Driving stick also tends to make driver's respect safe distance more, at least, until they're on the freeway with the people from their cars&coffee. Driving stick gives you a whole new respect for the road and appreciation for cars
That's what I keep hearing but I took the plunge in January and so far I hate it. The extra energy I have to divert thinking about all this extra shit is just as distracting as anything else.
For the longest time I hated/ had no desire to ever drive a manual transmission because I rode with an uncle who was so bad at shifting in his pickup that my head was constantly jerking around and I got a migraine. Come to find out years later he just sucked at driving and manuals are supposed to be smooth and fun to drive.
@@jamesthomas4955100%! Some countries make it a law that only manual cars are allowed exactly for that reason! To avoid so many car accidents because of stupid distracted phone drivers!
"Mechanical sympathy" if you feel pain when the machine feels pain your machine will last longer. We've all driven with someone that drives their car without this connection.
I recently swapped to a 2020 WRX 6MT as my daily driver. I've never really driven a manual before and this video was very helpful on easy ways to optimize my driving. Don't worry about the lack of peddle camera on this video, as you explained the clutch positions well enough to follow along. I liked that the ride was soft enough to be able to see your acceleration and deceleration from the window line contrasting the horizon. This video was like riding shotgun while your uncle teaches you to drive and I enjoyed it a lot.
This guy would probably make fun of you 🤣 this UA-camr is a stuck up douche bag calls anything with a 4 cylinder gay and not a real car especially front wheel drive Hondas ( even if the car is actually cool or really fast ) 😭. but this video is pretty good 👍 lol
Nice tutorial on driving a manual transmission. It’s funny that when the repairs come out of your own pocket, you become nice to your clutch & transmission.
A GREAT video. 👍🇨🇦👍 63 years old. I've owned 4 manual transmission vehicles. First car 1979 VW Rabbit GTI 5 speed. 1991 Mazda Miata BRG 5 speed. 2007 Jeep Wrangler 4 door 6 speed. 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 6 speed. I loved driving all of them. I still own the Miata. One of the best anti theft devices ... own a manual transmission vehicle. 🤣 Most people these days don't know how to drive them. THANK YOU for sharing these driving tips.
When I was teaching my youngest to drive a stick, she struggled with the gas/clutch balance. I had her use only the clutch to try and get the car gently rolling, then apply throttle. Once she could feel the engagement point of the clutch, the rest became much smoother. I have driven a stick forever, my goal was to be able to shift gears without my passengers knowing I was shifting. Focusing on smooth can help eliminate the herky-jerky movements. Thanks for the great video 👍
This is exactly how i teach everyone, get the car rolling in 1st without touching the gas pedal, letting the idle just move the car along, then when you start to apply throttle from there it gives people a really good idea of torque and how little of gas you need to get going in 1st gear…. And also i share your pride in smooth transition, i made it a point when i was young to learn how to catch the transition perfectly, it makes me grin ear to ear to this day when my wife who has driven with me for years is still amazed she cant feel me shift , its a true art
@@hellraiser7118 The best complement I ever got was.... I used to give a friend of mine rides to the gym--I was friends with her and her husband and they only had one car. After a year of driving places with her and her husband she finally realized I was driving a manual... even though her car was a manual. She never realized before how bad a driver her and her husband were and she had no idea manuals could drive smoother than automatics. I think the real test of how good a driver you are is can you come to a full stop without that little jerk at the end that everyone ignores until it isn't there.
@@TurboLoveTrain bro…… i had no idea anyone else played the stop game. Im always approaching to stop at a red light, come down from speed slow and steady, and try to time the release of the brake pedal so it doesnt feel like you stopped at all , its such a cool feeling to get the car to stop without any kind of weight transfer
I owned an '88 Firebird manual with a "performance clutch" that made pressing the pedal so hard. Anyhow, my brothers owned the Camaro version but in automatic. One morning we were leaving San Diego going to LA and they asked me to drive. On the freeway after cruising for a while, I went to speed up and pushed the break SOOOO hard thinking it was the clutch. Woke and scared everyone in the car. Scared myself cause it took a second to process what just happened 😆. Good times.
I went from driving automatics to briefly driving stick when I was 23. I absolutely love stick shifts due to the fact that it kept me engaged with what I was doing the entire time. I never had the fear of falling asleep while driving whilst driving manual transmissions. Hearing the revs was awesome too.
Got my first car 2 years ago (manual of course) conveniently right after this video was posted. I had to teach myself how to drive it, and this video helped me so much. 2 years later and I still come back to this video sometimes, just as a refresher and to make sure I’m still applying the advice right. It’s also just kind of nostalgic to watch this again. Thinking back to when I was sitting in the car watching this, so eager to start driving it. Thank you, Casey. My grandfather would be proud to see me driving a manual.
Shout out to the fellow self learners. Learned how to drive a manual when I bought my old focus st and drove that off the dealer lot home. Was a fun ride lol
There IS a difference between rich and well off or comfortable. Rich in my eyes is multi millionaire like 10 plus. Well off or comfortable is 1 million-10. Anything less than a million, you still have work to do, so get to it. Lol
you guys know that there is more that goes into a car than just buying it right? Some states have personal property tax yearly. Not to mention up keep on a vehicle. And then there is insurance. Probably not goin liability on a Viper. Gonna need a nice garage too to keep it safe and dry. Houses arent cheap. Well not ones with decent garages. And now you gotta factor in the priorities.. You got a Viper.. You're rich.
@@imnotwhitebutimwhite My car has a steptronic feature, you can pull the stick to the left which puts it in sport mode (holds higher RPMs) and you can shift up to downshift for extra acceleration. It's not manual but it's super useful.
Honestly I need cant drive automatic anymore. Idk why but most times now if a drive an automatic a fall asleep if I have been driving for like over 40 minutes. It’s really dangerous I don’t know why I get so tired.
Generally, as long as you're patient (and the clutch is in decent shape and not a race-optimized one) you'll probably be fine learning it without causing damage
@@josephjester4917 thats only the cost of the part if you are doing the work and replacing it yourself. Not many people do that, if its going to a garage to get it done depending on where they are and what car it is can be close to $1500 or more.
...Fourth is two high a gear for my car to cruise at sub 40. There is something gratifying about turning a corner in third though without having to clutch.
@@TurboLoveTrain Yeah, in my country the limit is 50km/h and yes, I go a little faster in fourth. I tend to adjust my speed to weather conditions and visibility so when it's foggy I'll even slow down to 30 or even 20. My dream is to compete in a rally so there's no risk of injuring someone but also taking those corners at high speeds at the same time.
@@NineS5 I've never driven a manual diesel. For some reason they seem much more rare in the US. Toyota didn't even sell the Hilux or Hilux Surf in the US--you had to get them imported :( Same with Opals or Citrons. I'd really love to try a Lada for the lulz.
The problem about the stick shift culture in the US is that there is almost none apart from racing, which means that people think they have to drive manuals like you drive on the racetrack or 70 years ago. In europe, everyone knows how to stick shift, but almost nobody uses double-clutching or heel-toe. As long as you are in a reasonable rpm-range, the clutch doesn't have to work that hard and synchros are there for a reason. That doesn't mean that you can't drive like he did in the video - acutally, it's the best way. But it's just unnecessary nowadays. If you're getting into driving manual, just be gentle to the clutch and do'nt stall it and it will last you a very, very long time.
I live in Europe, my old car was BMW E39 5-speed manual. I did rev-matching all the time on it. I just don't like the hiccups you get when you downshift without rev-match. It's just a taste.
I'm american and when I did my first downshift ever I saw how the engine was physically revved by the wheels and how it was not normal. I revmatch is king.
way to spread misinformation buddy. It's literally harsh for your drivetrain, trans mounts, motor mounts possibly, syncros and clutch. A lot of these being time consuming to replace. Rev match is king like others have said and it keeps you on the power band longer? Why not use it? Americans are just superior facts.
That feeling of lightly pulling the shifter out of third, right as the synchros unload, is magic. If you get it right, it feels like the shifter is magnetically attracted to your palm. The best feeling.
I have an NV3500, nothing magical ever happens with one of those. While it's nice to have a manual, everyone swears I must be supercharged, nope I wish that's just the call of the NV3500.
I've been driving manual for 3 weeks now, and I'm getting a lot better all the time. Thanks for the tips, where I still struggle the most is downshifting smoothly.
Always remember to clutch in -> neutral -> clutch out -> throttle engine a tiny bit -> clutch in -> downshift -> clutch out. It's actually a lot harder than it seems and once you get the hang of it'll probably be harder to put in words than to actually do it.
No need to release the clutch when you rev the engine while downshifting. Actually there's no need to rev the engine, just slow the car more with the brake before you downshift. Because the faster you go while downshifting the revs will have to climb higher from idle point when you start releasing the clutch. That's why it's not smooth until you slow down properly.
I was driving automatic for 7 years and I finally tried a manual and man the experience is something else. I always thought automatic is the best, it's good, but boy was I missing out on actually driving a car. It's an experience each day you learn to be better and that's amazing than just break and accelerator honestly
This! This is why I have driven only manual for 20+ years of driving and refuse to get an auto no matter how good they are it just seems so boring to me. I beat my car and I can shift like a mofo but I do it correctly so not that much added wear on parts. It is a lost art that many ppl don't "get" these days. A properly driven manual can be pretty damn fast . Ppl just assume manuals are slow not all drivers suck ass lol
@@midnight347 the biggest advantage of manual is that it promotes driver discipline. what happens in an automatic is that people get bored and and they have a free hand, so they start texting on the phone, have a smoke (and then another one and another one), they snack while driving all stuff that is potentially dangerous. and it's not even that hard either, there were one armed people back in the day who could drive manuals, i've seen it happen.
@@windhelmguard5295 In the UK everyone does all those things in a manual. You just can't steer while shifting, so you shift on a straight or you oversteer then shift quick enough that you can make the turn. People even use their knee on the steering wheel. You have to hold the item with the hand that can't shift thought, or you can put it down on your lap when you need to shift, then pick it up again.
Idk personally I think it’s easier to get tickets in a manual. I always feel like the car wants me to drive it fast because of the instant hit of dopamine I get when ever I am shifting good. It’s just too satisfying, especially if they sound good.
For sure! My VR-6 Jetta pulls hard in 2nd gear to almost 60mph. If I'm in third it's a challenge to keep it down to 65 because it's where the torque is. Have to get it into 5th and just sort of sit back or I'll be having a little chat with officer friendly!
There is a very nice on ramp near my house and on the way to work I toss my FRS at 95 KMH into a semi tight right hander (60 kmh is considered fast for it 😂) and By the time I come out, I’m doing anywhere between 165 to 180smth in 4th/5th; literally can’t stop myself. It is just too rewarding.
Lol, judging from all the cars you're listing here, I don't think the problem is it being a manual. I think the problem is them being performance cars. I don't know if any of you ever driven a normal car with a manual, but it's quite boring. I drive a manual Honda Accord as a daily drive and I almost never speed in it. It's just a bigger effort to drive it fast than to drive it at normal speeds and because of that I just don't see the point. I've owned several performance cars (at the moment I own a BMW E30 M3). With those cars I am speeding all the time, for the exact same reason like you guys are mentioning here: It's just so satisfying. Also, it's the other way around than with my Honda, it seems like it's more effort to drive slow in them.
@@deathisfreedom1442 I feel ya man. I have 2008 mini, and when Im changing gears just right it makes this wonderful brrvrvrrrrrrrrrrr sound which is just oooooh and oh fuck speed limit.
@@earlnuclear Exactly. I'm driving an E46 328Ci and that engine just starts screaming when it gets to 5k and above. Well... that's 130 km/h on a normal road in 3rd gear so... yeah. Meh^^
Hey, I'm 17, and this video was extremely useful and easy to understand for someone who is new to driving. I've been working and hopefully, I'm able to get my car by 18. I am extremely excited to get a stick shift vehicle and I will definitely be using this video for a learning reference. Greatly appreciated!
My best tip to starting off in 1st is to use the same throttle ‘blip and release’ you would on downshift before beginning letting out on the clutch, you catch the revs coming back down and you will be able to ease on the throttle as the car starts to move it will be less likely to stall or buck. I learned to start off on an upward grade this way without rolling back and without using the hand brake. Once you get the timing you will look like a pro and will be a much smoother stick driver and your clutch will last longer too!
Interesting point on the "tempo". However for cars which have very light flywheels (e.g., e92 m3), when you disengage the clutch, the rev drops like a stone in the air and if you are too slow in shifting and re-engaging the clutch, the car will shiver. This is why I find it so difficult to drive it smoothly in city traffic. But it's perfect for spirited driving on B-roads.
owner of an e60 here, yeah those engines drop revs in the blink of an eye, and sometimes the gear ratios don'g help, on mine, to drop to 1500rpm on 2nd, you need to at least be on 2500rpm on first. as you upshift the difference is smaller, but on the first couple gears, you gotta pay attention to not jerk the car when shifting.
Another being-nice-to-the-driveline tip: The rpm gap, or mismatch, between gears is wider at higher engine rpm's so allow a bit more time for synchros to work when single-clutch shifting around the top of the rev range, especially downshifting which is inherently harder on synchros. And when toe-heel downshifting for a corner, waiting until the last practical moment to downshift will allow revs to drop as vehicle speed drops which effectively reduces that gap and is kinder to synchros. All of this is nullified when double-clutching the shifts of course.
Thank you for a well-done, informative, and very accurate instructional video about driving a manual transmission car. As one who grew up on a farm, with tractors, trucks, and various mechanical machinery, my father was adamant about keeping your foot "away from the clutch, until you're ready to press it." [Don't be riding the clutch with your foot, EVEN if you intend to depress it in the next several seconds.] He was also quite "instructional" about having mercy on the equipment (you can't imagine what my brother and I -- as 12-year-olds -- could do with lawn tractors at full throttle). Your comments about preserving the synchros and rev-matching are spot on. As a former semi trucker driver, I learned early on how to match gears/revs at speeds, because there are no synchros in those gearboxes. "Find them or grind them" was the mantra then (and my father's admonition about having mercy on the equipment prevailed) - I learned how to match gears smoothly. There was a period of clutch/vs. no clutch (common for truck drivers), but after stripping the synchros out of my '79 Trans Am trying "clutch-less shifting" [hey, don't judge me, at the time I was maybe 28], I'm a resolute believer in using the clutch for all shifts. You can "float the gears" if you want, but the clutch is designed to absorb the shock of any mismatch. The synchros are not. Do as you please. You can treat a car as a piece of machinery (like a horse), and flog it to death to perform as you want... or you can enjoy the performance, beauty, and elegance of a finely engineered conveyance which has evolve in the past 100+ years. Love the car. If you do anything which is causing jerking/hardness/difficulty shifting, you might want to examine your shifting technique. But understand exactly what happens when you depress the clutch and change gears is EXTREMELY important in driving smoothly and preserving equipment.
Yet the concept of mechanical sympathy is as foreign to drivers in Europe as it is in the US... Casey Putsch gets it bang on: it's not the length of the burnout, how long you can hold the car on an incline with just the clutch or the reckless disregard of any speed limit that makes a good driver, but how well they can adjust to the needs of the car/components and/or their passengers while also being safe out on public roads. I feel most drivers globally, even those driving for years, would do well to internalize that way of thinking.
Just because you have a lot of manuals doesn't mean you have any idea how to properly drive them. And if you are going to throw out a stat at least double check it lol, manuals are going away in your part of the world as well.
@@DrewLSsix He is right though. He is obviously exaggerating the numbers but pretty much everyone learns in a manual. I don't know one person who hasn't driven a manual. It's the norm. And our driving tests are a lot more challenging when compared to America.
DrewLSsix Acctually you cant pass driving exam without knowing how to shift properly so,yeah 99.99% of drivers know how to do proper shifting! And it is funny to see this video for us,it is second nature for EU drivers.
I've been driving a manual since I was a kid and my jeep is a manual. I still watch videos like yours to make sure I'm not doing it wrong again lol Good video! I like the metronome analogy.
Videos like this are why I love watching Casey talk about cars. I taught myself to drive manual in a rotary, Casey is hell of a good teacher. Starts with very basic of a manual and starting to get moving. Then actually gets into the detail of different revs for different engines (which no one ever seems to tell you). Compared to other people on youtube the amount of minutiae he gives in a very understandable is amazing or hes just great at editing..... still not sure which.
Love it mate! I saw this and thought do I need to watch it? I’m 51 years old been driving since I was 12/13 tractors,trucks, new/old cars etc! My father used to drive trucks and told me growing up that you only need the clutch to get moving otherwise if you rev match correctly you can shift without a clutch up or down. So here I am now driving a 1989 navara d21 (hardbody in the U.S) with 360,000 +kilometres on it replaced the clutch 18 months ago. Not that I never use the clutch , I do but also drive without it,changing up and down. I found your video helpful to keep me in check but also confirm I am on the right track.Thanks and all the best for the new year in 24 👌. From Aus 🇦🇺
"it's easier to not be speeding in a stick shift car" That's so true, lol! Everyone knows these streets and construction sites where the speed limit is 30km/h, but the road just invites you to go faster. When I see a 30 sign, I intuitively shift down to 3rd and when I'm not paying attention to my speed and end up going 40km/h, I often just notice that because my engine is louder than it would be at 30 and then I think to myself: "Well, if I'll be going to fast, I should at least do it in the proper gear!", since if I'd intentionally drive along at 40, 4th gear would be the right gear for my car. Or, ofc I simply slow down.
Just purchased my 2016 WRX the other day, first time owning a manual. After driving it all day and then watching this video it really made things a lot more clearer for me and I appreciate it so much. Now I'm clean shifting with no prob ready for trips up the mountains :D Thanks Casey!
@@adamd5944 It is one of my favorite cars to drive at the moment considering its my first manual car, other than that finding one was hard at first without a check engine light on.
@@SimaRuijie This will be my first manual car too, was it difficult to make the switch? I've hear things from multiple people that it is really fun or really annoying.
@@adamd5944 I wouldn't say difficult but a learning curve for sure. First few months were intense lol. I really enjoy the car now my buddy has a 2015 WRX. He's had his a few years before me. We plan to do some trips to CO / NV. Also have a Nissan Frontier 2017 for Camping trips out there if I don't want to bring my WRX.
@@SimaRuijie The awd is one of the main reasons i like it besides the modding capabilities. Would it hold up if I take it camping. And it being my daily?
I feel like "blip it and rip it" should probably be on a t-shirt....incorrect technique or not, lol. Seriously though, I think many a "money shift" can be attributed to a death grip on the stick and trying to 'Vin Diesel' through the gears. With a lighter touch you can use the springy auto-centering of the stick (in most cars) as a sort of logic gate for where you are in the pattern before committing to a shift even if you're trying to move quickly as you might on a track.
My 1990 MR2 Turbo (With the later e153 LSD transmission) won’t actually let me money shift it. It will not let you into 1st gear above 30mph. Same with reverse. Is that not normal for y’all’s cars?
@@negativeindustrial My '91 MR2 Turbo (kept for 16 years and tracked) with the non-LSD trans definitely did not have such a thing and I definitely locked the rears briefly sticking it in reverse while learning how to heel/toe back in the day. The 3SGTE is also more forgiving than most being non-interference. You'd have to do something VERY wrong to bend those valves.
When you said you can shift a dog box without using the clutch, you can also do that in a synchro transmission. I had a 1985 Cougar XR-7 with a 2.3T and 5 Speed. It broke the clutch cable one day while I was driving it, and I remembered being told when I was a kid about how to shift without the clutch. It's essentially the same as double clutching, just without the clutch. As you're changing gears, up or down, you let off the gas and as soon as you do pull the car into neutral. It'll slide smoothly out of gear. Then rev match for the next gear you want (up or down) and the car will slide right into gear as it's all synced up. No grinds, no issues.
@@tonym5661 I drove it that way for a few weeks and no, it wasn't fun. Had to shut car off at stop signs or roll them if possible, and had to start in gear with clutch pedal down to deactivate the safety, but no, wasn't fun.
My dad showed me how to do this in his 94 Daihatsu Charade, always buttery smooth. Had a mate try to show me and all I could hear was the trans begging for mercy lol
@@durwoodrobison7800 I once had my shifter rod going back to the gearbox in the rear broken apart (old rear engine car), leaving me stuck in third gear with something having 50 HP. I had the clutch and some manual fast idle but crossing instersections were the longest 10-15 secs I've ever had. I would have happily traded in the clutch for shifting at that point even if I ran out of gear teeth profiles until home. :D
I'm glad you mention the hand break, it's a blessing when you are learning to take off up a hill. I still use it every day, I even use it on stop and go traffic to make my drive easier for my right foot. Also you mention the fact that you get to know more or less the speed that you will get at any given gear so you can hold a gear to keep a certain speed (and never go over the speed limit). Man, this is the best manual shift tutorial I've seen (90% of cars are manual in my country btw)
The one thing he forgot to mention with old clutches vs modern, is that they were usually full mechanical back then. Now you've got a hydraulic clutch but between all mechanical and dog boxes, it was more of a necessity to mash into the next gear. Hell the longer gear shift lever was an added bonus to give the driver better torque to the shift forks.
I drove early 90s Integras for 14 years, they had cable clutches and I’m not kidding, my left calf is noticeably larger. I have a TSX now which has hydro of course but it’s just always been my stronger leg 😂
Mechanical or hydraulic has nothing to do with the way the clutch operates. I’ve had both. 71 Chevelle and a modern Camaro I’m also mechanic by trade. The difference is actually the shifter mechanism on the transmission. The old-school transmissions had different style gates, and had to be physically pushed over.
Hahaha!! The Intro of this was fantastic. I learned the ways of the stick on a Nissan Datsun 510 at 16 from my dad who yelled at me when the first gear wouldn’t go in. He is a superb driver. Thankfully, got the hang of it and no more screaming ensued!
I learned how to revmatch about a year after getting my license, when driving to college and back. It's super satisfying when you get it right, and makes driving way comfier in a manual.
Thank you for this video! I'm 24 and started driving manual this January after throwing myself headfirst into learning when my Automatic Impala died on me. I feel weird driving automatic cars anymore. You gave many great tips that I'm sure to incorporate into my driving style since I aim to get the most life out of my car vs driving them into disrepair.
Frank W my mom tried to force me into buying auto because manual A4s are getting increasingly rare. I’m glad I held out, that car wouldn’t be half as good as it is with a stick.
You should drive in europe in any major city. Cellphone, lipstick, eyeline, cofee, filling forms. Pick one in any pre covid rush hour ( and most of the time not stopped)
I believe u r neither more or less focused driving stick. Its just habit. Even if u in a new car try to learn the car in the first minuts, after its just normal. My first hour of driving lesson ( school and monitored driving lessons are mandatory in portugal) was driving a corba b , diesel with a very rigid clutch pedal in rush hour. Quite fun the 1h30 in stop start for 5 kms each way 🤣🤣🤣
My grandpa did this on the autobahn taking am exit. We were going about 200km and he put the brake through the floor. Came to a dead stop immediately. He says "sorry i forgot it was automatic"
The way he makes those comfortable hand gestures while driving and shifting gears like he is sitting in a couch in his living room convinced me that he is really a race car driver. P.S. I am learning driving.
One more tip that I'm learning the hard way is... I used to sit at stop lights with my foot on the clutch and my car in gear. Im a tall guy so it was just easier to leave my foot on the clutch for the whole light. Plus it has the advantage of only needing to step on the gas and take my foot off the clutch for a quick take off if i needed. However now when i push the clutch in it makes a vibrating or sort of a grinding sound. Only now i learned from other vids that having the clutch engaged for extended periods of time with the engine running is a way to get premature wear. Now I'm not doing that unless i need to... just trying to milk the life of the clutch till i have to replace it.
Love the way this guy explains things. He doesn't use that over explanation-ey tone most use without even realizing it that makes you feel like a child. Could genuinely listen to him explain things to me all day without getting bored.
Excellent tutorial. I've driven manuals all of my driving life and self- taught most of what he's talking about. It takes years to perfect, but a short time to learn.
I love when you make musical references/draw interconnections because as a professional musician, your channel makes me wish I was also a professional driver. You do an excellent job of expressing the art in driving.
Great explanation on how to drive a stick well. This is definitely one of those topics that's super hard to accurately explain with words, and really just has to be learned hands-on with experience. And i think some people will just pick it up naturally, like it's instinct, while others will struggle to even learn the basics.
What a great video. I've taught both my oldest kids how to drive in an old 99 Civic with a manual. I've been driving manual over 29 years and I definitely agree with you they are more engaging, safer, keeps people from texting, and most automatics are just boring.
I was driving my new car today (manual) and was thinking about watching a UA-cam video on rev-matching and other tips....then I come home from work and see this uploaded. Thanks! 🙌😁
you should always be rev matching anyways. it's so much better on your transmission. i don't really understand why people think "rev matching is for racing". those people simply have never driven a manual car, or dont understand how a transmission works, lol
@@taylormoffitt8336 I've been driving manual cars for 30 years and have never heel and toed or rev matched. Do you think manufacturers have spent billions of dollars designing cars so badly that you need to rev match to protect the transmission?
My first daily driver is a manual, absolutely love driving it. First week or so was really rough and it hurt me a lot hearing myself mess up trying to get going. Upshifting was easy enough so I got that down quick and I was already practicing rev-matching on down shifts it was just getting started from a dead stop and controlling speed in reverse that I was having issues with. I pretty much got it down now, I haven't practiced heel-toe shifting yet but I'm gonna try practicing that as much as I can as I get more comfortable. Sometimes I'll have to drive my parent's automatic 'cus my car would have something wrong with it (my car's an '01 with 200k miles but she still got some life) and it damn near puts me to sleep on the interstate so I really don't like driving automatics.
Learned on a 76 Civic hatchback. Perfected it on my 98 Contour SVT. The clutch in that Contour was the smoothest clutch even more so than Mustangs I’ve driven. Sent this video to my son. Very good technique and video.
As a former truck driver I learned early on to "float the gears." When you drive that much you just learn the RPMs it becomes second nature and you can tell just by listening and feeling you know exactly when to shift without having to CONSTANTLY use the clutch, especially when you're dealing with 10 gears. Gears don't grind and the transitions were always smooth. Never had an issue, even though that's not how you're "supposed to" shift.
what's hilarious is they are now teaching the newer generations of truckers to float gears not double clutch. That's how I found this video to learn more in general lmao. Oh no.
One of the best things I’ve noticed about manual transmission, which you mention near the end, is that it keeps you on your toes. I never get drowsy driving stick. Because you always have to be engaged, unless you’re cruising at 70 on the interstate.
Anthonyi143 it’s German. Stuff breaking is practically a feature on those cars😂. I told my my girlfriend my Audi is the nicest shitbox you’ll ever see.
This is really good. I came here completely by accident and kept watching due to being really impressed by this guy. So knowledgable and down to earth. If I still had a manual I'd try this stuff out.
The nice thing about a stick car is, it can be driven for performance, or it can be driven for cruising, its up to the user how violet the shifts are. I have had a few sports cars that I can shift with no use of the clutch by getting to the right rpm range to slide into the next gear but, not all set ups accommodate this. Those same cars can scream as you bang through gears at higher rpm ranges, but usually that is done with clutch use. To be honest, I am probably one of those older stick drivers from the days where you punch the radio every time you up shift to an odd gear or else you "aint driving". But the manual is a flexible tool adaptable to just about any driving style and at least for me, keeps me more engaged in the act of driving - reducing odds of user error due to distraction. And to this day, with more than 250,000 miles in manuals under every circumstance, i will occasionally mess up a shift, so, as you are learning know that every car has a different feel and the same car can even feel different depending on temps so, its ok to stall out or chirp off occasionally. I still need to work on my heel-toe skills, it has just been rare that I have good pedal placement in a car worth using the technique. And once you memorize the feel of a car, you never forget it, sort of like that mechanics feel for bolt torquing. It just take time and experience - eventually you don't even think about it.... except when you get stuck back in an automatic and reach down to change gears as you press the phantom clutch... and your passenger laughs....
A manual transmission to me, is more safe to drive in snow/ice situations.You just have more control going up or down hills and around curvy roads.It is more engaging(challenging)to drive a stickshift in these conditions.
Wonderful video. Sound advice. Spot on story examples and explanation supporting the advice and tips. When I crack myself up: So the setup is, I've driven nothing but my stick shift for a while. I get into an automatic (wife's or the family hauler), and pull out. I'll get to about 15 mph, let off the gas, and a thump is heard, as I stomp the floor, because a clutch pedal is absent. After my chuckle, I pull back my foot, reapply the throttle, and keep going. Conditioning, habit, or whatever you want to call it, I find it amusing in the moment.
Happened to my dad too. We had just bought a new automatic, 2 days before we had to move houses. After we moved, he got in and said he wanted to drive. We would go at 10 and suddenly whiplash cause he pressed the brake like it was a clutch. After spilling my drink 4 times, he asked me to drive
I remember in high school I taught myself to clutchless shift, I'm so lucky my car didn't blow the transmission but now it's my "party trick" lol Thank you as always for the awesome content!
Lol, had to learn how to do that "on the spot" when the clutch cable broke on my MK1 GTI many years ago and I was too broke to afford a tow truck to get back home.
Yannick G my master cylinder blew out on my way to school in my 03 s10 xtreme. Made it to school and had to start the truck in gear to get back home. 😂
@@yannickg6904my starter was fine. I live in rural maine so I just crept through stop signs. Think I only had to stop once. It was a fun story to tell at school tho lol
Casey, the header says "for everyday driving", so OK I wanna see your tips. As an "OLD PERSON" I can reasonably shift a car I would say and golly years ago I actually was an instructor in driving a stick shift vehicle. There are many useful "tips" you left out that could have been helpful. One is the reason to down shift is for the engine not to stall, the car to jerk. As an "OLD PERSON" sometimes getting in out of cars gets to be a chore, as well listening to others when I think I know it all. I have taken one of my cars, a 1079 Volvo around the course in PIR but not racing. you are a racer as well as me I have yet to do that, and I do like going fast. So I appreciate your point of view and knowledge and videos. If somebody can drive a stick shift vehicle and you don't notice the gear changes...then that is mastery. I never got the down shift from 3rd to 2nd on the old 46 chev 1 and 1/2 ton flatbed. On last thing Casey, when you come blasting up behind me, in the left lane of course in your Viper, that will be me giving you thumbs up from my 3 speed on the column overdrive 1962 Rambler. In the correct lane, unless I am passing some "OLD PERSON"! Thanks.
Use your Visor to block the most direct line of sunlight to your camera position. I love the camera position and the video was super helpful and well produced. ez sub. Thanks!
I've drove a friend's manual car across town once & it was one of the best experiences I've had. I've had 2 cars but both were autos it's hard to find manuals in my city. But my next car will be manual for certain! This is the first time I've ever seen one of your video's, you've uplifted & inspired me even more to get a manual car!! & You now have a new subscriber. Thanks for the education!
I really appreciate that in the cars I've seen you own and drove, you dont go with the typical boy racer super short shifter kit where you can twitch your fingers to throw a gear. Theres something far more satisfying to me rowing through the gears with a longer throw and getting it right even at speed.
Neal Oram recently installed one of those sub 2” short shifters in my car and agree with your point lol!! It’s great for weekend spiritedness but daily driving becomes a pain in the wrist literally. It is awesome squeezing your hand just to close 3 to 4 on the up shift though
This is great! I'm at least 700,000km on a stick ( '00 SiR, '02 SER Spec V, '04 SiR, '14 CrossTrek)... I've become sloppy with the Subaru (rev hang?) and to replace the transmission at 120,000km. Best car ever was my 2004 Honda Civic SiR. I drove it like a go-kart, got 300,000km on it before I had kids and had to sell it. Same clutch!
This was so cool!! I wish someone would have told me this stuff when I was 14, I had to learn it all on my own...But it's great that you're teaching this. I refuse to buy a fun car without a manual because it's not as fun and much less engaging. I find it sad that what I remember as a 'standard' transmission is now the exception. People just don't know what they're missing out on and thanks for bringing it to light in such an educational way!
They don't even offer a true manual for the C8 Corvette. Disgusting. Paddle clutchless "semi-automatic" sequential is fun, I guess, but an absolute shame to not offer the iconic American muscle car with a real transmission.
Great video. If I'm teaching someone to drive standard/manual, I always try to teach them to visualize what they are doing....in engaging the clutch with the flywheel....the transmission to the engine. I think it helps in a massive way....especially when choosing gears when wanting to speed up quickly...or when slowing down quickly...and then needing to accelerate again. Gotta always be thinking....sound, speed...and so on.
I miss driving a manual car every day honestly. My first car was a 68 for Torino 390 4 speed and I loved it. My wife wants to build a 1950 Ford F1 pickup together. Ground up big V8 and she actually requested a manual. You can not even imagine how happy that made me lol
I'm 29 and my girlfriend was actually the one teaching me how to drive stick. My truck got wrecked so I seized the opportunity and bought myself a 6-speed manual car. Found your videos later and I've learned a lot from them, so my car is already in better hands. I absolutely love driving my car now that I know more about how it works, and how to treat it better. Thank you!
Just got my first car and it’s automatic but I’m thinking of switching to manual after I get my license. Update: Started teaching myself manual 2 weeks ago, it’s going great and I improve every drive, still struggle with steep hills and double clutching so had to come back for the tips.
Been driving a stick for about the last 35 years. A few times I got a loner automatic car while mine was being worked on, I felt so bored. Yes, a stick can be a pain in heavy traffic or wanting to sip on coffee but it's all worth it to me.
This video made me laugh a bit as I could relate to some parts. Especially the differences between an automatic and manual. I have gotten so many speeding tickets in an automatic because of how bored I get in it. Recently I bought a 97 Miata and I enjoy it way more than the paddle-shifting challenger I had. I feel more focused and excited every time I pop into the next gear without upsetting the car. It is an amazing experience. I just hope automakers would find a way to keep manual transmissions for electric vehicles too.
Almost 27 and I purchased my first manual in March of this year, was literally scared of it the first two months I had it and wouldn't touch it. Gas prices kept going up and eventually it pushed me into the manual car and I love it started actually driving it in late early May getting close to three months with it and I'm still not great by any means but it's so fun and makes driving an experience and I love seeing my improvement(slow learner) 2008 acura tsx
My truck is automatic, whenever I drive it I'm always reaching for the stick or try to push the clutch. It feels so weird to drive auto's when you get so used to stick
nothing like daily driving a manual then one day drive a "17 Doge Ram with a KNOB then your arm reflex is super confused because its not a regular column shifter or a console shifter😄😄
Great info, manual is best! I like that you say "be nice to the transmission " " take care of the equipment " that is the key. I drive a 6 speed car, 18,13,10 ...speed trucks, motorcycles... be one with the machine.
Dude this was extremely helpful. I own a 2019 Subaru WRX and ive been so careful trying to learn to rev-match and heel-toe. Its a learning curve but this video sure opened my eyes and I now see what im supposed to do instead of wearing my clutch and making my car upset! you earned a sub for sure!
The rev matching is even more important in turbo cars than in naturally aspirated ones, especially if there's a turbo lag. If you don't rev match, the car will first slow and jerk you forward, but then it might hit the turbo-engage rpm (dunno how to call it, the point where it kicks in, yo), which gives you another jerk, but in the other direction by the sudden burst of power from the turbo spooling up.
I tried driving manual first time today. I got frustrated at myself because I simply couldn’t get the car to move at all. When I did get it I got scared because I had to shift into 2nd and then it stalled. It truly is a learning curve but practice makes perfect
I was put in a situation where I was forced to learn stick. My cousin gave me his car since he didn't want it. I needed a car at the time so I couldn't say no. Not only that, the clutch needed replacement so I also learned how to do that. I'm glad I did because now I feel confident about driving any car.
It really is an art to drive a manual perfectly. It feels so good to get it right
Some days i get through the gears smoothly some days the car seems aggravated lol
Everyone outside of america drives a manual near perfect
@@AverageAlien amazing how you know that.
@@AverageAlien lol no, so many retards on the road in every country.
@@AverageAlien err. No they don't
Fiancee: "why are you watching that video?"
Me: "I don't want to upset my car"
Laughed out loud at this hahah
I mustn't disrupt the synchros.
“Happy stick, no disengaged disc.”
Happy car, happy life!
“So I’ll have the patience and knowledge so you don’t screw up my car when I teach you how to drive a manual.” Epic original comment!
I enjoy driving a manual. It keeps the driver engaged and less distracted when driving.
Absolutely makes for better drivers
Also its something about perfect shifts that make the rides feel so good.
i refuse to get or drive an automatic
Driving stick also tends to make driver's respect safe distance more, at least, until they're on the freeway with the people from their cars&coffee. Driving stick gives you a whole new respect for the road and appreciation for cars
That's what I keep hearing but I took the plunge in January and so far I hate it. The extra energy I have to divert thinking about all this extra shit is just as distracting as anything else.
This is literally the most chill car guy I have ever seen.
Why can't more be like this
Because everyone is an individual
@@thegreat9481 and some of us have issues
I thought the purpose for rough shifting was to see if you could get the passenger's forehead to bounce off the dashboard.
My driving instructor literally kiced me out of the car becose i did it and he bashed his head so badly lmaooo.. my first driving expirience..
I try to do that with my GF lol she gets mad when I do
@@rudy_dstroys1821 Wait till you have a wife. Took forever for her to accept it, cannot upset that balance.
@@frantamichalcik6217 A udělal si nakonec ? :D
For the longest time I hated/ had no desire to ever drive a manual transmission because I rode with an uncle who was so bad at shifting in his pickup that my head was constantly jerking around and I got a migraine. Come to find out years later he just sucked at driving and manuals are supposed to be smooth and fun to drive.
Another benefit to manual driving is that it is active driving and makes it harder to get bored, distracted, and tired.
Unless if stuck on the freeway, going straight for hours.
Yeah...that sucks regardless of the transmission lol
Less ability to look at a phone too
@@jamesthomas4955100%! Some countries make it a law that only manual cars are allowed exactly for that reason! To avoid so many car accidents because of stupid distracted phone drivers!
Bruh I get tired all the time lmao
"it upsets the car"
*car starts to cry*
LOL!
Cars made after 2000 do this... Can confirm they're Gen Z.
haha
"Mechanical sympathy" if you feel pain when the machine feels pain your machine will last longer. We've all driven with someone that drives their car without this connection.
@@VanillaWahlberg OK boomer.
I recently swapped to a 2020 WRX 6MT as my daily driver. I've never really driven a manual before and this video was very helpful on easy ways to optimize my driving. Don't worry about the lack of peddle camera on this video, as you explained the clutch positions well enough to follow along. I liked that the ride was soft enough to be able to see your acceleration and deceleration from the window line contrasting the horizon. This video was like riding shotgun while your uncle teaches you to drive and I enjoyed it a lot.
Hey, 2020 STI driver here ✌🏻 I love my UEL rumble and Brembo brakes, but I am sincerely JEALOUS of your fuel economy haha
This guy would probably make fun of you 🤣 this UA-camr is a stuck up douche bag calls anything with a 4 cylinder gay and not a real car especially front wheel drive Hondas ( even if the car is actually cool or really fast ) 😭. but this video is pretty good 👍 lol
Nice tutorial on driving a manual transmission. It’s funny that when the repairs come out of your own pocket, you become nice to your clutch & transmission.
That also works for tires/brakes.
Accurate
I stopped speeding when I moved out and had to pay for my own gas 🤣
how true . It isn't cheap to replace a clutch
This make me want a manual now. It looks so much more fun. Great video btw. Learned how to drive stick.
6K Clutch drop, and let the syncros do work by shifting without the clutch and matching the revs... got it!
Yep euro style
@@gieljannoe6404 euro style ?
You forgot don't lift when shifting at full throttle.
double clutch
Bonus points for dumping the clutch at highway speeds to get your tires warmed up.
Just came across this. I'm in my 50s and have driven stick my entire life. Every car I owned was and is manual. You are a great teacher.
Thank you kindly
@ 54 just passed my test. This video was VERY helpful sirs.
I'm the same age. I have to confess, I finally own 1 auto trans vehicle now. A Suburban. Only because it can't had with manuals, apparently 😢
A GREAT video. 👍🇨🇦👍
63 years old. I've owned 4 manual transmission vehicles. First car 1979 VW Rabbit GTI 5 speed. 1991 Mazda Miata BRG 5 speed. 2007 Jeep Wrangler 4 door 6 speed. 2024 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 6 speed.
I loved driving all of them.
I still own the Miata.
One of the best anti theft devices ... own a manual transmission vehicle. 🤣 Most people these days don't know how to drive them.
THANK YOU for sharing these driving tips.
When I was teaching my youngest to drive a stick, she struggled with the gas/clutch balance. I had her use only the clutch to try and get the car gently rolling, then apply throttle. Once she could feel the engagement point of the clutch, the rest became much smoother.
I have driven a stick forever, my goal was to be able to shift gears without my passengers knowing I was shifting. Focusing on smooth can help eliminate the herky-jerky movements.
Thanks for the great video 👍
This is exactly how i teach everyone, get the car rolling in 1st without touching the gas pedal, letting the idle just move the car along, then when you start to apply throttle from there it gives people a really good idea of torque and how little of gas you need to get going in 1st gear…. And also i share your pride in smooth transition, i made it a point when i was young to learn how to catch the transition perfectly, it makes me grin ear to ear to this day when my wife who has driven with me for years is still amazed she cant feel me shift , its a true art
It's called "walking" the car. Very handy thing to teach when starting out.
@@hellraiser7118
The best complement I ever got was.... I used to give a friend of mine rides to the gym--I was friends with her and her husband and they only had one car. After a year of driving places with her and her husband she finally realized I was driving a manual... even though her car was a manual. She never realized before how bad a driver her and her husband were and she had no idea manuals could drive smoother than automatics.
I think the real test of how good a driver you are is can you come to a full stop without that little jerk at the end that everyone ignores until it isn't there.
@@TurboLoveTrain bro…… i had no idea anyone else played the stop game. Im always approaching to stop at a red light, come down from speed slow and steady, and try to time the release of the brake pedal so it doesnt feel like you stopped at all , its such a cool feeling to get the car to stop without any kind of weight transfer
@@hellraiser7118
Faith in humanity = restored
You know the manual has taken over your brain when you get in an automatic and your left foot goes on the brake thinking it’s the clutch 😂
And then you go to press on the clutch but instead you brake like you're about to hit some kid
Or your foot goes for the clutch when you know the car is about to shift.
I owned an '88 Firebird manual with a "performance clutch" that made pressing the pedal so hard. Anyhow, my brothers owned the Camaro version but in automatic. One morning we were leaving San Diego going to LA and they asked me to drive. On the freeway after cruising for a while, I went to speed up and pushed the break SOOOO hard thinking it was the clutch. Woke and scared everyone in the car. Scared myself cause it took a second to process what just happened 😆. Good times.
Lol my winter beater is an auto but ik when the car shifts so i pretend to push in the clutch and let off as soon as the rpm drops to the next gear 😂.
Whenever I drive an automatic I find myself stomping the foot rest pad with my left foot every time 😂
I went from driving automatics to briefly driving stick when I was 23. I absolutely love stick shifts due to the fact that it kept me engaged with what I was doing the entire time. I never had the fear of falling asleep while driving whilst driving manual transmissions. Hearing the revs was awesome too.
Imagine not being forced to drive manuals by default
Absolutely! I love the revs as well! Something just so sexy about manuals
Amen bro
It's more engaging but you will fall asleep just like in a automatic
@@quangpham6779 Yep. I finally got a manual vehicle a few months ago. I found myself fighting not to sleep just day before yesterday behind the wheel.
this is the most comfortable i've seen a person in a car
He reminds me of how my Dad was. He's okay; he's just driving an automatic F-250 right now.
@@FordMustangFoxbody good for the old man
Got my first car 2 years ago (manual of course) conveniently right after this video was posted. I had to teach myself how to drive it, and this video helped me so much.
2 years later and I still come back to this video sometimes, just as a refresher and to make sure I’m still applying the advice right.
It’s also just kind of nostalgic to watch this again. Thinking back to when I was sitting in the car watching this, so eager to start driving it.
Thank you, Casey.
My grandfather would be proud to see me driving a manual.
Shout out to the fellow self learners. Learned how to drive a manual when I bought my old focus st and drove that off the dealer lot home. Was a fun ride lol
Enjoyed reading, will be tran swapping my car soon. :)
14:07 "I'm not actually rich."
14:37 "Frankly it's a sunny day. I could drive my Viper if I wanted to."
*NEW RECORD* 0 to Rich in 30 seconds.
WegotTheBOMB Early year Vipers are cheap and most have low miles.
There IS a difference between rich and well off or comfortable. Rich in my eyes is multi millionaire like 10 plus. Well off or comfortable is 1 million-10. Anything less than a million, you still have work to do, so get to it. Lol
you guys know that there is more that goes into a car than just buying it right? Some states have personal property tax yearly. Not to mention up keep on a vehicle. And then there is insurance. Probably not goin liability on a Viper. Gonna need a nice garage too to keep it safe and dry. Houses arent cheap. Well not ones with decent garages. And now you gotta factor in the priorities..
You got a Viper.. You're rich.
@@WegotTheBOMB "You got a Viper.. You're rich" Sorry the generalization is not really all that true.
@@WegotTheBOMB wtf is "personal property tax"?!? I'm googling this because it sounds stupid af
"Automatics are boring so I end up speeding." XD same
I like to skip shift manual
I feel like it's kinda hard to overtake with an automatic tbh
@@imnotwhitebutimwhite My car has a steptronic feature, you can pull the stick to the left which puts it in sport mode (holds higher RPMs) and you can shift up to downshift for extra acceleration. It's not manual but it's super useful.
Honestly I need cant drive automatic anymore. Idk why but most times now if a drive an automatic a fall asleep if I have been driving for like over 40 minutes. It’s really dangerous I don’t know why I get so tired.
Manuals are so fun I end up speeding lol
As a teen just learning to drive, this was one of the most helpful videos I’ve found. Now I won’t have to worry about ruining my dad’s clutch!
It's okay...not sure what your dad drives, but the clutch in my old 95 Nissan pickup (aka Frontier) was only $120 to replace. 😉
Generally, as long as you're patient (and the clutch is in decent shape and not a race-optimized one) you'll probably be fine learning it without causing damage
@@josephjester4917 thats only the cost of the part if you are doing the work and replacing it yourself.
Not many people do that, if its going to a garage to get it done depending on where they are and what car it is can be close to $1500 or more.
@@josephjester4917 my clutch is a dual clutch $2,600
@@kristene2372veloster?
There's something oddly satisfying cruising around town in fourth gear, getting that perfect sequence of green lights along the way...
...Fourth is two high a gear for my car to cruise at sub 40. There is something gratifying about turning a corner in third though without having to clutch.
@@TurboLoveTrain Yeah, in my country the limit is 50km/h and yes, I go a little faster in fourth. I tend to adjust my speed to weather conditions and visibility so when it's foggy I'll even slow down to 30 or even 20. My dream is to compete in a rally so there's no risk of injuring someone but also taking those corners at high speeds at the same time.
@@NineS5
I've never driven a manual diesel. For some reason they seem much more rare in the US. Toyota didn't even sell the Hilux or Hilux Surf in the US--you had to get them imported :(
Same with Opals or Citrons. I'd really love to try a Lada for the lulz.
The problem about the stick shift culture in the US is that there is almost none apart from racing, which means that people think they have to drive manuals like you drive on the racetrack or 70 years ago. In europe, everyone knows how to stick shift, but almost nobody uses double-clutching or heel-toe. As long as you are in a reasonable rpm-range, the clutch doesn't have to work that hard and synchros are there for a reason. That doesn't mean that you can't drive like he did in the video - acutally, it's the best way. But it's just unnecessary nowadays. If you're getting into driving manual, just be gentle to the clutch and do'nt stall it and it will last you a very, very long time.
I live in Europe, my old car was BMW E39 5-speed manual. I did rev-matching all the time on it. I just don't like the hiccups you get when you downshift without rev-match. It's just a taste.
@@xtremescript same to me, I hate the hipcups, I just do it to avoid those, gentle and soft riding.
As an American, I concur...with just about everything you said.
I'm american and when I did my first downshift ever I saw how the engine was physically revved by the wheels and how it was not normal. I revmatch is king.
way to spread misinformation buddy. It's literally harsh for your drivetrain, trans mounts, motor mounts possibly, syncros and clutch. A lot of these being time consuming to replace. Rev match is king like others have said and it keeps you on the power band longer? Why not use it? Americans are just superior facts.
That feeling of lightly pulling the shifter out of third, right as the synchros unload, is magic.
If you get it right, it feels like the shifter is magnetically attracted to your palm. The best feeling.
I have an NV3500, nothing magical ever happens with one of those. While it's nice to have a manual, everyone swears I must be supercharged, nope I wish that's just the call of the NV3500.
That's when you slip it right into 4th
Fr that 3-4 shift feels unreal for some reason
@@imnota yeah but that shift from fourth to third when you’re accelerating just hits different
@@TsarAlexTheFirst yeah your pistons definitely hit your valves differently lmao
I love when there are no narcissistic introduction and just get straight to the point kinda video. Subscribed.
I've been driving manual for 3 weeks now, and I'm getting a lot better all the time. Thanks for the tips, where I still struggle the most is downshifting smoothly.
Always remember to clutch in -> neutral -> clutch out -> throttle engine a tiny bit -> clutch in -> downshift -> clutch out. It's actually a lot harder than it seems and once you get the hang of it'll probably be harder to put in words than to actually do it.
No need to release the clutch when you rev the engine while downshifting. Actually there's no need to rev the engine, just slow the car more with the brake before you downshift. Because the faster you go while downshifting the revs will have to climb higher from idle point when you start releasing the clutch. That's why it's not smooth until you slow down properly.
In my car downshifting is easy
@@dzan7552 got it now. My pedals are a bit far apart so im still working on heel toe. I test drove a mazdaspeed 3 that was way easier.
@@MeTaLiStACZMusing your brakes that much defeats the point of using your engine for braking.
I was driving automatic for 7 years and I finally tried a manual and man the experience is something else. I always thought automatic is the best, it's good, but boy was I missing out on actually driving a car. It's an experience each day you learn to be better and that's amazing than just break and accelerator honestly
This! This is why I have driven only manual for 20+ years of driving and refuse to get an auto no matter how good they are it just seems so boring to me. I beat my car and I can shift like a mofo but I do it correctly so not that much added wear on parts. It is a lost art that many ppl don't "get" these days. A properly driven manual can be pretty damn fast . Ppl just assume manuals are slow not all drivers suck ass lol
@@midnight347 the biggest advantage of manual is that it promotes driver discipline.
what happens in an automatic is that people get bored and and they have a free hand, so they start texting on the phone, have a smoke (and then another one and another one), they snack while driving all stuff that is potentially dangerous.
and it's not even that hard either, there were one armed people back in the day who could drive manuals, i've seen it happen.
@@windhelmguard5295 In the UK everyone does all those things in a manual. You just can't steer while shifting, so you shift on a straight or you oversteer then shift quick enough that you can make the turn. People even use their knee on the steering wheel. You have to hold the item with the hand that can't shift thought, or you can put it down on your lap when you need to shift, then pick it up again.
Idk personally I think it’s easier to get tickets in a manual. I always feel like the car wants me to drive it fast because of the instant hit of dopamine I get when ever I am shifting good. It’s just too satisfying, especially if they sound good.
For sure! My VR-6 Jetta pulls hard in 2nd gear to almost 60mph. If I'm in third it's a challenge to keep it down to 65 because it's where the torque is. Have to get it into 5th and just sort of sit back or I'll be having a little chat with officer friendly!
There is a very nice on ramp near my house and on the way to work I toss my FRS at 95 KMH into a semi tight right hander (60 kmh is considered fast for it 😂) and By the time I come out, I’m doing anywhere between 165 to 180smth in 4th/5th; literally can’t stop myself. It is just too rewarding.
Lol, judging from all the cars you're listing here, I don't think the problem is it being a manual. I think the problem is them being performance cars. I don't know if any of you ever driven a normal car with a manual, but it's quite boring. I drive a manual Honda Accord as a daily drive and I almost never speed in it. It's just a bigger effort to drive it fast than to drive it at normal speeds and because of that I just don't see the point. I've owned several performance cars (at the moment I own a BMW E30 M3). With those cars I am speeding all the time, for the exact same reason like you guys are mentioning here: It's just so satisfying. Also, it's the other way around than with my Honda, it seems like it's more effort to drive slow in them.
@@deathisfreedom1442 I feel ya man. I have 2008 mini, and when Im changing gears just right it makes this wonderful brrvrvrrrrrrrrrrr sound which is just oooooh and oh fuck speed limit.
@@earlnuclear Exactly. I'm driving an E46 328Ci and that engine just starts screaming when it gets to 5k and above. Well... that's 130 km/h on a normal road in 3rd gear so... yeah. Meh^^
Hey, I'm 17, and this video was extremely useful and easy to understand for someone who is new to driving. I've been working and hopefully, I'm able to get my car by 18. I am extremely excited to get a stick shift vehicle and I will definitely be using this video for a learning reference. Greatly appreciated!
hello
Sweet dude
definitely get a stick and don't settle for an auto
Whta kinda job ya got?
@@hennigod8957 currently working 3 jobs. I cut grass in the morning, work at a restaurant as a cook, and I sell at a swapmeet.
My best tip to starting off in 1st is to use the same throttle ‘blip and release’ you would on downshift before beginning letting out on the clutch, you catch the revs coming back down and you will be able to ease on the throttle as the car starts to move it will be less likely to stall or buck. I learned to start off on an upward grade this way without rolling back and without using the hand brake. Once you get the timing you will look like a pro and will be a much smoother stick driver and your clutch will last longer too!
"It upsets the car"
I am at a car guy level, where i talk to my car, when driving alone. It's probably only me.
Nope me too
It's not just you
I talk to my car so much when it's behaving I wish I could give it treats.🤭
I pet my truck when I get home after work and say I'll see you tomorrow
Hell nah, I dont just talk to my car but my dad and my brothers cars.
Interesting point on the "tempo". However for cars which have very light flywheels (e.g., e92 m3), when you disengage the clutch, the rev drops like a stone in the air and if you are too slow in shifting and re-engaging the clutch, the car will shiver. This is why I find it so difficult to drive it smoothly in city traffic. But it's perfect for spirited driving on B-roads.
owner of an e60 here, yeah those engines drop revs in the blink of an eye, and sometimes the gear ratios don'g help, on mine, to drop to 1500rpm on 2nd, you need to at least be on 2500rpm on first. as you upshift the difference is smaller, but on the first couple gears, you gotta pay attention to not jerk the car when shifting.
Same with 911, revs drops like crazy when you upshift, smoothest shift when over 3400 rpm.
Most performance car are like that
Factual
Lol you have to give it some gas. Just rev match like you would when down shifting in traffic. You can shift through all the gears going 20mph.
Another being-nice-to-the-driveline tip: The rpm gap, or mismatch, between gears is wider at higher engine rpm's so allow a bit more time for synchros to work when single-clutch shifting around the top of the rev range, especially downshifting which is inherently harder on synchros. And when toe-heel downshifting for a corner, waiting until the last practical moment to downshift will allow revs to drop as vehicle speed drops which effectively reduces that gap and is kinder to synchros. All of this is nullified when double-clutching the shifts of course.
Thanks for tip, I’m turning 16 soon and my dad bought me an ‘85 land cruiser and I’d hate to mess up the trans on that beast
@@diegoumana5131 Oh hell yeah a manual land cruiser I bet that thing can rip
If only someone could explain this whole load of terminology for a manual transmission, I'd give the tips a try, as soon as I know what is meant.
Thank you for a well-done, informative, and very accurate instructional video about driving a manual transmission car. As one who grew up on a farm, with tractors, trucks, and various mechanical machinery, my father was adamant about keeping your foot "away from the clutch, until you're ready to press it." [Don't be riding the clutch with your foot, EVEN if you intend to depress it in the next several seconds.] He was also quite "instructional" about having mercy on the equipment (you can't imagine what my brother and I -- as 12-year-olds -- could do with lawn tractors at full throttle).
Your comments about preserving the synchros and rev-matching are spot on. As a former semi trucker driver, I learned early on how to match gears/revs at speeds, because there are no synchros in those gearboxes. "Find them or grind them" was the mantra then (and my father's admonition about having mercy on the equipment prevailed) - I learned how to match gears smoothly.
There was a period of clutch/vs. no clutch (common for truck drivers), but after stripping the synchros out of my '79 Trans Am trying "clutch-less shifting" [hey, don't judge me, at the time I was maybe 28], I'm a resolute believer in using the clutch for all shifts. You can "float the gears" if you want, but the clutch is designed to absorb the shock of any mismatch. The synchros are not.
Do as you please. You can treat a car as a piece of machinery (like a horse), and flog it to death to perform as you want... or you can enjoy the performance, beauty, and elegance of a finely engineered conveyance which has evolve in the past 100+ years.
Love the car. If you do anything which is causing jerking/hardness/difficulty shifting, you might want to examine your shifting technique. But understand exactly what happens when you depress the clutch and change gears is EXTREMELY important in driving smoothly and preserving equipment.
Coming from the UK where manual transmission accounts for 99% of all cars, seeing videos like this is wierd.
Yet the concept of mechanical sympathy is as foreign to drivers in Europe as it is in the US... Casey Putsch gets it bang on: it's not the length of the burnout, how long you can hold the car on an incline with just the clutch or the reckless disregard of any speed limit that makes a good driver, but how well they can adjust to the needs of the car/components and/or their passengers while also being safe out on public roads. I feel most drivers globally, even those driving for years, would do well to internalize that way of thinking.
Just because you have a lot of manuals doesn't mean you have any idea how to properly drive them.
And if you are going to throw out a stat at least double check it lol, manuals are going away in your part of the world as well.
Its a video for Mericans.. Most Mericans struggle with driving an auto in poor weather. Ive seen them myself in AZ when it rained.
@@DrewLSsix He is right though. He is obviously exaggerating the numbers but pretty much everyone learns in a manual. I don't know one person who hasn't driven a manual. It's the norm. And our driving tests are a lot more challenging when compared to America.
DrewLSsix Acctually you cant pass driving exam without knowing how to shift properly so,yeah 99.99% of drivers know how to do proper shifting! And it is funny to see this video for us,it is second nature for EU drivers.
I've been driving a manual since I was a kid and my jeep is a manual. I still watch videos like yours to make sure I'm not doing it wrong again lol
Good video! I like the metronome analogy.
Lucky!! I wish I learned when I was that age.
Same man, theres always room to learn and improve
TJ?
Videos like this are why I love watching Casey talk about cars. I taught myself to drive manual in a rotary, Casey is hell of a good teacher. Starts with very basic of a manual and starting to get moving. Then actually gets into the detail of different revs for different engines (which no one ever seems to tell you). Compared to other people on youtube the amount of minutiae he gives in a very understandable is amazing or hes just great at editing..... still not sure which.
Love it mate! I saw this and thought do I need to watch it? I’m 51 years old been driving since I was 12/13 tractors,trucks, new/old cars etc! My father used to drive trucks and told me growing up that you only need the clutch to get moving otherwise if you rev match correctly you can shift without a clutch up or down. So here I am now driving a 1989 navara d21 (hardbody in the U.S) with 360,000 +kilometres on it replaced the clutch 18 months ago. Not that I never use the clutch , I do but also drive without it,changing up and down. I found your video helpful to keep me in check but also confirm I am on the right track.Thanks and all the best for the new year in 24 👌. From Aus 🇦🇺
I am german, a gear-stick is part of my arm.
Ay you guys be makin some banger cars love the bmws
I hear you brother. I don't even know what to do with my left foot in an automatic...it just sits there.
Lol
You call them clutch sticks? That's interesting
@@Asimo44 actually I just don’t know the correct term for it. In German we call it “Schaltknüppel”.
Casey I really like how you are passing on knowledge too the younger generation...
"it's easier to not be speeding in a stick shift car"
That's so true, lol! Everyone knows these streets and construction sites where the speed limit is 30km/h, but the road just invites you to go faster.
When I see a 30 sign, I intuitively shift down to 3rd and when I'm not paying attention to my speed and end up going 40km/h, I often just notice that because my engine is louder than it would be at 30 and then I think to myself: "Well, if I'll be going to fast, I should at least do it in the proper gear!", since if I'd intentionally drive along at 40, 4th gear would be the right gear for my car.
Or, ofc I simply slow down.
Just purchased my 2016 WRX the other day, first time owning a manual. After driving it all day and then watching this video it really made things a lot more clearer for me and I appreciate it so much. Now I'm clean shifting with no prob ready for trips up the mountains :D Thanks Casey!
Very random, Im looking into a WRX for my first car. How well would you recommend it?
@@adamd5944 It is one of my favorite cars to drive at the moment considering its my first manual car, other than that finding one was hard at first without a check engine light on.
@@SimaRuijie This will be my first manual car too, was it difficult to make the switch? I've hear things from multiple people that it is really fun or really annoying.
@@adamd5944 I wouldn't say difficult but a learning curve for sure. First few months were intense lol. I really enjoy the car now my buddy has a 2015 WRX. He's had his a few years before me. We plan to do some trips to CO / NV. Also have a Nissan Frontier 2017 for Camping trips out there if I don't want to bring my WRX.
@@SimaRuijie The awd is one of the main reasons i like it besides the modding capabilities. Would it hold up if I take it camping. And it being my daily?
I feel like "blip it and rip it" should probably be on a t-shirt....incorrect technique or not, lol. Seriously though, I think many a "money shift" can be attributed to a death grip on the stick and trying to 'Vin Diesel' through the gears. With a lighter touch you can use the springy auto-centering of the stick (in most cars) as a sort of logic gate for where you are in the pattern before committing to a shift even if you're trying to move quickly as you might on a track.
You don’t want to have a hard grip on the shift. I almost money shifted my Mustang GT that way.
Lap of the World I was thinking the same thing lol
Idk but i think the springy auto centering is the detents in the shifter
My 1990 MR2 Turbo (With the later e153 LSD transmission) won’t actually let me money shift it. It will not let you into 1st gear above 30mph. Same with reverse.
Is that not normal for y’all’s cars?
@@negativeindustrial My '91 MR2 Turbo (kept for 16 years and tracked) with the non-LSD trans definitely did not have such a thing and I definitely locked the rears briefly sticking it in reverse while learning how to heel/toe back in the day. The 3SGTE is also more forgiving than most being non-interference. You'd have to do something VERY wrong to bend those valves.
When you said you can shift a dog box without using the clutch, you can also do that in a synchro transmission. I had a 1985 Cougar XR-7 with a 2.3T and 5 Speed. It broke the clutch cable one day while I was driving it, and I remembered being told when I was a kid about how to shift without the clutch. It's essentially the same as double clutching, just without the clutch. As you're changing gears, up or down, you let off the gas and as soon as you do pull the car into neutral. It'll slide smoothly out of gear. Then rev match for the next gear you want (up or down) and the car will slide right into gear as it's all synced up. No grinds, no issues.
This is what I love about driving manual. You learn new things even after 2 years
Well you got lucky you didn't have to stop at a red light or intersection, because that wouldn't have been much fun.
@@tonym5661 I drove it that way for a few weeks and no, it wasn't fun. Had to shut car off at stop signs or roll them if possible, and had to start in gear with clutch pedal down to deactivate the safety, but no, wasn't fun.
My dad showed me how to do this in his 94 Daihatsu Charade, always buttery smooth. Had a mate try to show me and all I could hear was the trans begging for mercy lol
@@durwoodrobison7800 I once had my shifter rod going back to the gearbox in the rear broken apart (old rear engine car), leaving me stuck in third gear with something having 50 HP.
I had the clutch and some manual fast idle but crossing instersections were the longest 10-15 secs I've ever had.
I would have happily traded in the clutch for shifting at that point even if I ran out of gear teeth profiles until home. :D
I'm glad you mention the hand break, it's a blessing when you are learning to take off up a hill. I still use it every day, I even use it on stop and go traffic to make my drive easier for my right foot. Also you mention the fact that you get to know more or less the speed that you will get at any given gear so you can hold a gear to keep a certain speed (and never go over the speed limit). Man, this is the best manual shift tutorial I've seen
(90% of cars are manual in my country btw)
90 % manual ! Where are you from ?
@@Mhadyourfriend Europe?
The one thing he forgot to mention with old clutches vs modern, is that they were usually full mechanical back then. Now you've got a hydraulic clutch but between all mechanical and dog boxes, it was more of a necessity to mash into the next gear. Hell the longer gear shift lever was an added bonus to give the driver better torque to the shift forks.
bro how many times did you replace the clutch in the 1990s
@@LexusPro fr
I drove early 90s Integras for 14 years, they had cable clutches and I’m not kidding, my left calf is noticeably larger. I have a TSX now which has hydro of course but it’s just always been my stronger leg 😂
Mechanical or hydraulic has nothing to do with the way the clutch operates. I’ve had both. 71 Chevelle and a modern Camaro I’m also mechanic by trade. The difference is actually the shifter mechanism on the transmission. The old-school transmissions had different style gates, and had to be physically pushed over.
Hahaha!! The Intro of this was fantastic. I learned the ways of the stick on a Nissan Datsun 510 at 16 from my dad who yelled at me when the first gear wouldn’t go in. He is a superb driver. Thankfully, got the hang of it and no more screaming ensued!
I'm 35 years old and have been "jamming it around like an idiot" all of my driving life. ;( Thank you for this video.
Same
Blipping throttle equalizes the Rev match.
I tend to do that when I'm trying to gap someone or keep up with a faster car, gotta relax :P
My car has such a light shifter that I can literally flick it out of gear! I can just poke it out of third with one finger. Lovely.
You're not really an idiot if you can see and admit your faults.
I learned how to revmatch about a year after getting my license, when driving to college and back. It's super satisfying when you get it right, and makes driving way comfier in a manual.
Is rev matching only for down shifting ?
@@bossstillen4390 Yes
It is so true.
That's how I learned to drive a manual.
Thank you for this video! I'm 24 and started driving manual this January after throwing myself headfirst into learning when my Automatic Impala died on me. I feel weird driving automatic cars anymore. You gave many great tips that I'm sure to incorporate into my driving style since I aim to get the most life out of my car vs driving them into disrepair.
I did the same thing to my son that my dad did to me... "Your first car is on me, it's a stick"
Frank W my mom tried to force me into buying auto because manual A4s are getting increasingly rare. I’m glad I held out, that car wouldn’t be half as good as it is with a stick.
My dad took that a step further, my first vehicle was a disassembled Jeep, I had to build it before I could drive it.
snek lmao hey at least you learned hopefully
My dad wasn't that nice to me
@@snek9353 thats a HUGE OOF
7:00 “I do not want to get behind that guy.” LOL This is me very often.
It's a lot harder to be distracted by a cell phone or whatever if you're driving a stick. Personally I absolutely love a manual transmission!
You should drive in europe in any major city. Cellphone, lipstick, eyeline, cofee, filling forms. Pick one in any pre covid rush hour ( and most of the time not stopped)
Was thinking about the difficulty if driving distracted in stick. You're just more focused
I believe u r neither more or less focused driving stick. Its just habit. Even if u in a new car try to learn the car in the first minuts, after its just normal. My first hour of driving lesson ( school and monitored driving lessons are mandatory in portugal) was driving a corba b , diesel with a very rigid clutch pedal in rush hour. Quite fun the 1h30 in stop start for 5 kms each way 🤣🤣🤣
Challenge accepted!
@@sonecaii8306 both your hands are already busy, so it's harder to be on your phone. That's all I was saying.
I find the key to driving my best... even when knowing the techniques... is wearing the right shoes. Makes a world of difference for me.
Not reallt. Flip-flops are good too.
When you shift back to auto and press in the foot parking brake at 50miles/hour+
Isaac skilling *old Merc gang appears*
My grandpa did this on the autobahn taking am exit. We were going about 200km and he put the brake through the floor. Came to a dead stop immediately. He says "sorry i forgot it was automatic"
@@whitefd2 usually do this from being parked and realizing I'm driving an auto. Not minutes in! lmfao
@@KaiserVonKrieg yeah lol we all shit our pants
Hahahaahahah that DOES happen
The way he makes those comfortable hand gestures while driving and shifting gears like he is sitting in a couch in his living room convinced me that he is really a race car driver.
P.S. I am learning driving.
It's an empty road
One more tip that I'm learning the hard way is... I used to sit at stop lights with my foot on the clutch and my car in gear. Im a tall guy so it was just easier to leave my foot on the clutch for the whole light. Plus it has the advantage of only needing to step on the gas and take my foot off the clutch for a quick take off if i needed. However now when i push the clutch in it makes a vibrating or sort of a grinding sound. Only now i learned from other vids that having the clutch engaged for extended periods of time with the engine running is a way to get premature wear. Now I'm not doing that unless i need to... just trying to milk the life of the clutch till i have to replace it.
Love the way this guy explains things. He doesn't use that over explanation-ey tone most use without even realizing it that makes you feel like a child. Could genuinely listen to him explain things to me all day without getting bored.
manual drivers in america "iam god"
manual drivers in europa "shrug"
there are manual driving aliens on one of jupiter's moons ?!?!
calm down
Then there are manual drivers in Japan
More like manual drivers in the red of the world lol. Americans don't like driving manaul
@watergod 83 I don't have to. The statistics tell that
Excellent tutorial. I've driven manuals all of my driving life and self- taught most of what he's talking about. It takes years to perfect, but a short time to learn.
I love when you make musical references/draw interconnections because as a professional musician, your channel makes me wish I was also a professional driver. You do an excellent job of expressing the art in driving.
Great explanation on how to drive a stick well. This is definitely one of those topics that's super hard to accurately explain with words, and really just has to be learned hands-on with experience.
And i think some people will just pick it up naturally, like it's instinct, while others will struggle to even learn the basics.
What a great video. I've taught both my oldest kids how to drive in an old 99 Civic with a manual. I've been driving manual over 29 years and I definitely agree with you they are more engaging, safer, keeps people from texting, and most automatics are just boring.
(points to shifter) "This makes it fun and enjoyable." #Truth
I was driving my new car today (manual) and was thinking about watching a UA-cam video on rev-matching and other tips....then I come home from work and see this uploaded. Thanks! 🙌😁
Never seen this channel before but judging by the intros, I get the feeling this gentlemen is well versed in the world of mechanics
Casey, great job dumbing down the finer points of driving a manual transmission car. "How not to suck!". Perfect. Thanks.
I rev match and heel toe in my daily driving as a matter of practice and still enjoy doing it.
Kon Wai Luen why are you braking so hard?
I rev match all the time. But, i am still learning to heel and toe
@@naseeb46 ah same
you should always be rev matching anyways. it's so much better on your transmission. i don't really understand why people think "rev matching is for racing". those people simply have never driven a manual car, or dont understand how a transmission works, lol
@@taylormoffitt8336 I've been driving manual cars for 30 years and have never heel and toed or rev matched. Do you think manufacturers have spent billions of dollars designing cars so badly that you need to rev match to protect the transmission?
My first daily driver is a manual, absolutely love driving it. First week or so was really rough and it hurt me a lot hearing myself mess up trying to get going. Upshifting was easy enough so I got that down quick and I was already practicing rev-matching on down shifts it was just getting started from a dead stop and controlling speed in reverse that I was having issues with. I pretty much got it down now, I haven't practiced heel-toe shifting yet but I'm gonna try practicing that as much as I can as I get more comfortable. Sometimes I'll have to drive my parent's automatic 'cus my car would have something wrong with it (my car's an '01 with 200k miles but she still got some life) and it damn near puts me to sleep on the interstate so I really don't like driving automatics.
Learned on a 76 Civic hatchback. Perfected it on my 98 Contour SVT. The clutch in that Contour was the smoothest clutch even more so than Mustangs I’ve driven. Sent this video to my son. Very good technique and video.
As a former truck driver I learned early on to "float the gears." When you drive that much you just learn the RPMs it becomes second nature and you can tell just by listening and feeling you know exactly when to shift without having to CONSTANTLY use the clutch, especially when you're dealing with 10 gears. Gears don't grind and the transitions were always smooth. Never had an issue, even though that's not how you're "supposed to" shift.
You're comparing a synchronized transmission to an unsynchronized transmission.....they're not the same.
@@Kaye23X4 True, unsynchronized gearing takes more skill to drive ;-)
@@Kaye23X4 thanks captain obvious.
@@Joe_JesusWins_Lewis Anytime. 😊
what's hilarious is they are now teaching the newer generations of truckers to float gears not double clutch. That's how I found this video to learn more in general lmao. Oh no.
Been driving stick about 20 years and still learned a couple new things. Thanks! I absolutely love manuals
HA!
Granny shifting, not double clutching like you should
You’re lucky you didn’t blow the welds off the intake
Except not a single person in any of those movies ever actually double clutches. D:
@@tuerney420 imagine having to double clutch through 20 gears :D
@@jarnoojasaar No wonder Vin Diesel has legs like tree trunks.
@@jarnoojasaar Imagine double clutching an automatic
One of the best things I’ve noticed about manual transmission, which you mention near the end, is that it keeps you on your toes. I never get drowsy driving stick. Because you always have to be engaged, unless you’re cruising at 70 on the interstate.
That’s because you’re new and still not proficient. When you’re good, it’s automated and you still get drowsy.
Watching this after I blew the transmission in my golf
Thats disgusting i dont want to read about you giving head to a he/she i just puked
seems like you were a little too late
Lol. Yeah, they do that.
Anthonyi143 it’s German. Stuff breaking is practically a feature on those cars😂. I told my my girlfriend my Audi is the nicest shitbox you’ll ever see.
Hunter MacDonald facts bro, I just found an other transmission and now I’m getting the old one rebuilt so I have a spare lol
This is really good. I came here completely by accident and kept watching due to being really impressed by this guy. So knowledgable and down to earth. If I still had a manual I'd try this stuff out.
The nice thing about a stick car is, it can be driven for performance, or it can be driven for cruising, its up to the user how violet the shifts are. I have had a few sports cars that I can shift with no use of the clutch by getting to the right rpm range to slide into the next gear but, not all set ups accommodate this. Those same cars can scream as you bang through gears at higher rpm ranges, but usually that is done with clutch use.
To be honest, I am probably one of those older stick drivers from the days where you punch the radio every time you up shift to an odd gear or else you "aint driving". But the manual is a flexible tool adaptable to just about any driving style and at least for me, keeps me more engaged in the act of driving - reducing odds of user error due to distraction.
And to this day, with more than 250,000 miles in manuals under every circumstance, i will occasionally mess up a shift, so, as you are learning know that every car has a different feel and the same car can even feel different depending on temps so, its ok to stall out or chirp off occasionally. I still need to work on my heel-toe skills, it has just been rare that I have good pedal placement in a car worth using the technique. And once you memorize the feel of a car, you never forget it, sort of like that mechanics feel for bolt torquing. It just take time and experience - eventually you don't even think about it.... except when you get stuck back in an automatic and reach down to change gears as you press the phantom clutch... and your passenger laughs....
A manual transmission to me, is more safe to drive in snow/ice situations.You just have more control going up or down hills and around curvy roads.It is more engaging(challenging)to drive a stickshift in these conditions.
Lol in the vid he says toe heal and it kinda triggers me a little
@@Darkaccent To be fair. That is the correct order lol. Heel Toe just rolls off the tongue better.
@@Ichibuns any car enthusiast should know this
@@Darkaccent I've heard both ways. It's really whatever you fee like calling it. There really isn't an authority on the subject
Wonderful video. Sound advice. Spot on story examples and explanation supporting the advice and tips.
When I crack myself up:
So the setup is, I've driven nothing but my stick shift for a while. I get into an automatic (wife's or the family hauler), and pull out. I'll get to about 15 mph, let off the gas, and a thump is heard, as I stomp the floor, because a clutch pedal is absent. After my chuckle, I pull back my foot, reapply the throttle, and keep going. Conditioning, habit, or whatever you want to call it, I find it amusing in the moment.
Happened to my dad too. We had just bought a new automatic, 2 days before we had to move houses. After we moved, he got in and said he wanted to drive. We would go at 10 and suddenly whiplash cause he pressed the brake like it was a clutch.
After spilling my drink 4 times, he asked me to drive
I remember in high school I taught myself to clutchless shift, I'm so lucky my car didn't blow the transmission but now it's my "party trick" lol
Thank you as always for the awesome content!
Lol, had to learn how to do that "on the spot" when the clutch cable broke on my MK1 GTI many years ago and I was too broke to afford a tow truck to get back home.
Yannick G my master cylinder blew out on my way to school in my 03 s10 xtreme. Made it to school and had to start the truck in gear to get back home. 😂
@@daytonwintle6051 Exactly what I had to do back then as well, the starter gave out not too long after that, I wonder why....lmao.
@@yannickg6904my starter was fine. I live in rural maine so I just crept through stop signs. Think I only had to stop once. It was a fun story to tell at school tho lol
@@daytonwintle6051 You never forget stuff like this. Kind of like changing a tire during a snowstorm on the side of a country road.
Casey, the header says "for everyday driving", so OK I wanna see your tips. As an "OLD PERSON" I can reasonably shift a car I would say and golly years ago I actually was an instructor in driving a stick shift vehicle. There are many useful "tips" you left out that could have been helpful. One is the reason to down shift is for the engine not to stall, the car to jerk. As an "OLD PERSON" sometimes getting in out of cars gets to be a chore, as well listening to others when I think I know it all. I have taken one of my cars, a 1079 Volvo around the course in PIR but not racing. you are a racer as well as me I have yet to do that, and I do like going fast. So I appreciate your point of view and knowledge and videos. If somebody can drive a stick shift vehicle and you don't notice the gear changes...then that is mastery. I never got the down shift from 3rd to 2nd on the old 46 chev 1 and 1/2 ton flatbed. On last thing Casey, when you come blasting up behind me, in the left lane of course in your Viper, that will be me giving you thumbs up from my 3 speed on the column overdrive 1962 Rambler. In the correct lane, unless I am passing some "OLD PERSON"! Thanks.
You are a boomer
Use your Visor to block the most direct line of sunlight to your camera position. I love the camera position and the video was super helpful and well produced. ez sub. Thanks!
I've drove a friend's manual car across town once & it was one of the best experiences I've had. I've had 2 cars but both were autos it's hard to find manuals in my city. But my next car will be manual for certain! This is the first time I've ever seen one of your video's, you've uplifted & inspired me even more to get a manual car!! & You now have a new subscriber. Thanks for the education!
I really appreciate that in the cars I've seen you own and drove, you dont go with the typical boy racer super short shifter kit where you can twitch your fingers to throw a gear. Theres something far more satisfying to me rowing through the gears with a longer throw and getting it right even at speed.
Neal Oram recently installed one of those sub 2” short shifters in my car and agree with your point lol!! It’s great for weekend spiritedness but daily driving becomes a pain in the wrist literally. It is awesome squeezing your hand just to close 3 to 4 on the up shift though
Just depends on the car and the short throw kit. Love the Hurst short throw I put in my Camaro. Just the right amount of throw
This is great! I'm at least 700,000km on a stick ( '00 SiR, '02 SER Spec V, '04 SiR, '14 CrossTrek)... I've become sloppy with the Subaru (rev hang?) and to replace the transmission at 120,000km. Best car ever was my 2004 Honda Civic SiR. I drove it like a go-kart, got 300,000km on it before I had kids and had to sell it. Same clutch!
This was so cool!! I wish someone would have told me this stuff when I was 14, I had to learn it all on my own...But it's great that you're teaching this. I refuse to buy a fun car without a manual because it's not as fun and much less engaging. I find it sad that what I remember as a 'standard' transmission is now the exception. People just don't know what they're missing out on and thanks for bringing it to light in such an educational way!
They don't even offer a true manual for the C8 Corvette. Disgusting. Paddle clutchless "semi-automatic" sequential is fun, I guess, but an absolute shame to not offer the iconic American muscle car with a real transmission.
Great video. If I'm teaching someone to drive standard/manual, I always try to teach them to visualize what they are doing....in engaging the clutch with the flywheel....the transmission to the engine. I think it helps in a massive way....especially when choosing gears when wanting to speed up quickly...or when slowing down quickly...and then needing to accelerate again. Gotta always be thinking....sound, speed...and so on.
I miss driving a manual car every day honestly. My first car was a 68 for Torino 390 4 speed and I loved it.
My wife wants to build a 1950 Ford F1 pickup together. Ground up big V8 and she actually requested a manual. You can not even imagine how happy that made me lol
OK... she's a keeper!
I'm 29 and my girlfriend was actually the one teaching me how to drive stick. My truck got wrecked so I seized the opportunity and bought myself a 6-speed manual car. Found your videos later and I've learned a lot from them, so my car is already in better hands. I absolutely love driving my car now that I know more about how it works, and how to treat it better. Thank you!
hand in your mancard i bet she left you for a stick driving Chad
@@MaalikFaunhahaha
Just got my first car and it’s automatic but I’m thinking of switching to manual after I get my license.
Update: Started teaching myself manual 2 weeks ago, it’s going great and I improve every drive, still struggle with steep hills and double clutching so had to come back for the tips.
Theres no point youll have to go for a manual licence again
@@Nikora.Biddle I’m on my learners right now but i will try to do the test in manual
Been driving a stick for about the last 35 years. A few times I got a loner automatic car while mine was being worked on, I felt so bored. Yes, a stick can be a pain in heavy traffic or wanting to sip on coffee but it's all worth it to me.
i've been learning heel and toe, it's a trip at first but once o start to get it right, feels so fucking good and smooth.
Honestly mainly came here for the 944 driving but learned a good bit also. So great video
This video made me laugh a bit as I could relate to some parts. Especially the differences between an automatic and manual. I have gotten so many speeding tickets in an automatic because of how bored I get in it. Recently I bought a 97 Miata and I enjoy it way more than the paddle-shifting challenger I had. I feel more focused and excited every time I pop into the next gear without upsetting the car. It is an amazing experience. I just hope automakers would find a way to keep manual transmissions for electric vehicles too.
Imagine a manual Tesla 🤯🤯🤯 insane speed
Almost 27 and I purchased my first manual in March of this year, was literally scared of it the first two months I had it and wouldn't touch it. Gas prices kept going up and eventually it pushed me into the manual car and I love it started actually driving it in late early May getting close to three months with it and I'm still not great by any means but it's so fun and makes driving an experience and I love seeing my improvement(slow learner) 2008 acura tsx
Please make “Blip it and rip it!” into a T shirt!
(Edit: didn’t see someone already commented this. I second the idea.)
Drove a manual my entire life. Recently switched to a 6 puck stage 4 and feels like I’m re-learning all over again. Good vid bro
why pick a stage4?
My truck is automatic, whenever I drive it I'm always reaching for the stick or try to push the clutch. It feels so weird to drive auto's when you get so used to stick
nothing like daily driving a manual then one day drive a "17 Doge Ram with a KNOB then your arm reflex is super confused because its not a regular column shifter or a console shifter😄😄
@no, as a matter of fact i did this on my moms car when i had to drive her car 😂😂
Great info, manual is best! I like that you say "be nice to the transmission " " take care of the equipment " that is the key. I drive a 6 speed car, 18,13,10 ...speed trucks, motorcycles... be one with the machine.
Dude this was extremely helpful. I own a 2019 Subaru WRX and ive been so careful trying to learn to rev-match and heel-toe. Its a learning curve but this video sure opened my eyes and I now see what im supposed to do instead of wearing my clutch and making my car upset! you earned a sub for sure!
Doesn’t that thing revmatch for you.
The rev matching is even more important in turbo cars than in naturally aspirated ones, especially if there's a turbo lag. If you don't rev match, the car will first slow and jerk you forward, but then it might hit the turbo-engage rpm (dunno how to call it, the point where it kicks in, yo), which gives you another jerk, but in the other direction by the sudden burst of power from the turbo spooling up.
I tried driving manual first time today. I got frustrated at myself because I simply couldn’t get the car to move at all. When I did get it I got scared because I had to shift into 2nd and then it stalled. It truly is a learning curve but practice makes perfect
What’s your progress now?
I was put in a situation where I was forced to learn stick. My cousin gave me his car since he didn't want it. I needed a car at the time so I couldn't say no. Not only that, the clutch needed replacement so I also learned how to do that. I'm glad I did because now I feel confident about driving any car.