Here's a tip no one told me...

DO NOT STAY IN FIRST GEAR!

I thought I could drive the car (since I learned a really really tiny bit like a year or two ago) but when I tried to drive it home from the lot, a hill got me. Scared me too much and I had to have my friend drive it for me. (The ride home I was nervous as hell too, probably from shock of owning such a nice car ;p)

I was too excited and tried to learn to drive the car by myself in a quiet very low traffic neighborhood (mine) but I really had problems. I also didn't know that you couldn't stay in first gear, so I thought my car had some kind of engine problem since it was jerking around like mad. (I actually asked some people on S2ki what was going on, did a sensor whack too hahaha)

Finally with a bruised ego, I had to get my friend to show me how, and after that it was smooth sailing Still need to learn heel/toe though XD

Tips anyone? ;p

 

Depending on the size of your foot and the shoes you wear, you may need the "bent accelerator mod". There's a thread here somewhere about it.

 

After you get to the point where you can accelerate smoothly from first gear, go to the steepest hill around your neighborhood and try it again.

The thing that scared me the most learning manual was rolling back on hills. (especially when the car behind you is 2 inches away from your bumper.)

 

Easy as pie. Takes a short while to get the basics down, and in a few days of driving it every day, you'll be pretty proficient.

I felt that the controls on the S were a bit light in test drives, but great shifter and pretty good clutch.

I second the VW clutches suck. I had a Corrado SLC and the clutch had NO feel, and the shifter must have used some kind of wet-noodle linkage. I think BMW clutches are the best, bar none, while Honda clutches tend to be ridiculously light (makes the "feel" a bit harder to sense). However, I think Honda shifters easily outdo BMW shifters.

 

The BMW shifters are too loose for me (Specifically E46 M3). Is that the correct term? I also hate the look of the gas pedal. I love the short and firm shifting that the S2k gives! Never misshifted yet either

 

"long"

 

I don't understand the trepidation over starting on hills. Use the handbrake!

 

About 3 months.



My advice is to buy a late 80's civic and beat on it for 3-6 months, then get the S2K.

 

s2000 is my first manual car. I learned the concept of working a MT in a friends car and drove it around a quiet neighborhood a couple of times.

First time I ever drove in traffic was in my new s2000 all through metro and downtown ATL.

I never stalled and even managed to downshift a few times, np. Driving stick in hilly Atlanta SUV hell scared the shit out of me, though.

This car is pretty easy to get going, but the tricky part is learning how to drive it smoothly, particularly the 1-2 shift. I suspect the lightened flywheel may play a role here, I dunno.

At any rate, I think it's definitely doable, and after 3000 miles, I've never once smelled burning clutch, so I must be doing ok. Personally, I think it's a waste of time and money to buy a beater just to learn to drive.

 

Every car I've had (8 now) has been a stick. The S is no harder than any other, but I guess it would be a tough car to learn on. You'll get used to it. I suggest you get a beater to learn on though =) My current daily driver is an Audi TT Coupe Quattro and it's clutch is stiffer and has a longer throw than the S. I find when I switch between the 2 I end up slipping the TT more than I need to. The S clutch feels right, it's very precise. The TT feels a little sloppy compared. The TT clutch doesn't grab as hard as soon.