Warning to new owners
 

To all new owners or people thinking about buying this car. When going for your test drive if you'd like to go into reverse you have to push the stick down into the car and then it will go into revers just a warning cuz no 1 told me. And me and my father got stuck for a bit.Good luck! :cool: the more you know....

Most stick drivers would have known that to go into reverse you have to either,
1. Push the stick down and shift, or
2. Lift the stick (or a contraption just below the knob) up and shift, or
3. Push the stick towards the R until you feel a 'clunk' and shift.
Now that's for gear sticks that are placed centrally between the front seats like on the 8.
Some trucks and older cars have the gear lever up on the side of the steering wheel, where the wiper control on the 8 is.

lol.

I remember when I weere a lad and hadnt driven many cars someone asked me to drive their renault 5 - it was parked in a space that needed to be reversed out of. at night, in pitch black, and I didnt have a clue what controlls where were.

20min to find the lights, another 15 to figure out reverse (pull the thingey on the gearstick up) - where the indicators... aaaagh.

Now for someone who has never driven a Merc or a Citroen before, try finding the parking brake. Duh!

I kinda wish someone would have told me that before I took my 24hr test drive. Neither me nor my brother, owned manuals for years, could move it.... I thought I had a dud! It was actually kinda funny! :)

The best was when I went for my test drive at one dealership. The idiot salesman had obviously never been in one, and couldn't get it into reverse. I hadn't driven one yet, but still was smart enough to try the "push it down" trick since that's how my old RX-7 worked ... the salesman then said "well, let me drive first" and I just looked at him and said "just shut up and let me enjoy this."

He said not a word the rest of the ride. Idiot. We arrived back at the dealership and he starts running his mouth and I just ignored him and walked to my car to leave.

Owner's manuals are amazing. They contain all sorts of useful information.
Sorry for the sarcasm.

When I picked mine up, I avoided 6th gear all the way home because I didn't know if it would lock out reverse or not. I found reverse on the parkway once when I was learning in my Fiero. Like nails on a chalkboard...

Anyway, the first thing I did when I got home was look that up in the manual, and it mentioned pushing down on the stick. I never would have known, otherwise. I drove a 5-speed for almost 4 years and moved a lot of different manual cars at work. Never came across one where you push the stick down. Maybe we want to cut him a little slack about what "most stick drivers would have known". :)

See how I was able to say that without the snotty attitude?!

lol this thread is missing pics of you and your dad being stuck

I didn't know either, I've driven sticks for years, though usually only 4 or 5 speeds. Reverse on my Dad's BMW was on the other side. The 1st time I was trying to go into reverse I kept putting it in 6th and it would still try to creep away forward.

Yeah it kinda sucks. Same goes for the G35 coupe but when you press down its more noticeable. On my brother's 2002 Celica GTS (6 speed also), when you put it on reverse there is a little beeping that tells you that you are on R. I thought it was annoying at first but it's very practical and you are only on reverse for a few seconds. Do it Mazda..

Sorry, I should have said "Most experienced stick drivers..", meaning those who have driven a wide array of manual cars.

Haha, i remember the first time i tried to back up my car. I started the car tried it a few times then called up a friend who doesn't have an 8, but drives a 6 speed manual.
"How the heck do you go into reverse?"
"Press down on the shifter"
"Oooohhhhhhhhhhhhh........."

Yep, I didn't read the manual.

Went away for one week-end soon after I bought the "8" and my wife decided to take it for a spin. Well she never got out of the driveway, could not put it in reverse.

Sad, but true :)

Did you really read through the manual before you drove the car?
Not a chance!

Wanna bet? I downloaded the manual in PDF format long before I bought the car and read through most of it. I'd never had a car with all those bells and whistles before, and when you're thinking about buying a $36k car I think it's best to know what it comes with. I did however know how to shift it into reverse from driving so many MT's in my life.

That's awesome. I was talking about those who got the car and the manual at the same time.

As a matter of fact, I did have to read on how to start the car. The 8 is the first car I have ever driven where you have to depress the clutch pedal to start. I couldn't get the damn car to start, checked the battery, and finally went to read the manual. Aha!

My previous Miata introduced me to that Mazda concept... prior to that I'd always started my cars in neutral, clutch engaged.

I got stuck in a bug last year, before I got my 8- I couldn't figure out the reverse in it. Finally had to ask my friend who owned a VW what reverse was. Turned out is was push down REALLY hard and shove into gear. Never driven a car that difficult to get into reverse before.

My wife's Corolla XRS has the beeping reverse. I find it annoying but she likes it. On another note, i am sure this might be in some cars but I thought a nice idea would be a indicator on the dash for what gear you are in. Mayvbe a little pic that lights up 1st, 2nd, etc. as you shift into each gear. This is for my wife's protection :)

I don't mind the other gears just reverse. I back up a lot and hit 6th about once a week.

On the celica, the beeping is annoying only at first then you get used to it. The first time I heard it, I thought it was audible outside the car as well and felt like I was backinp up a garbage truck or something.

VW's teach all sort of habits heh. My Passat had the same push the stick through the tranny and over for reverse. Also most VW's require a depressed clutch to start.

Course they also have 'auto-up' windows...