Is driving a manual hard?

Question

My car, which was an automatic got totaled and now I need to get a new vehicle. The vehicle I am looking at is a manual. I have a friend who says driving a manual is fun and easy, and he will teach me how to drive a manual. However, I drive 30 minutes almost every day from my house to my girlfriend's house, the traffic usually isn't too bad. Another thing, I am getting a job soon and if I get this job, the drive is maybe 30-45 minutes. Traffic can be terrible at times in the evening or in the morning, usually stop-and-go traffic. My friend told me you could just stay in first gear that whole time if it's stop-and-go traffic. Is this true? Any tips?

Update:

No longer getting a manual! Just getting an automatic but thanks for the answers

scott · Answer

realy easy I learned in a day if your determined you will learn it.

christopher · Answer

yes it is very hard

Anonymous · Answer

just takes practice ...............................................

Jay P · Answer

"Easy" and "hard" are subjective answers.  Some standard transmission vehicles are more difficult to drive smoothly than others.

Personally I think it's more fun to drive a stick and that's why all of my cars ( 6 past and present ) have been manuals.  But even I will admit that when it comes to  heavy congestion, stop n' go traffic, a manual can be a chore to drive.

Anonymous · Answer

No it's not hard, but as a manual driver for decades I wouldn't recommend buying one. When you're in peak traffic at a crawl, it's constant clutch work and gear changing.  Just yesterday I was caught in very slow traffic for many kilometres and it was no fun constantly changing gears. But learn to drive a manual anyway, it could come in handy one day. I'd replace my car with an automatic if I could afford to.

Anonymous · Answer

I learned to drive flawlessly on a manual at 15. Passed my test the first time. So I'm sure you can learn it. But don't buy one without being sure you can do it. There was a user just yesterday that kept tearing up clutches because they couldn't drive it.

Anonymous · Answer

Some people find it easy and some people never do get the hang of it. It sounds like you might be a dumbass, so stick to an automatic.

Anonymous · Answer

It’s like learning to ride a bicycle, may take time but once you learn it’s easy and you never forget

Carlos · Answer

Not really once you get the hang of it. Eventually It becomes muscle memory

Is driving a manual hard?

9 Answers