ms3 for new driver??
- Thread starter newcomer001
- Start date
newcomer001
Member
I've been driving stick for 20 years and the MS3 is the most unforgiving out of the 5 or so daily drivers I've had (78 MGB, 74 Fiat 124, 91 Mustang GT, 98 Ford Contour, 91 Mustang GT.) That's a good thing overall, it's a tight well handling powerful car. But I've had it 13 months and still haven't completely gotten the hang of launching.
If you're mechanically inclined and not too clumsy you should catch on just fine. The MS3 is a great combo of handling, power, stealth, and people and cargo room.
If you're mechanically inclined and not too clumsy you should catch on just fine. The MS3 is a great combo of handling, power, stealth, and people and cargo room.
happy and angry
Member
Dissenting opinion: No it's not a good car for a new driver, or a good car to learn to drive stick on. A new driver can get him/herself into too much trouble with the amount of power this car has, and most people learn to drive stick on their parents old beater or on a tractor for a reason.
Am I one of the few that thinks that people should learn to drive on something cheap and slow so that if something happens it doesn't cost someone $25,000?
Am I one of the few that thinks that people should learn to drive on something cheap and slow so that if something happens it doesn't cost someone $25,000?
Worse case you burn the clutch or stall it. Go for it. Just practice hills in a controlled place.
I've driven sticks and autos for my entire driving life. I've driven small compact underpowered things to 32,000lb GVW trucks. I was a valet in college. The MS3's clutch is one of the hardest to get used to. I'm still having trouble with it after 1.5 months of ownership. Master the MS3 and you can drive anything!
I've driven sticks and autos for my entire driving life. I've driven small compact underpowered things to 32,000lb GVW trucks. I was a valet in college. The MS3's clutch is one of the hardest to get used to. I'm still having trouble with it after 1.5 months of ownership. Master the MS3 and you can drive anything!
mspeed3420
Member
- :
- 2008.5 Mazdaspeed3
your clutch and tranny are made to take some beatings and there is no way you will mess anything up in the 2 weeks to a month you will learn to drive stick. I agree that if you can, buying a rental car or using some crapier car would be better to learn on than the ms3, but if you cant find that in your area, dont be scared to get your speed and learn. The hills will be kind of hard at first, but you'll be a master b4 you know it, especially if watch some learning to drive stick videos, read some articles about it, or learn from a friend. The MS3 is by no means the easiest car to learn on, but its really not that hard and theres no way you'll have "too much power" 
BillTheCat
Member
- :
- 2009 Mazdaspeed3 Sport
How Stuff Works: Manual Transmissions
How Stuff Works: Clutches
Good info there to help you understand how the transmission & clutch work. Worth reading.
And I really would err on the side of caution... buy or borrow a beater car, drive it for 3-6 months to get used to manual transmissions in general, then sell it & get the MS3. It would really suck to drop $25k on an MS3, then find out that you hate the manual tranny, or can't get used to hill starts, etc.
Note: to find manual transmissions at a rental car service, you'll have to avoid the big national chains like Hertz, Avis, etc. Go for the little local shops. The local guys usually have fewer restrictions on who can rent from them, too.
How Stuff Works: Clutches
Good info there to help you understand how the transmission & clutch work. Worth reading.
And I really would err on the side of caution... buy or borrow a beater car, drive it for 3-6 months to get used to manual transmissions in general, then sell it & get the MS3. It would really suck to drop $25k on an MS3, then find out that you hate the manual tranny, or can't get used to hill starts, etc.
Note: to find manual transmissions at a rental car service, you'll have to avoid the big national chains like Hertz, Avis, etc. Go for the little local shops. The local guys usually have fewer restrictions on who can rent from them, too.
i agree with you on this, get a beater and learn then move on to the ms3, lets face it the car has power learning how to drive a stick dropping the clutch (you all cant tell me you guys didnt drop it on accident while learning) an getting that lovely torque steer can only end bad but what the hell do i know
Unkillable2
Member
- :
- Mazdaspeed 3 (True Red)
sounds like you fricken know me... do i know you?
coololddude
Member
Just like a motorcycle it takes practice. Old ladys learn how to ride a motorcycle. Are you as coordinated as an old lady?
I bought my car and had only driven a manual transmission one time (in a brand new 08 WRX that a dealer let me take out) I definatly stalled that a few times.
However I rode bikes before that so I know the concept behind operating a clutch.
My first experience with the MS3 was on the way home, about a three hour road trip....and I loved every minute of it.
However I rode bikes before that so I know the concept behind operating a clutch.
My first experience with the MS3 was on the way home, about a three hour road trip....and I loved every minute of it.
my good friend who lives in san francisco opted for the gti (for the paddle shifter and that you can push a button to make it an automatic) as opposed to the MS3 even tho the MS3 is WAAAAAAY better than the gti, but he didnt want the hassle of driving stick around town in the business area of San Francisco
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- 13 MX-5
If you want to learn driving stick, learn on an old car that why when you get the MS3, you won't mess up the clutch too much. But if you want the MS3, just get it. You'll have warranty anyways. I just don't like seeing new cars and the drivers can't drive it well and stall or jerk a lot. It makes me sad.
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- 13 MX-5
It's not even hard driving stickshift in SF.
BillTheCat
Member
- :
- 2009 Mazdaspeed3 Sport
Once you know what you're doing, the terrain doesn't matter much. But I guarantee you that someone learning to drive stick would have a far easier time in Tampa than in San Francisco.
i would say for a first time stick is ok, but i wouldn't say for a first car. i could see some 17 year old wrecking one real fast. any hot dog, a little tip on manual transmissions. put the car in first and slowly let go of the clutch and it will roll as if it were an automatic. it's something good to do when your on hills. the car will act as if it's going to stall. when it does that just give it a little gas or press the clutch in. also, if your on a hill, you can slowly let the clutch, so your not rolling back. good luck, and give yourself about 2 weeks to get use to it, and a couple of months to be great at it, such as try making every shift smooth and not jerky. it took me 2 days to get use to going and stopping, and about 5 months to get it to where i wasn't jerky anymore. also, dont rev high for a while because it's harder to shift fast at higher rpms. just keep it under 3krpm. the one that i had drove seemed to rev pretty fast after 3800 to 4k rpms, and the gearing is short, so it would be easy to hit the rev limiter.
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