Hi all! I got my dream car for my 20th bday a couple of weeks ago and super happy with it. I always wanted a manual car but never knew how to drive one… a large part of me didn’t know if I’d see it through because it’s one of those things that you don’t reap the benefits of until later on and as someone who commutes 70+ miles a day… automatic seemed more attractive/ easier.
HOWEVER, manual is way cheaper and there was no way I was going to get a gr86 in an automatic. So here we are.
I been doing pretty good? I struggled a bit with stalling and still stall maybe once a day out of my commute but able to recover quickly. I am honestly just looking to get some questions answered and best practices to preserve my car mechanically and not blow it up (though it’s under warranty so now’s the time to learn…)
My major question is: is it okay to be in neutral a lot? I prefer to throw my car in neutral when approaching a light / stopping so I don’t ride the clutch. When approaching a tight turn, I usually throw it in neutral to slow down + coast then hit it in 2nd-3rd ish. I see conflicting information on this though as some say you should always been in a gear for safety reasons etc. how do yall approach turns? Is there a better way I should be doing this?
The car is also brand new- with time does the shifter not feel as stiff? might be a silly question but since this is my first new car, not sure if there is a break in period and it gets easier over time.
Any tips and advice you can provide for a beginner, I’d appreciate so very much :)
TIA