I have a secret. It’s a terrible, dark secret that an automotive diehard would normally never reveal. I … cannot drive a car with a manual transmission. [Ed Note: You’re fired! /s -DT]. No one in my family has had a car with a manual transmission during my time as a viable driver. And the family friends who once upon a time did have cars with a stick shift have either since lost them to accidents or traded them in for a better family hauler.
This has also been a problem while shopping for performance. In 2021, I found a 1994 Mazda Miata in mint condition with 60,000 miles for less than $4,000. But I couldn’t test drive it because I didn’t know stick and the seller, understandably, didn’t want a random stranger to burn out their clutch. Hell, the only experience I’ve ever had with a stick was a college roommate’s Ford Focus. They’d park behind me, blocking me in. And to make things even better, they’d be passed out on the couch and needed to get to class. He wouldn’t wake up for anything less than fireworks. Only once was I successfully able to get the Focus in reverse gear and move it into a different parking space.
So, this has been a shame for a long time and I think it’s about time I rectify this. My hope is to find a shitbox, or something slightly nicer. Cheap is key. I don’t want to feel bad about burning out a gearbox in my quest to learn stick. It would also be nice if it is fun to drive.
2008 Honda Fit – $5,000
I’m always a sucker for a hatch and have been a bit whistful about parting from my beautiful blue Hyundai Elantra GT to get my Ford Maverick. This 2008 Honda Fit has 120,000 miles on the odometer and looks to be in good working condition. There’s no noticeable rust on the exterior and barely a touch underneath. Not bad for a car in Pennsylvania!
It sold for a reasonable $5,000. However, my significant other already owns a red 2012 Fit so getting another one might be redundant. But with its Tardis-like storage capacity and a lift kit, it could be a lot of fun for the Gambler 500.
2000 Toyota Celica – $1,000?
This Celica might be more in the price range I’m looking for. I knew a kid who had one of these back in high school. In good condition, and in black, it felt like an affordable Toyota version of the Lamborghini Murciélago from The Dark Knight.
I’m now waiting for Adian to strike me down for even mentioning these two vehicles in the same breath but the general lines both feel like they’re knives that can cut through the air. Speaking of whistful, now I’m sad neither the GT-Four nor TRD M Sport were sold stateside. At least we only have to wait one more year to import this beauty.
2008 Pontiac G5 – $650
Shifting back to stateside, can I offer you a not-so-nice egg 2008 Pontiac G5 in this trying time? The current owner has already proclaimed it a shit box and their description is endearing.
Shitbox for sale. This car has been super reliable, has never left me stranded anywhere. It’s been over the bridge into the UP and driven down to Detroit multiple times recently. I’m not afraid to jump in this thing and go anywhere. Had new front rotors and pads last fall along with new tires. New alternator, belt, tensioner, and battery last year. On eBay coilovers, so it’s low, but rides like shit. Rockers are pretty well gone. Car has 275k and is a 2.2l with a 5 speed manual. Clutch acts a little soft sometimes, but I usually just baby it, it’s not a race car. It will slip if you beat on it. Have driven it this way for a few years now. Someone come bring me $750 and drive this thing home.
2000 Ford Contour SVT – $1,075
Yours and my favorite Pontiac Vibe enthusiast suggested a 2000 Ford Contour SVT over on The Autopian’s Discord.
At this angle, the damage doesn’t look too bad But upon closer inspection, woof.
Well, a windshield is easy enough to replace. If it runs and drives, who cares how a shitbox looks from the outside? At least the interior looks good.
As an owner of a 90’s Mustang, there is a soft spot in my heart for the SVT vehicles. It would be neat if it came back as a package option. Do you want a Maverick SVT? Of course, you do.
[Ed Note: I learned to drive stick on a 2005 Saturn Vue with a 2.2-liter four-cylinder sending 143-horsepower through a Getrag long-throw five-speed. Learning to manage the clutch on a vehicle that underpowered helped me become a proficient stickshift driver. -DT].
The Search Begins
This is where you fine folks come in. What car would you suggest for someone to beat on while they learn stick? Or better yet, is there one nearby that you want to bless or damn me with? If it’s $3,000 or under and within 250 miles of Flint, MI, it just might be the one!
Early-aughts Mitsubishi Lancer. Test drove an ’03 back in the day and the thing that stood out about it the most to me was that it was the most effortless stickshift car to drive that I’ve ever driven, then or since.
Learned to drive on a 91 Cherokee 2dr 5spd. Took my driver’s test in it too. My parents only owned stick shift cars until 2013, which was 6 years after I was out of the house. I would never describe my parents as auto enthusiasts but I guess they did set me up for the life.
As others have said, diesel would be a good choice.
But me? As others have said, Miata is always the answer?
Light weight clutch pedal, snicky gear shift. The fact that in an era of loosing pratical cars with manual transmissions the Miata is always there?
’04-’06 r50 mini cooper, gutless, cheap, and getrag 5 speed. The earlier ones had the rover box that’s a little on the weak side. Or you could go the actual best route of old farm truck, prefferably an early ’50s chevy or gmc like I did. With a truck that old you learn really quickly where every slight hill is, but you also have really low gearing so it’s hard to actually stall them, you’ll move but it’ll tell you when you d something it doesn’t like.
I learned the clutch on a motorcycle at 4 years old. Later the stick shift of a Farmall-A tractor. At 15, with a fresh learners permit, my brother let me drive his ’86 Acura Integra 5-speed and I already knew what to do.
Learned on an NA Miata (circa early 2000’s), so it was a solid 10-12 years old at that point. Taught my best friend on my E30 (circa late 2000’s). Attempted to teach my wife on a 1st gen Kia Soul and a YJ Wrangler.
Of all those vehicles, the Kia was the one I would recommend learning on. Clutch take up was light and smooth, throws weren’t too long or short, and it has the right amount of power to get out of it’s own way and not put someone into a lamp post.
Easiest is a diesel. Torque makes learning stick much easier. Downside is it can also teach some habits that would make moving to an under-powered gasser difficult. Something with an engine that is a bit louder helps over an extremely quiet engine. Hearing the revs is easier than watching a tach.
I second this. In particular, a diesel MK4 Golf/Jetta/Beetle which has engine management that allows one to get moving by just slowly releasing the clutch. Trucks with low range transfer cases can do the same thing.
More mainstream honorable mentions would be a Miata or Honda Accord. Avoid a late model Mazda6; they are a bear even for experienced drivers.
I had to take a good laugh at DT’s comment that a 143 hp Saturn Vue was “underpowered”. I’ve learned to drive on a Fiat 147 with all of its 55 hp, and BTW it had an awful gearbox, in which engaging first gear was totally hit-or-miss (it was a chronic problem for these cars back then).
Actually, when I went to take the drivers license exam, the guy just before me had some sort of mechanical failure on his car, so he asked if we could lend him our little Fiat. The obvious result was that he flunked the test, as the examiner thought he couldn’t handle the clutch when starting from standstill …
Anyway, if John wants to learn how to drive stick, maybe an old Fiat wouldn’t be the best choice … or would it?
I have been told that part of the driver’s test in Brazil (or in Minas at least) is to hold the car on a hill, using only the throttle and clutch. Which means that all Brazilians do this all of the time, leading to very short clutch lifespans. Please confirm or deny.
I’m shocked to see that it’s still true (or it seems so, from what I’ve googled). However, every half-decent local car magazine / web site tells that it’s harmful, and since even cheap cars nowadays have “hill holder” mechanisms, I hope most people will learn this and throw the “knowledge” away after the test. Since my daughter is about to take drivers ed, I’ll find out soon enough …
My 16 year old son is learning on our Mazda5 and pretty much has it figured out. It helps he had a dirt bike when he was younger. It doesn’t help that he learned to dump the clutch on the dirt bike higher gears because the Mazda doesn’t like that.
He goes for his driving test this week, not with the Mazda. I joked if he showed up with that the instructor should just pass him on the spot.
Any diesel.
My kid leaned on a 1949 cj-3 and I taught my nephew on a crappy moded civic with an engine swap and the power steering pump removed. I learned on my mom’s 82 tercel.
The Honda Fit/Jazz was going to be my pick even before I saw your list.
Honda makes a solid, easy-to-row transmission and a decent clutch. The Fit (at least whilst new) was unbelievable easy to drive as a manual transmission, and very manoeuvrable fun car to drive. Genuinely this, or a Civic, are low-risk.
Alternatively: VW also makes excellent manual transmissions. A cheap Mk4 (the mk5-6 adds bigger engine and more weight making it, just, more) would make a great car to learn on. Good ratios, progressive clutch engagements, and decent handling car.
Toyota gear ratios aren’t intuitive. 1st and 2nd are too far away imho. It takes some adjustment to get used to.
And Mazdas clutch isn’t anywhere near as nice as the others above. Albeit once you get accustomed to them, it’s fine.
Shame about that SVT Contour. Sweet motor (for the time) in those, and that interior looks cherry. I had a shitbox normie version of one of these that I got for $250, used for a while, then gave to a neighbor who in turn put another 50k on it. Many fond memories of the SVT as a band-mate got one when new and shenanigans ensued. I’d be sorely tempted on that one. Anyways, find an ALH equipped golf and enjoy learning manual and getting 45mpg while making fun diesel noises.
My parents couldn’t drive a stick but my first car (and pretty much every car I owned until recently) was a stick.
Just buy what you want, have a friend drive it home. And then learn. It’s not rocket surgery….
Neither of my parents knew how to drive stick, and by the time I was learning to drive (circa ’04-’05, holy shit 20 years ago) hardly anyone I knew had a manual. So I had to force it by buying a car that I couldn’t actually drive. Had a friend who learned a matter of weeks before help me to pick it up, and then there it was, in my parents driveway, me trying to figure it out in the hills that surrounded their house.
It was a pretty beat ’96 Saab 900 Turbo. It was… not the easiest thing to learn on.
I personally would go for the Contour here, but I’m a sucker for the Contour in general. The Celica is neat too, I always thought they looked good and were vastly underrated.
Just buy that pontiac, then beat on it til it’s dead.
preferably diesel since it has low down torque and doesn’t need to rev high to start moving so technically it is harder to stall than gasoline engine
An old air cooled VW bus!
1st gear is is the front left corner of the car, 2nd in the rear left corner, 3rd in the front right corner, and 4th in the rear right corner (with the battery…)
To get into reverse, push the gear lever towards the centre of the Earth and then try to find second.
You can also hear all revs quite well, and it has lots of low rev torque, so you are probably not going to stall it. Long pedal travel also, so the right spot on the clutch is easy to find.
Excellent view over everything as well from up there on top of the front wheels. Beware of fire hydrants though (how would I know that?) 😉
I like your grandma.
> What Car Is Best For Someone Learning To Drive Stick?
One with a manual transmission.
Of the ones you posted, either the contour or the celica. The Pontiac’s transmission isn’t working well, so you don’t want to learn on that.
Since you already know how to drive, it’ll take you 1 hour to learn.
My driving instructor took me, on my second ever lesson, to a steepish hill, then just had me start the car and gradually let the clutch out til I could let the handbrake off and the car wouldn’t rol backwards. Once you get the hang of the bite point like that, you’re good.
I think that Contour is much more damaged than it looks. I’m pretty sure the windshield broke because the A pillar was pushed in from the impact. That’s not getting fixed with new glass.
I taught myself how to drive stick by buying a used 2013 FIAT 500 Abarth when I was 25. Got a 30 minute “lesson” from the salesman (who was maybe a year older and 20% better at working the clutch than I) and drove it home the next day. I stalled out occasionally for the next month, but you get the hang of it quick when you don’t have a choice :-)!
I do highly recommend a 500 Abarth or a normal 500 for learning stick. They’re very light, with an easy clutch and maybe hill start assist (not sure if standard, you would have to check). Regular 500s are pretty cheap now too.
Given what I am, the answer is obvious: ’68 Dodge Dart with 3 on the tree. When your left foot was boss… even working the brights baby [the way God intended – can I get an amen?]!!!!!
Amen
Caveat: one needs an understanding date when cuddled up on that bench seat—though it was possible to mostly just keep it in 2nd if there weren’t any hill to start on
I would have to agree with the commenters that say it doesn’t matter which car, just make sure it checks out ok when you buy it. If it was me, I’d probably buy the Fit. I think those are great little cars.
Anything will do, BUT – and this is important – have someone who has driven lots of different manual cars test-drive it for you, to make sure everything feels “normal” to them. You don’t want to learn on something with a half-dead clutch or a bad third-gear synchro or something.
Sage advice, Mark!
Taught my wife, her younger sister, older sister, both older sisters daughters, and our daughter to drive a stick. All on shitboxes (Datsun 1200, Chevy Chevette)except an 08 Civic SI for our daughter. She didn’t destroy my SI.