Are manual cars hard to drive if you've only driven automatic?

Question

We ran into a car crisis. I had to trade my Ford Escort (1999 Automatic) for a Saturn SL1 (1996 Manual) and I never drove manual (Successfully). I tried in driver training 4 years ago, but now that I"m 20.... I need to learn! My husband had manual before and never had a problem with it. Is it easy to learn? I couldn't even get a manual car to start before, I'm worried I get stuck somewhere! LMAO!

Answer 1

If your husband knows how to drive one, get him to teach you.

Once you get the hand of shifting/using the clutch it's not very hard.

Answer 2

Well, it's going to be like learing to drive all over again - But you're almost half way there!

Answer 3

if you passed your test in a automatic you cant legally drive a manual car

Answer 4

My wife and I bought a Miata many years ago, and going in to it she respected my wish that if it's a sports car, it should be a sports car...meaning a manual transmission.  What I did was give her a day of instruction on the basic mechanics, and then let her go out in a parking lot and practice herself.  That way she didn't have to worry about me, she just had to practice until she was comfortable enough to do it on the road.

Within a few hours, she was fine.  

I think once you learn the mechanics of it, you'll find the real joy in the direct and mechanical connection between you, the engine, and the road.  Driving an automatic always feel awkward to me, like everythings just kind of rubber-banded together.

You sound like a smart person, and I'm sure you'll be OK.  Start out on level surfaces and get good at that first.  The REAL trick to learn, is starting from a stop where the car is pointed up hill.  Folks have different techniques for this; I tend to train new folks to use the hand brake to hold the car on the hill until they feel the clutch grab, and then release the handbrake.....DO NOT SLIP THE CLUTCH TO HOLD THE HILL!!!

More later.