Would you learn to drive stick in an IS300?

Originally posted by Herzog:
Just wondering if it's smart to learn driving a standard transmission on a Lexus?I drove stick before,but not much, I may be a bit rusty... Is it wise to just get the auto?Thanks!

Click to expand...

If you want a manual get it, but rent a manual b4 hand to get back into the swing of things... make sure you really want a manual. That being said, DO NOT re-learn on a Lexus, that's just asking for trouble. I once made the mistake of letting a friend learn on a brand new 4Runner... the guy downshifted into 2nd from 3rd w/ out hitting the clutch.
Strangely enough it was the smoothest downshift I've ever seen, not one grind from the tranny. Pure luck, and I know I'll never be that lucky again. Find a civic to beat up on first.

[ May 04, 2001: Message edited by: s0yb0mb ]

Maybe I'll just stick with the auto trans..I Don't want another vehicle to beat on(Yugo,etc)I know your right though.

Unless your technique is good you will wear down the clutch too fast which will be expensive to replace.

Try to learn on a smaller, lighter, cheaper car. Does a friend or relative have an old civic, corolla, or something that you can "beat on" for a while as you learn?

There's nothing wrong with learning how to drive a manual in an IS300. Lots of people learn how to drive stick when purchase their first manual car (from Celicas to 3-series). Granted, you will have excessive wear on the cluth, but all in all, I don't think it's that big a deal. But for sure, it's probably better to find a beater to learn with.

Learn on the most stubborn piece of crap you can find. Something you have to beat like a rented mule to get it to shift properly. If you can master that, you'll shift your Lex like butter.