First manual car

gabeh19gabeh19 Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Ford
Okay so right now I have a automatic 96 Mustang and I'm graduating high school in a few months and my parents are going to buy me a new car as a graduation present. I wanted to get a manual 05 Mustang GT. The thing is I don't know how to drive a manual. I really like the idea of being more in control of your car and it seems like it would be funner. But my girlfriend doesn't want me to get a manual because she says that driving in a manual makes her feel sick, is that even possible? Haha so I really just need help on deciding if I should get a manual or automatic. And if I do get a manual would it hurt the car to learn how to drive a stick on it because I obviously won't be very great at it from the start. Thanks for the help

Comments

  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited March 2014

    Go for it - manuals are just fun to drive and it doesn't take long to learn.

    My guess is that your girlfriend doesn't know how to drive a manual and wants to be able to borrow your car. :D

    The easy solution, of course, is to learn yourself and then teach her. Or have someone teach both of you at the same time.

    Check the The Future Of The Manual Transmission discussion for some info on how to learn without burning out the clutch prematurely.

  • benjaminhbenjaminh Member Posts: 6,440
    edited March 2014

    I drive a manual, but my advice is to be cautious.

    You really need someone to teach you, and for most people it takes a while to learn and it isn't easy at first. You need to start in parking lots and practice quite a bit before you're safe to drive on the open road.

    Manuals are more engaging to drive and can be more fun, but they can also be a lot more stressful if you don't really have the hang of it.

    For instance, say you're about to make a right turn onto a busy street where the cars are going fast and the cross traffic doesn't stop. You finally see a space, and let out the clutch and put on the gas--but not quite right and stall your car. But before you stalled you pulled yourself into traffic that's headed for you at 50 mph. That's something that can happen.

    I've been a fan of manuals all my life. But they are not for everybody. No one should use their phone while driving, but if you do anyway, you definitely want an auto.

    Also, autos these days often get higher mpg than manuals, which is a reverse from what it was even a decade ago.

    Please don't buy it and hope for the best. Beg someone to take you out with their manual and get them to try to teach it to you first. Some people pick it up right away, but others it comes with time and difficulty, while still others, frankly, simply can't do it at all.

    2018 Acura TLX 2.4 Tech 4WS (mine), 2024 Subaru Outback (wife's), 2018 Honda CR-V EX (offspring)
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