon) or a WRX (Wagon) as soon as I can find a good deal. This will be my first sport-type car (I have always driven a truck/SUV) and I want to know if getting a stick is worth it? Let me preface this with, I don't know how to drive a manual and have never had much experience driving anything fast (my current truck does 0-60 in about half an hour). I test drove today the Legacy GT sedan auto and enjoyed the hell out of it. If I am going to buy a new or new-used fast car though I feel like I want to get a good road feel which I have always heard manuals provide. I have read through a lot of the posts but I need to know if for a newbie a manual is the way to go or should I stay away and learn on something else? Also, is the WRX wagon a good choice for me, my local dealer (Jacksonville, Fl) is having problems finding manual legacy GT wagons but they can get WRX wagons (Which is the only reason I am considering the WRX). If you had a choice and the funds would you wait for the Legacy (used or new) or bite the bullet and get a new WRX? Thanks for having this terrific site, I hope I can post soon as a Subie owner and not just a wannabe.

[mccorry]

My LGT is my

 

1.) first manual,

2.) my first 4 cyl,

3.) my first turbo'ed car,

4.) and my first AWD car.

 

 

You'll be fine! It isn't the easiest car to learn on... but just be patient and you'll be fine.

[Guest subiecity]

someone to take myplace...lol jk welcome to this site goodluck on buying a new car subies are the %#$#

[edkwon]

ppl have an exaggerated fear of learning stick in this country, in other countries you have to know how to drive stick simply to get your drivers licesne. if you have 2 feet and 2 hands intact and have enough physical coordination to walk, talk and rub your tummy at the same time and aren't mentally or physically handicapped, you'll learn stick, no problem. its all about learning the feel of the clutch, everything else is pretty elementary, dont worry about constantly stalling the first week or so you have your car, youre not going to dramatically destroy you clutch, ppl who convince you of that are wrong.

 

case in point: my first MT car was a 5 spd impreza and i learned to drive stick on that the day i got it from the dealership, brought a friend with me who was an experienced stick driver as my backup in case i couldnt make it home, i he drove it most of the way, later that night i learned in an empty parking lot and picked up the basics in a couple hrs and was driving around alone later that night. stalled a bunch the first week than a little the first month and drove it another 80K miles with no clutch issues until i sold the car.

 

Ed

[lkjohnson1950]

If you go with the stick you'll find it's much more responsive than the auto. I drove a 5eat and it was OK but when I got a chance to try a 5mt I bought it on the spot. Surprising amount of difference.

[Hokiebird]

If you understand how a clucth actually works then it is just a matter of learning your friction point. From my experience test driving a few Legacys the clutch doesn't give much feedback, but the engine has pretty good low end power so it doesn't stall super easily.

 

Take the car to a steep hill, park it, and learn from there. That's how my dad taught me. Don't worry about stalling everyone does it. As you get comfortable you can pick up some more advanced technics like heal toe downshifts.

[lawl]

There are guides online.

 

Heres a good thing to remember though. should get you started.

 

Get to a level parking lot. You can release the clutch evvvvvvvver so slowly until you feel the car pull a little forwards. At this point ease into the gas and release the clutch.

 

I taught my gf this way and it worked like a charm. (This is a girl who failed her driving license test 4 times)

[NewLegGT67]

Actually, if this is your first manual car you might be better off because you are not used to anything else. It might be harder if you've driven another 5/6 speed for 5 years now you have to retrain yourself on the LGT. Don't let the manual trans intimidate you. You be fine in a couple of days. Once you start driving a manual you become more aware of your surroundings. You will realize how many hills and small inclines are in your neighborhood. That's when the fun starts!!

[Vimy101]

Hello All,

 

I am a new member and I am looking forward to buying a Legacy GT (Wagon) or a WRX (Wagon) as soon as I can find a good deal. This will be my first sport-type car (I have always driven a truck/SUV) and I want to know if getting a stick is worth it? Let me preface this with, I don't know how to drive a manual and have never had much experience driving anything fast (my current truck does 0-60 in about half an hour). I test drove today the Legacy GT sedan auto and enjoyed the hell out of it. If I am going to buy a new or new-used fast car though I feel like I want to get a good road feel which I have always heard manuals provide. I have read through a lot of the posts but I need to know if for a newbie a manual is the way to go or should I stay away and learn on something else? Also, is the WRX wagon a good choice for me, my local dealer (Jacksonville, Fl) is having problems finding manual legacy GT wagons but they can get WRX wagons (Which is the only reason I am considering the WRX). If you had a choice and the funds would you wait for the Legacy (used or new) or bite the bullet and get a new WRX? Thanks for having this terrific site, I hope I can post soon as a Subie owner and not just a wannabe.

 

Before you attempt starts from hills, go to a flat parking lot and practice getting the car moving by using a very gradual clutch engagement in first gear without using the gas. Once you've successfully done that a few times, try adding a little gas (engine power) to make the process quicker. After you've mastered that, try a few more aggressive starts with even more power all the while trying to keep clutch riding to a minimum. You'll get the hang of it very quickly (maybe only 10 minutes). Then find a hill and try some starts.

[Impulse]

more or less learned manual on this car as well, it wasn't hard, but it wasn't that easy either. i did have limited experience on a MR2, but the LGT was much more fun.

i have to agree with everyone else though, after you get the feel of the engagement point, everything comes easy after that. and i think driving a manual inherently makes you a better driver, by definition.

 

oh, and i drove around with a "Please pardon me, I'm still learning how to drive manual :)" sign on my back window for about a month.

[hogmeat]

I have to echo everyone here. The 5sp is a much more "responsive" vehicle. Yes, I have driven both.

Learning? Not too tough - same as everyone said. Be CALM, don't get excited or flustered. You'll be OK.

[NewLegGT67]

Don't be intimidated by driving a car with manual transmission. Like others have said. Go to a parking lot or side street without too much traffic and just practice. The hardest thing is going up a hill. Once you get over "first gear anxiety" you'll be fine. Driving a stick is a lot of fun on the open road once you master it. You never get bored driving.

[tophsubie]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I am convinced now and I'll try not to be too embarrassed learning and stalling then learning and stalling some more. I was thinking the same thing as mattszeto about putting the sign in my rear window. The only thing I have to worry about now is the ribbing I'll get when people find out my gf taught me to drive a stick (I guess driving like a girl isn't too bad...jk). Now that I have the stick issue settled what do ya'll think about the WRX wagon v. the legacy wagon (also new v. used)? Thanks for all the posts, I'm glad there is such a great subie community.

[sactojesse]

If it makes you feel better, my wife, who initially took her driver's test on a manual transmission VW bus over 20 years ago but hasn't driven a manual transmission car since then, tried my LGT MT and thought it was "easy." I've only driven MT cars and trucks for the past 20 years, so I find automatics to be annoying and "difficult." I'm always parking them in D.

[msb175]

i remember the first time i drove a manual. it was when the integra type R's first came to the U.S. took one of them baby's out for a test drive. only stalled 2 or 3 times. the salesman helped talk me thru it. fun stuff.

 

P.S. - there will be no more new Legacy wagons in a manual. best bet would be to find a used one.

[edkwon]

There are guides online.

 

Heres a good thing to remember though. should get you started.

 

Get to a level parking lot. You can release the clutch evvvvvvvver so slowly until you feel the car pull a little forwards. At this point ease into the gas and release the clutch.

 

That's the technique i was taught to learn the feel of the clutch/friction point. however we picked a parking lot with a very shallow incline so it would roll back slightly, so i learned how to catch -> release -> catch -> release and roll back n forth. only spent about 10 min doing that before making the leap from1st to 2nd gear.

 

Ed

[NewLegGT67]

I only think the '05 LGT wagon it the only late model LGT that has manual transmission. The '06 and '07 only come in 5eat (auto). The one cool thing about the '05 wagon 5sp it is now considered a rare car.

[rkl303]

If you ever feel unconfident and get caught on a hill pull up the e brake. Put the car into gear and slowly release the clutch with the other on the ebrake slowly releasing the e brake once you feel the clutch catch.

[Guest subiecity]

my 1st time i drove stick was in my cuzins super beater subaru outback, had about 250k miles on it, i dropped the clutch in 1st gear and plowed thru a 200ft wooden fence .....i swear on my life i knocked the entire thing down like dominoes or sumthing....so u cant be any worse, and plus i was only 15 yrs old

[bitter-bert]

yea, I learned how to drive stick on a T100 toyota truck. Than got my first manual car, turbo II FC. Completely different to drive. But actually, the T100 made it easier for me to drive the FC. Now I'm getting used to the legacy... and... I've stalled it a couple of times, once right in the car lot at the subaru dealership driving it off the lot. The legacy is a bit tricky when it comes to driving stick, but if you can learn off that, you shouldn't have any problems at all.

[oog61]

For maximizing driving fun and having the most control over what the car is doing, go with the stick. I think a stick is the only way to go in a car like the Legacy.

 

As far as learning goes, just listen to what the others are saying, which is basically take the time to master the clutch in parking lots or quiet, flat streets. You do not want to still be in learning mode the first time you have to stop while going up a steep hill and some jerk pulls up 6 inches behind you.

 

The exception to the stick preference would be if you spend a lot of time in stop and go traffic. If that is the case, think long and hard about it, as the stick can become a real irritant over time. Plus there's extra wear and tear on your clutch.

[tophsubie]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I took all of your advice and I bought a black 05 gt manual wagon and it should get here in 2 weeks. I'll probably ask more questions as I am learning but geez I am almost too excited to type! Thanks again..

[BigHonu]

Congratulations on your *new* car!

 

Like everyone mentioned here, learning where the clutch engages (or is that disengages?) really helps with gaining that feel needed for smooth starts.

 

One thing that my dad taught me some 20 years ago was to give the gas a slight 'blip' right before the point where you know the clutch grabs. Maybe it is just a rythym thing, but it really helped my timing. Still do it to this day.

[bitter-bert]

 

The exception to the stick preference would be if you spend a lot of time in stop and go traffic. If that is the case, think long and hard about it, as the stick can become a real irritant over time. Plus there's extra wear and tear on your clutch.

 

I drive stick through bumper to bumper traffic from Huntington to LAX and I love every minute of it...

[suba_rus]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I took all of your advice and I bought a black 05 gt manual wagon and it should get here in 2 weeks. I'll probably ask more questions as I am learning but geez I am almost too excited to type! Thanks again..

 

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