Phantom Limb effect for Stickshift

[YamahaR86]

Not trying to circle jerk here or anything just curious if anyone else has the same experience.

I've driven stickshift for a few years, automatic takes a bit to get used to but I can manage since it has the gear selector for me to rest my hand on or grab.

Today I drove in my sister's new MDX and it has those "fancy" buttons on the center consoles to select. While I was driving the whole time I kept trying to place my hand there and felt/grabbed , nothing. Happened a few times on the drive and it just felt odd. Even if I was driving an automatic I could place my hand on the selector and sort of get a "feel" for the car.

Not sure if it's all in my head or not.

[go_a_way1]

Originally Posted by YamahaR86

Not trying to circle jerk here or anything just curious if anyone else has the same experience.

I've driven stickshift for a few years, automatic takes a bit to get used to but I can manage since it has the gear selector for me to rest my hand on or grab.

Today I drove in my sister's new MDX and it has those "fancy" buttons on the center consoles to select. While I was driving the whole time I kept trying to place my hand there and felt/grabbed , nothing. Happened a few times on the drive and it just felt odd. Even if I was driving an automatic I could place my hand on the selector and sort of get a "feel" for the car.

Not sure if it's all in my head or not.

I drive an auto and one of my friends drives a manual FRS. I love to let him drive my car because when he drives it hard he slams his foot into the floor looking for the clutch and throws it in N or D (from the manual mode) and I get to die laughing next time I should get it on video.

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by go_a_way1

I drive an auto and one of my friends drives a manual FRS. I love to let him drive my car because when he drives it hard he slams his foot into the floor looking for the clutch and throws it in N or D (from the manual mode) and I get to die laughing next time I should get it on video.

LOL I do the exact same thing when I drive my wife's GTI (auto/DSG). When I start her car, I slam my left foot into the floorboard thinking there's a clutch. She usually doesn't notice but gives me a funny look when I laugh at myself.

[PandaSPUR]

Yep... I've only been driving stick for a year now and I have this issue too when I drive rental cars.

last car was a Chrysler 200 which has a little knob on the center console to select gears. I didnt know wtf to do with my right hand.

[shellslinger]

Glad I'm not the only one. Every time I drive an automatic I slam my foot to the ground. Also when coming to a stop I get freaked out when I slam my foot down to the ground thinking it's going to stall.

[Tcoat]

I have driven MT for 40 years and don't hit the imaginary clutch toooo often.


It was worse when I still had my Lancer and jumped into the wife's RVR though. Both are based on the same platforms and had very similar interiors so I was constantly hitting that missing clutch. Believe me when you go to hammer the clutch and hit that oversized brake pedal by accident things do not go well.

[mdm]

History: about 15 years MT, then first experience with AT for one day, then a few years MT, then ~10 years mostly AT, occasional MT. Last 2-3 years of these 10: AT with left-foot braking, occasional MT.

Never have the imaginary clutch problem except that first experience with AT, when I was angrily honked at a few times for braking abruptly - I hit the brake cause by brain wanted to press the clutch firmly. Fortunately not rear-ended. After that one day I was fine.

But after these 10 years of predominantly driving AT I still put my hand on the gear selector occasionally for no reason or purpose. Sometimes I do it on purpose when driving AT to force lower gears only, but that's infrequent, most of the time it's the old habit.

[ScoobsMcGee]

Not quite 40 years, but after 15 years of having only MT cars, I rarely hit the imaginary clutch as well. Only in a situation where there's a quick stop and reflex takes over. When I first started driving manual going back to an auto took more adjusting.

Now I find it takes more getting used to manipulating the throttle when you want the car to downshift if you don't have flappy paddles to play with. It seems most autos I've driven without them only respond to having the accelerator floored. Also remembering to use the parking brake in an auto when you're parked on a hill. Especially with electric parking brakes. Ah screw it, maybe I just don't know how to drive automatics anymore...

[Dave-ROR]

Shouldn't be resting your hand on the shifter.. just saying.

I don't have this issue though. I also never rest my hand on the shifter.

[Nessal]

Yup, every single car that I currently own is a manual. Every car that I have owned in the past is a manual except for a 88' Civic that I inherited from my uncle. Hell, my new daily driver is a manual. In fact, I told the dealer that I will not buy the car unless it is a stick shift. They only had two on the lot. There is just something about a stick shift that is so rewarding when driven right even in a daily driver. So I don't know what people are talking about when they say that traffic is a barrier to entry blah blah blah. Barring a physical impediment, to me it's just excuses. In fact, if you have driven manual long enough, you'll hardly remember shifting once you arrived at point B from point A. Getting off my high horse here.

[Kiske]

I have the clutch problem every so often, have never stepped on the brakes thinking it was the clutch though.

I'll also add ONCE I almost slammed a car from drive into reverse while trying to pass on the highway. Luckly went right past reverse into the manual gear mode.

[PandaSPUR]

Originally Posted by Nessal

So I don't know what people are talking about when they say that traffic is a barrier to entry blah blah blah. Barring a physical impediment, to me it's just excuses. In fact, if you have driven manual long enough, you'll hardly remember shifting once you arrived at point B from point A. Getting off my high horse here.

I can kinda agree with this. My BRZ was my first car, still <5000 miles after one year. I can deal with traffic in the city and on the highways around here just fine.

Although I'm only a weekend driver. Not sure if i can say I'd want to do this on a daily basis if im commuting to work in the mornings.

[YamahaR86]

Originally Posted by PandaSPUR

I can kinda agree with this. My BRZ was my first car, still <5000 miles after one year. I can deal with traffic in the city and on the highways around here just fine.

Although I'm only a weekend driver. Not sure if i can say I'd want to do this on a daily basis if im commuting to work in the mornings.

My FR-S is my 2nd car and first manual car. I always say this when people say it sucks in traffic but riding a sports motorcycle for 4 years only, a manual car is a breeze.

In a car you got AC, Radio, and protection from the elements. On a motorcycle? Forget it, I'm burning up in heat with all my gear on (full face helmet, boots, jeans, leather jacket) and my hand hurts so bad from clutching it to move a few inches. Freezing from the cold or heavy from the rain.

[Talus1]

I've always owned manuals. The new Wifemobile is the first automatic we've had. It has a console mounted transmission control "stick". I have to tell myself constantly not to rest my hand on in while I'm driving in case I try to shift.

On a slight tangent, it also has shift paddles on the steering wheel that came with the "sport" package. Given that the car has an 8 spd transmission, I really don't see the point of the paddle shifters. I'm never going to track the thing. The ratios are so close and it shifts so smoothly that I don't really care if it decides to shift during a corner or whatever. In sport mode it downshifts quickly and holds the RPM up high enough that there is pretty much instant torque. So, I don't get it.

But that's the Wifemobile, practical hauler, comfy car. We'll always have a second car and I can't see it ever being anything but a manual with good handling and great steering feel.