Two fails at learning a stick
 

So was thinking that I want learn how to drive a stick on a fourth gen now to get ready for a fifth gen in a year or so. Well so far I tried to drive to cheap sticks so far and while I kind of got one going it was shaky and the other a total no go. I still want to get a fourth gen to help on gas but this time a auto. I guess what my point of saying all this is trying to see if a auto is good as a weekend car. My avalanche gets kinda boring during the week.

Autos can still be fun IMO. I love driving mine.

just ask yourself this(and assume you can drive a stick shift fine): would you rather have a manual or auto?

To me, it sounds like you are settling for an automatic after having a rough time with a manual trans. I say, keep at it until you can drive a stick shift well so you can make a much more informed/better decision as to what you like better; auto or stick.

Personally, I'll always recommend the stick over the auto.

You need a no pressure situation to learn this. I taught my wife how to drive a straight shift and believe me when I say if she can learn anyone can. When I taught her we got in the car at about 2 A.M. in the morning and went to a local business district. There was no one else on the road. We went up and down the streets and around the blocks, stopping and starting a bunch of times. At one point I was starting worry that we were going to wear out the starter on the car because she had killed the car so many times. In the end after about an hour in this no pressure situation she had a pretty good hang of it.

On a funny note. At the end a cop pulled us over and said someone had called in a suspicious vehicle complaint. I explained what was going on and he just laughed. Then as we were leaving the area after being pulled over there was a red light that had us stopped on a hill and the cop was right behind us. The wife ended up killing the car trying to keep from rolling backwards into the cop. The cop ended up driving around us. I am sure he was laughing.

When all was said and done the wife drove the car to work the next day and for almost 5 years after that.

Well I did drive a stick before when I was being taught and got that down in about 20 minutes so I do think if I keep trying ill get it. That being said I'm starting to think that the price range I'm at all the sticks are going to be pretty beat up. So even though I feel like I know how to drive a stick now I won't feel right until I do it in my own vehicle. I'm thinking about just getting a auto now and when I get my fifth gen ill just get paddle shifters.

To date I have taught 6 women and one guy how to drive a manual. The method I use is similar to what Alajoe used. I find a late night empty parking lot and I first have them get the car moving with out touching the gas. This teaches you how to slip the clutch and pay attention to what the engine sounds like. This helps the new driver learn how to get the car started in most any situation. Do this over and over again till you can get the car moving with one simple fluid movement. Once that is done then go out and drive and start shifting gears.

Massey

don't get the paddle shifters, they suck hard imo with such a delay.

*High five!* I totally agree! I too own an auto and I daily drive my Camaro and I love it. I'll admit that I'm not very experienced at driving a 6-speed, but I know how to drive one. If you decide to get an auto and don't want to get made fun of for not having a manual, put a 3000 stall converter into it. I say try to learn how to drive a manual first.

you don't need to justify getting an auto tranny. If it's what you really want, then get it. If you really want a manny tranny then get that. Stating "it will be beat up" etc doesn't hold water.

As long as both of my legs work I will always buy a manny tranny. It's getting harder to find them these days. I have in excess of a million miles on manny tranny cars and pickup trucks and yes that includes big city driving (or traffic to be more specific)

IMHO, driving a manny tranny around town makes you a more aware driver because you must drive the vehicle vs simply riding in it.

But, at the end of the day, manny trannys aren't for everyone. Baskin and Robbins has 31 flavors of ice cream for a reason.

I like my auto because it lets me keep both hands on the wheel when im sliding and and twisting, i remember how hard that was in the lude. But i also love the auto cause its a much better feel, more gears, more intune with the car, all around i just need a car some gas and a key(sometimes)

I really think the reason I want to get is a stick because it seems like that is what im supposed to do when you have a camaro. I might have got one already but like torque is good said they are really hard to find. When i have found them they were pretty beat up like (E-Brake not working, exhaust failing off) so i had to pass. Maybe im to young to appreciate the stick but Im really starting to lean toward a auto.

Stick is a young person thing, the real question is how do you drive? If its like your on a track 24 7 then get a stick and learn if you dont and need hands for other things, texting, talking and eating then get an auto.

you shouldnt be texting or eating behind the wheel of any car; i hate that crap

you can get better fuel economy in a manual, so if you ever want to DD this car, you can pull off some better MPGs

lol Alajoe i laughed when i saw that because it reminds me of when i taught my girlfriend to drive one hahaha

i personally like driving my stick, it feels like im more driving the car and having fun with it instead of just steering pretty much, i love stick IMO

my self i like the stick shift b/c unlike the automatic then u shift in to gear its there unlike the automatic

In england most people have manual cars. I drive a manual van in London everyday and I wish it was auto. My camaro and every American car I`ve owned has been auto and I plan to keep it that way I love em.

All boils down to personal opinion and feel. I keep the auto for trucks, jeeps, and vans. I personally love driving manual not only my camaro but any car. Similar to what Davescamaro93 said I feel more in control of the car, when you need to downshift you can, upshift you can, this can be really fun on curvy roads, and I feel a safety when having to slowdown quickly because I'm not just relying on my brakes (can be a life saver in snowy/rainy situations) I also like the fact that if you need to there is always the option to jump start.

another good fact by bandit 43

Both of our 'maros are auto and its what I personally prefer. My husband had a 86 manual camaro years ago and I never could leave the yard in it. It stalled every darn time. Now when we were first dating a friend of mine taught me to drive my husbands car. He had a ford escort and at the time it was brand new, I think a 91/92 or so. Anyway, it told you when to shift which I found funny but anyway, I learned it in an hour. I guess its just the difference in cars.

When we first married we had an S10 that was manual and had it about 3 years I think. We traded it for an auto. It was too hard to eat and drive!

I started to drive stick in my driveway about 8 months before I got my permit. I drove the car almost entirely without touching the gas pedal for most of those months. By the time I was driving it on the road, hills were my only problem (and I still mostly blame it on the terrible clutch that was in the car).
I love driving a manual, I feel like I am directly connected to the car instead of telling a computer I want the car to move forward. As for gas mileage, my transmission doesn't help. I have a bad habit of not shifting out of first until I hit 50 (km/h). After a few months you barely notice the difference between and auto and a standard (atleast I didn't), but I get bored driving automatics now.

Since I feel like I know how to drive a stickand I think its just the cars I have been driving I'm going to wait until I find a good one and then get it . Thanks for everyone's help

I started my Generation 4 search in January. I was dead set on a 6 speed. I had an 89 IROC Z 5 speed that I sold many years ago. (at 18 the insurance was a killer on a college kid) Now that I'm in my 30's I can again enjoy speed at a cheaper insurance rate. For every 10 automatics I found for sale I found one manual and it was beat to death. There was no second gear left. I drove some automatics and it grew on me. I ended up in a 97 30th Anniversary Z28 automatic.

@hookandladder I really know what you mean because tears the situation I'm in . I really want to buy from a dealer and would be willing to pay the extra money but I just can't find the right vehicle. I always thought though that if I found a z28 auto for a good price I would be happy with that but I haven't found either yet.

Thats right guys, we all have to learn how to pass with a manual, and I can drive one fine. But the opinion of american cars, (will at least mine) is that most should be an auto generally.
The camaro is so nice and lazy to cruise about with the auto, its nice on the later 4th gens as you can manual hold 1st and 2nd so still shift it. And with some ECU tuning you can get is to change gear much faster than any human, hands down (mine shifts in 0.2 s)

For auto cross or track the manual will be more fun, but i can only imaging in traffic it can really get annoying? Auto as best for the strip, as the other say, wack a 3000+rpm stall in there and the car is a real animal :D

just because you drive a manual doesnt mean you burn through gears the whole time your driving. I often skip gears, saves gas and frees up hand usage. one thing is important you must know how your responds and the catch point in your clutch.