:iagree::iagree::iagree:

Although, she would be the coolest kid on the block with that Z..:rofl2:

Well said. I think everyone should be able to operate a manual and she should get some training ASAP but mastery is not needed. Defensive Driving training is, IMNSHO, a must. I took some company-sponsored classes when I was in my mid-20s and learned more about driving a car properly than I could have ever figured out on my own.

Didn't have to worry about cell phones with my daughter but my rule would have been: NO texting and only answer incoming calls long enough to say "I'm driving. Call you back when I'm parked." The more I think about it, it might be better to just ask for her phone before she left. :)

Edit: It's not that my parents didn't give me plenty of training (including skid recovery on ice in the HS parking lot) but they couldn't teach me everything.

Why were you learning to ride a bike with a wall in front of you? :icon17: Stalling is going to happen to pretty much anyone. You get better with practice.

I'm not suggesting that she take the MT to the streets without any experience. She will need a lot of practice in a closed environment, like an big empty parking lot. Can't remember who, but the best advice I saw someone on the forum post in regards to MT practice was find a row in an empty parking lot with the spaces across from each other and pull into a space. Reverse into the space behind you across the row and then pull forward back into the same spot you were in previously. Repeat ad nauseum.

I agree that the skill of driving a manual is almost completely unnecessary in this day and age. However, I think that the ability to drive a manual is a good thing. A MT will help focus attention to the road and limit the opportunities to use a cell phone while driving. If your daughter can pick up these good habits at a young age, it is better for her as well as everyone else on the road. I'm not saying you can't learn these in an AT, but I think the MT provides a slightly different perspective that would be beneficial.

I was learning in a parking lot, there was a building on one end and I was going towards it and my brain went herp derp trying to stop and I ended up jumping off :facepalm:

That was me. I picked it up from a good ole boy in the neighborhood when I was talking to him about teaching my gf to drive a standard. Just make sure there are no curbs or parking blocks in the parking lot.

Exactly. It's about teaching good habits early. Between that, and the ability to drive pretty much anything with wheels, starting her off on a manual is doing her a favor.

:rofl2:

D'oh! Still... practice makes perfect :tup:

I am of the belief it is easier to learn from the beginning than to go back later. So I would get her a manual now.

Driving a manual is a life skill and there are no cons to learning it. It teaches some fundamentals of how cars work that people who drive autos may never learn. From working on a lot of cars and talking to a lot of people, most people just know they turn the key, put the car in D and the car goes. Damned if they know how or why anything is. Most have no idea how to use those ear things on the side of their steering wheels (paddle shifters), or why the transmission lever has L, 2, etc. And I would bet that none of the people who had those problems with stuck gas pedals knew how to drive a manual. If they did, putting it into neutral would have been a no-brainer.

I have a friend who is one of 3 sisters. Their dad taught them how to drive on manuals and they never looked back. They are all grown women now, but they still buy manuals. The newest batch of autos are very good in higher end cars but the slushboxes found in economy cars are still pretty bad. You can save a bit of money getting a smaller engine with an MT and still get some pep.

Finally, I have to share the story of my friend who's wife called him while he was at work because she wanted to leave, but his S2000 was blocking her in the driveway. They had taken the S2k out the evening before and he forgot to park it on his side. So he spent his lunch hour making the drive home to move a car 10 feet.

It's a life skill and I think everybody should learn it.

Actually, I was thinking (as long as your not in a low car) that wheel stops might be beneficial :icon17: But yeah... if you're practicing driving in a parking lot, find one that is completely open with as little to run into as possible.

:iagree:

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I'm in the camp of now or never, better to learn when you're young. Although not 100% necessary it is very important in a household with manuals, and, its also more fun (IMO). I personally learned on a manual and got the hang of it in no time and I've always admired women that can drive manuals. Part of my dilemma is that while I live in Cali, my daughter lives in TN. I see her often so we're close, but its not like I can teach her on the daily. My plan was to buy her a Cali car then have her and I take a cross-country daddy-daughter trip for her to learn the car under all kinds of conditions and for us to see the USA together. There's another selfish reason for it too. This is what I want to get her.

One of the best plans I've heard in a long time. :driving:

Not really, but it's 100% of the time texting or 70%, and 70% is better than 100% IMO

:iagree:

Just not sure which route was nicer, the 10 or the 40

My brother required that I learn to drive a manual when I turned 15yrs. learned on his new acura integra GS. i never looked back, the ability to drive a manual efficiently sparked in me an insane life long addiction of driving everything fast. atleast for me, and modding every car I've owned to go faster. But no regrets, I love shifting.

Oh man, sweet

What she means to say is that your daughter's life will be in danger!!!
Get her a POS econoPOS with manual, and make sure the clutch is slipping too, so she knows how to do it, but hates it so she doesn't buy fast cars :stirthepot::ugh2::tup:

:iagree: sweet memories to tell her daughter.

My daughters first car was an Acura Integra manual. She loved it after she figured out how to drive it. None of her girlfriends could drive it (they didn't know how)' and when her boyfriends became unable to drive their car/truck, she had the skills to drive what ever vehicle they had. Also, changing gears makes texting more difficult, and you tend to pay more attention to what your doing.

awesome recap...exactly. :shakes head:

Cubano, my advice would be to let her drive your Nismo for a while. With you in it of course. As she grows in skill, show her advanced manual shifting tactics etc in safe areas. Then when driving manual for her is an artform and she still wants an auto? Get her the auto, but at least she will have the knowledge... :) good luck.

The transition going from manual to automatic is soo much easier than going from automatic to manual. just my 2 cents.. If she learns how to drive a stick, thats a lesson for life.. She'll always have it.

does your daughter care about cars or driving? if not, i would just get her an AT. most cars will be AT and will drive themselves in the future anyways. too bad she doesn't share the same passion as dad. same as my older kid. he's really not into cars at all. :shakes head:

good points!:tup:

One of my fatherly accomplishments that I'm actually proud of is the both my son and daughter learned to drive M/Ts when starting out and still prefer today (13-15 yrs later). My main reason for pushing this is that I see too many AT "drivers" being passengers, as it doesn't require nearly as much driver attention and awareness. Although it was certainly more difficult for them learning to drive, I'm convinced that made them better drivers. The #1 accident cause by teens and many adults is simply lack of attention and awareness, and this is 10X worse today with cell phones. M/Ts don't eliminate that problem, but they do raise a bit of a barrier. BTW, it will also keep their retard (n.o.i.) friends from driving their cars. Good luck. The one thing that is certain is that you will need all of it you can get!