Dodge Dart Forum banner

Transmission Question

4K views 27 replies 11 participants last post by  Pretty Boy Floyd 
#1 ·
Hello everyone. I'm in the market for a '14 Dart Aero. Preferably with the 6-speed manual transmission. Problem is, I've never driven a stick shift, but It's something I've always wanted to learn. Is it hard to learn in the Dart? Would my purchase be a huge mistake? HELP!
 
#2 ·
Learning how to drive a stick is easy, getting good at it before you damage your clutch or transmission will be your goal. Find a friend that owns a stick car and see if you can talk him/her into taking it for a drive in a very big, very empty parking lot before buying your first stick car, just to see if you like the experience of it. And be prepared to pay much more attention to your driving skills and car if you wanna own one for a daily driver, because unlike automatics, you just can't daydream as you drive along in one.
 
#4 ·
Have fun learning how. My first stick car was a '67 Chevy Nova with a 327. Learning how to drive on a modern stick car is a bit more forgiving than what I learned on...have fun with it.
 
#8 ·
find a rental in a stick and use that one. that way if it breaks its not your fault .. enjoy :big smile:
 
#9 ·
If you can find a rental in a stick I'd be amazed...don't think it exists any longer.
 
#11 ·
For those who are engaged in driving, it is about auditory and tactile feedback as well. It adds to the enjoyment of driving and the car communicates with you as well. Just as you can tell with any vehicle when it sounds or feels different, that same sensation is amplified when you are rowing the gears. As much as the tap shift transmissions have improved (and is preferable over a manual tranny in traffic), there still isn't the same level of feeling in touch with your car as with a manual.

Of course, now cars with automatic transmissions are faster in the 1/4 and 0-60 department then the same model with a manual transmission in a lot of cases- and that is something I take note of when browsing the interwebz and dealer lots prior to purchase.

But, I would still highly recommend to anyone to learn and master the art of changing your own gears. It helps you to enjoy driving so much more. And, for the slim chance that you may have to drive one for some reason, you'll be set. It's like a bike- once you learn how to change your own gears you never forget. But, it is the enjoyment factor which is the biggest thing for me- As much as I love my cars now I do miss the stick a lot of times
 
#14 ·
Oh, I agree to the responders about the tap shift not being near as much fun and not being as engaging. But then, when the clutch pedal want's stay down to the floor and won't come back up or you get slippage under high demand going up hills in higher gears, you will REALLY appreciate the total involvement you will have with the feedback from your mechanical soul mate.
I swear I didn't abuse my clutch sir..... I swear I didn't overload my washer either.... really.....
Product Major appliance Clothes dryer Home appliance Room
 
#16 ·
Another reason for that is because they probably don't have any manuals on the lot! lol I got my first sxt in manual. I learned on my friends car and knew how it all worked. Went on a test drive, and stalled it about 10 times :haha: I learned on a friends Mustang GT. Didn't stall it once. Then I heard bigger engines are harder to stall out. haha Now they tell me. Anyways I eventually got it down. Ended up taking another manual on the lot because I didn't like the color of the one I test drove xD Whoever got that last dart I am sorry about the clutch. haha But my sales guy knew I wasn't the best and saw that I was still a beginner. He sat me down and showed me everything I needed. Then we stopped and he drove to show me a couple more pointers and what a manual could actually do. Peeling out, chirping the tires. This guy knows how to sell cars. haha At the end of the day I went home with a manual car, and while I wasn't a pro at it (I still wouldn't say I am a year later), I loved every minute of it. Enough to get another manual in my GT after my first dart was sadly totaled. Don't give into the dealers. If you want a manual, get a manual. Watch a ton of youtube videos on how to. Get tips and hints. It will be the best thing other than actually sitting down and driving one. So when you actually do, you have the knowledge of what to do, instead of wtf do I do. lol Good luck and keep us updated. I hope you get what you want :) And to answer your first question the dart is very easy to learn on. The clutch is pretty soft, making the whole shifting process not that hard. Most people used to driving a manual hate it though. Since I never drove them all my life, I got used to the Dart and that's what I see as a normal clutch.
 
#17 ·
use those crappy dealers to your advantage, put them to work, just remember that all they care about is selling the cars on their lot. dealers do NOT care about selling you the car that you want. squeeze them for big savings and dont settle for a car that you dont want. you will regret it big time.
 
#18 ·
a manual is the best thing in life. i been driving a manual for a good 13years i'll never drive anything else. its perfect in traffic cause you can jus coast in 1st gear very slowly without having to keep applying the break like you would in an automatic. i drove an auto for a year then after than i got a stick. all 5speeds and now im in my first 6speeds... i need 3 pedals. i need to have full control of my vehicle at all times. plus it has cruise control for road trips to sit back and relax and just steer... its 2nd nature to me it'll be like that to you too. i dont even think about it. its like my right hand to shift and my feet work together without a pause or a lapse in movement.

good luck to ya man and get a manual dart and love it..
 
#25 ·
So why didn't you get a Dart manual then? :wink:

The Dart is a blast to drive in its manual form...
 
#26 ·
Sorry, I didn't even drive one so I'm sure you are right about the 1.4T manual being fun to drive. After practically killing us trying to learn, my wife decided on only autos for us. Funny though, when we first got interested in a certain 6-cylinder Jetta that I am supposed to take possession of tomorrow, she was actually hoping it was a manual. Girls! LOL
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top