I want this car, but it seems stupid to get the automatic version. By Mazdas own numbers, it has a slower 0-60 than a Nissan Maxima. However, ive never driven a stick and my parents are strongly urging me against it. I live in LA, and according to them driving a stick in traffic is absolute torture. Also they say im gonna kill the clutch for sure, and that could cost me mabout a thousand. Are clutches really that fragile?

I wouldn't suggest learning on a 35k car

i had a rough idea of driving stick before i got this car... i learned to drive on it... still learning hahah

takes about 2-3 days to learn how to drive stick. clutches arent fragile at all. ur parents r just tyring to scare u. get the stick. stop and go traffic with manual can get teeddes but that shouldnt keep u from getting stick. but first u should read up on how manual transmissions work

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission.htm

i live in L.A. too, i was scared off getting caught in traffic. it was scary, jsut scared of stalling the whole time, but once i got through it wasn't so bad

It doesn't take that long assuming that you are not a clumsy person. A few days of practice maybe... although it is different from one to another with the stick. If you like driving it is fun, otherwise it could be a torture in LA. I can't seem to drive auto cause I would fall asleep if I do.

You can learn to drive a stick in a day.

You can drive it well in a month.

You might master it in a lifetime.



FWIW: It's easier to learn in an old beater with a slipping clutch. If you can find a rental with a manual transmission, go for it. If you can't find one locally, try Europe.

Dave

Originally posted by XK4
You can learn to drive a stick in a day.

You can drive it well in a month.

You might master it in a lifetime.



FWIW: It's easier to learn in an old beater with a slipping clutch. If you can find a rental with a manual transmission, go for it. If you can't find one locally, try Europe.

Dave

Now that's a very smart Idea... learn on a rental. I have to teach my wife also. Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It won't take long to learn. My wife learned in about 2 days. The car she learned on needed a clutch after 105K miles. I don't think learning will burn up a clutch. I think manuals are just as easy to drive in trafic. If the trafic is stopped then you need to be pushing on the clutch in a manual and on the brake on an auto - what's the difference. In stop and go traffic just try to maintain an even speed in first or second. Usually you do not need to stop if you can leave enough space in front of you. Just remember to not speed up when the car in front of you does. I think the whole thing about automatics being easier in traffic is just an excuse for lazy, or scared, people to not learn to drive a stick.

when your new to the clutch dont release the clutch too fast. Especially on first gear, you'll stall the engine and its kinda embarrassing stalling a 30 grand sports car. But Don't worry it easier than it looks it will become 2nd nature to u after a week. Oh and make a good habit of putting it in neutral when parking and use the emergency breaks instead. Most ppl who dont practice this start the car and rear end some other car, if not careful.

Originally posted by RussellP
I want this car, but it seems stupid to get the automatic version. By Mazdas own numbers, it has a slower 0-60 than a Nissan Maxima. However, ive never driven a stick and my parents are strongly urging me against it. I live in LA, and according to them driving a stick in traffic is absolute torture. Also they say im gonna kill the clutch for sure, and that could cost me mabout a thousand. Are clutches really that fragile?

Sounds like your heart's in the right place on this decision. :) This car cries for a manual transmission.

Your parents are sorta right, tho: in an AT, you're working only the brake in stop-n-go traffic; in an MT, it's all three pedals, back & forth, which is either a challenge or torture, depending on who you are (unless you can negotiate a slower, constant speed as another poster suggests, which is a fun game in itself).

As for the clutch, you will wear your first one faster than an experienced driver would, to some degree: it's inevitable as you learn. But if your coordination is generally good, I agree with XK4 that you'll learn in a day and be good in a month. The excess-wear-on-the-clutch part of it should last only a week or so.

That said, the 8's clutch is a might touchy -- I've driven stick for 20 years (my first: '79 Rx-7), and this one took a little getting used to, a very light touch. I still get the occasional jerky start if I'm not paying attention. But as another poster said, every car's clutch feels different.

Bottom line: ya gotta learn sometime, and this car will be lots more fun for you if you do it now. Unless you live in a really hilly neighborhood. ;)

Originally posted by CruelNewb
Oh and make a good habit of putting it in neutral when parking and use the emergency breaks instead. Most ppl who dont practice this start the car and rear end some other car, if not careful.

I disagree. I know alot of folks just pop it in neutral, but picture this. If your parked on an incline, all you have are the rear calipers/brake pads 'holding' the car. I don't trust them holding that much weight. If you get in the practice of always placing it in 1st, (or resverse if parked downhill), then you will alwys be used to it. I always make sure I'm back in neutral before I start up.
Would suck to go to your car and find it down the street inside the backseat of someone's kia...lol

Originally posted by CruelNewb
Oh and make a good habit of putting it in neutral when parking and use the emergency breaks instead.

Nope, I'm afraid I'd disagree with this one too, sorry. Use them both. Parking in first (uphill) or rev (downhill) is extra insurance against the handbrake slipping. And it's just as easy to "make a good habit" of never starting the car without your foot on the clutch. Wait a minute -- in fact, I'm pretty sure the car won't start without the clutch in (not sure, as I don't think I've ever tried).

thanks for the replies! Tomrow im taking a stick driving lesson for a couple hours. After that im gonna try rent a stick car and drive it for a week while i keep my eyes open for a red, manual base model on sale. Hopefully in a week ill be confifent enough and will have these good parking habits you speak of. Then ill finally get my baby!

Originally posted by RussellP
thanks for the replies! Tomrow im taking a stick driving lesson for a couple hours. After that im gonna try rent a stick car and drive it for a week while i keep my eyes open for a red, manual base model on sale. Hopefully in a week ill be confifent enough and will have these good parking habits you speak of. Then ill finally get my baby!

haha oh man that scenario sounds all too familiar to me. haha in fact thats what i had to do... i also had to look for a base model. it just so happened that the only base model i found was red. goodluck with base model hunting. it's hard to find. you might even hear this remark "people buying this car won't want a base model" i think no TCS=FUN

oh yea... base was the only one my parents were willing to buy.

I have no problems with the base. The leather looks great, but im fine with the cloth. The Bose didnt sound too amazing to me when i checked it out. Then again, i work in a recording studio and nothing anywhere sounds as good as it does there. Performance-wise, base should be the same and the difference between 27k and 30k happens to be the difference between affordable and not affordable for me.
I just cant make up my mind about getting stick or auto.

Originally posted by foodiedave


Nope, I'm afraid I'd disagree with this one too, sorry. Use them both. Parking in first (uphill) or rev (downhill) is extra insurance against the handbrake slipping. And it's just as easy to "make a good habit" of never starting the car without your foot on the clutch. Wait a minute -- in fact, I'm pretty sure the car won't start without the clutch in (not sure, as I don't think I've ever tried).


Most new cars you cannot start it without pushing the clutch. For parking its best to use both hand brake and put it in reverse or 1st for backup. When starting just get in the habit of putting it in neutral.

I've seen people just shift into 1st and not use the handbrake when parking. Then when they start the car they roll. Bad bad

i was in the same situation as u are. I was in for a new car, but i knew i wanted stick, but didnt know how to drive stick.. .

here is some advice GET IT!!!!

I learned on this car. I felt bad the first few days when i was driving it it deservse such a good driver but its a great car. Its been a month i drive around no problem, no highways yet, but then ive only driven 200 miles in 4 weeks ..

take a lesson, learn to get off the clutch in first and ur good..


also if u have friends that know stick (responsible ones not the ones that will wanna rip ur car apart) have em sit with u while driving, thats how i learned the best.

ONE LAST THING: I live in NY.. lets talk about traffic huh!

i've driven this car 600 miles in 2 1/2 weeks (I didn't drive everyday, but i gave it a lot of long freeway drives... i couldn;t wait to break her in). it's almost second nature to me now. one of the things i strongly suggest is learn how to drive on an incline. when you can drive up a hill stopping and going i think you're ready for the road. doing that is worse than traffic. oh yea BTW stay away from the 405 during rush hour while your still learning, but then again what better way to learn than experience.

i wouldnt survive rush hour on that p.o.s. freeway. I took a two hour lesson today and at one point stalled the car in the middle of an intersection. Cop car rolled up and chewed me out. I got a little better at it after the first hour and im sure after a couple days ill be able to drive fine.

oh yea don't freak when you stall, jsut stay calm and start your car again. i stalled the most when i would freakout and get nervous

okay i leared basic stick in 10min. on a flat flat place.
then took me few days to learn on hill in san fran. Hills are scary if u a begginer, but if you master the hills your a good stick driver.

oh for parking ALWAYS put it in gear and handbrake. Because since i live on a 30º angle possible more, when i didnt put it in gear but only pulled the handbrake i stared rolling back with the handbrake up. So on downhill is rev. and uphill is 1st gear. Just when u start the car and u gonna be there for awhile put it back in neutural

my advice dont fly to red lights.. ull have to stop instead slow down ahead of time and try to time it so ur still moving and can throw it to 2nd and take off..

This is SO weird... Here, a driving licence does not permit you to drive a manual unless you passed your test in one... so EVERYONE learns in a manual except the TINY few who simply can't cope with it... So this question would NEVER come up, because the only people who don't know how to drive a manual car have tried and know that they can't.

Sure, it's a drag if you have to sit in traffic for ages... but not THAT much of a drag... I have had some nice Auto's and some bad ones... but Generally I wouldn't get an automatic unless I was buying a luxury cruiser... anything even vaguely involving begs to be a manual.

Originally posted by BlueAdept
This is SO weird... Here, a driving licence does not permit you to drive a manual unless you passed your test in one... so EVERYONE learns in a manual except the TINY few who simply can't cope with it... So this question would NEVER come up, because the only people who don't know how to drive a manual car have tried and know that they can't.

Sure, it's a drag if you have to sit in traffic for ages... but not THAT much of a drag... I have had some nice Auto's and some bad ones... but Generally I wouldn't get an automatic unless I was buying a luxury cruiser... anything even vaguely involving begs to be a manual.

yes thats the difference between america and europe. 99% of americans drive automatics, 99% of europeans drive manuals. its truly sad.

RussellP,
I learned to drive standard on an RX-7, and I'm still here:)~ It's not hard to learn at all.If you dwell on it and think you can't do it,your gonna have more stress when you do eventually learn.I found it very easy to learn because i always had dirt bikes as a kid.

Good luck with the new car :)~

My wife and I both drvie sticks. There is nothing like it ... autos are boring.

Why by a sports car if it is going to be an auto.... go for it ...

Moderation is for Monks! Live life and take big bites....

If you need to learn to drive a stick, go to a dealer and tell 'em you are interested in whatever but need them to show you how to drive a stick.... If the rep is hungry he will teach you and then you buy what you like... Obviously it will be an RX-8.

yeah i got the 8 a few days ago and learned stick a couple hours. Put 200 miles on the thing already, been in serious traffic and driven up steep hills and none of its been a problem. I definitely made the right decision.

hey russelll congrats...my 350z was my first stick shift car... i kind of didnt know how to drive stick..but my friend gave me a quick lesson in his car but thats it... i went with my father to go pick up my z when it arrived and let me tell you ... every1 was watching me take off cus they luved the car and people were staring..all the salesmen were looking and everyone was outside in that parking lot..let me tell you how i got in first and stalled.... turned on the car again and stalled..but after that i got it.. did a couple hardcore jerkes when going into 2nd but you will realzie what you did wrong...and it becomes like a 2nd nature when you shift.. really easy....good choice on the stickshift...it took me about 30 minutes to get used to my clutch and the feel of my car...

I have been driving auto for the last 14 years of my life until I picked up my 8 on 9/15. The fleet manager gave me some pointers and I drove the car home in a 40-mile drive.

A few days later I had a 100-mile round trip back to my office in downtown San Francisco experiencing the thrill of stop-and-go traffic.

I experienced more excitement on stop-and-go traffic the week after.

This past weekend I had to go through stop-and-go again on up-hills (Caldecott Tunnel) on both directions.

Heck, I stalled a few times in my 1st try. A couple more times in my 2nd try. Now I can shift so fast that it amazes myself.

I would recommend all drivers to at least learn to drive a stick. That's the only way to appreciate a car.

Haha. I avoided such an embarrassing situation by having a freind of mine drive it back from the dealership. Then i waited till about 11pm and there was less traffic and spend most of the night driving around. I had it down pat by the next day.

Go choice Russell,

There are a thousand ways to learn to drive. Ya just gotta get started. It does not take long and now you can see how a sports car is supposed to be driven.

There is nothing like the control you get from a standard.

Happy motoring...

Oh, by the way... watch out for RADAR and LASER.... 87 in a 55... Booooo....

But 6th is so smooth....