Ok everyone, I will be getting my license in a few months (April to be exact) as will my sister (she is 2 years older than me). Well, today I went with my pops to get an oil change and we were looking around for potenial cars us kiddies. My Dad and I stopped at a Civic Si and said that he liked it, but when he saw that it was a manual he quickly regected it. I was like "Dad, what is wrong with a manual?" and he goes on telling me a story of his first new car that was a manual and how it was fun but "a pain in the ass" at the same time. Yet, I hear my golf coach, who has a manual, tell me that it is cake and that he loves it. So I wanna hear what you guys think for a first car, bear in mind that it will mostly be used to get from point A to point B (with a little fun), would be a logical choice. Oh, and this was one of the reasons that I gravitated to the Fit; paddle shifters. Thanks you guys.

Sorry if this is too long for you.

 

i went with auto...my dad made me do that because he wanted me to concentrate on the basics before i actually had experience....now i want manual, but for a DD auto is good enough...

 

haha when i was 15 in fl i started out with a 5 speed mustang.. you will do just fine

 

since your still in the learning process, you should get a manual and learn that. You are also The STIG, so you gotta get manual :)

 

I learned how to drive Manual when I was 14. When I was 15, I took my Dad's car to school whenever it rained and I didn't want to wait at the bus stop, hehe. When I was 16 I got a 5 speed Civic. Drove that for 6 years and now I drive an Auto Fit b/c I wanted to chillax when I drive.

I'd say getting manual for your first car is no problem, but definitely try to perfect your driving skills before you get your car (Ex. on a friend's beater car). You don't want to be stalling all the time and wearing down the clutch of your new car.

 

i'd say get the manual man. my first car was an auto. sure not having to deal with shifting and all that might be beneficial but i mean driving stick isn't rocket science. It becomes second nature so you shouldn't have any problems.

 

Dave Coleman of the now-defunct Sport Compact Car summed it up nicely.

"An automatic transmission is by far the simplest, most efficient way to ruin a perfectly good car. We all know automatics suck, but have you ever stopped to think why? Ignore the fact that they usually launch slowly, absorb valuable horsepower, or insist on changing gears when you don't want them to. The fundamental problems with automatics are just two things: The torque converter and their long, slow downshifts.
The torque converter functions much like a bungee cord connecting the engine and transmission. Hit the gas and the engine starts accelerating without you. Then, as the bungee cord gets tight (or the torque converter approaches its stall speed), the car starts accelerating. This delayed response is frustrating enough on its own, but the really maddening part comes when you let off the gas. The engine slows, but what about the car? You can't push with a bungee cord. Automatics offer virtually no engine braking, making it difficult to control the car's attitude in a corner, or even just follow the flow of traffic. No wonder all those Buicks and Suburbans constantly flash their brake lights for no reason.
Then there's the downshift. Let's say you're drifting into a tight turn (fumbling all over the brakes because the damn torque converter won't let you use any engine braking), you hit your apex, and roll onto the throttle. Then what? The car slows down! Then it thinks for a second, picks a gear and winds up the old bungee cord. By the time the car's ready to accelerate, you're almost to the next corner.
Frustrating or not, they're making more and more slush boxes every day. The sad fact is most Americans don't like driving in the first place, so a gearbox that isolates them from the driving experience just makes their misery sweeter. "

 

I learned to drive on manuals and haven't driven an automatic since (aside from rental cars). It can be done!

 

I would say the manual. Wish I would have learned manual. I still can just haven't yet but wish I would have right away.

 

My first car given to me to drive was manual. And I had no clue how to do it! Learn it, you'll love it. I can't drive anything but a manual now! Auto makes me sleepy.

 

My dad drives manual, so he wants me to learn. I was 18 and I had no clue how to drive stick, so he bought the car anyways. That way it FORCED me to learn. Took less than 2-3 weeks and I was already on the road. Definitely a better choice to get manual, it's enjoyable and actually fun to drive stick.

 

I think starting off with a manual has significant merit.

Look at it like learning photography with your dad's Canon F-1. Many cameras of today let you shoot great pictures without ever having to concern you with aperture and shutter settings, meter coverage area, or even setting focus. The F-1 forces you to learn the basics, while introducing you to a level of creative control.

If you learn with a manual trans, you will always carry that skill with you, whatever you end up driving later on. Someday you will need to help a friend by driving their manual trans car, and even teach your kids (!) to drive.

Yes, my Fit and my pickup happen to both be auto trans models, but I learned to drive in the desert in a 1942 military Jeep with a stick (no... it wasn't new, thank you very much!) There were also two additional sticks for 2WD/4WD and high/low range.

My present pickup has an auto trans to achieve the maximum trailer towing capacity, and my auto Fit was the only Fit available in town. The BMW convertible I traded in on the Fit was a manual. Obviously my bikes all have manual transmissions.

The type of driving you primarily do should be factored into your choice. In the stop-and-go traffic of L.A. or the Bay Area, a manual can become tedious, and annoy me pretty quickly. Winding along a nice mountain road, a stick seems the natural choice. I don't remember Florida as having many mountains, though I never made it to Miami. Maybe your college town will be different.

Happy shopping!
- K

 

i had a truck (auto) for 6 months right when i turned 16, then got an 05 accord ex (auto) for about 2 months, now i have my Fit (stick). i seriously learned in about 2 days. just PRACTICE, thats it. you will love it, and you will impress the girls and your friends.

 

get the stick shift! My first car was an automatic, it was cool. But every now and than id have the opportunity to drive a friends car that was manual and it was always fun(made me want a manual). So when i bought my fit i was still reluctant to get a manual even though i wanted to drive a manual. I considered a MT to be "inconvenient" whatever, but i didnt want to regret buying an AT again. So i just ended up buying the manual and i became efficient at driving it in days. Now im so glad i did get the manual, its so much fun! like another member mentioned"it becomes 2nd nature" which is true. When i first started driving it i would often stare at the tach to see when to shift, but now i just drive without ever thinking about it. Don't be like some of the members that regret buying their auto. =]

 

when my brother bought an EP3 he let me have his Focus which was manuel. i wanted to drive so bad that i just took it out just so i could go pick up my ex girlfriend. i was 16 and didnt even have a liscense yet! i knew "how" to drive manuel before i actually drove one just from watching my brother. i stalled a few times but day by day it gets easier! just gotta get use to the clutch and then it just becomes natural. now i drive stick without even thinkin of shifting, i just do it automatically lol!

 

Perfect analogy.

 

my first car was an MT as well.

when you put yourself in the position where you're forced to drive an MT, the learning curve is fairly tame. also, in an emergency situation if the only available car is an MT but you can't drive it then you're screwed-sideways.

try learning how to drive an MT car from an old, cranky, retired from the military, filipino dad and you'll want to kill yourself. pick your teacher wisely, he/she will dictate how soon you're able to drive confidently.

 

My 1'st car was a '71 Datsun 510 with a 5-speed manual. I've never looked back and I always get a manual if available. It helped that a friend had already taught me how to drive his manual car.

To me, its all about how you think of your car. If it's just an appliance to move you around, get an automatic, it's easier. On the other hand, if you think of your car is an extension of yourself, consider a manual. It really brings you in touch with the machine.

 

Also for a kid, its way cooler to drive a MT =]]. Than when you get another car, you can get an AT(if you want). I know some members on here regret not getting the MT and end up debating whether they should trade it in for the MT(having to spend more money). The way i see it is, how often do most people buy cars. Get the MT now, and switch to AT for the next car. =]]

 

Thanks a ton you guys, you all have been very supportive.

VERY TRUE!!!

Man Kirk, you remember everything! Anyways, we don't really have any real roads here so I can't say that it would be used as it should. As for college, I am still 2 years away so I really have no clue.

Hmmm. Impressing the ladies, eh? And nobody else will be able to drive my car (none of my friends care about cars).

Definitely, I would not want my dad to teach me; it wouldn't be very fun. My golf coach has a manual beemer (he doesnt care; he has driven through puddles at 50mph, his interior is a garbage, and the chrome on his wheels is falling apart) so he can teach me, and he is super cool aswell.


While I'm here, now that I see the process of getting a car, I see that a Fit is almost certainly out of budget, so do you all know of any car that is similar (hatchback, safe, economical, reliable, fun) but can be found for under $9-10,000? Unless you all know where I can find a Fit for around that kind of money! Thanks so much!