Yeah Im really glad i picked it up fairly quickly. However, it's definitely a lot more to think about. I didn't talk nearly as much because I was making sure I was in the right gear and all.
over the 3 days i drove on the main roads with the car I think i stalled maybe 4 or 5 times. Never in an intersection or on a hill


Also, passing someone in a BMW is awesome.

*press pedal* ROARRRR

When you're first starting out it's really easy to hit the wrong gear or let the clutch slip out too fast.

Driving a three on the tree is weird, I hit third instead of first sometimes, but it doesn't happen often.

Yeah, I was having more of an issue with the clutch than I was hitting the wrong gear. I think I went to 3rd twice by accident.

The problem with the clutch was, I never really got used to where the gear caught. Sometimes I'd let go too fast, other times I wouldnt let go enough. I think I did really well though, the cars still in one piece

I can't hear it, but you probably will be able to if you listen, but most people can hear when the clutch starts to bite and is fully engaged or disengaged.

Yeah I started to notice that, but most of the time I was paying attention to the cars around me and not trying to think TOO hard about getting the car into first gear. (Top Gear on a BMW is friggen awesome btw)

I only have three gears, but the idle speed of third gear on my truck is like 45 mph.

Barely touching the gas gets you up to 65 in pretty short order. I have a hard time driving anything else after driving my truck. Like I have a massive oversteering problem in smaller cars now. I also get annoyed at the lack of power everything else has.

You would do well in my friend's isuzu trooper, haha. You can't say that thing lacks power, and it has all five gears, but after about third gear it doesn't really matter what you do, you can be going 55 in pretty much any gear and it'll sound the same.

srsly?

That'll cause extra wear on the clutch...but maybe I'm also lazy, since my clutch is just a little stiffer than the way it came from the factory..

Car clutch is designed for disengage shift engage in that order as fast as you can to reduce wear.

Which is why I prefer riding motorcycles, because you can clutch whenever you please.

Just pull your e-brake up one or two clicks to hold you steady on the hill, and then release it as you take off. That is if your e-brake is one pulled by hand.

Do you also sit at a red light with the clutch disengaged and sitting in first, not moving?

Haha mb,

You act like the 3 is the nicest car you ever drove XD

I go in stages. For a couple years I'll do this, then I'll do it the other way for a couple years.

Why do people prefer manual so much? It's more efficient and gives greater control, and for large vehicles like trucks it becomes a necessity due to wear resistance, but I can't help think a lot of people get them for no good reason other than being "manly."

It's more fun to drive and it gives you greater control over your acceleration.

^Not so much as deceleration. That's key really.

I use my brakes less than half as much as people with automatic transmissions.

With modern automatics, the fuel consumpution hit is miniscule really, so even that reason is kind of gone.

I wouldn't bother with a manual in your average car (there's nothing "manly" about a manual in a Camry for example). If I had a nice sports car or nice European sedan, I'd get a manual. My Fusion has a six-speed automatic though, in fact manual wasn't even an option unless you got the much weaker 4-cylinder engine.

This pisses me off really bad. It's always some insecure moron in a gigantic truck or car that probably gets 5 mpg. If it's a two lane high way I'll often play their little game just long enough to catch up to a semi in the other lane and then pass it. Slooooooowwwwlly.

My car looks pretty beat up, but it's fairly reliable and a love having a stick shift. I find driving an automatic car to be very frustrating.

I like the control (on a fundamental level, it's nice to know that I have direct control over functions in case I want or need to do something weird with them) but mostly I just think it's fun. Also I like levers.

The car would stall. I engage the clutch and sit in neutral.

Also I've never even seen an automatic car before.

I was wondering about that myself... Maybe he meant something else?

haha, trust me I had my fun with it. Previously my car was a stupid ~120 hp toyota matrix

The nicest car I've ever driven was a Jaguar XKS

My parking break is on the rear drums.

Do you have any idea how much of a ***** it is to change drum brakes? Obviously you don't. Thats a terrible idea.

I concur.

When it comes down to it, automatic transmissions have a lot more moving parts than manual transmissions. I can do most of the work on a manual transmission, I wouldn't even know how to approach an automatic transmission. Not only does every manufacturer have their own ideas, they're really ****ing complex.

The more moving parts you have in a system the less reliable it is. I like things simple.

Automatic transmissons also have more rotational mass than the average manual transmission. Newer automatics are about as efficient as manuals, they make up for their short comings by being able to shift much faster and don't waste mechanical energy like shifting on a manual does.

I like being able to wreck my transmission to prolong the life of my brakes too.

Re: Manual v. Automatic:
The automatic transmission is responsible for a lot of bad driving IMO. With the automatic, you can do unsafe things on the road like talk or eat that cheeseburger. It's hard to talk and shift (unless you have earpiece). With manuals you have to be aware of how fast you're going, how high your revving the engine, etc. Manuals actually take skill. I can't stand automatics TBH. I hate having an assemblage of gears and computers control when I can shift. And like Rob said. They do have a lot more moving parts. One of my coworkers blew his auto tranny on his tC and it cost him $4,000! And it really is a lot of fun. After being stuck on automatics for ~ six years it was really really nice to be back on a manual. Driving experience is much better.

Re: Engine Braking:
Yes, brake pads are cheaper and easier to repair than clutches. I don't engine brake a whole lot myself. But if you do it right, you can engine brake with little wear on the clutch/transmission. Although your fuel economy will suck. With the advancements in brake pads, I think engine braking is useless unless you need to stop quicker.

Actually just letting off the gas, downshifting when necessary is all that is required. I'm not sure what you are doing.

If the clutch is disengaged (by pushing in your clutch pedal) from the motor it will not stall, it will idle.

Oh I thought disengage meant to let it out, not push it in. Haha.

indeed, the wording is kinda confusing

Yeah I made that mistake too.

Agreed. When I'm driving in the early morning on an automatic and haven't had much sleep I tend to just zone out, which is dangerous. The manual doesn't let me do that. Better than coffee!

If anything engine braking would be bad for the transmission.

Engine braking isn't bad for your engine. It's an acceptable useful practice if used correctly.

nice ninja edit.