Hello all just joined the forums here because I just got my first new car. A lancer Ralliart manual. So far I like it but this is my first manual and I know I’ve read that I’m not the first one to start on this car as a manual, but driving a stick makes me a little nervous. Just wondering how long it took some of you to get used to the manual and if anyone had any tips?

 

wont take you long.... took me about 2 hours to learn to drive stick... after that I was fine to drive everywhere

 

another stick learner

join the club, my first manuel was the ralli-art aswell and ive only had my car for exactly 2weeks. I took me all but 2days to get it down good. Thou on the 2nd day, i practice with my mom for like 3hours straight, shifting, braking, clutching, going up hills, going down hills. Yeah, just have somebody who knows stick and just be patient or just go to in open parking lot (highschool, grocery store, etc.) and just practice shifting at different speeds. After you get it down, its really really fun and the mivec opens up

 

I mainly have problems starting moving in first. Not sure about hills since i havent worked on any of those so not sure what the problem is with that.

 

It took me awhile (weeks) because I learned on a '72 Ford with the stiffest clutch I've ever driven. It's still the most difficult thing I've driven to date, but everything else is a cake-walk.

 

i only had minimum experience b4 my ra (like ~3 hours total on friend's cars, before....years before). I didnt have anyone to teach me, so I went in pretty much totally blind. I had the idea by the time I got outa the dealer lot. Went around the block twice, stopped in a parking lot for ~10 mins. I had it down enough for the 30 min drive home. All in all, i dont think I stalled since day 3 (excluding the sparadic mental fart). Just remember: dont be afraid to give it gas, especially when starting on a slope. let the clutch out slow until you get the hang of it. WHen pressing the clutch between 1-2 and 2-3, SLAM it down to the floor, as it gets you a more comfortable ride. Turn the radio down and use your ears. its better than staring at the tach all day.

 

My Ralliart was my first stick car. I think its easiest to just sit in a parkin lot and figure out first gear. Dont even drive around.. Figure out where it catches at and then your set. Once you learn 1st then the rest just follow. I got my car in January. It prob took me about 3-4 days to really figure it out without a problem..

 

Congrats in you new car , it all comes with time , you will get better .One very important tip is that went you are donne changing gears remove you foot from the clutch, Is command with new Stick driver to live or rest there foot in the clutch pedal , They think because is not fully press that you are not harming The clutch but yes you are , you will be changing clutch in you car very soon.
My first car was a Toyota tercel 88, I drove the car 210.000 miles never change the clutch and never slip......

 

hey man...congrats on the car..lets see some pics...anyway, it wont take you long to learn, but a while to perfect....i think there are others that can back up what im sayin...to learn that finesse takes time...you'll get there bro

 

My best advice is to practice on a hill. A real steep driveway is the best. Work on taking off, rolling up and down the hill without using the brake, and holding still on the hill with no brake. I know this was my biggest fear when I was first learning to drive stick. I would get anxious when I was topped at a light on a real steep hill with people behind me. I was always scared that I would roll back too far and hit the car behind me. I would find myself over revving and squealing the wheels, or getting scared when I let off the brake and end up stalling (which would up my anxiety even more).

It was basically a mind over matter thing. Cuz I would be fine when there was no cars behind me. So like I said, practice practice practice. You'll find it's really not hard as long as you are comfortable with your abilities.

 

i learned on my tiburon and it didnt take me long at all, couple hours in a parking lot, i was for a day or 2 like you afraid of roling back into someone, and sometimes on really steap hills i do the ebrake thing also haha and its been several years now

 

Never EVER do this. Unless you like pulling out your transmission to have your flywheel machined and install a new clutch. You'll hotspot your flywheel pretty quick if you make a regular practice of slipping the clutch to hold you in place on a hill.

If you don't think you can let off the brakes, get on the gas, and start engaging the clutch quick enough to not roll back into the car behind you, use the parking brake. Set it, let off the regular brake, start giving gas and engaging the clutch. Once the clutch starts grabbing a little, then you release the parking brake, and off you go.

 

Good choice of car! Congrats, just keep driving it and soon it will not require any thought at all.