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Anyone taught their wife to drive a Manual Trans?

Kogi

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I taught my wife on a WRX. We went to a huge parking lot and we started by just learning the clutch and when it engages/disengaged.
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FastM400

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My wife got an S2000 when we got married, but this was an easy stick to learn on...I later found out you didnt need to push the clutch in to change gears if you did it quickly...ahhh to be young, naive, no kids, flush with cash and not worry about blowing your transmission
 

BroncBro

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I want to buy the manual transmission Badlands. But, my biggest concern with this being my daily driver, is there will always be a few times a month where my wife needs to drive my car (and me drive hers, for seating for our 4 kids).

Facts about my wife:
  • We are late 30's, and she's never driven a stick
  • She doesn't like trying new things
  • She doesn't like the idea of a stick shift
  • She would be mortified if she stalled the truck in the middle of an intersection - even if just for a few seconds
I'm assuming these newer manual transmissions are very very forgiving - compared to the 1990 Honda Accord I drove 25 years ago...?

I haven't owned a stick since I got married (17 years), but want to badly. Can I teach her? Or more likely, can I have my Dad (much more patient than I) teach her? Or is it not worth the stress and I should just get the Auto and 2.7?
Do you and your wife a favor. 100% get the automatic. It is a great transmission. You don’t want her first impression of your awesome new Bronco to be a frustrating event. Happy wife, happy life.
 

Evilriderobx

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I want to buy the manual transmission Badlands. But, my biggest concern with this being my daily driver, is there will always be a few times a month where my wife needs to drive my car (and me drive hers, for seating for our 4 kids).

Facts about my wife:
  • We are late 30's, and she's never driven a stick
  • She doesn't like trying new things
  • She doesn't like the idea of a stick shift
  • She would be mortified if she stalled the truck in the middle of an intersection - even if just for a few seconds
I'm assuming these newer manual transmissions are very very forgiving - compared to the 1990 Honda Accord I drove 25 years ago...?

I haven't owned a stick since I got married (17 years), but want to badly. Can I teach her? Or more likely, can I have my Dad (much more patient than I) teach her? Or is it not worth the stress and I should just get the Auto and 2.7?
YES I left went fishing she taught herself
 

Garemlin

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The more interesting question would be anyone's wife taught you to drive a manual?? :LOL::ROFLMAO::LOL::ROFLMAO:
 

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Flourman

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The Bronco will be my wife’s DD. I had reserved the OBX and realized it was auto only. She MADE me get another reservation for a Badlands so we could have the manual. That was literally her only requirement.

I’ve got a YJ with a T18 in it (wide throw, low, non-synchro’ed first) and she drives that like a champ.

She learned how to drive a manual because SHE wanted to And has had a few manual cars by choice. She’s also one that will hitch up to our camper and tow it across the country and not think twice about it. She backs trailers like a boss too.
 

Treeza61

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I want to buy the manual transmission Badlands. But, my biggest concern with this being my daily driver, is there will always be a few times a month where my wife needs to drive my car (and me drive hers, for seating for our 4 kids).

Facts about my wife:
  • We are late 30's, and she's never driven a stick
  • She doesn't like trying new things
  • She doesn't like the idea of a stick shift
  • She would be mortified if she stalled the truck in the middle of an intersection - even if just for a few seconds
I'm assuming these newer manual transmissions are very very forgiving - compared to the 1990 Honda Accord I drove 25 years ago...?

I haven't owned a stick since I got married (17 years), but want to badly. Can I teach her? Or more likely, can I have my Dad (much more patient than I) teach her? Or is it not worth the stress and I should just get the Auto and 2.7?
So why is it so important to get a stick? My wife drives a stick very well, but we are now in our late fifties and don’t want the headache in busy traffic. I had enough of that with my four speed Z28. Are you really going to need a manual more than the times your wife will need to drive it?
 

_2020_

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Car & Driver just published a pretty good article on "Learn to drive a manual with this one easy trick". I had stumbled on this method with our 4th child after having a difficult time with the first three. :) I think you can learn to drive a stick on just about any reasonably powered vehicle. Harder on something underpowered or overpowered. Bronco with the turbo I4 and low rpm torque aught to be just about ideal. Have fun and happy family driving!
Driving a stick has nothing to
Wife bought a Focus ST with only 1 or 2 lessons - has been driving it ever since. The amount of torque makes it tougher to stall - similarly teaching in a bronco with the crawler gear will make it near impossible and allow her to get a feel of clutch engagement.

Also the hill-start assist will alleviate some of the hill anxiety.

Having taught countless people stick shift I would recommend repeating steps 5-7 100x over to gain plenty of confidence and slowly picking up the rate of clutch release before ever adding the gas pedal or shifting to second:

1) Find flat parking lot
2) Place in first, shut engine off
3) Student hops in
4) Teach them how to start
5) Shift to neutral, foot on brake, other foot off clutch on the floor (newbies love to ride a clutch)
6) Shift to first, off brake, and as SLOW as physically possible release the clutch (NO GAS PEDAL)
7) Once moving, STILL NO GAS PEDAL, clutch-in, brake and shift to neutral once at a stop

EDIT: Also love this video
Well give a little revs at #6 to prevent stalling and be able to start promptly if needed!
 

Tdubz

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Just get the auto. Look at it this way, if there is an emergency and she has to drive your car, wouldn’t you feel more comfortable with her driving an automatic? The added bonus is that you’ll also get remote start for free!

for me, manuals are like boats. It’s cool to know someone who has one so you can use it every once in a while, but I wouldn’t want to own one.
 

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LARELL

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My parents taught both my sister and I how to drive a manual. My mom always said she wanted us to know how so that man can't keep us from driving THEIR car just because "we don't know how" ? I love a manual transmission.
I do say that having my parents teach me was probably one of the worst things ever, if you have a friend willing to teach her that might be the way to go. She may take things less personally and it keeps the two of you from getting in an argument that carries on outside of the driving lessons.
I am tempted to get the manual Bronco, but my husband wants the 2.7 and doesn't want to have to drive a manual ( even though its my DD). He wants to enjoy the Bronco on occasion too.
 

Ft. Worth Rob

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My wife taught herself to drive a manual in her first car, a Nissan Pulsar, and she and I have had several over the years. She’s 58 and over it now. I told her I’m getting a 2 door manual and she’s complaining about wanting a four door automatic. I could care less which transmission we get so I’m going to “compromise” and tell her she gets her way on the transmission and I get my 2 door.
 

Funkdoobiest

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I taught my wife back in high school and have had a few over the years. She hated every one of them.
 

ac360

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First time I drove there was in a 4-speed at night and it was raining. I had to parallel park on a hill, but me and a couple of friends were going to a show at Bimbo's "by any means necessary" haha.
I have not been to the North Beach area (where Bimbo is located in S.F.) for over a decade. Used to walk by Bimbo everyday in the mid & late 80's when I was in my teens.
My first stick car was a used 84' Honda Prelude with a 5-speed. Loved that little coupe. Drove it all over S.F. and the Bay Area. Even did a few road trips to Texas and Oregon in it.

A bit off topic:
Interestingly, I'd recently came across a real estate listing article from a local S.F. newspaper saying that the Giuntoli family (founder of the Bimbo Nigh Club) was putting their residential house up for sales. I'd always though the owner had left the city back in the 90's when the night club was in decline.

Here's the article: https://www.sfgate.com/ontheblock/s...b-owner-1937-Lakeside-home-sf-sale-207301.php
 

FLSTFI Dave

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My wife drove a manual Bronco II when we got married. We have had several manual trucks and corvettes. I did teach all 3 of our daughters to drive a manual. They did have some motivation. Could not get driver’s license until they could drive a manual and back a trailer. The oldest is 35 and baby 29.
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