I've driven manual (or trired to) for only about 5 times or so. Would the S2000 be easy or hard to learn on? I'm planning to buy one this summer.

 

It's not going to the be easiest car out there to learn with as it can be rather touchy, but it's not impossible. You'll get the hang of it rather quickly.

 

I think test driving it wouldn't be easy since I can't really get a feel of how the car really perform.

 

TqPolo, I completely learned on my S, and even though I wouldn't say I'm the best yet driving a manual, it wasn't very hard to learn on. I would definitely suggest after you have practiced perhaps with an experienced passenger, that you really get the feel for the car and even perhaps take some classes. The S is notorious to the amateur driver to spin out, especially in the rain. I have to take it pretty easy in the rain. You must really get to know the car before doing anything like canyons or pushing it to the limits.

One more thing, you might want to learn on a more affordable car, in case anything were to go wrong. I almost crashed an old GTI when stalling at a left turn. I learned on a S that had over 90,000 miles on it, so the clutch was somewhat easier to learn on. I didn't fear ruining the car as much, a fear you might have with a brand new S.

Good luck.

 

Get someone who knows how to drive a manual to help you, but avoid the one who yells at you everytime you make a mistake. Makes it a lot harder to learn and it gets really frustrating.

Here's some advice a friend gave me on driving a stick shift:

1) While the car is in neutral push down on the clutch.
2) Put the car in first gear.
3) Slowly release the clutch and at some point, you'll reach the friction point.
4) When you get to the friction point, the car will slowly begin to move forward and you give it a little gas(car should be movong forward now).
5) Slowly release more of the clutch and give it some more gas(don't floor it).
6) After the clutch is fully released and you gave it enough gas, the car should be moving forward.

I hope that helps.

~Josh

 

Thanks for the comments guys.

 

One thing no one told me at first was not to keep it in first gear.

It's for acceleration ONLY!

 

S is my firt manual car ....loved it

 

I was teaching my wife how to drive manual in the S2000. She said it was much easier to learn then the other car I was teaching her in, but she still has a long way to go.

 

Well I learned on my aunt's 02 Beetle, and always had trouble, the clutch on that thing will throw your knee back into your chest. I just KNEW I was gonna stall on my test drive of the s2000. After driving it I know how wrong I was, the clutch and transmission are so smooth, 4000 miles already and not one stall. With it being my first standard, I think thats pretty good. While it may not be the best first manual car, its certainly not a bad one to learn on.