Considering swapping for an Si but there's 1 problem

TheKevinlyFather

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I am pretty comfortable with situations like this, and it sounds like that may not be the case for you. But, I went to test drive an RSX-S many years ago having never driven a stick before. I just read a couple of articles and went to give it a shot.

Ended up squealing the tires pretty bad upon pulling it out of the parking spot. But, quickly caught on. Bought the car, stalled it a couple of times in my first week of owning it, and that was really it.

You could absolutely learn it in a couple of minutes for the sake of test driving it. But, fair warning, it's gonna feel a little awkward learning in front of a stranger. If that is something that causes you stress just thinking about it, probably best to learn in a different setting.
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ebatr24

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I taught my girlfriend to drive my Si in one night, just a few laps in the parking lot and she had it down. The next morning she was driving me around town, with nothing more than 1 or 2 stalls. The only thing is that she drove a crotch rocket for a few years, so she kinda had an understanding of how a clutch worked. I will say that the newer Hondas like the Si have a clutch delay valve which ease out the clutch for new drivers, the hill assist and brake hold are amazing features for new drivers to not panic taking off on a hill as well. These things are nuisances for experienced drivers but quite nice for a new manual driver, take the plunge you won't regret it. :)
 

Monocacy

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Before I bought my first manual (and first car) a friend gave me a 10-minute stick-shift lesson in the parking lot.

Based on that lesson I was able to take the car for a test drive and drive it home. The only nerve-wracking part was stopping for a light on a steep uphill, and having a car pull up close behind me.

With brake hold on the Si, even that is not a problem any more.
 

ebatr24

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Hey now. Brake hold is great :thumbsup: Especially for some of the long-ass stoplights around here that run on timers instead of sensors.
It can come in handy I suppose, the clutch delay valve is more of a nuisance than anything else.
 


gtman

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Back in the day I wanted a CRX when they first came out. Never had a car with a stick before. Picked it up at the dealer and drove it home. I remember stalling it at the first stoplight but it got easier after that. If you're halfway coordinated you'll be OK. With hill hold and the super light clutch these 10th gens have, no sweat at all.

After owning the CRX for 3 years I bought an Integra and by then I was a master at driving a manual.
 

type_r_wannabe

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Hey now. Brake hold is great :thumbsup: Especially for some of the long-ass stoplights around here that run on timers instead of sensors.
this. i got my Si last week and i fuggin love the brake hold. lazy life represent
 

BoostedSiCoupe

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Touring

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Ughh might be awhile longer before I'm able to get one. The wife doesn't want to trade for another car until we get an SUV/Crossover in the family (right now we have 2 Civics. 2013 and 2016)

Can't really blame her since last winter we got stuck a combined 4 times and had a couple other instances where we needed to move large items. Luckily though the fact that the Si is manual isn't a problem, she's willing to learn it too. At this point I'm wondering if it's better just to wait for the refresh next fall.
 

TypeSiR

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Ughh might be awhile longer before I'm able to get one. The wife doesn't want to trade for another car until we get an SUV/Crossover in the family (right now we have 2 Civics. 2013 and 2016)

Can't really blame her since last winter we got stuck a combined 4 times and had a couple other instances where we needed to move large items. Luckily though the fact that the Si is manual isn't a problem, she's willing to learn it too. At this point I'm wondering if it's better just to wait for the refresh next fall.
Perfect time to trade the 2013 in for a AWD CRV or Subaru something. Yep, I said Subaru; Has anyone checked out their prices lately? How does a carmaker make money leasing you a 4WD sedan for $135/month?
 

Ataricade

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I bought a Type R 4 months ago in the same situation. I took a stick shift lesson from a driving school a month prior to purchasing; it sort of helped. I watched YouTube videos prior to delivery. The drive home from the dealer sucked, and up until I took it out for dedicated practice i was garbage at it. Fast forward and now I don’t stall anymore, I know what I’m doing and I have an amazing time with it. Everyone is different how fast they can get it down, but it shouldn’t take too long. The only way to know for sure is to take the plunge and force yourself to learn it. Especially if it’s your only car... the best way to learn is to be forced to learn if you want to drive.

Yes you will stall and you will get beeped at, yes you may panic and do something dumb, it happens. Take a deep breath when it happens and move on from it. I stalled over 40 times in month 1 of ownership..and that number fell to near zero in month two and now I only sometimes stall in parking lots.

Honda has some of the best manual transmissions out there. You can definitely do it. Good luck!
Only the R rev matches downshifts automatically. Have to do it the old fashioned way on the Si
 
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Perfect time to trade the 2013 in for a AWD CRV or Subaru something. Yep, I said Subaru; Has anyone checked out their prices lately? How does a carmaker make money leasing you a 4WD sedan for $135/month?
I really like Subarus but for some reason there's no Subaru dealer in my town. The nearest one is 50 minutes away and it's in a different province lol. Otherwise I'd be all over the Forrester XT
 


 


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