Learning how to drive a manual can be a daunting task; from grinding the gears, to rolling backwards down a hill, there isn’t many more nerve racking moments then first learning how to row your own gears. Whether you’re a young car enthusiast, or learning a new skill, driving a manual gearbox can be one of the most enjoyable, and endearing experiences one can encounter behind the wheel.
Because if you're an enthusiast and don't know how to drive stick, it can be demeaning when other gate-keeping car nuts feel the need to comment on someone else's abilities. Plus, with the massive leaps and bounds the automatic transmission has made, some even wonder, what's the point of learning? If it's now slower to shift yourself, how could it be an enlightening experience? But the truth of the matter is that it's a call back to a time when driving a car required complete focus; no screens, no technology, just gas, tires, and an engine.
The lack of experience with 3 pedals can leave a novice driver wondering: what car is the most driver-friendly to learn on? With one of the most overlooked characteristics being the importance of learning on a car that is not only user-friendly, but abundantly produced as well. This ensures a reliable mode of transportation that has the opportunity to be repaired with cheap, plentiful parts.
From double-clutching, to rev-matching downshifts, here are a few cars that anyone can learn to drive stick on.
NA/NB Miata
There’s a reason “Miata is Always the Answer.” From its debut in 1989, it was meant to be one thing: the perfect driver experience. It’s delightful, little 5-speed is a major component why. The clutch is very soft, making it easy to find the engaging point. The car itself is super light, which always makes helps with accelerating from a standstill, and they made a million of these, making parts affordable and plentiful.
The toughest decision will be, which generation to choose? With prices also increasing on these once super-attainable roadsters, good examples will start becoming harder to find. Luckily for now, the hardest choice is: pop-up headlights, or not?
VW Type 1 & 2 (Beetle and Bus)
Not only do these two cars share the same engine and gearbox, they share the distinction of teaching multiple generations of drivers how to operate stick shift. Ask your mom, your dad, your elderly neighbor; one of them are bound to have learned on one of these cars. There isn’t a doubt as to why, either. The clutch feels solid, gears are easy to find, they’re notoriously underpowered and overweight which helps keep momentum moving forward at a safe speed.
Due in large part to their enthusiastic communities and forums, everything there is to wonder about VW's has already been asked, and answered. With combined production of 20,000,000 or so, parts are plentiful, and a good majority or interchangeable across these two vehicles thanks to the shared components.
Mk6 Ford Fiesta
Most econoboxes would be a good start, but none are quite as fun and as likable as the previous generation of Fiestas. The clutch is easy to engage, shifts feel solid and deliberate, and at the end of the day; if you happen to burn the clutch, it’s a Ford. Parts are a dime a dozen and labor costs will be much less intimidating than some options. Their plucky little three-cylinder engines are a hoot to rev out and bomb around your local autocross track.
Not to mention, with the current craze the car market is in, base models can still be had for a mere few thousand dollars. Undoubtedly the cheapest to appear in this feature, it won’t be hard to find a solid example with three pedals.
Jeep Wrangler TJ
There’s a reason the Jeep has been the go-to for off-roading and other outdoor adventuring, so much so that it's reached the point of ridicule amongst a lot of circles in car culture: it just won’t die. If it can take a beating off-road and still ask for more, it can handle a novice grinding a gear or two for a couple of weeks
Learning on a Jeep also opens up the world of adventure to its users. Of course modern automatics are just as capable of off-roading as their manual counterparts, but not everyone can afford a $40,000 car that will inevitably be forced to traverse some intense terrain. It can be quite relieving, and freeing, upon the realization that one could trash several TJ Wranglers before approaching the price of its automatic, JL brethren.
As mentioned in the beginning of this article, learning to drive manual transmission cars can be one of the most rewarding experiences an average enthusiast can experience inside a vehicle. It returns the attention to the best part of driving, the journey. After all, it was Enzo Ferrari who said, "the fact is I don't drive just to get from A to B, I enjoy feeling the car's reactions, becoming a part of it."