My car is finally here!

Nervous though, because I am real rusty on driving stick, its been a while! And reading on here some people say this thing is hard to drive, smart to drive home being rusty, if I stick with sidestreets haha?

any pointers?

 

Clutch takes a bit of getting used to, that's all. You'll feel like you're shifting quicker than normal because of the gearing. First thing I would do is find a huge old parking lot and get the feel. Don't hang on the steering wheel, it's only cramp your hands.

It really is like the bicycle thing - once you know you never forget.

 

ya thats how i feel....went to check it out last night, and i started it, put her in first and slowly let the clutch out until she stalled, the stall point is relatively high up

 

You'll do great just give it some time and you'll be shifting like you use to but happier because your driving your Fit!

Cat :x

 

thanks cat

I know in no time ill be smooth sailing, but im just weighing around getting this thing the 1 1/2 mile drive home lol

 

Just go easy on the rev's until she breaks in a bit. Drive for economy the first 1K or so, then get a bit more aggressive. By 3000miles you'll be having FITFUN.

 

awesome thanks krimson

 

I agree, driving a car with a stick is just common sense. And I remember how good the one in my CRX was. It didn't give me any problems, the shifting was always smooth in it. Honda is always complimented in all the mags I read for their manual trannies. My Sentra SE-R had a good manual tranny in it too. It's biggest problem sometimes was putting it in reverse.

 

It's the easiest manual to drive in the most basic sense of the word. Just difficult to do smoothly and feel what's going on.

 

That sums up how I've felt about my Fit since I got it. Everything works crisp and only needs light touch for input from me, but somehow things are so light feeling that it's hard to know what the clutch is doing all the time, and that makes for some jerky shifts even now, 20000 miles into my car.

 

1-1/2?

HAHA... Up until I got my Fit I drove an M/T once in 10 years and that was 5 years ago.

So, try to imagine the first thing I have to do is get on the highway, because the dealer is close 50 miles away from me out in former cow country.

And you know what's funny? I never had to drive on the highway before with an M/T... so that was my first experience EVER driving on the highway with an M/T.

To top it off, I nearly got side swiped on the highway going 70 mph. Had to make sure left lane is clear, shift and lane change (swerve actually) and honk at the other driver (just in case she decided she wants to take ANOTHER lane) all at the same time. Talk about crash course! Fun fun fun.

 

I would get a short shifter if I were you. I regret waiting so long to get mine.

 

If its anything like the GD it'll be the easiest 5 speed in the world

I'm pretty new to stick and I drove a GD...omg omg omg so easy to drive

 

going to pick it up tomorrow...thanks for all the input guys!

 

I trained my sis how to drive stick in the Fit. She then bought an Si.

Her conclusion was that the Fit was FAR easier to drive. She's an expert now though.

Personally I didn't think the Si was all that difficult. It was just like driving my old Civic with another gear. The fit, though, that I can drive in my sleep. (well not really the best way to get from A to B but you get the idea, its fairly error-proofed)

 

Compared to the clutch in my old pick-up and the VW clutches that damn near take two feet and a running start to push in, the Fit is a breeze. I suppose the pedal lacks some feel as it engages, but you'll get used to it.

 

I agreee that long pedal courses aren't good, but to get more feel it would be good to have a pedal that is stiffer/ more firm.

 

Glad I'm not the only one having troubles adjusting to the Fit MT.

Like others have said it's super smooth and the pedal is easy to push in and out but the trade off is zero feedback of what's actually going on.

I'm getting better but there's still some jerkiness. I was so embarrassed on my test drive, it was like I was a student driver or something...but the salesman didn't say anything :P

BTW I'm coming from a 2001 Jetta that I bought new, so just over 9 years.

 

There's a whole lot to get to know. How about DBW-drive by wire., electric power steering, i-Vtec....

Take it good and easy to begin with. You've got 500M of getting to know the car/clutch/engine. By then drive for economy, because the MPG will continue to climb.

Somewhere around 1100M you'll be in the gears, but till then try not to embarrass your self_ Engine wants a nice smooth break-in. Search around the forums - all of them.

Welcome to the FIT - now you learn how to fit_

 

well maybe its a good thing that the fit is my TRUE first manual car....since saturday I would say by this morning 80% of my shifts are smooth and not jerky, I dont really have much to compare it to....I like it, the car feels together and its suprisingly easy to listen to the car