ms3 for new driver??

[newcomer001]

New to here and want to say hi to everyone. Anyway, i got a question due to ms3. I like the car a lot after reading some reviews of it. However, I don't know how to drive stike. Do you guys think it's a good idear for a new stick driver to buy a brand new ms3? Any reply are appreciated!

Update: I don't mean to use the ms3 to learn to drive. I noticed that most of the ms3 drivers have a long time stick driving expriences(3 years, 5 years or even 10+). My question is can I handle the car well after one or two weeks praticeing. Thanks.

[NCZ13]

No reason not to. Its very easy to learn, and becomes second nature after a couple weeks of driving.

Im sure you have some friends who drive stick who wouldnt mind giving you a couple lessons.

[Young Roids]

It would be fine for a first time driver.

[mspeed3420]

Absolutely! If you want to drive a car in stick shift, learning takes a couple weeks and youll be a master in a month. There are obviously some downers (harder to talk on phone, ect) but its much more fun, you feel much more in control, ect. So as long as you want to drive stick, it doesnt really matter what you learn on, but I do find the ms3 clutch and gear box pretty easy to get used to if thats any help.

[newcomer001]

Thanks a lot for the replys. I forgot to mention that I live in SF where has lotta hills. I definitely like to drive stick and I wonder the ms3 is a good choice for new stick driver. Will the car has too much power for a new guy to handle?

[Captain KRM P5]

a yugo CV in the wrong hands can be a dangerous car. when you get right down to it, any car is an extension of the mentality and maturity of the person behind the wheel. my brother's girlfriend bought her ms3 last month and it is her first stick car. she has acquitted herself well with it thus far. don't go nuts on it while you are breaking it in or learning the ropes. if you have your wits about you, you will be fine.

[SHaW]

Okay, I live in an area where there are so many hills and my area is freaking called "Anaheim Hills" to begin with. And that's besides the point I am making here. Well, the MS3 was the first manual transmission car I have personally owned and learned "stick" on it once I purchased the car. I practiced for about a week on hills on my area where there is less traffic before taking it out more and more, where the streets were more uphill than downhill. Not hard at all as long as you learn your clutch balance. I would highly recommend this car; pure enjoyment.

[dandydaniel]

compared to learning on a honda or acura then I would have to say that the MS3 is a pretty darn hard car to learn stick on.

[BillTheCat]

compared to learning on a honda or acura then I would have to say that the MS3 is a pretty darn hard car to learn stick on.

QFE

Generally speaking, Honda's clutches are a lot more forgiving than the cluitch in the MS3. The MS3 clutch isn't horrible, but it is slightly finnicky.

More important than the clutch ease of use issue, however, is the power. If you're an inexperienced driver, extra hp can help keep you from stalling out on hills, or it could launch you over a curb & into a fire hydrant.

So it all depends on your temperament & personality. If you can avoid the temptation to play Speed Racer on city streets while you learn to work the clutch, downshift, etc., then you'll be fine. Well, that and you need to be hard to fluster, because you are almost guaranteed to miss a shift here & there, grind a gear or two, and stall out on an incline at a traffic light with dozens of angry commuters behind you.

[zilch321]

I'm amazed people here would suggest that you buy the ms3 as a first drive for a new stick drive. I personally think the ms3 isnt a very forgiving clutch and I've been driving stick for 17 years. You say you like to drive stick but you dont know how? I'm a little confused by that statement. Keep in mind if you burn up your clutch trying to teach yourself on the streets of San Francisco the dealer might not cover the repair. I think some people offering advice here are not being realistic.

[CHICO2003]

yeah no kidding... bad advice FTL

I'm not saying don't get the car. By all means, it's a GREAT car. But learn stick on something else. Call up some rental car companies and see if they have stick shifts. We have a place called 'cheap auto rental' that has some... in which I taught the wife how to drive using it. (no way I was gonna let her destroy my clutch/tranny in the process)

As for how long it'll take to learn. Whoever said 2 weeks... lol come on! Maybe 2 hours at the most! In fact... once you get the concept down (and that can/should happen before you even sit in the car) it'll just be a matter of getting the timing down and feeling comfortable.

But like I said... don't learn on a brand new car. that's just wrong

[Unkillable2]

i had a 30mins manual lesson on a cobalt and then when ahead and bought a ms3... i can pretty much drive it with no problem but it just jerks alot when shifting and stall a couple time cause i was used to it yet but after like 3 weeks i can say i mastered the clutch, hardly any jerks.

[Kain]

However, I don't know how to drive stike.

You're in luck. This car doesn't have one of those.

[truredspeed3]

The ms3 is more difficult to drive than say an Infiniti G IMO of course. Everyone is gonna hate me for saying that, but I dont care.

[CHICO2003]

Well at least he didn't say an MS6 That car (in stock form) probably has the worst clutch ever

[martin_nj]

coming from my previous car this car's grab point is way different and took me a few min to get used ...

overall though i would say no, don't get a MS3 for your first car.

yes to getting a stick though...

just my opinion of course but i think all ppl should gradually build up -
started with a 95 saturn sc1, stick
89 bmw 325i stick
91 bmw 535i stick
09 mazdaspeed
my bike history follows sim
started with an 88 fzr400 (400cc small engine)
then 96 yzf600
then 04 honda 919
now an fjr (1400cc aka 1.4L engine)

yes its true in america you can go buy a ferrari or a haybusa for your first car and that works out well for some people, but in reality nearly every other country has a graduated driver license for either cars or bikes...


so yah just my opinion, no need for flame wars... =]

[eg6motion]

hmm, I'm a bit surprised at the responses. I'd say the MS3 is not a good first-manual car. Learn on something else. Seasoned manual-vets can have a hard time battling the clutch, torque-steer, and peaky-turbo. I would never let anyone learn on this car, especially if they had not driven anything with at least 200whp before.

[specvspeedfreak]

i had a 30mins manual lesson on a cobalt and then when ahead and bought a ms3... i can pretty much drive it with no problem but it just jerks alot when shifting and stall a couple time cause i was used to it yet but after like 3 weeks i can say i mastered the clutch, hardly any jerks.
"mastered the clutch" is a false statment. You cant't make anyone believe that in 3 weeks you can do anymore than just the basics to get you around and not looking liking a newbie at it. mastering the clutch is more then just driving it normal...
try some heel toe shifting, standing burnout,clutch less for starters and then see see if you can keep that statment.


... also.. MS3 might be a bad car to start off with cause of the obvious reasons.. what you need to is understand the basic concept of how everything works (in your head) and kinda feel and visualize it as your attempting to slip the clutch out. 1st gear is the hardest ...thats all. some people release the clutch till it slipping then press the gas and some press the gas before it starts slipping... I like the first way.
after 1st gear you dont need to use any gas to keep moving (just know that)... after you got that down its all about being smooth and with the ms3 is hard .. its kinda like a on/off clutch..just find where the clutch starts slipping so you can perfect your driving from there.

[dudeomg_az1]

The ms3 is more difficult to drive than say an Infiniti G IMO of course. Everyone is gonna hate me for saying that, but I dont care.

I strongly disagree.

Having owned a G35 before having my Ms3 I can tell you the Ms3's clutch is much, much easier to learn.

[newcomer001]

[QUOTE=zilch321;4249241]You say you like to drive stick but you dont know how? I'm a little confused by that statement.




Sorry about the confusion. I have driven my friend's stick once and I pretty like the way it works. I guess I wanted to say that I have tried stick but still don't get it. The biggest problem is to start moving on the uphill. Anyway, it's sure that I won't learn to drive on a brand now car. Maybe I will pratice for two weeks before getting the ms3. Or should I just get a used civic or something simliar to drive for a while first.

[MTuning]

regardless of vehicle you will have to learn on that. Every car's different.

[newcomer001]

[QUOTE=CHICO2003;4249245]yeah no kidding... bad advice FTL

I'm not saying don't get the car. By all means, it's a GREAT car. But learn stick on something else. Call up some rental car companies and see if they have stick shifts. We have a place called 'cheap auto rental' that has some... in which I taught the wife how to drive using it. (no way I was gonna let her destroy my clutch/tranny in the process)

As for how long it'll take to learn. Whoever said 2 weeks... lol come on! Maybe 2 hours at the most! In fact... once you get the concept down (and that can/should happen before you even sit in the car) it'll just be a matter of getting the timing down and feeling comfortable.



I didn't know auto rental have manual. I will try to find out. Don't want to damage friend's car too. Thanks for the infor.

[dan1101]

I've been driving stick for 20 years and the MS3 is the most unforgiving out of the 5 or so daily drivers I've had (78 MGB, 74 Fiat 124, 91 Mustang GT, 98 Ford Contour, 91 Mustang GT.) That's a good thing overall, it's a tight well handling powerful car. But I've had it 13 months and still haven't completely gotten the hang of launching.

If you're mechanically inclined and not too clumsy you should catch on just fine. The MS3 is a great combo of handling, power, stealth, and people and cargo room.

[happy and angry]

Dissenting opinion: No it's not a good car for a new driver, or a good car to learn to drive stick on. A new driver can get him/herself into too much trouble with the amount of power this car has, and most people learn to drive stick on their parents old beater or on a tractor for a reason.

Am I one of the few that thinks that people should learn to drive on something cheap and slow so that if something happens it doesn't cost someone $25,000?

[acidbbg]

I personally think this car is very difficult to learn how to drive stick.

Also, a clutch job on this car is not cheap.

Perhaps you want to borrow a friends car to learn on.

[MTuning]

i dont think anyone with common sense will purchase a $20k+ car before they know how to drive it. but do whatever you want. just because a clutch is more "forgiving" doesnt mean you're doing it right.

[CrazyT]

Worse case you burn the clutch or stall it. Go for it. Just practice hills in a controlled place.

I've driven sticks and autos for my entire driving life. I've driven small compact underpowered things to 32,000lb GVW trucks. I was a valet in college. The MS3's clutch is one of the hardest to get used to. I'm still having trouble with it after 1.5 months of ownership. Master the MS3 and you can drive anything!

[mspeed3420]

your clutch and tranny are made to take some beatings and there is no way you will mess anything up in the 2 weeks to a month you will learn to drive stick. I agree that if you can, buying a rental car or using some crapier car would be better to learn on than the ms3, but if you cant find that in your area, dont be scared to get your speed and learn. The hills will be kind of hard at first, but you'll be a master b4 you know it, especially if watch some learning to drive stick videos, read some articles about it, or learn from a friend. The MS3 is by no means the easiest car to learn on, but its really not that hard and theres no way you'll have "too much power" :)

[BillTheCat]

How Stuff Works: Manual Transmissions (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission.htm)

How Stuff Works: Clutches (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm)

Good info there to help you understand how the transmission & clutch work. Worth reading.

And I really would err on the side of caution... buy or borrow a beater car, drive it for 3-6 months to get used to manual transmissions in general, then sell it & get the MS3. It would really suck to drop $25k on an MS3, then find out that you hate the manual tranny, or can't get used to hill starts, etc.

Note: to find manual transmissions at a rental car service, you'll have to avoid the big national chains like Hertz, Avis, etc. Go for the little local shops. The local guys usually have fewer restrictions on who can rent from them, too.

[MSP2024]

How Stuff Works: Manual Transmissions (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/transmission.htm)

How Stuff Works: Clutches (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm)

Good info there to help you understand how the transmission & clutch work. Worth reading.

And I really would err on the side of caution... buy or borrow a beater car, drive it for 3-6 months to get used to manual transmissions in general, then sell it & get the MS3. It would really suck to drop $25k on an MS3, then find out that you hate the manual tranny, or can't get used to hill starts, etc.

Note: to find manual transmissions at a rental car service, you'll have to avoid the big national chains like Hertz, Avis, etc. Go for the little local shops. The local guys usually have fewer restrictions on who can rent from them, too.

i agree with you on this, get a beater and learn then move on to the ms3, lets face it the car has power learning how to drive a stick dropping the clutch (you all cant tell me you guys didnt drop it on accident while learning) an getting that lovely torque steer can only end bad but what the hell do i know

[Unkillable2]

"mastered the clutch" is a false statment. You cant't make anyone believe that in 3 weeks you can do anymore than just the basics to get you around and not looking liking a newbie at it. mastering the clutch is more then just driving it normal...
try some heel toe shifting, standing burnout,clutch less for starters and then see see if you can keep that statment.




sounds like you fricken know me... do i know you?

[coololddude]

Just like a motorcycle it takes practice. Old ladys learn how to ride a motorcycle. Are you as coordinated as an old lady?

[DaleNixon]

I learned stick on this car. But I had been driving automatics for 14 years previously.

[mdavis]

I bought my car and had only driven a manual transmission one time (in a brand new 08 WRX that a dealer let me take out) I definatly stalled that a few times.

However I rode bikes before that so I know the concept behind operating a clutch.

My first experience with the MS3 was on the way home, about a three hour road trip....and I loved every minute of it.

[UHATEIT]

my good friend who lives in san francisco opted for the gti (for the paddle shifter and that you can push a button to make it an automatic) as opposed to the MS3 even tho the MS3 is WAAAAAAY better than the gti, but he didnt want the hassle of driving stick around town in the business area of San Francisco

[CnoTataymo]

If you want to learn driving stick, learn on an old car that why when you get the MS3, you won't mess up the clutch too much. But if you want the MS3, just get it. You'll have warranty anyways. I just don't like seeing new cars and the drivers can't drive it well and stall or jerk a lot. It makes me sad.

[CnoTataymo]

my good friend who lives in san francisco opted for the gti (for the paddle shifter and that you can push a button to make it an automatic) as opposed to the MS3 even tho the MS3 is WAAAAAAY better than the gti, but he didnt want the hassle of driving stick around town in the business area of San Francisco
It's not even hard driving stickshift in SF.

[BillTheCat]

It's not even hard driving stickshift in SF.

Once you know what you're doing, the terrain doesn't matter much. But I guarantee you that someone learning to drive stick would have a far easier time in Tampa than in San Francisco.

[MSP2024]

practicing in a parking lot that had pretty steep hills helped me out when i learned

[protege02]

i would say for a first time stick is ok, but i wouldn't say for a first car. i could see some 17 year old wrecking one real fast. any hot dog, a little tip on manual transmissions. put the car in first and slowly let go of the clutch and it will roll as if it were an automatic. it's something good to do when your on hills. the car will act as if it's going to stall. when it does that just give it a little gas or press the clutch in. also, if your on a hill, you can slowly let the clutch, so your not rolling back. good luck, and give yourself about 2 weeks to get use to it, and a couple of months to be great at it, such as try making every shift smooth and not jerky. it took me 2 days to get use to going and stopping, and about 5 months to get it to where i wasn't jerky anymore. also, dont rev high for a while because it's harder to shift fast at higher rpms. just keep it under 3krpm. the one that i had drove seemed to rev pretty fast after 3800 to 4k rpms, and the gearing is short, so it would be easy to hit the rev limiter.