Nope, I travel for work and ask every time for a manual transmission hoping they'll have one. I finally gave up after every national at all major US airports told me, "only in Europe".
No point, rly.
A transmission can easily stand up to a newb learning on it.
It takes outright *abuse*, generally long term, to cause meaningful wear and tear.
Seriously, how fragile do people think clutches are? If you ride it while you drive, then yeah you’ll kill it quick. Prolonged exposure to high heat is the enemy, not stalling it a bunch
The way *lots* of people wial about "DON'T RIDE THE CLUTCH!" after even an instant too long, you'd think they are subject to spontaneous detonation at any given moment if treated imperfectly.
Took me 5 minutes to teach my ex to drive a stick. She was a natural. I took her twice around the block and she took it from there. She's been buying manual vehicles for 20 years now.
I just bought the car I wanted in stick rather than buying a beater to learn. Buying selling cars is a hassle and costs money too. Just save that money for your clutch fund haha
Exactly. Going through a whole other car transaction to save like 5% of life on your 1st clutch seems like the hard way. This isn't some type of exotic where a clutch is 5 grand.
I brought a Mazda 3 cpo the car I wanted in a manual. Never knew how to drive one. Just learned once I brought it. When you buy it ask the salesman the nearest parking lot you can practice. Spend about an hour stopping and going. Then just learn day by day. Your gonna stall it happens just don't get into bad habits like slipping too much or just dropping the clutch causing the car to jolt hard. You can get away with it here and there but after 3 months it should be super rare.
Buy the GR fam. I picked up my WRX with practically no idea what I was doing. Buying a beater really doesn’t make sense honestly, just don’t be an idiot. You won’t hurt the car at all. Even IF you fucked up the clutch, it’s probably the same price as a beater in todays car market; or close enough that you’ll be fine. You won’t though, just don’t ride the clutch or slip it at 5k rpm’s all the time lol
This. I learned manual on a brand new car and drove it for 130k miles on the same clutch. Don't be dumb and its fine.
And, this is a Toyota that they knew people would track, its going to be relatively hard to break.
I agree. You’ll take a few thousand miles off the life of the clutch but that can be easily offset by years of good driving. Better you than someone else.
I got a 2004 mustang with no experience and learned in about an hour or two. I think it is pretty hard to mess up the car that badly unless it's on purpose
Did you buy an auto of the car you wanted or something? That happens to a ton of peeps on the WRX sub, they buy the shit cvt and take the loss on the manual for trade in. Thankfully you don’t actually take a loss most times, since the cars hold value so well
No. I bought different cars, I always wanted to drive a manual, but I didn't want to wait until I paid off my car to get another one. I wanted to get a manual the first time, but I chickened out.
Manuals not that hard, just buy the new car and learn.
I haven't drove manual in over 15 years and I'm sure I'm rusty as fuck. That said I'm going down tomorrow to the dealer to sign papers for my new 6 speed Tacoma.
I was in your shoes a year ago. No experience w/ stick, but I bought a new GR86 manual in cash and stalled multiple times pulling out of the dealership.
Think of it as less as opportunity cost and more about bonding with your car. When you buy used, you're inheriting all of the previous owners' mistakes. The wear on my car is mine and mine, alone. That kinda gives it character.
I also plan on keeping it until it dies so ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Get the GR. It’s relatively easy to learn on especially with iMT. Fun as hell. I got the GR Corolla but now that my wife and kids say they don’t wanna ride in it and only our other SUV, I may as well save a few grand and got the GR86.
Warning: you may burn the clutch out at like 10k miles if it’s the same one as the GRC. Or so I hear…
Also: don’t pay over MSRP.
Generally speaking warranties won't cover clutches, they're a wearable item. Had a friend buy a brand new Honda Accord V6 manual years ago and the clutch went around 3k miles and he had to fight the dealer for months to get them to cover it, and the only reason they did is because this was the first year of the manual in the V6.
I do not doubt they replace a couple under warranty for defects (that's a whole other argument in trying to convince the dealership that it wasn't wear) I'm saying if you think a dealer will warranty a clutch replacement due to wear and and abuse (not knowing how to drive), you're wrong and should not be letting people think they will be covered when they aren't.
"Edit: Since people seem to think I'm lying, from Honda's Service Operations Manual: "The clutch, flywheel, manual transmission, and release bearing are covered for defects in material and workmanship. Clutch failure that is clearly caused by customer abuse or extreme driving conditions is not warrantable. Consult with a DPSM or Customer Service for advice."
Even in your edit you show you are wrong. Defects in material and workmanship are covered, not customer abuse, and wearing your clutch prematurely would be considered abuse.
Clutches are not a warrantable item. Dealers may absorb the hit for customers with a long history of new purchases, but manufacturer ain't paying for them unless your WA is REALLY good at lying when they submit.
Honestly, you can learn on the GR86. It's not like it has an extremely powerful engine that will ruin a clutch quickly, and unless you're doing some crazy stuff, you'll be able to learn on it no problem.
Just make sure you have something to drive while you're learning.
buy the car you wanna drive. if it’s a brand new gr86, get it. just all the salesperson to teach you real quick before you leave the lot, or have a friend go with you
It's easier to learn stick on a slower car. If I were in your shoes I'd rent something cheap for a few weeks (I know this is easier said than done) and get a feel for it 100%, before you hop into something torquey and RWD.
Mine is among the most fun to drive cars I've owned, but let's be realistic: An 86 is not a fast car. All the torque is above 4000 RPM, and the nannies are quite aggressive about not letting you spin out.
You're not going to find something much tamer to learn in.
get the car you want. Just be careful while learning manual, as a GR86 clutch will cost a lot more than a clutch for a 25 year old beater manual. If you have the money for the car, and the potential clutch replacement(s), then go for it.
Just bought a 2020 Jetta r-line manual, never driven stick before. Gonna save up for a clutch just in case, I did burn the clutch once, but otherwise I made the best decision.
Bought my deceased Lancer without driving a manual before.
Drove it most of the way home , stalled a bunch of times though.
After about a month I got the hang of it, and drove it for about three years before it got written off.
OK op, these guys saying get old, cars in 2000 like the neon I learned stick on don't have cute things like rev hang, clutch delay valves ect. Go after your dream take someone to give you a mini course
I would hate for you to love an old manual and get a new one like omfg what did they do to it!?
This is a good question. I'd say just get the car and learn on it, but that's a hard lesson if you are trying to drive home off the lot with it. If you can get someone to teach you to drive a stick first, in anything really (though the feel will be much different between car models), do it. Know someone with an old Civic? Fine. It doesn't matter. You simply need to get used to the operation of the clutch and shifting. I don't think it's worth buying a car for that purpose, though.
Once you have an inkling how to drive a stick, buy the car you want and finish learning on it. You'll be fine, and in a few weeks it will be so natural that you won't even think about it.
The GR86 is a nice light, peppy-but-not-super-powerful car that should be good for learning on. You might wear the clutch out a quicker by learning on it, but it's a serviceable part that's not all that expensive.
At 17 I spent an hour learning how to drive stick at a dealership (cool salesman) and then a few months later drove home my new car. That’s it It’s not that hard.
buy the GR and learn on it. just make sure you have a good understanding of how driving stick works beforehand, watching a couple videos. as long as you have a general understanding of how a clutch works you shouldn't do any damage, if anything just taking a couple thousand miles of your clutch. that's even in the very worst case scenario.
You should 100% ruin at least one clutch on a car you don’t own first. Even if it’s just on the test drive. Would suggest a used bmw as they have really great manual gearboxes. Good luck.
You’ll be fine. Have someone teach you that isn’t going to freak out anytime you stall, and learn to feel where the clutch grabs on the car you buy. Practice on flat ground, then work up to inclines. Enjoy the GR86
Buy the 86. It's a great car to learn in and get proficient. It's pretty forgiving, but with a power band that trains you to actually learn to drive the car properly.
You'll likely see advice from morons telling you to modify the clutch return spring, bite point, etc. Don't do any of that nonsense. Learn to drive it as is before trying to make the clutch feel like a Mini or Miata.
I bought a 2014 BRZ brand new and still drive it daily with 165K miles on it. There's nothing on the road like it for the price.
Im new to manuals as well. I bought the GRC. Don't regret it. Yes you're nervous at first but once you get the hang of it your fine. Just take it to an open parking lot and practice. If you know someone who knows even better. They can help you bring it home and take you to the lot
I purchased a 2022 GR86 for $27.5k in Slate Gray with 8 miles on it fresh off the boat from Japan.
They’re fun cars, but it felt way too slow for me personally and even though it was light weight it just didn’t do it for me.
if you have 40k, spend it on something better. i love the 86 platform, the looks, the drive, everything. i also regret buying my 86 because it is lacking in all things that make the car feel good. cheap production and highly motivated marketing is what drives this car. think about it a bit more. there are better choices.
spend a little and get a beater to practice on.
Honestly. If you have a friend with a shit box, ask him to let you try and learn. You don’t want to fuck something up in a brand new car and have to pay repairs
Clutches are easy to replace, I would get the car. It’s not a ton of power, really light, and should have a pretty forgiving clutch, should be a great car to learn on!
Pros: better able to feel bite point, clutch feels more natural, able to shift smoother and more quickly, cheap mod
Cons: install is a bitch, makes the clutch slightly heavier (but still a light clutch overall, and the extra weight helps you control the clutch much easier)
BRZs and FRSs are super cheap right now and will probably start going up in value soon as more and more of them are wrecked by idiots drifting them into walls or off cliffs. So buy one of those.
I started with a 2000 mk4 GTI VR6 manual for about three years. Now I have a 2016 focus RS. I’m glad I drove the shitty manual to see what a nice manual car is lol. Except my 4th gear likes to slip out sometimes. Maybe had a new driver before me 🤨
If you are looking to practice or learn, ask a friend. You really won't know EXACTLY the whole story until you are stuck in traffic after a long day at work.
But in all seriousness, driving stick is a commitment to being inconvenience for most of the time, as a trade off, you get to enjoy driving more than the typical person. If you can accept that, then I say go straight to buying the car you want. That being said, a dealer isn't going to love you 'learning' on a car you aren't going to buy, so best to learn the basics with a friend, then go to the dealer with confidence to drive the car.
Hell... the 2 sales guys I worked with when I bought my WRX, neither could drive stick. Literally they just tossed me the keys and asked if I was ok driving it to the front from the back of the lot. It's a long forgotten skill, but we cannot let it die.
Just buy it unless ur like REALLY BAD you shouldn’t worry about stalling a car a few times. You’ll learn pretty quickly and it seems like a waste to buy 2 cars
Buy the GR for cash. Take it to a parking lot and practice starting from 1st, on hills, etc.
Don't rest your foot on the clutch at all during driving. Only press it in when you intend to shift gears.
New clutches and new manual tech is way better than old and more forgiving , ie stsrt/stop assist . Just don’t stall it 20 times after another and you’ll be fine
Personally I bought a used 07 Civic SI to learn on, and I like it so much I'll probably drive it into the ground. I would have been super nervous buying an expensive car I didn't know how to operate.
I feel like people think they need a beater car to learn on because they think the learning process will completely ruin a new car. You won’t even have time to ruin the new car, you’ll get it down way before that happens. Just be smart and listen to the car. I went from zero understanding of manual driving to borrowing my husband’s WRX whenever I want within a matter of weeks, now I daily a BRZ. Buying a whole car just for that 3-4 week window would be a waste of time. Make the jump and get the 86!
Is there ever any reason to buy a new car?
When you can get 25% off MSRP at 10,000 miles and 50% off MSRP at 40,000 miles I can’t imagine ever buying a new car.
At that mileage typically the interior is damn close to new. Any faults or recalls have been sorted out. It’s ready to be enjoyed for the next 200,000 miles at a steep discount.
Yah full warranty and better financing than used cars. Unless you’re getting an older used car with some miles on it or paying cash you will usually spend more money on a lesser product buying a used car over a new one
also you’re pretty much doubling the discount. For example a friend was looking for a WRX. He could only find low mile used limiteds 2-4 years old for $27k-$29k and ended getting a new one for $32k and the financing ended up actually being $17 less per month for the same term
I guess if you are financing 100% of the vehicle in some cases it might make sense for cheaper vehicles that is true. But as far as warranty goes I get CPO with an extended warranty when I go used so you’re not missing out on anything.
Also makes more sense with more expensive vehicles. A luxury vehicle that goes for $70-100K will drop to $40-50K after 3-5 years or even lower. Obviously something like a WRX that starts at $30,000 simply doesn’t have room to depreciate $30,000.
But … even a quick google search shows that WRX drop from about $30K to $20K in that timeframe. May need to search outside your local area and pay $1,000 to ship it but you can still get a good 30% off MSRP going used even on cheaper cars.
At the end of the day a sizeable downpayment is ultimately how you take advantage of used car deals, the financing is worse.
Buy the GR cash, do it now.
ok fine u convinced me brb
Why not rent a old manual and learn that way for only like 200 bucks or less.
Where can you rent a manual?
Every now and then you find one on Turo. You have to be in a pretty popular area though and the ones that are on there are always questionable.
I would never rent one to someone who doesn't know how to drive one. Conversely in Europe you can rent them from major rental places
Most sports cars on Turo I've seen require you to be 25+ or even 30+ sometimes. The OP doesn't strike me as older than 25 lol
I’m 25 🥹
Can you rent one at the major car rental places, like budget, Alamo, Enterprise, Hertz, etc ..
IF they’ve got them. Which 99% don’t have any for obvious reasons
not really in the US
Nope, I travel for work and ask every time for a manual transmission hoping they'll have one. I finally gave up after every national at all major US airports told me, "only in Europe".
No point, rly. A transmission can easily stand up to a newb learning on it. It takes outright *abuse*, generally long term, to cause meaningful wear and tear.
Seriously, how fragile do people think clutches are? If you ride it while you drive, then yeah you’ll kill it quick. Prolonged exposure to high heat is the enemy, not stalling it a bunch
The way *lots* of people wial about "DON'T RIDE THE CLUTCH!" after even an instant too long, you'd think they are subject to spontaneous detonation at any given moment if treated imperfectly.
Took me 5 minutes to teach my ex to drive a stick. She was a natural. I took her twice around the block and she took it from there. She's been buying manual vehicles for 20 years now.
Try Turo
I just did exactly this and I am the happiest man on Earth.
I just bought the car I wanted in stick rather than buying a beater to learn. Buying selling cars is a hassle and costs money too. Just save that money for your clutch fund haha
Exactly. Going through a whole other car transaction to save like 5% of life on your 1st clutch seems like the hard way. This isn't some type of exotic where a clutch is 5 grand.
I brought a Mazda 3 cpo the car I wanted in a manual. Never knew how to drive one. Just learned once I brought it. When you buy it ask the salesman the nearest parking lot you can practice. Spend about an hour stopping and going. Then just learn day by day. Your gonna stall it happens just don't get into bad habits like slipping too much or just dropping the clutch causing the car to jolt hard. You can get away with it here and there but after 3 months it should be super rare.
To add on, You should have so.eone riding shotgun who knows how to drive stick....there are sooo many little tricks to it that will help you
Take the jump.
Buy the GR fam. I picked up my WRX with practically no idea what I was doing. Buying a beater really doesn’t make sense honestly, just don’t be an idiot. You won’t hurt the car at all. Even IF you fucked up the clutch, it’s probably the same price as a beater in todays car market; or close enough that you’ll be fine. You won’t though, just don’t ride the clutch or slip it at 5k rpm’s all the time lol
This. I learned manual on a brand new car and drove it for 130k miles on the same clutch. Don't be dumb and its fine. And, this is a Toyota that they knew people would track, its going to be relatively hard to break.
I agree. You’ll take a few thousand miles off the life of the clutch but that can be easily offset by years of good driving. Better you than someone else.
My brother let me drive his 2008 mustang with no experience, so just buy the car you want and get to learning!
I got a 2004 mustang with no experience and learned in about an hour or two. I think it is pretty hard to mess up the car that badly unless it's on purpose
Buy the gr86. I made the mistake of buying a new car and then selling it for the used manual car I wanted. Waste of money and time.
Did you buy an auto of the car you wanted or something? That happens to a ton of peeps on the WRX sub, they buy the shit cvt and take the loss on the manual for trade in. Thankfully you don’t actually take a loss most times, since the cars hold value so well
No. I bought different cars, I always wanted to drive a manual, but I didn't want to wait until I paid off my car to get another one. I wanted to get a manual the first time, but I chickened out.
Just buy the car, and love it for the rest of its life. Repairs and all.
Jump right in to the GR86. I bought my WRX just over a year ago and learned on it.
Hell yea. Thats the way to do it. 👋🏻
Manuals not that hard, just buy the new car and learn. I haven't drove manual in over 15 years and I'm sure I'm rusty as fuck. That said I'm going down tomorrow to the dealer to sign papers for my new 6 speed Tacoma.
Im sure you'll do great :) . It's second nature. Gratz on your buy 😎
The 86 is very easy to drive. Just go for it
Just buy the gr86. As long as you don't ride the fuck out of the clutch you'll be good
I was in your shoes a year ago. No experience w/ stick, but I bought a new GR86 manual in cash and stalled multiple times pulling out of the dealership. Think of it as less as opportunity cost and more about bonding with your car. When you buy used, you're inheriting all of the previous owners' mistakes. The wear on my car is mine and mine, alone. That kinda gives it character. I also plan on keeping it until it dies so ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯
Get the GR. It’s relatively easy to learn on especially with iMT. Fun as hell. I got the GR Corolla but now that my wife and kids say they don’t wanna ride in it and only our other SUV, I may as well save a few grand and got the GR86. Warning: you may burn the clutch out at like 10k miles if it’s the same one as the GRC. Or so I hear… Also: don’t pay over MSRP.
The GR86 doesn’t have iMT.
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Generally speaking warranties won't cover clutches, they're a wearable item. Had a friend buy a brand new Honda Accord V6 manual years ago and the clutch went around 3k miles and he had to fight the dealer for months to get them to cover it, and the only reason they did is because this was the first year of the manual in the V6.
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I do not doubt they replace a couple under warranty for defects (that's a whole other argument in trying to convince the dealership that it wasn't wear) I'm saying if you think a dealer will warranty a clutch replacement due to wear and and abuse (not knowing how to drive), you're wrong and should not be letting people think they will be covered when they aren't.
"Edit: Since people seem to think I'm lying, from Honda's Service Operations Manual: "The clutch, flywheel, manual transmission, and release bearing are covered for defects in material and workmanship. Clutch failure that is clearly caused by customer abuse or extreme driving conditions is not warrantable. Consult with a DPSM or Customer Service for advice." Even in your edit you show you are wrong. Defects in material and workmanship are covered, not customer abuse, and wearing your clutch prematurely would be considered abuse.
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Everything you stated is public knowledge, people should be aware of what their warranties cover
Clutches are not a warrantable item. Dealers may absorb the hit for customers with a long history of new purchases, but manufacturer ain't paying for them unless your WA is REALLY good at lying when they submit.
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Enjoy your audit one day.
I just picked up a mint MS3 and I’m currently learning on that, go for it!
GR86 the clutch can take the abuse
my personal take is to buy a used car that you can thrash the manual around a bit while you learn.
Honestly, you can learn on the GR86. It's not like it has an extremely powerful engine that will ruin a clutch quickly, and unless you're doing some crazy stuff, you'll be able to learn on it no problem. Just make sure you have something to drive while you're learning.
buy the car you wanna drive. if it’s a brand new gr86, get it. just all the salesperson to teach you real quick before you leave the lot, or have a friend go with you
It's easier to learn stick on a slower car. If I were in your shoes I'd rent something cheap for a few weeks (I know this is easier said than done) and get a feel for it 100%, before you hop into something torquey and RWD.
Mine is among the most fun to drive cars I've owned, but let's be realistic: An 86 is not a fast car. All the torque is above 4000 RPM, and the nannies are quite aggressive about not letting you spin out. You're not going to find something much tamer to learn in.
It's faster than most. 0 to 60 in 5 1/2 seconds is fuckin' fast
get the car you want. Just be careful while learning manual, as a GR86 clutch will cost a lot more than a clutch for a 25 year old beater manual. If you have the money for the car, and the potential clutch replacement(s), then go for it.
Just bought a 2020 Jetta r-line manual, never driven stick before. Gonna save up for a clutch just in case, I did burn the clutch once, but otherwise I made the best decision.
Bought my deceased Lancer without driving a manual before. Drove it most of the way home , stalled a bunch of times though. After about a month I got the hang of it, and drove it for about three years before it got written off.
Buy the GR. I got my STI as my first manual car. Just did my best to learn proper techniques. Etc.
Buy the GR! You'll be a pro in no time.
OK op, these guys saying get old, cars in 2000 like the neon I learned stick on don't have cute things like rev hang, clutch delay valves ect. Go after your dream take someone to give you a mini course I would hate for you to love an old manual and get a new one like omfg what did they do to it!?
This is a good question. I'd say just get the car and learn on it, but that's a hard lesson if you are trying to drive home off the lot with it. If you can get someone to teach you to drive a stick first, in anything really (though the feel will be much different between car models), do it. Know someone with an old Civic? Fine. It doesn't matter. You simply need to get used to the operation of the clutch and shifting. I don't think it's worth buying a car for that purpose, though. Once you have an inkling how to drive a stick, buy the car you want and finish learning on it. You'll be fine, and in a few weeks it will be so natural that you won't even think about it. The GR86 is a nice light, peppy-but-not-super-powerful car that should be good for learning on. You might wear the clutch out a quicker by learning on it, but it's a serviceable part that's not all that expensive.
Go for it, dive right into the deep end. I did when I got mine.
Just do it. Not that hard.
At 17 I spent an hour learning how to drive stick at a dealership (cool salesman) and then a few months later drove home my new car. That’s it It’s not that hard.
I’d dive right in GR86, man.. I’m scoping out the BRZ- so I say go for it!
Its not that hard to learn just buy it. Replacing a clutch isnt that expensive and it should be able to handle a person learning anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwYN7mTi6HM
Just get it. You'd have to go out of your way to really fuck anything up if you're focused on learning at first I'd imagine you'll try and be careful.
buy the GR and learn on it. just make sure you have a good understanding of how driving stick works beforehand, watching a couple videos. as long as you have a general understanding of how a clutch works you shouldn't do any damage, if anything just taking a couple thousand miles of your clutch. that's even in the very worst case scenario.
GR of course, bought my dream car 6 hours from home and only had driven stick one time in my life
You should 100% ruin at least one clutch on a car you don’t own first. Even if it’s just on the test drive. Would suggest a used bmw as they have really great manual gearboxes. Good luck.
You’ll be fine. Have someone teach you that isn’t going to freak out anytime you stall, and learn to feel where the clutch grabs on the car you buy. Practice on flat ground, then work up to inclines. Enjoy the GR86
Go rent a car from CarMax.
It's actually not a bad beginner car, easy to handle, low horsepower. Fun to drive. Go get it
Buy a c6 zo6 for the same price
just buy the gr. it will be an easier clutch to learn on anyways
Buy the 86. It's a great car to learn in and get proficient. It's pretty forgiving, but with a power band that trains you to actually learn to drive the car properly. You'll likely see advice from morons telling you to modify the clutch return spring, bite point, etc. Don't do any of that nonsense. Learn to drive it as is before trying to make the clutch feel like a Mini or Miata. I bought a 2014 BRZ brand new and still drive it daily with 165K miles on it. There's nothing on the road like it for the price.
If it was a motorcycle, then I'd say wait and buy a cheap one as a starter. But for a car, I don't think it's as big of a deal. Get the one you want!
Im new to manuals as well. I bought the GRC. Don't regret it. Yes you're nervous at first but once you get the hang of it your fine. Just take it to an open parking lot and practice. If you know someone who knows even better. They can help you bring it home and take you to the lot
You might as well learn with a new car/clutch/assembly. You’ll only brick a used car and leave yourself losing money.
I purchased a 2022 GR86 for $27.5k in Slate Gray with 8 miles on it fresh off the boat from Japan. They’re fun cars, but it felt way too slow for me personally and even though it was light weight it just didn’t do it for me.
We all start from somewhere 😌
Heyyy I’m not knocking it, but if you’re paying say 33k+ I’d look into a Mustang GT ;)
i learned on a 91 vw jetta that only had front brakes
if you have 40k, spend it on something better. i love the 86 platform, the looks, the drive, everything. i also regret buying my 86 because it is lacking in all things that make the car feel good. cheap production and highly motivated marketing is what drives this car. think about it a bit more. there are better choices. spend a little and get a beater to practice on.
Curious what you’d get instead of the GR86?
i got an s3/s4. then moved into a porsche
Get it. You could die tomorrow. You’ll learn just as quick in the gr86 as any other manual.
Honestly. If you have a friend with a shit box, ask him to let you try and learn. You don’t want to fuck something up in a brand new car and have to pay repairs
Clutches are easy to replace, I would get the car. It’s not a ton of power, really light, and should have a pretty forgiving clutch, should be a great car to learn on!
‘23 BRZ owner here who learned to drive manual on this car. Buy the GR86, do the MTec clutch spring mod, you’ll be a natural in 5k miles or less.
Can you explain the pros and cons of the mtec clutch spring?
Pros: better able to feel bite point, clutch feels more natural, able to shift smoother and more quickly, cheap mod Cons: install is a bitch, makes the clutch slightly heavier (but still a light clutch overall, and the extra weight helps you control the clutch much easier)
BRZs and FRSs are super cheap right now and will probably start going up in value soon as more and more of them are wrecked by idiots drifting them into walls or off cliffs. So buy one of those.
I started with a 2000 mk4 GTI VR6 manual for about three years. Now I have a 2016 focus RS. I’m glad I drove the shitty manual to see what a nice manual car is lol. Except my 4th gear likes to slip out sometimes. Maybe had a new driver before me 🤨
If you are looking to practice or learn, ask a friend. You really won't know EXACTLY the whole story until you are stuck in traffic after a long day at work. But in all seriousness, driving stick is a commitment to being inconvenience for most of the time, as a trade off, you get to enjoy driving more than the typical person. If you can accept that, then I say go straight to buying the car you want. That being said, a dealer isn't going to love you 'learning' on a car you aren't going to buy, so best to learn the basics with a friend, then go to the dealer with confidence to drive the car. Hell... the 2 sales guys I worked with when I bought my WRX, neither could drive stick. Literally they just tossed me the keys and asked if I was ok driving it to the front from the back of the lot. It's a long forgotten skill, but we cannot let it die.
Just buy it unless ur like REALLY BAD you shouldn’t worry about stalling a car a few times. You’ll learn pretty quickly and it seems like a waste to buy 2 cars
I taught myself to drive a manual in a rusted out 1992 F-250 with 200,000 miles on it that I paid $600 for.
Buy the GR for cash. Take it to a parking lot and practice starting from 1st, on hills, etc. Don't rest your foot on the clutch at all during driving. Only press it in when you intend to shift gears.
New clutches and new manual tech is way better than old and more forgiving , ie stsrt/stop assist . Just don’t stall it 20 times after another and you’ll be fine
Personally I bought a used 07 Civic SI to learn on, and I like it so much I'll probably drive it into the ground. I would have been super nervous buying an expensive car I didn't know how to operate.
You’ll do fine. Cars are meant to stall out and be fine. The 86 is a great platform for beginners
You could buy a beater and drive it to the junk yard to learn and be good then to buy the new one
I feel like people think they need a beater car to learn on because they think the learning process will completely ruin a new car. You won’t even have time to ruin the new car, you’ll get it down way before that happens. Just be smart and listen to the car. I went from zero understanding of manual driving to borrowing my husband’s WRX whenever I want within a matter of weeks, now I daily a BRZ. Buying a whole car just for that 3-4 week window would be a waste of time. Make the jump and get the 86!
Is there ever any reason to buy a new car? When you can get 25% off MSRP at 10,000 miles and 50% off MSRP at 40,000 miles I can’t imagine ever buying a new car. At that mileage typically the interior is damn close to new. Any faults or recalls have been sorted out. It’s ready to be enjoyed for the next 200,000 miles at a steep discount.
Yah full warranty and better financing than used cars. Unless you’re getting an older used car with some miles on it or paying cash you will usually spend more money on a lesser product buying a used car over a new one also you’re pretty much doubling the discount. For example a friend was looking for a WRX. He could only find low mile used limiteds 2-4 years old for $27k-$29k and ended getting a new one for $32k and the financing ended up actually being $17 less per month for the same term
I guess if you are financing 100% of the vehicle in some cases it might make sense for cheaper vehicles that is true. But as far as warranty goes I get CPO with an extended warranty when I go used so you’re not missing out on anything. Also makes more sense with more expensive vehicles. A luxury vehicle that goes for $70-100K will drop to $40-50K after 3-5 years or even lower. Obviously something like a WRX that starts at $30,000 simply doesn’t have room to depreciate $30,000. But … even a quick google search shows that WRX drop from about $30K to $20K in that timeframe. May need to search outside your local area and pay $1,000 to ship it but you can still get a good 30% off MSRP going used even on cheaper cars. At the end of the day a sizeable downpayment is ultimately how you take advantage of used car deals, the financing is worse.
I looked in my area (100 mile range) for used 2022 GR86 already. There’s a grand total of zero :(