I bought this car partly because we could use something other than the 14 MPG truck to bang around town when the plain white Camry sits at the airport. It is, however, identified as my daughter's car, which she has been learning to drive in, and will get primary use of when she gets her license in four months. I wanted her to have a manual so that (A) she has that skill set, and (B) to keep the phone / text while driving temptation to a minimum.

In my eyes she has been doing well from day one, maybe a little slow to learn to listen to the engine for clues on shifting (instituted a no-radio within 20 miles of home rule to help that out). But she was starting to get apprehensive, would find opportunities to drive the (auto) Camry instead, refuse to drive when she knew she would have to face the slight hill on a highway overpass in town, etc. I was starting to think maybe this plan would not come together the way I thought.

Christmas Eve, she and her mother went out to get some last minute groceries for the next day's feast. An hour later, my little girl comes bursting through the front door, with a huge smile on her face.

"DAD! A stick shift is SO much fun!"

Seems she let loose pulling out of the neighborhood. Learned what working the gears behind a turbo four-banger is all about!

I see a weekend father-daughter bonding trip to an advanced driving skills course in our future. Perhaps I have created a monster, but I am proud!

"Look, Daddy: every time a tire chirps, an angel gets an Audi!"

 

Thats great to hear man! I'm glad I learned how to drive in a 5spd too

 

A friend of mine bought a car maybe 5 years back. He was looking and I was trying to convince him to try a manual. I kept asking him if he wanted me to teach him to drive manual and he kept refusing. A week or so later, he tells me he wants me to take his car back to the dealership - he had bought a manual, decided that he didn't want to learn it after all, and wanted to trade it in for an automatic. I tried to convince him that I could just teach him to drive it but his mind was made.

 

not to sound like a pedo bear but as men, we both know a girl is much more marketable if she knows how to drive a manual and only smart men know this fact. : )

 

Time to take her to auto-x!

learn to heel/toe

etc.

 

hiwords, when I met her mom she was driving a stick shift. Mind you, it was an Escort, but I quickly let her decide to buy a Mustang GT . . . which made for an attractive dowry!

 

dowry? what are you a terminator from the past? lol

 

Nothing cuter than a girl driving a stick.

I can't even drive stick. I suck.

D:

 

That's not what Chris told me. He said you can drive his stick rather well. Too well...