Girlfriend wanted to learn to drive manual - Fiesta ST obliged

"Battery Tender Unnecessary" (carac)
12/09/2014 at 18:18 • Filed to: None

I taught her over Thanksgiving. It's easy to take for granted everything you don't think about when you've been driving stick for 15 years. She likes it and has said she's interested in doing a track day. I'm in love.

On a related note, the Fiesta ST is probably one of the most forgiving cars when it comes to new manual drivers.

DISCUSSION (22)

Brian Silvestro > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 18:20

Yes. It's so easy to drive. You and me could be best friends.

Rico > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 18:29

When you meet a girl (not sure how long you two have been dating) would you hide the supercars and just rock out with the Fiesta before revealing you're Batma-uh the owner of an i8 and SLS?

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Rico
12/09/2014 at 18:33

I was driving the Fiesta when I met her and it was obvious she was really into me regardless of car within the first month. She's thinks those two cars are ridiculous in a good way but knows I bought them for driving experience rather than showpieces, which she respects. She actually likes the E39 M5 the best.

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 18:35

Doge sticker? Are you secretly Brian Silvestro?

TillTheWheelsFallOff: Brocoma > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 18:43

Happy that you're happy! Wish you the best in your relationship.

My brother taught his girlfriend on our Mustang GT. I was less than thrilled (I'm really protective of our car) when I found out, but was more embarrassed after I found out she caught on faster than I did, haha.

Kailand09 > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 18:44

Any tips for when I teach my fiance?

thebigbossyboss > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 18:46

That's great man!!!

Battery Tender Unnecessary > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O)
12/09/2014 at 18:48

Oh no, my secret identity is revealed!

Battery Tender Unnecessary > Kailand09
12/09/2014 at 19:00

Make sure to tell her up front that if clutch isn't fully depressed or fully released then it should be in a quick, controlled transition between the two. My girlfriend was using it like a second gas pedal, very slowly engaging or disengaging it, "riding the clutch" basically. Once she wrapped her head around the fact that it behaves just like a "normal" car once the clutch was engaged, everything else seemed to fall into place. I told her everything is the exactly the same except you're in charge of connecting the wheels to the engine.

Kailand09 > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 19:02

Great point. Though there's the opposite spectrum where they think it is only "on" or "off" I fear as well, stalling the car every start. haha

MitsubiShe > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 19:19

Considering I'm about to have to put a new clutch (and I hope that's all) into the Evo because my husband's been driving it for the last few months...this is good to hear. We picked up our new ST last night and he stalled it leaving the dealership. ><

I haven't driven it yet. As soon as the weather gets less shitty, I'm going to take it up the hill a bit and mess around. Can't wait!

quarterlifecrisis > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 19:20

I let the girl drive my car (around a parking lot...) on our first date. She had learned the concepts in the past, but certainly wasn't comfortable with it. A few months later and she always bites whenever I offer. I've made it a prolonged teaching experience, since I've had some bad luck trying to teach all at once...so far so good.

ZHP Sparky, the 5th > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 19:22

I had the opposite when I tried teaching my fiancee. I guess we take it for granted just being used to it - but she never realized before trying it out that a clutch wasn't an "on/off" pedal...i.e. yes it's not like the gas, but there are certainly degrees of variation to it. So she would just stab the damn thing, put it in gear and pull back out. If we were on some awesome rally course fuck yeah - that'd be badass - just kick it through the gears. But given that we were in a parking lot doing 5mph it looked like the car was getting strangled.

And then the police rolled in and parked at the other end of the lot so we peaced out. Gotta try again sometime soon.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > ZHP Sparky, the 5th
12/09/2014 at 19:24

I guess you don't really know which way they'll go until you get them in the seat. Need to adjust on the fly. :)

Battery Tender Unnecessary > MitsubiShe
12/09/2014 at 19:27

Starting from a stop is the only thing tricky about the ST. There's also a hidden feature you might not notice yet. If you're going up in gears, the throttle will stop at the ideal RPM for the next higher gear for perfect upshifts. I didn't tell her about it because I didn't want her to rely on it, but it's useful when you're just cruising around town and saves wear/tear.

Justin Hughes > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 19:28

Nice! This past weekend I gave my girlfriend her first manual lesson in my BRZ. Not the easiest car to learn on - there's no feedback through the clutch pedal, which is probably the thing I dislike most about the car. But she caught on, and we puttered around the parking lot for an hour or so. Only got up to 2nd gear once, but that's OK - starting from a stop is the hard part.

MitsubiShe > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 19:30

That's interesting. I wonder if I'll notice it?

TheBaron2112 > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 19:53

Wait what? Ive never noticed this.

Battery Tender Unnecessary > TheBaron2112
12/09/2014 at 20:03

Yeah, if you fully lift off the gas it stops at the rev-matched engine speed for your current speed.

Rico > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 21:07

That's great, I've always imagined a scenario like this so it's cool to see someone who lived it. Also E39 M5? You my friend have found a keeper. Best of luck to you both :)

TheBaron2112 > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/09/2014 at 22:23

That's amazing. This is my second manual (my first being a 944), so I didn't even notice it. I'm totally trying this on my commute tomorrow morning.

I love this car.

ProzacElf > Battery Tender Unnecessary
12/10/2014 at 01:54

You know, I'm pretty much just learning to drive a manual, but I went from learning on a '96 (ish) Escort with a mostly worn out clutch to backing out one of my housemates' 2012 Impreza out of the driveway, and I managed to stall it 3 times just getting it out and parking it on the street. I get and understand the mechanics, but just the different clutch point was fucking with me. And I'm not very good at it to begin with =P