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: