i know how to drive a manual, but the only vehicle ive ever owned is a 1999 Escalade (auto trans), and i havent driven a manual in probably 2 years. Ive only driven a manual a few times (driving friends cars), and it made driving really uncomfortable and tedious; having to worry about stalling out, when to shift, etc.
my question is, does driving a manual ever become second nature, something that you do without even thinking about, or even after months/years of it do you still have to concentrate on it? And how long did it take you until you were 100% at driving a manual (never stalling out, shifting at exactly the right times, learning all the tricks, etc).
I know driving a 6-speed is elementary to most people here, but we all have to start somewhere...so dont hate on me lol. Like i said...ive only had a handful of chances to drive a 6-speed.
I dont want to get a 6-speed and end up hating it.
It will become second nature fast. Remember the SMG is also Manual, less a clutch.
Do some research you will find people that love and hate either or. Manual was the right trans. for me. I was afraid of the lack smoothness some have complained about SMG at times. Again, I think most are able to master that quickly.
If I were in your position I would get the SMG. You don't want to get 3-6 months into ownership regretting it. If you can try to test drive an SMG car. If a dealer cannot or will not let you then try to track down a local CCA member who has one.
I've been driving manuals for 16 years and sometime I still have frustrating days where I just can't get the clutch to engage smoothly or the gears just do not want to synch nicely during shifts. My first 2 cars were Civics and my last 3 have been BMWs. My 05 M3 by far has the most tempermental clutch / shifter combo I have driven.
Now don't get me wrong, 90% of the time is is a dream to shift and launch but it can be tricky and annoying at times. The previous poster already mentioned that the 1st and 2nd gear selection is tougher than most manuals. I find this is true most of all when the car is cold (I mean Ohio winter cold not south of the mason dixon line sitting over night cold). Also, when cold, it needs more RPM to shift *smoothly* which can be tricky b/c those RPM warning lights are lit down to the 5-6K range at startup.
I love my 6-speed but if my next car is another M I'm going with an SMG (or whatever the equivilent is X years down the road) drivetrain. BTW, my father has an 03 M3 SMG and he absolutely loves it.
i know how to drive a manual, but the only vehicle ive ever owned is a 1999 Escalade (auto trans), and i havent driven a manual in probably 2 years. Ive only driven a manual a few times (driving friends cars), and it made driving really uncomfortable and tedious; having to worry about stalling out, when to shift, etc.
my question is, does driving a manual ever become second nature, something that you do without even thinking about, or even after months/years of it do you still have to concentrate on it? And how long did it take you until you were 100% at driving a manual (never stalling out, shifting at exactly the right times, learning all the tricks, etc).
I know driving a 6-speed is elementary to most people here, but we all have to start somewhere...so dont hate on me lol. Like i said...ive only had a handful of chances to drive a 6-speed.
I dont want to get a 6-speed and end up hating it.
yes, shifting will become second nature real fast. Do not worry about that at all. The M3's transmission isn't the easiest to drive manually. It's clunky, and you need a bit before you get used to it and the way to get the best shifts out of it. SMG might be a good choice. But, try both out first and not just around the block.
i figured it would become second nature fairly easily.
i havent driven either tranny m3. A local dealer has a few 6speeds, but i dont want to test drive one and end up stalling out in the parking lot lol....but maybe people stalling out cars is common at dealerships...i assume even pros have to take a second to get used to a specific vehicle.
i havent driven either tranny m3. A local dealer has a few 6speeds, but i dont want to test drive one and end up stalling out in the parking lot lol....but maybe people stalling out cars is common at dealerships...i assume even pros have to take a second to get used to a specific vehicle.
You must get over your fear of public humiliation. Worrying about stalling in the dealer's parking lot is like passing up Aunt Bessie's great baked beans at the family picnic because you're afraid they will make you fart. No matter how skilled we are and how ingrained the behavior becomes, once in a while we still stall, especially when we are unfamiliar with the car.
It doesn't take long at all to get into the groove. Nevertheless, even those of us who have been driving manual transmissions for more decades than we care to admit still have to acclimate ourselves to the characteristics of a new ride. Like women, they all have the same general characteristics, but the differences are in the nuances. (And if that's not politically correct, tough tittie.)
im actually not afriad of the embarassment, im afraid of pissing off the dealer by stalling out a 60k car:yikes: but i guess its not an uncommon occurance:dunno:
im actually not afriad of the embarassment, im afraid of pissing off the dealer by stalling out a 60k car:yikes: but i guess its not an uncommon occurance:dunno:
I am pretty sure htey are used to it. After all, it's a car you are not familiar with. I bet they have lots of people stall them. Why would they get mad ? It won't hurt the car.
I am pretty sure htey are used to it. After all, it's a car you are not familiar with. I bet they have lots of people stall them. Why would they get mad ? It won't hurt the car.
I think it was Consumer Reports that said the M3 was hard to drive smoothly, presumably in city traffic. I don't think that this is necessarily true, but to do so requires a little finesse. After all, you're driving a car that was designed to haul ass, so holding back all those horses can be challenging when someone in front of you in a Geo or a garbage truck pulls away from a green light painfully slowly. The M3 wants to get out of first gear and get moving. You have to sort of say, "Whoa, Nelly!" But while the horses don't like it and the driver feels frustrated, it nevertheless can be done.
By the way, acceleration is one thing and deceleration is another, when it comes to driving smoothly. The M3's brakes will require a lot of getting used to for the driver of an Escalade. They are terrific brakes, but you can easily overcommit them. You might put Aunt Bessie and her baked beans on the dashboard a few times before you develop a good feel for them. I'm spoiled by my M3's brakes. When I drive the Grand Cherokee, it feels like I'm never going to stop.
You should drive one. The dealer will be accommodating. They want to sell you a car.
I hope you're up to the challenge, because the M3 is a joy to drive. You might want to consider Performance Center Delivery, at which you'll get a modicum of instruction in handling the car, or better yet, M School, where you'll get a real driving education. I've done the former, but not the latter.
You must get over your fear of public humiliation. Worrying about stalling in the dealer's parking lot is like passing up Aunt Bessie's great baked beans at the family picnic because you're afraid they will make you fart. No matter how skilled we are and how ingrained the behavior becomes, once in a while we still stall, especially when we are unfamiliar with the car.
It doesn't take long at all to get into the groove. Nevertheless, even those of us who have been driving manual transmissions for more decades than we care to admit still have to acclimate ourselves to the characteristics of a new ride. Like women, they all have the same general characteristics, but the differences are in the nuances. (And if that's not politically correct, tough tittie.)
It also takes practice to drive the SMG smoothly, believe me. Driving a manual will become second nature fairly quicky, you just have to drive it every day...it's kind of like ice skating/inline skating. If you haven't done it in years and years, it may take you a little bit to get the "muscle memory" back.
how many of you daily drive a 6 speed m3? The M will be my daily driver, and i got to thinking about how practical a street legal racecar with a 6 speed tranny would be in daily rush hour traffic. Which made the SMG sound that much more appealing. Although there is nothing like whipping around in in a manual with a clutch...so much fun.
how many of you daily drive a 6 speed m3? The M will be my daily driver, and i got to thinking about how practical a street legal racecar with a 6 speed tranny would be in daily rush hour traffic. Which made the SMG sound that much more appealing. Although there is nothing like whipping around in in a manual with a clutch...so much fun.
I commute in my 6sp MT M3 daily...no problems what so ever with it, however I rarely drive in any kind of stop and go traffic..I think I hit about 6 traffic signals my entire 20+ mile commute. When I bought my M3 I hadn't driven a stick in 10 yrs.....I was lucky enough the dealership let me take it out 'sans salesman'...so no embarrassing moments in front of a stranger, just my husband (we had good laughs on that first test drive) . Driving a stick will become second nature very quickly...but the advice given by others to test drive both the SMG and MT is good and I would second that.
I taught my 18 year old cycling teammate how to drive manual in my M3. The first time had lots of stalls and ackward moments, but by about the 4th time, he was driving the car like he'd been behind its wheel for year. Mixed that in with lessons on my MINI when I got it, it has a much better shifter/clutch interface than the M3, and then in my A3 when I acquired that. Now when we're on trips, I let him drive whatever we're in and he's at least 90% there with only 15 or so manual driving sessions to his name. The M3 is not the easiest manual car I've ever owned, but it's not that hard to master. Confidence in yourself is a great motivator.
I have tried both. I tried the 6speed first andwas a little revv happy until the first walk through the gears. I tried the SMG next and it sucked. It always felt like someone was kicking the car in its ass. There was lag with the paddle shifters too. I think the 6 speed gave a smooth ride, so that is what made my decision.
yea ive been reading more and more about SMG being jerky...but some people say its just because that person hasnt learned how to drive with SMG properly...so i dunno.
Im kinda leaning towards a clutch manual now:dunno:
There is a lot of debate over the SMG versus manual properties, and you will find many different opinions on it. For what it's worth, I have driven manuals solely for the past 10 years, and I don't mind using a clutch [even in Atlanta traffic when I used to have to deal with bumper to bumper crap almost everyday]. I know how to feather throttle, smoothly engage gears, match revs/heel-toe, and all of the things in between, and I still tend to jerk the M3 SMG around all over the place; I never have it in sport mode on the road because it makes the tranny even more difficult to feed power to smoothly.
There is no "right" answer, it is a subjective one. Unless you can't drive a manual or unless you plan on being at the track for 50% of the car's time on the road, I would get a three-pedal manual. This is my OPINION, not a fact or anything, so I would highly suggest driving both in traffic, on the highway, on twisty roads, etc, and see what you like and dislike about the 3 pedal versus SMG. The choice you will want to make should be obvious to you rather quickly, whether you prefer SMG or standard manual.
I test drove SMG first because 6 speed was not available and did not like SMG so that made my decision ahead of time. I went from Mazda RX-8 to M3 and on my drive home I was think what did I do? I did not like to shift action of 6 speed compared to nice short smooth throws of the Mazda. However after some break in time the tranny does become smoother and I have been happy with the 6 speed. Go for it!
Just wanted to bump this as I am curious as to what the final decision will be meatwad...please keep us updated.
"It's a clown, and it symbolizes street warfare...see I'm part of the Clowns now, ya dig?"
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