Sunday, August 19, 2007

The battle over the stick shift

I want to learn to drive a stick shift. Yesterday I test drove a couple cars with my dad. I was looking at a small SUV I am considering. I found a GOOD deal on the SUV, but the only thing is it that it has a manual transmission. I don't know how to drive a stick. I opted to test drive the automatic version of the SUV to see how it performs. The brakes require a lot more stopping distance than I'm used to, but I could get used to that.

Anyways, when we met up with my mom at lunch we told her that we found 2 cars. One was an SUV, which she liked, but when we told her it was a stick shift, she threw a fit. She said how nobody can drive it in the family. My mom has carpal tunnel and complains that it would be hard to constantly shift. My dad knows how to drive a stick, but has bad legs; so having to step on the clutch would be a problem. Then I don't know how to drive one, yet want to learn. I said I want to learn. She said NO. They're unsafe. I think I mentioned this in my earlier car post. She said that I'm not used to it- having to constantly have my foot on the brake because the car will roll. I'd have to learn to shift. I do tons of stop and go driving, so I'd get tired of it. It is also dangerous because you will only have 1 hand on the wheel because you need to have the other hand on the shifter constantly. It is also dangerous because of all the extra work and I'd be concentrating on shifting, pressing the clutch, and not on the road. Plus I never put on my parking brake because I have an automatic I'd forget, the car would roll back, possibly hit another, etc. etc.

My dad said that it is my choice, it is going to be my car, I'm going to have to learn if I want a stick. I am not sure I want one because of all the stop and go I do. I go through 14 stop signs on my way to school that require you to speed up and slow down every 1/2 mile or so. I do a lot of stop and go driving. I want to learn though and first see if I think I'd get tired of it.

I told my mom these are just her irrational fears because she wants me to get an automatic because she think it is so much safer. You think it is so much easier to not have to shift. You think that it is fun just getting in, putting the car in drive, and driving. Part of that is because she likes the SUV I'm looking at and wants it for herself, so she is pushing for automatic. I told her it is a good thing to know how to drive a stick. I told her that she thinks I can't handle it. I told her she is just a mom and has that stupid mother fear and is worried I'll get hurt. She said yes, of course, I am a mother, I'm supposed to. I told her it was stupid and whatnot and wasn't going to listen. I shut her up pretty quickly. While that hushed her up yesterday, I know that the battle is still brewing if I were to get a stick shift because she'll just try to rehash this whole thing again.

But the sucky part is that if I'm going to get an SUV like this it'll almost surely be a stick because it gets 4-5mpg better. The other thing is it is kind of hard for me to test drive a car that is a stick shift when I don't know how to drive one.

5 comments:

Bruce said...

I have to agree with your mom, living in SOCAL with a stick shift would suck. Granted I'm not a fan of stick shifts but with all the stop and go traffic we have here and even the slightest hill to roll back on it's a pain in the ass. If you really want to learn how and have that experience, you could rent a stick shift for the weekend. Your dad could drive it off the lot and you could find an empthy parking lot to practice in. I've rented cars I was interested in purchasing in the past, it gives you a feel for the car in real driving experiences, not just the usual test loop you get from a dealership.
Bruce

Matt in Argyle said...

Ok, I differ from Bruce slightly, I love driving stick. I bought my first car last year, it was stick shift. I had never driven a stick before, and the kicker was that I had a week to learn before I went to school.

It took about 2 weeks to drive it ok, and about two months to drive really well. Now I will never go back. Plus it feels like I'm driving a race car. I do agree with Bruce that you should test drive one first, but if you have a choice and the time to learn I would really go for the SUV.

Anonymous said...

Ha ha.

Everyone in the UK drives with 'stick shift', and we have some of the windiest roads ever! Its good fun and not that hard at all.

Having said that, I crashed into the back of a really nice lady on my way home from the gym. Gutting, cos I had been having such a good day with seeing certain things at the gym ;).

Keep blogging and I'll keep reading!

x

Creative Thinker said...

Dude -- you will LOVE a stick. My parents bought me my first car right out of high school and it was a stick. Scared me shitless and I hopped around like a jackrabbit in the mall parking lot after closing. Now I wouldn't have anything else. I drive a sports car and with a stick you can REALLY pick up and go if you need to. You will learn that the rolling thing is not that bad plus sticks don't use as much gas. Don't listen to them -- you will love it...

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