Right now I'm looking for a maxima for my first car. It's pretty clear I think getting a manual transmission will give you a little better performance over the 4sp auto. But the only problem is, I don't have any experience driving manual. Do you think it's smart for me to get an auto (I'm looking for a 4th gen), or would it not be such a big deal to get manual, as it shouldn't be too hard to get the hang of it?

Any comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Dan

 

You gotta learn somewhere...

My first experience with a stick was on a '02 RSX-S... just learned the basics on it. My real practice and learning was when I got my 5-spd. I stalled a couple of times... but you will learn eventually.

I say go for the 5-spd, and not knowing how to drive one shuldn't stop you.... you will get the hang of it after a week of driving it. Trust me!

good luck!

 

what he said. my first vehicle was a 95 hardbody, and it was a 5spd. I stalled out of the lady's driveway after getting the lien fom her.

 

Get the 5 speed, I didn't know how to drive a stick that well but I drove the car back from the bay area without any troubles at all. The few troubles u face in the beginning is worth the fun of the 5 speed when you learn it.

 

i learned the basics from gran turismo, and look at me now short shiftin n all.

 

btw, learning how to drive stick in the maxima is really easy compared to other cars that i've driven..... pretty damn easy!

 

I learned on a '51 Chevy truck with manual steering and manual brakes. 3 spd with "granny" gear which is a really low gear which made the truck creep along at 3 mph. That was a great one to learn on.

 

I learned at a dealership Went and said I had researched how to drive a stick but hadn't actually done it so the sales guy drove it with me, showed me how and let me take a crack at it. Except for downshifting, no sweat.

~THT

 

Just get the 5spd. It's a great learning experience, and if you get the auto you will be wanting the 5spd in no time at all. It's a very easy car to learn on

 

i got a 01 max for my first car, nd i learned to drive stick on it....btw, we live in the same area, where do u live around

 

5 speed........

 

I sold my 92SE auto and bought a 92SE 5-speed even though I didn't know how to drive one, and a year later I feel it was a great decision. Stock Maxima clutches seem to be pretty smooth too, so learning is very easy on these cars.

 

Thanks for sharing all yoru opinions guys, I'm gonna try and get a stick. Feel free to keep posting advice, etc.

 

Get a 5/6 speed. Maxima has a very forgiving transmission.

 

5spd all the way, I learned on a friends 89 Nissan pickup to get the basics, and didnt ever drive a stick again for a year, and then got mine, with basics only, and stalled once, its cake once you get the hang of it and way more fun, I will NEVER own an auto in a car again, SUV or truck maybe,but car, heck nah! 5spd, 6spd, all the way!

 

yeah go for the 5spd all the way. Because like stated before, if you get the auto you'll be wishing you had a stick later. And also I learned how to drive a stick on my max, and it really isnt hard at all. The max shifts like my uncles 4Runner so its not the hardest thing to learn on. Just devote an afternoon at most to learning and you'll get it easy, and while driving dont be afraid to give it some gas.

 

I learned on the hills of sanfrancisco at night with a lightweight flywheel. talk about stall city

 

It's right about the Maxima being an easy stick to drive. The shift linkage is very smooth, and forgiving to operate. The clutch is light, and fairly easy to get a smooth engagement, however I do find that I have to let it out a little slower than I do with a lot of other clutches. Granted, I tend to let a clutch out with a very limited amount of slippage, so it could be due to that. But compared to a Honda clutch, it's definitely not as grabby, that's for sure. My Maxima which I got back in March is the first car I've owned with a 5 speed, even though I was quite proficient at it before, and I haven't looked back since.

When it comes to learning, just go out somewhere far from home, and make it a challenge for yourself to get the car home, as safely and smoothly as possible. After that, things will start to come together. If you're a little nervous at first, find a good parking lot, or series of side streets with little traffic, to get the basics of clutching and shifting down, then you can start to learn how to incorporate that into driving. After a while, you'll find that you're not thinking about clutching and shifting anymore, but that it's second nature, just like any other task you might do during driving, turning up the stereo etc.

And it's not just about performance, there's a certain level of extra control that is added to the driving experience when you shift gears. It's taken the automatic 50 some odd years of refining, and computer controlled shift patterns, that adapt to your driving style, to meet the precision shift timing that can be had with a manual, when you know the right time to shift.

 

Creedence85 word! The max is almost as easy as trucks. If your really worried get a rental car for a couple days to get the hang of it or have a friend teach you. Its beyond worth it. I agree that auto's shouldn't even exist. It removes the driver from paying attention.

 

-->Other then manual's are fun, I think everybody has to pass their driving test when getting their license on manual transmission...or at least be like Sweeden where they put a RESTRICTION on your license that you can drive Auto only...

 

In the UK if you pass the test in an auto you get an auto-only license. 95% of cars onthe road are stick and basically everyone learns stick first.