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I never owned a manual car. I have read how to drive one but don't have any hands on experience. Can someone like me become proficient with stick in a challenger?
Can you learn how to drive manual with Challenger?
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Yep. Just be patient, find an empty parking lot or back road somewhere, start out slow and practice stopping and taking off. It's as good to learn on as anything, especially if it's what you're gonna be driving.
I'd think so, as mentioned, a flat empty parking lot. Light on the throttle until you get a handle on it. You WILL kill the car releasing the clutch 
But you'd do that in a 4 banger as well. It's part of learning to drive a clutch. You'd be surprised how much easier it is to learn on flat ground. You can graduate to hills after.
https://www.stickshiftdrivingacademy.com/
A Guy
But you'd do that in a 4 banger as well. It's part of learning to drive a clutch. You'd be surprised how much easier it is to learn on flat ground. You can graduate to hills after. https://www.stickshiftdrivingacademy.com/
A Guy
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I was fine I thought. It was still early in my learn. Got to an uphill stopsign with a car behind me, I was driving an AMC Hornet with 3 on the tree. I'll never forget that stressful take off/ stall situation. Does the 6speed have a hill holder? I don't know myself I have the A8. I know the Challenger has lots more torque to make those situations easier though.
Learning how to drive stick on a challenger has advantages. For one, the clutch pedal travel is very smooth and the engagement location is easy to find. I have driven cars where the clutch was cable driven and engagement would not start until you almost released the pedal (basically the cable was stretched and needed adjustment). Also, there is so much torque from the 5.7 and 6.4 that you can pretty much engage the clutch with no application of throttle and the car will begin to roll without stalling. And lastly, there is a hill start assist feature that can be activated that keeps the brakes applied while the car is at an angle. So don't have to worry about the car rolling back while you let off the off the brake when starting from a stop going uphill.
Don't see why not. Generally large engine cars are easier to drive as they have loads of torque.
You might explore a driving school that offers participants the ability to learn to drive in a manual transmission equipped car.
You learn driving some car other than your own and you receive expert guidance/instruction while doing so. If you learn on your own you might develop bad habits that could be hard to unlearn.
And you reduce the risk that in your learning to drive a stick you make some kind of mistake that could end up damaging your new Challenger.
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I learned the hard way. Personally I now buy all automatics but I can drive stick if needed. A friend at college wanted me to take her car to the frat house. She never mentioned it was parked on a steep hill and it was a manual. She also didn't tell me it would pop out of gear under a load. After bumping into the car down hill a few times, I just rested the car on the one below and held the shifter while I revved the engine and engaged the clutch enough to finally get out of the parking spot. I've never driven another car since with this situation, but newer manuals are much more forgiving to learn. I just don't like holding in the clutch while sitting at stop lights.
And that is why the challenger has hill start assist...makes it easier to start the car while on a hill. Helps even more when the hill you are going up is covered in snow.
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Except in special and relatively rare circumstances I shift the manual transmission into neutral and release the clutch pedal while stopped at a stop light.
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Remembered the first standard was a 1950/60 4 speed jeep that my little big brother was jealous cuz I was able to drive it.
We would drive it when we where left home alone, i also saw how my father would hot wire it, luckily we didn't die when my brother rev it and let her fly while turing in the grass lol
Ran it into are grandma's house but before that hit her propane tank that went flying then he smashed the gas again not the brakes, good times lmaooooo
Trying to remember if I was in jr high....
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
We would drive it when we where left home alone, i also saw how my father would hot wire it, luckily we didn't die when my brother rev it and let her fly while turing in the grass lol
Ran it into are grandma's house but before that hit her propane tank that went flying then he smashed the gas again not the brakes, good times lmaooooo
Trying to remember if I was in jr high....
Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
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119 Posts
I grew up in the SF area, the best place to learn a manual and mastering unassisted hill starts. That's where a center hand brake is essential.
Absolutely! I actually learned how to drive manual on my Challenger. I bought my SRT 392 brand new in 2016 and trailered it to my house where my Dad taught me. Went down side roads and parking lots none stop learning and stalled a bunch at first, but kept at it. Bought with 7 miles and at mile 73 I was on highways and driving in traffic with no issues. Love the manual, so glad I got it. Makes driving fun again for me.
Find yourself a tractor to learn on...
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