The title although catchy, might be a bit misleading for what you’re about to read. We are in no way suggesting that you stick like glue to your S2000, but rather trying to ask how long it took you to learn how to shift a manual transmission.
Driving styles and learning-how-to-drive varies by continent and geographic region. It’s uncertain which style of transmission the majority of drivers use to learn to drive a car.
Driving schools in many countries include training courses with cars carrying a manual gearbox. However, this does not apply to the certain parts of the world, where a majority learn how to drive in a car equipped with an automatic transmission.
The Honda S2000 is equipped with a unique short shift transmission that smoothly joins together the engine and differential delivering all that power to the wheels. From a European perspective, I wonder if the S2000 was the first car you’ve ever driven with a manual transmission. If so, then did you feel as if you were hurting the gearbox until you mastered shifting the gears? How long did it take you to learn to drive a stick and did you learn by sticking it to the S2000?
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on Apr 19th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
In my S2k, the ‘leather-like’ material that connects to the shift knob is separated just like the one in picture above….drives me crazy! Any easy fix methods?
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
The first time i drove stick was in my dad’s 86 toyota pick up. That was such a challenge considering the fact that I had never driven stick. One weekend while my parents were out i decided that,I’m bored and i wanna drive. So I took my dad’s truck out for a spin. It took me a couple hours to master. To be exact, i left at 9 pm, and got the truck back in the garage after 1 am. At first i didn’t know what that 3rd pedal was for. The truck started up without clutch. And i grinded and jerked thru every gear when I figured out what the clutch was for. Mind you i was 15 at the time. It was a scary and fun experience. In a total of 3 days i pretty much mastered it, to where i could drive it smoothly.
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
s2k was my first manual car i owned, but i learned to drive stick when i was younger in a ford f250 wrecker. had been riding dirtbikes since i was 6, so the concept of clutch / shifting wasn’t foreign to me.
broki,
that’s weird… my 03 does not have the saggy shift boot, though almost every other s2k i’ve ever seen does. perhaps there is a clip of some kind that can break? never thought to check, since mine isnt broken.
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 12:56 pm
Understanding basically how manual transmissions work and having maybe four hours previously over 11 years, I drove mine off the lot and learned the basics in a few weeks.
In the last 2.5 years, I would say I’ve more or less mastered it, but some days if I’m lazy the shifting isn’t as smooth as I would like. It gives me a wake up call to enjoy the drive! Occasionally, my rev matching isn’t perfect, but I know I’m very critical with my techniques and when I have passengers they have never commented.
Hope this helps!
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
depends on the shift knob and how far it travels down the shifter towards the boot. there’s no clip to my knowledge. Its normal for the the leather to have a space…
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
took me approximately 12 seconds to completely master the technique and absolutely zero damage was done to the gearbox, because I am that awesome.
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
From the time I was really young (like 8 years old), I wanted a manual transmission. I was an obsessed kid. My first car was an automatic, and I ruined it. Had a couple others over the years; ruined them, too. Can be argued that I don’t know how to drive an automatic. And I am ok with that.
The S2K has by far the best mantran I’ve ever owned.
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
MY03 is the first manual transmission car that I’ve owned and learned. Well technically, the first time I drove manual was on my friend Scion TC but after that, no other car. Before I got the car, I’ve heard from a lot of people saying that s2k has the best transmission and how everything is well balanced. After having the car for awhile and driving other manual cars, I’ve had no doubt about how great this transmission is. Had the car for 9-10 months now. It took me about 1-2 days to get use to driving the s2k. About a week later, down shifting. Now, heel toe
I’ve never had the leather wrapped shift knob. The car came with the s2000 JDM shift knob and I sold it to get the CR shift knob. One of my best upgrade so far and not a scratch on it. Wouldn’t even let me gf touch it 
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
First learned on a ’04 Subaru WRX STi, not a good idea since the clutch is veryyyy touchy for a beginner. Re-learned on a Nissan truck and a Jeep Wrangler. Trucks/Jeeps are very forgiving to novice drivers when it comes to learning stick. When I got my S, I had upshifting mastered, but downshifting, rev-matching, heel-toeing, and double clutching came with much practice (and thankfully minimal griding to the S’s tranny). Great car to master more advance clutch practices on! Easily the best tranny I’ve ever rowed through.
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
vaya_broki,
Send a PM to Mother , tell him you need a Mother Rubber. That will fix the saggy shift boot problem.
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 6:02 pm
I pretty much learned to drive stick on the S2K although I knew how to, I just didn’t have much experience.
I feel that the S2K’s stick spoiled me because other the other manual cars I’ve driven just don’t compare in feel.
-Ri.Le
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
I learned on a rail road track lol, i stalled the car on the track and i was 15, my friends were screaming from from the back telling me to press the clutch in and gas as much as i could then let go of the clutch, i did the following and burned out of there lol.
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 7:26 pm
Been driving Manuals my whole life, the S2000 is by far the sweetest shifting RWD setup I’ve had the pleasure of owning.
-Froth
on Apr 19th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
I learned on a 1974 DeTomaso Pantera (ZF-5) tranny. My task as a 13 year old was to jockey the family cars into the correct morning firing order each evening. At the age of 14 I drove around the block to actually shift into second. Went quite well for several trips. Then one night my dad, driving moms Bonneville Vista Cruiser, passed me going the other way-he had made a run to the liquer store and didn’t want to jockey the cars. I sweated hos return forN hour. Al he said upon return was “That’s my boy”. Did I mention I had a great childhood? So today I am teaching my 16 year old daughter to drive my 2011 Tacoma; manual. Maybe I should have relegated her to the driveway for a year………..
Utah
P.S. I hope to have her in the “S” by the end of summer so she can have the performance memories I do!,
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 12:02 am
Took me ALL of 2 minutes to master manual transmission.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 2:00 am
I learned in my first car, a 94 Camaro. To get it super smooth it took me about a month in that car. As I got my s2k I learned the rev match and heel-toe. Now I can jump into any standard car and drive it just like I own it.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 3:12 am
Here in Finland you are not allowed to get your licence in an automatic, so everyone learns to drive stick from day one. Automatics are the minority in cars here anyways so it does make sense to learn to drive with a manual.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 4:06 am
If you learn to drive in an Auto in the UK you can only drive an auto on the road.
As such only the very incapable or disabled will learn in an auto.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 4:23 am
I first learned on a 2004 rx8 witch was my first car. It was bought as a birthday gift and learning was only tough because my mom liked to grab the e break with her life as if I was going to crash, not only that, she also loved to yell at me for the simplest mistake. That made me uber nervous all the time making my clutch foot shake xD. Took a couple days to consistently get out of first and drive well, witch is the hardest part. It’s been a year sense I owned the s2000 and from my thrilling rides I’ve had so far, I’m quite confident I have mastered the gearbox, from day to day driving, to haulin’ ass and heel toeing for a corner up ahead. Lazy, careless shifts are still present and that’s a bad habit. Everyone has their days, and everyone hates the grrr ind into 2nd when they “careless” shift. The gearbox in the S is such a great diseign and Ita taken for granted. It really is, all other gear boxes I have felt, from a miata(witch are said to have excellent ones), rx8, mini coopers, bmw
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 4:23 am
Have all been loose and felt…sloppy you could say.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 5:16 am
taught us how to drive stick in drivers ed class. first car was a 5 spd mitsubishi mini truck think the truck was late 70′s early 80′s. 2nd was a 5 spd s10. Ive owned 8 cars and 6 have been stick.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 6:11 am
My dad insisted that we learn on a manual. Good thing too, there’ve been a great many times I’ve been the DD and the only car was a manual. Also, it’s afforded me the opportunity to drive some really nice cars that I otherwise would have had to just ride in. My girlfriend is trying to learn stick, but the S2K isn’t the nicest to beginners (at least mine isn’t). I think I need to get a jeep so I can learn to fix cars while she learns stick
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 6:13 am
I learned on the s2000. I’m still by no means an advanced driver, but I can shift smoothly and I’m starting to get rev matching down. After I feel comfortable with that, it’s time to practice Heel-to-Toe. The first few days I was very nervous driving, then after a couple days it started to feel less awkward. I avoided hills like the plague until I felt comfortable with the clutch. I didn’t buck the car too much, but my shifting didn’t smooth out until about a month of driving. I’ll occasionally let the clutch out too fast, or not give it enough gas to compensate… but overall I’m completely comfortable driving it now. The biggest thing I learned was doing everything smoothly. It wasn’t just releasing the clutch smoothly that mattered, but: applying gas, changing gears in a smooth fluid motion. The transmission is definitely a bit overwhelming for a beginner as you said, because you feel everything since there’s no linkage. I look at it as a good thing now, because if I’m not shifting perfectly the car is letting me know I need to improve what I’m doing.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 6:23 am
I learned to drive a manual transmission by riding motorcycles from age 16-20, but the real learning took place on an old ’66 Mustang GT. It had a 4-speed and was set-up by a local speed shop to have a tight throw with minimum clutch depression. It was sweet and quick, but the S2K has it beat by a mile.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 6:39 am
[brief response to post #1] – I didn’t see what separation you were talking about in the picture. The leather wrap of the shift knob looks good and the boot connection looks about right. If the boot is loose, you will need to pull the console and replace the small tie-wrap on the inside of the boot (turn it inside out as you remove the console, no need to remove shift knob). Be sure to thread the new tie-wrap through the small laces that hold it in place.
Now back to question: I learned to drive a stick in my father’s 1952 Ford Anglia which was a floor shifter, so anything but “short”. I sat in his lap to drive when I was 10 or 12. My first car was a 1952 MG-TD (manual transmission, of course) followed by several Corvettes, also manual). The first automatic transmission I ever owned was purchased after I was married – for my wife.
I agree that the S2k is the smoothest shifting transmission I’ve ever experienced, and that’s with over 50 years of driving a wide variety of manual transmissions.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 7:16 am
One of the things I had to learn in driving school is a hill (slight incline) take-off without the e-brake, just foot brake & clutch pedal.
Its a little easier with a diesel (more torque at idle) but still possible in the S2k.
You only really notice how well the S2k shifts after you’ve been driving another car.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 7:36 am
My Parents taught me to drive for the first time on a manual 2000 civic when i was 14 and been driving them and pretty much only them since. and my my03 shift boot doesn’t sag and does have some kind of factory clip which you can feel in their which holds up the shift boot
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 8:25 am
You had to pass the driving test in Saudi Arabia on a manual car. I haven’t owned an automatic car yet, and Dad only ever taught us to drive on manuals
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 10:15 am
It’s almost like this article was written for me… kind of scary actually.
You see, I just purchased an S2000. I’ve wanted one ever since they were released, but it was never a reality until just this past Friday (4/15/2011). I decided to purchase a used AP2 2004 as a second car, rather than a much newer AP2 as a primary car – in part because it’ll be nice to have my other car for bad weather, but also because I have never owned a manual before.
The S2K is my first.
This past week has been interesting to say the least. With an appreciate for the car, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned for my clutch, the transmission, and so on as I’m learning standard. Everyone wants to learn to drive on their parents beater from the 80′s, but living in America with relatively well to do parents, I just never had a chance. They only ever owned automatics.
I have to say, even in the very short time (5 days) that I’ve owned this vehicle, and despite being far from mastering it, it has given me a completely new appreciation for the art of driving (both because the car is what it is, and the MT it is paired with are both new concepts to me). I could never go back at this point, I still love my automatic but driving it is no longer engaging in the least.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
The feeling of short stroke of s2000 is very unique.
The “Stick” of s2000 is really different to the “stick” of others.
You will agree with me if you have driven the stick of others.
on Apr 20th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
The S2k shifts totally different after it warms up if its cold. All cars are like this but in the S its extreme….like it goes from not wanting to move to best gearbox in the world!
on Apr 23rd, 2011 at 10:30 am
I learned on my S2000 the night I bought it in December 2009. It was extremely frustrating as I had only ever tried to drive manual once before and had never owned another one. I almost wanted to get rid of the car as it became very frustrating with hills, rain, and everything else.
As of now, I cant imagine driving any other car. I have driven many other cars, Subarus, Jeep, VW and nothing feels as smooth and in sync as the s2000. Nothing compares.
on Apr 24th, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Yeah I have the same problem in my s2k where the leather like material sits from the shift knob. some s2ks have it where the leather like material is up where the shift boot is. Is there anyway to fix that??
on Apr 25th, 2011 at 5:22 am
I learned my first time driving an 09 Mazda Miata(My Mom’s mid-life crisis), this was very rare though, maybe 3 to 4 times behind the wheel, however I did drive from Columbia to Greenville, SC in about 1:45 which was good, never stalled getting off the interstate or at any stoplights, i was scared that I would because I laugh at people all the time who do, this was when I had an Auto Jeep wrangler lifted with tires, but my best change was when I bought my S2k, The s2k was my main way of learning, I had a little practice on a closed course before I got out on the road, but after that it was all smooth shifting for me. I’ve learned how to rev match but haven’t quite mastered heel-toe shifting yet.
on Apr 26th, 2011 at 3:06 am
I learned to to drive in a 1928 Chev, then a 1930 Dodge. I believe they both had syncromesh on second & top when new, but by the mid 50s when I was learning in them, that was long dead. You either got the revs right or did not get a gear.
The short precise movement of the S2000 reminds me of the shift of the Hewland boxes in the 60s Lotus & Brabhams I raced back then. Of course the Honda is much more civilised than those crash boxes were.
However, for someone learning to drive a manual for the first time, something like my Triumph TR7 would make life easier. The much greater level of engine & exhaust noise of the more traditional sports car, & it’s smaller rev range make matching the revs to road speed much easier.
I have only done a few hundred Km in the Honda, & I am still finding it much easier to drive it with the roof off. Roof up it is almost too civilised for the performance it offers.
on Apr 29th, 2011 at 8:19 pm
I learned to operate gears on a motorcycle and had both automatic and standard shift drivers training in a simulator before I got my license. My mom’s car was a standard shift and my first car was a VW bug, manual shift. I was raised to think you needed to know how to drive both transmissions because you never knew what you would need to drive.
My S is by far my most fun vehicle so far that I’ve owned. I got to drive a Porsche 911 standard shift from LA to San Francisco one year and got paid to do it. And a friend of mine let me drive her Audi S5 when she was leasing it. The S is a pure driver’s car and is a blast to put through the paces.
on May 19th, 2011 at 4:57 am
I drove Automatic cars for 3 and a half years and I bought an s2000 without knowing how to drive a stick.
Whilst looking for which S2K I was to buy, many (if not all) of the owners mentioned that its a strange gearbox and takes a little getting used to.
Trying to go from automatic to manual was a little challenge itself.
Mainly years of only using 2 pedals. (Lazy!!)
So, I had 2 of my friends that have driven manual for many years, to both kinda teach me. With a little bit of practice I got the hang of it.
With a bit of experience using a shift, I decided it was time to see the cars potential. I found that shifting from 1st to 2nd (Hitting Vtec) felt like I was doing damage to the gear box, yet 2nd to 3rd and so forth were smooth.
I thought I was the problem, hence the lack of experience w/stick.
However I found that a lot of people over several forums also had this issue from 1st to 2nd gear. Apparently the syncro’s take time to work and is normal.
Overall from not having any idea of driving a manual, to driving daily an s2000.
It’s good knowing that I can drive a car that people I know who have been driving a stick for years, still take a little time to adjust to a s2k.
By far the best N/A 4 Cylinder in the WORLD.