Learning to drive stick with a NSX?

DopeScope

DopeScope

Registered Member
Joined
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Location
Sacramento, CA
I know it's probably a stupid question, but is this do-able or would it be completely inadvisable?

I'm currently hoping to find a NSX to use as a daily driver, so looking at older, high mileage NSX's currently and also hoping to keep costs as low as possible obviously. I'll be keeping my current car (2000 Accord) so as to have something slightly more practical and also to keep insurance costs lower.

Now, I know the basics of driving stick and I've had a friend teach me and let me drive around a parking lot for a little while but I certainly don't feel comfortable hitting the streets with a manual transmission yet. And given that I want to use the NSX as a daily driver, would an automatic be a better idea? I like the idea of driving a manual but I don't know if I want to actually deal with the hassle of doing so. I'll also be sometimes driving into the Bay Area where I imagine driving stick would really suck on the hills.

So given all this, any thoughts from those of you that have driven an auto vs a manual? I know the auto has less power and what not, but I imagine since I'm coming from an Accord I'm in for a world of difference regardless of what I select.
 
do-able, yes. but I would get comfortable on a friend's car first, if he is willing. Why risk burning out a $2-4k clutch when you can play with a $500 clutch :D

In fact, buy a cheap car, learn on it, and sell it for as much as you paid :D

personally I'd go for the manual over the auto, but the auto has it's fans as well. I'd put in the effort to learn how to drive stick if I didn't already.
 
Buy a beater early 90's Accord to learn on. The $2K+ clutch in an NSX can be used to learn, but that could be an expensive lesson.

My wife doesn't know how to drive a stick. I am going to go look at a Wagovan today that needs a transmission - thinking about buying it and putting it back in operating order, just so she can learn on it. I'd love for her to be able to take the NSX out when she wants, but she doesn't like the idea of toasting a $2K clutch as much as I don't like it.
 
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the last guy to let his wife take his YELLOW NSX out it had bald tires and she wrecked it. now it was 100% his fault for not putting new tires on since they were past the bald mark.

I taught my wife in my NSX I just put new clutch in so she couldnt hurt it, then as I sat passenger I could smell it I said enough lessons for today LOL that was more than year ago LOL.

no more lol
 
gleibig said:
I did. 10min of practice and I was good to go.
Click to expand...

This is what my friend's telling me, that once I get the basics down on his car (which I've done, just need to refresh) then the time I spend learning with the NSX should be pretty quick.

My other concern is how am I supposed to test drive a car that I can't drive? Should I just find someone else to test drive it for me? This is where I see getting an automatic to be much simpler.
 
but you should learn stick in a beater. you can find them on craiglist. or hell do what other have done rent a car for the day, bring it back to them with no clutch you will then know how to drive stick LOL

back in the days we would rent UHAUL trucks that were stick and have some fun with the gears grinding was a blast.

- - - Updated - - -

you will prob not be as happy with an auto as you are with a stick, esp when a civic revs his engine at you and you have about the same HP and he dogs you. dont do it man. learn stick every man should know.

and its a great theft deterant, 90% of car thrives cant drive stick. youtube videos are funny to watch a carjacker jack the car, throw the driver out of the car, get in and stalls the car then gets out of the car and runs, driver gets back into his car and runs him over LOL

- - - Updated - - -

then takes his gun and drive off with a free gun
 
First thing to make note of that nobody here will admit, but I'm going to drop a serious bomb here.

I hope you're sitting down

The NSX is in fact a Honda, the same people that make the accord and the civic. I was shocked because I thought it was an exotic Italian car based on what I read on Prime. So you could imagine my disappointment when I went to the DMV and found out that it was just a Honda.

But in all seriousness, while this may just be a Honda, the blistering 224 ft/lbs of torque it delivers is nothing less than face melting. So much force that the cassette tapes will fly right out of the OEM stereo system if you get a little heavy with the right foot. Power at this level should be reserved to pulling horse trailers if anything, learning to gently operate a clutch with this monster is too much and shouldn't be attempted.

Best Prime advice is to buy a completely separate car to learn how to drive stick on.
 
I'm going through exactly the same thing, my NSX will be here within 2 weeks and I'm still in the basics. My suggestion is to get professional lessons so that the first car you "refresh" yourself on isn't your own, and then you can do a follow up lesson in your new NSX. I did a first lesson a week ago and was on the road driving within 10 minutes. It makes a huge difference when you have a professional instructor tell you the minute best practices for various scenarios. When I first tried learning stick with two separate friends, they just didn't have good answers to questions and would respond with "this is what I heard," or "this is just how I was taught."

I'm actually surprised at the amount of people suggesting you buy a car for the sake of learning stick. Maybe I'll be back here and say I'm wrong after getting my car, but I'm not too worried about it. BTW, one of the key reasons I got a professional lesson was because I didn't want to develop any bad habits learning on my own. Correcting bad habits is more difficult than learning the right way from the start. Lessons are typically around 20-45 an hour.

Hope this helps!
 
JadeFox said:
I'm going through exactly the same thing, my NSX will be here within 2 weeks and I'm still in the basics. My suggestion is to get professional lessons so that the first car you "refresh" yourself on isn't your own, and then you can do a follow up lesson in your new NSX. I did a first lesson a week ago and was on the road driving within 10 minutes. It makes a huge difference when you have a professional instructor tell you the minute best practices for various scenarios. When I first tried learning stick with two separate friends, they just didn't have good answers to questions and would respond with "this is what I heard," or "this is just how I was taught."

I'm actually surprised at the amount of people suggesting you buy a car for the sake of learning stick. Maybe I'll be back here and say I'm wrong after getting my car, but I'm not too worried about it. BTW, one of the key reasons I got a professional lesson was because I didn't want to develop any bad habits learning on my own. Correcting bad habits is more difficult than learning the right way from the start. Lessons are typically around 20-45 an hour.

Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

Huh, good to know someone else is in the same boat. Maybe I'll just wait 2 weeks and see how you're fairing to make a decision. :tongue:
 
JadeFox said:
I'm going through exactly the same thing, my NSX will be here within 2 weeks and I'm still in the basics. My suggestion is to get professional lessons so that the first car you "refresh" yourself on isn't your own, and then you can do a follow up lesson in your new NSX. I did a first lesson a week ago and was on the road driving within 10 minutes. It makes a huge difference when you have a professional instructor tell you the minute best practices for various scenarios. When I first tried learning stick with two separate friends, they just didn't have good answers to questions and would respond with "this is what I heard," or "this is just how I was taught."

I'm actually surprised at the amount of people suggesting you buy a car for the sake of learning stick. Maybe I'll be back here and say I'm wrong after getting my car, but I'm not too worried about it. BTW, one of the key reasons I got a professional lesson was because I didn't want to develop any bad habits learning on my own. Correcting bad habits is more difficult than learning the right way from the start. Lessons are typically around 20-45 an hour.

Hope this helps!
Click to expand...

^^I think this is great advice. A year into my 1st job out of college I bought my first car w/5-speed before I officially knew how to drive stick but I convinced myself it wasn't a big deal since I knew how a clutch worked mechanically. Later I got better at it through some driver instruction in Dearborn Michigan w/Bob Bondurant - what a trip that was (and what a lesson it was in how little I knew about driving dynamics - always possible to learn more from someone who REALLY knows more than you do on a given subject...).

But to JadeFox's advice I'd personally add: consider investigating online and learn how a clutch works too. Or better yet find a mechanic or someone mechanically-inclined who will show you exactly how a clutch works by seeing parts in person. By learning what's going on underneath the surface when you engage & disengage the clutch, it could help you by knowing what's going on when you press & release the clutch pedal as well as maybe prevent you from abusing the clutch or creating bad habits from the start.... I've come to learn that to many people, a car's clutch and brakes are magical features that just work and are to be used as much as you want, just like the steering wheel. Some people have no concept that essentially a clutch is like rubbing a pencil eraser on paper...it won't last forever and it's pretty easy to make it last a long time or a very short time depending upon how you use it, and ideally not using it any more than you really need to.

The animation on this page does a decent job.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch2.htm

And when you get good enough to teach someone yourself, I liked Adam Carolla's technique of using a safe word. :) Not sure why the video is flipped. I assume you don't look anything like the students in this video. If you did you'd probably find a few instructors pretty quickly!

<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/nmB07ECLNEo" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" width="560"></iframe>

Actually when I searched for that video, I saw dozens of tutorials on youtube for how to drive stick.

Good luck and go for it!
 
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Honestly, go buy a lower end stick shift car - drive the crap out of that car, drive it to its limit and then spend your money on the NSX. You will enjoy the NSX that much more if your arm shifts without any conscious thought. Allows you to really connect to the car and get better value out of the ownership experience.

Clutch prices aren't the factor, ownership enjoyment is.
 
blue_myriddn said:
Honestly, go buy a lower end stick shift car - drive the crap out of that car, drive it to its limit and then spend your money on the NSX.
Click to expand...

What he said.

While it is possible, there will be a longer learning curve until you can truly enjoy the car. Believe another prime member posted this:

 
Do it.

It'll take you all but a couple days to get proficient at most. Sure the NSX clutch is more like an on/off switch, but you'll get use to it pretty quick. Just try not to "ride" the clutch. Since you'll be in an area with lots of hills, learn how to hold the vehicle with the ebrake on an incline.

If you picked up a Viper, it's a whole different story. They have so much low-end torque you don't need to use the throttle AT ALL to get moving. Just a fairly slow clutch release. Pretty much like a big rig.
 
Dopescope and Jadefox . I HAVE YOUR ANSWER! Now everyone is going to say " hey go buy a beater lol", well how does that help you after you stated you want a high mileage NSX? It means money is a little tight , what the hell do I do ?! So I'm going to give you my advice as I went through the same damn process but I knew stick shift basics and can drive on the street with a little clutch riding . So you say you have a friend who has a car. Use it !! Just drive you won't learn unless you screw up. Hills- who cares. You have to have the mentality of not caring if you bump into the person behind you (in your friend's car of course). When you get 1st gear, reverse and hills down you're ready for the NSX . But before you get the car watch some YouTube videos , they will help a little (look for the guy with the Mini Cooper). If you can get a rental that is great. If you made up even knowing basics , PM me and don't be shy I'll help. The NSX is a Honda and is simple to drive compared to most "exotic" or race cars. I strongly urge however to have 1st gear, reverse and inclines down before the X. Please. Pay someone if you need to borrow their car . Hills by the way , use the clutch and don't push extra gas it will not do anything . My first hill was in a 2000 elantra and I decided to do a burnout :) We all usually master or officially learn stick on our cars we always wanted . If you really aren't catching basics and you think you will in the NSX then I would say stick isn't for you . But between auto and 5 speed , 5 speed any day. Something I forgot , put yourself in traffic so you can learn how to propel the car forward just a little . If you have any questions ASK ME , I used to be in your shoes. Auto is a lot more cost affective if you wanted to know but please resist the urge !
 
GSV NSX said:
So you say you have a friend who has a car. Use it !! Just drive you won't learn unless you screw up. Hills- who cares. You have to have the mentality of not caring if you bump into the person behind you (in your friend's car of course).
Click to expand...

Remind me to advise people to never be your friend.
 
Lol blue I said mentality , not to do it . People get too nervous about stick on hills. And usually if they let you learn stick on the car it's a crap car to begin with.
 
true that men should know how to drive stick at age 12 LOL but hills are scary if your learning. the best thing to do it when your on a hill pull up the ebrake when light changes green have the car in 1st, and the other hand on the ebrake button as the car starts to move forward slowly let the ebrake off till your moving forward.

inless the ebrake on the beater is the foot press kind then your gonna bump the car behind you inless you floor it LOL

I have taught a bunch of girls in one of my old hondas in like 10 minutes, the real trick is to reward them.
no a/c no radio/ windows up.. everytime they stopped and started without stalling I would give them 1 thing back, windows down.
again again again, now you get radio.
again again again now you get a/c
again again again now we can roll window up to let the a/c cool the car.
when you sweating in a hot car you learn QUIICKKKKKK

lol its easy man. I know someone that asked me before they purchased one of my NSX's should they just get an auto I told them I will not sell you an auto NSX
LOL no names inless he wants to stand up LOL

good buddy.:biggrin:
 
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charlee said:
Just curious; but, why does any man not know how to drive a manual. That should have been a 15.5yo and a male mentor's bonding time.
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I learned when I was about 12. My dad taught me in case we were ever out hunting and he or whoever I was with got hurt or something happened, at least I could drive them out of the mountains if we could make it to the truck.
 
DopeScope said:
I'm currently hoping to find a NSX to use as a daily driver, so looking at older, high mileage NSX's currently and also hoping to keep costs as low as possible obviously.
Click to expand...

Please understand that while you will find a car at a lower price point, you should have at least $10,000 cash on hand ready to address problems. Most owners who bought 91-92 cars here on prime dumped at least $5k into them within the first few months (tbromley, R13, etc.) The early cars are now over 20 years old and things wear out. If you plan to daily drive, that is even more important. NSX parts are not cheap. Good luck!
 
charlee said:
Just curious; but, why does any man not know how to drive a manual. That should have been a 15.5yo and a male mentor's bonding time.
Click to expand...

Believe it or not, cars started to come standard with automatics in the 90's and 2000's. My dad sold his manual in 2000, before I was able to learn how to drive so I've only ever driven automatics.
 
charlee said:
Just curious; but, why does any man not know how to drive a manual. That should have been a 15.5yo and a male mentor's bonding time.
Click to expand...

4 years ago I picked up my 15 y/o son one night at a friend's house and made him drive home my supercharged NSX (with the ridiculously stiff RPS clutch).
He did fine and you will too with the buttery smooth OEM clutch.
Just keep your foot on the dead pedal in between shifts so you don't ride the clutch.
You'll be fine.
 

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