Where to learn how to drive stick shift

[Anonymous]

Hi. I am interested in learning to drive a manual AKA stick shift car. Can anyone recommend a driving school or teacher in the Bethesda/Rockville/Gaithersburg area??

Thanks so much!

[Anonymous]

No recs here, but an opinion (not that you asked for it!)

I think that driving stick is a great skill, but once I moved to the DC area I vowed never to drive a stick again. There is too much stop and go traffic and your left leg gets REALLY tired.

[Anonymous]

Check with I Drive Smart driving school. They are run by police officers and stress safety, but seems to me they should teach on a stick if asked.

Do you have any friends who are willing to let you try their manual cars?

[Anonymous]

http://www.idrivesmart.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No recs here, but an opinion (not that you asked for it!)

I think that driving stick is a great skill, but once I moved to the DC area I vowed never to drive a stick again. There is too much stop and go traffic and your left leg gets REALLY tired.

Totally agree. I used to be happy and proud driving my Saturn stick shift in the DC area but after having to spend $600 in repairs (one little piece was broken) and getting tired of shifting at every stop sign and light I decided it was time to say goodbye to that car. The person that had sold that car to me gave me a few lessons with stick shift. After that, I learn from mistakes.

[Anonymous]

Used to be a standard transmission car was cheaper and easier to fix. I've heard that's changed. But I still like having the feeling of control that a stick gives you so OP, go for it! Still, will admit that the period during which we had an automatic transmission car, it was nice to be able to drive and hold a cup of coffee!

[Anonymous]

"proud" ?? Proud to drive a stick. LOL. YNTGOM

[zumbamama]

I don't know any schools, but driving a stick is fun! I used to work for Road and Track Magazine and I was scared to learn at first, but then you kind of feel like a race car driver once you get the hang of it. I know many people who think automatic is a bore...but they are usually auto-crazy people. It is more fun to drive long stretches than in a city though.

[Anonymous]

If you live in DC---best thing about a stickshift is that it will never get stolen. The juvenile delinquent car thieves don't know how to drive stick.

I went to Rent-a-Wreck with a very patient friend and then learned by driving around empty office parking lots on a weekend.

[Anonymous]

I'm from Brazil and only very fancy expensive cars are automatic. We learn stick shift from the beginning! Sorry OP, no suggestions but I also fell proud driving my stick shift around. Not everybody has this skill and it teaches you to "read" your car so you learn to optimize the use of your automatic transmission in case you drive both.

[Anonymous]

I wish my Honda Accord has both stick shift and automatic transmission.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks for the replies everyone! I am not sure I will ever buy a manual car but I decided that it's a skill I'd like to have. I also think it will give me a challenge!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"proud" ?? Proud to drive a stick. LOL. YNTGOM

What are you, 12? I had to google YNTGOM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replies everyone! I am not sure I will ever buy a manual car but I decided that it's a skill I'd like to have. I also think it will give me a challenge!

you could use a motorcycle to learn this skill - it's transferable.

[Anonymous]

I have driven stick shift pretty much since I started driving. I am from Germany and that's how you learn how to drive. I like it even living in DC, I think it makes me pay more attention to operating a car rather than focussing on other things. Plus, when done right, it is actually more fuel effective.