Nobody else drives my car, ever. Except when they do…
I’ve tried to stick to this rule since I purchased my NFR in 2009. I’ve seen too many owners’ cars wrecked by their “friends” to ever trust anyone else behind the wheel. Almost without exception, guest drivers fail to consider that exploring the limit in someone else’s pride and joy might be a poor decision. The last time I broke my rule, I ended up watching from the passenger seat as the overly enthusiastic driver hit triple-digit speeds in a 45mph zone. I got lucky- the only thing damaged was my fuel economy, which is distinctly marginal anyway.
Why is it, then, that even owners like me will subject their car to one of the most mechanically abusive acts possible, not just suspecting but knowing some harm will be done?
I refer, of course, to teaching someone else to drive a manual transmission.
The ability to operate a three-pedaled vehicle is a skill I firmly believe all licensed drivers should possess. Along with changing one’s own oil, fixing a flat, and opening a beer on the edge of a workbench, it is an essential component of self-reliance. Sadly, in this era of flappy-paddle “sports cars”, AAA, OnStar, and free maintenance, many young people lack the desire (or in some cases, the opportunity) to develop such expertise.
Historically, the requisite knowledge for all of the above would be passed from father to son, or in some cases from other family members. Today, though, 85 percent of all new cars sold in the United States are automatics, and that number grows annually. Programs such as ZipCar enable the convenience of driving without the experience and emotional bond of car ownership. Most new-car warranties require or provide dealer maintenance. Domestic bottled beers are twist-top, but I digress…
My parents, like most others, had two cars. Both saw duty as family cars, so, in deference to the realities of road trips and my mother’s unwillingness to learn stick, were inevitably automatics. I wasn’t about to let such trivialities bother me; I taught myself on a Boxster I “borrowed” from the local Porsche dealer. To this day, I admire the salesman’s ability to keep a straight face while the odor of burning clutch pervaded the cabin.
A close friend recently decided to purchase a first-generation Miata. He could not, at the time of that decision, drive a stick shift, but he decided to go ahead with the purchase regardless. Anticipating the need to drive the car back to his apartment, I reluctantly agreed to allow him to learn in my S2000. Much stalling and angry transmission noises ensued. Fortunately, after a few lessons, another friend volunteered his Accord coupe, which proved much easier for a beginner, being blessed with a progressive clutch and the ever-elusive phenomenon known as “torque”.
In this day and age, then, it falls to those of us who still possess a proper automobile to spread the gospel of the Third Pedal to our friends and family wherever possible. Some sacrifice will doubtless be involved- worn clutches, unhappy tires, a few ground synchronizers. It’s worth it, though. Seeing your student start to catch on, perhaps leading to the purchase of a manual car of their own, and hopefully culminating in them taking on students of their own, proves unexpectedly rewarding. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go order some replacement parts.
If you’ve recovered from the post-traumatic stress, please share your automotive teaching experiences below.
Images courtesy of richmc, vwpiloto and flyingtoaster
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on Nov 21st, 2011 at 6:25 pm
i agree fully that everyone should learn stick. a close buddy of mine has been bugging me for months to teach him how to drive stick and just before reading this i gave him his first lesson. he’ll be ready for the ap1 he wants in no time. great article
on Nov 21st, 2011 at 6:27 pm
I have found that in teaching someone to drive an automatic the first thing said and shown should be how & where the clutch engages. If an good explanation of how this clutch/gearing works is the start of the learning process I have found things tend to go alot better with the “student”. To my amazement I was able to explain how the whole clutch, gear deal works and had a young lady slowly let the clutch out until it started to grab, told her to touch the gas and wouldn’t you know it, in 5 minutes she was doing a good job and had not stalled yet…. it was the second red light(when I stayed silent about disengaging the tranny) that she stalled the car using the brakes.
My father grew pretty impatient with my sister in teaching her and refused to show me at all so I learned on my 2nd car that I bought new(by choice) with no help at all, meerly a here are the keys, good luck!!
on Nov 21st, 2011 at 6:28 pm
teaching some one a Manual over automatic ***
on Nov 21st, 2011 at 7:02 pm
I have five (5) children. two (2) sons and three (3) daughters. I taught my oldest son to drive an automatic when he was 10 in case of an emergency. My oldest son has ‘learned’ in my S2K when he has come home to visit. My youngest son’s car is a ’97 Honda Accord manual and when his youngest sister wanted a car we bought a ’89 Honda Accord manual for her. The concept took awhile for my youngest daughter, but now she doesn’t want to drive anything else. My wife learned to drive a manual in her teens, but hadn’t driven one for many years. She’s comfortable in my children’s cars and says the clutch is too stiff in the S2K. On a summer trip she took her turn running the gears as I slept away the miles.
on Nov 21st, 2011 at 8:22 pm
Both of my sons learned driving basics (rules, aiming, parking) on an automatic (“Mom’s car”) but #1 inherited my 5-speed NX-2000 (which was the occasion for my first S2000!!) – he later inherited Grandma’s (automatic) Aveo and has learned to drive an ambulance. When the time came we gave #2 a used 5-speed Civic, in which he passed his driving test. He just bought a WRX this summer and ran his first learn-and-drive autocross a few weeks ago, with a respectable showing. About 2 years ago I gave up my y2k S2000 (red w/ spoiler) with 201,000 miles (all mine) for a pre-owned ’06 (silver, red/black, no spoiler).
The only drivers of my S2000′s in my absence (besides mechanics) have been my wife, #2 son, and a trusted work colleague.
What will we do when the world runs out of S2000′s?!
on Nov 21st, 2011 at 8:51 pm
I learned to drive when I was 15. My dad had a midlife crisis – divorced my mom, and bought a shiny new miata. I managed to convince him (don’t know how) to let my mom and I take it to New Hampshire, where our my mother’s parents lived and where my grandfather spent his life building an airport.
There was a big field that had been cleared of rocks (for the planes) so my mom handed me the keys and said “Here, go teach yourself how to drive”.
I had never touched a gas petal before, but I spent hours out in that field, brutalizing the clutch, and learning everything I could learn.
on Nov 21st, 2011 at 11:50 pm
The drivers licence tester in my old town had a standard test. Once around a city block, then just out of town to the steepest hill in the district.
No autos in that town, any car was hard to get back then, & not a hand brake in town would hold on that hill. Some old things foot brake had trouble. You had to do a standing start first time & you had your licence. Fail, & you could come back in 2 months to try again.
Anyone who got a licence in that town could handle a clutch.
There was one lady, who became famous. He finally took pity on her, & passed her on her 25Th birthday. She hadn’t managed the standing start, but she had been back, every 2 months, since she was 18.
on Nov 22nd, 2011 at 5:18 am
The S2000 was my first stick and I bought it with some apprehension. Coincidentally, like the author, I had learned on a Boxster as well. I knew everything in theory, but I still hadn’t developed that muscle memory in my left foot.
The first week of ownership was tough (I did have one embarrassing stall at a busy intersection), but the S2000 is rather forgiving in my opinion. I feel like it’s an excellent vehicle to learn on since the car communicates everything so well.
At this point, I’ve taught two others how to drive stick and neither of them stalled or burned out. The S2000 is still a Honda, after all!
on Nov 22nd, 2011 at 5:59 am
Sacrifices may be made, but make them with the right car. Buying a heavily used Miata for someone to learn the ropes on is a good idea. It’s fun to drive and cheap to fix. Moreover, they can be had super cheap and sold for approximately what you paid when you’re done teaching!
on Nov 22nd, 2011 at 8:12 am
My 16 year old daughter is currently in Driver’s Training Courses with Automobile Club of Southern California. We do not own a car with an automatic transmission. We have a 1968 Datsun 2000 Roadster, a 2005 Acura TL A-Spec 6 speed MT and, of course, my 2003 Honda S2000.
The Auto Club trains with Automatic Transmission, wisely with a passenger side brake peddle. So I’m letting them do the driver’s training for now, while I’m doing the Manual Transmission training. It is known in the family that the kids will not be allowed to drive the Honda or the Datsun (no airbags, anti-lock brakes…). So MT training is being done in the Acura. I took her out for her second MT training session on Saturday. She did very well, and obviously has started learning the balance of the clutch/gas peddles. Now all we have to do is combine the MT training with the Drivers training. She’s not yet ready to drive in traffic with the MT, but that will come with additional practice in both disciplines.
I’ve been driving for 32 years, and thinking back on it, I learned to drive with an Automatic Transmission. I didn’t learn to drive MT until two years later, when I bought my first MT car (1980 Dodge Cold POS). I am not adverse to teaching basic driving skills in an AT then, when they get some real miles and experience under their belt, teaching MT driving (preferably in THEIR car). We just don’t really have that option right now. But I do think it’s a valuable skill to learn.
on Nov 22nd, 2011 at 8:47 am
I believe that all beginning drivers need to drive a MT car. There is not one moment while driving in town that I dont know what speed im going or what gear im in. What is most benficial about this is that YOU MUST USE BOTH OF YOUR HANDS AND BOTH OF YOUR FEET!!!!!! no time for talking or texting on the phone. My passenger is always the designated texter or holder of phone.
on Nov 22nd, 2011 at 8:57 am
When I went to pick up my s2000 I had to drive form Dallas to Houston in my prelude. I ended up leaving the prelude with the person that sold me the S. I had a plan to come back down next weekend to pick it up. Worst case is that I would fly down or rent a car to get down there, but I had a friend that said he would come down with me and drive the prelude back. When we got down there he revealed to me that he had only driven a stick a couple times in his life. he was familiar with it, but didn’t have much practice. It turns out that the prelude is not the best car to learn (relearn) on. I spent about an hour in a vacant lot giving him some pointers and coaching him. After that we went to get some lunch. I made him drive a couple miles down a non busy road that had a couple lights so he could get some practice in traffic. He did good and only stalled it once. He was not the smoothest with it yet, but he was getting the hang of starting from a stop and shifting through the gears. Eventually we decided that it was time to hit the road and head back home. He would follow me in my S around Houston and back up to Dallas. The plan went off without a hitch. He drove that Prelude like a boss all the way home without stalling or anything. When we got back to my apartment I gracefully pull into a parking spot, breath a sigh of relief and turn off the S. As I was sitting in my car I hear a surge of engine and rattle from the preludes loose exhaust. I look to my right and see my friend stall the prelude 4 feet from pulling in to this slightly inclined parking spot. That noise is followed by that was grinding from the starter, more engine surge and more rattle form the exhaust as he pulled forward a couple feet and then stalled again. I figured he was getting a bit flustered, so I began to step out of the S to give him a hand. He proceeded to start the car again, give it a truckload of throttle and dump the clutch. The ‘lude lunged forward into the space where he promptly hit the brake and stalled the car again. The car was parked well enough so we left it to go get some beer. It was funny how he did great for the entire 200 mile trip and then only really had trouble pulling into a parking space.
on Nov 22nd, 2011 at 8:14 pm
Many people talk about the unforgiving clutch of the s2000 for the beginning learner of MT; however, while I learned to drive MT in a 1990 Honda Civic, the s2000 was the first MT vehicle I have ever owned and I feel that it is quite forgiving. Almost all of my friends drive automatic transmission vehicles and I try to convince them to take my car our for a drive but none have taken my offer (probably because they realize how much my car means too me). I too believe that one should be able to drive a MT in the case of an emergency.
on Nov 23rd, 2011 at 12:12 pm
No one drives my S2000′s but me. Period. If someone wants to learn how to drive a stick I will be happy to teach them in my 16 year old Civic. If they balk at that too bad, have somebody else teach you. In spite of what everyone may think about the S2000 this is not a first car for diletantes case in point in 2008 a colleague asked me about buying his son an S2000 for graduation, I told him he would be foolish to give an S to a 17 year old that he would wreck it within 3 months. He did not listen and the end result was his sons 2007 yellow s2000 was wrapped around a tree 4 days after purchase. 1st stick shift 1st rwd need I say more.
on Nov 24th, 2011 at 10:59 am
Story #1
I’ll start of with saying that my whole family drives automatics. I am the only one who prefers a manual. And for that my family looks at me like I’m crazy at times. I went out and taught myself to drive a manual by choice(Friends’ 1993 Suzuki Swift hatchback) and purchased my first new car at 21, 2002 Nissan Sentra SER Spec V, by choice. Now I drive an 07 LBP s2k with the most joy. Every single day, I count the minutes until I finish up work and can get out of my work truck and into my S. My family now understands and loves my car, hate the ride but loves the way it looks, sounds, performs and what it means to me, well some them…The others still look at me like I’m crazy, but that’s ok, because I know that “they ARE a little crazy” hahaha,
Story #2
Started giving a driving lesson to a friend that has driven a manual before but not well. I figured a friend took the time and clutch abuse out of his car(1993 Suzuki Swift mentioned above) to teach me so I guess it’s time for me to “pay it forward”. Started of the lesson, a soon as we started off my friend immediately went for the gas pedal as the clutch was engaging. Told him to stop, forget about the gas pedal and concentrate on “feeling” the clutch. He let the clutch out w/o stalling for the next 5-10 min with at first, 1st gear and then reverse. then moved on to the gas pedal. Now I trust him to drive my car anytime, well if you can pry my hands off the steering wheel,
on Nov 24th, 2011 at 7:01 pm
I let one of the guys that works for me drive my S. He has a M/T 370Z. Since he didn’t know he needed to rev-match, he put a big pit in my inner CV joint when he shifted into 3rd at 40mph with absolutely no gas pedal application.
on Dec 7th, 2011 at 12:28 am
I let my friend drive my 07 LBP and he began making these weird noises (some were Jap I think) thinking he was God Hand in Initial D. The test drive was pretty short.
Another friend drove a few traffic lights then handed it back to me saying he couldnt take the rawness of the car (it was pretty stock at the point). Another short test drive.
Never again.
on Dec 9th, 2011 at 6:45 pm
i remember the first time i drove stick… i had the desire too for soo long, i would beg my dad to let me get a stick for my first car and he wasnt completely convinced that i should. one day we were at a friend of my parents who happened to have a civic hatch, stick of course, and i mentioned have i wanted a stick but didnt know how to drive it…so he made the sacrafice…first he said hey i need to go to the store, you want to come?…i agreed because i wanted to ride in the pimped out hatch…mind you this is before all the “Fast and the Furious” movies when the car scene wasnt as mainstream as it is today. so i went to get into the passenger seat and he said NOPE…your driving us…i swear my jaw droppped, uuh uh uhhhh are u suree?? lol sure enough i stalled a few times. espcially with all the speed bumps to get out of his development. but the quick lesson paid off and i was hooked!…unfortunately my first car wasn’t stick, but then again it wasn’t my choice according to my parents. I still desired for a manual but a couple yrs went by and i saw a RSX type-S for sale that i had to have…mind you i hadn’t driven a manual except for the rare occasion for a couple yrs. I stalled test driving it but u better believe i took that baby home and i’ve never turned back to an autotragic…
Now im on the hunt for my perfect “S” and i always remember the buddy that made the sacrafice of his clutch and i know i’ve made my fair share of sacrafice and have taught at least 6 people on my RSX and Integra’s..pass on the love of the clutch!