Juju2002

I’ve never driven a stick shift car in my life , only have 2 friends with manuals and 1 is a Camaro SS , other is a Mustang GT.

How hard do you guys think itd be for a 19 year old like me to learn manual? But not only that , would it be a smart choice for daily driving the car ? I’m talking to work / gym / eat all of that.

I’m not gonna lie , a manual C7 looks fun as hell and even on my mustang which was a 10 speed , i thought sometimes that'd it’d be cool to have a manual.

what are some Pros and Cons especially when it comes to daily driving one ?

jimmbbo

After driving manuals for decades, IMO the C7 M7 is certainly a great MT car, but there's a learning curve due to a mushy spot in the accelerator when starting from a stop with an inconsistent engagement. (I had more stalled starts in the first six months with my C7 M7 than I had in decades with other MT cars).
If your Mustang friend would give you some training to get comfortable with the basics in that car, it would be a good thing, as the Mustang clutch is smooth and consistent with throttle application (kinda the way the C7 should have been from the factory).
Mods that can help remove the mushy throttle in the C7 is the Soler Throttle Body, and their Throttle Controller. The TB makes the throttle response much more consistent, and the TC allows you to adjust the sensitivity of the throttle to gas pedal deflection... Do a CF search for the Soler units for more information.
You can expect a bit of additional learning and frustration, but once mastered, there's little like the satisfaction of shifting smoothly and consistently. A paddle shift may take you by a couple of tenths of a second on the track or drag strip, but the smile from running the gears properly lasts a long time.

Juju2002

thats what i hear alot , the engagement and smiles of shifting through gears.

With my mustang , the last 4 months of it I really didnt get to enjoy driving it because of the engine problems it had and i test drove a 6 speed and i was already smiling ear to ear . So i can only imagine how fun driving it manual would be. And thats what i really want . A enjoyable time driving the car . Be it 5 minutes away to the store or an hour away to San Francisco.

what are some cons in daily driving non race related as i wouldn’t race/track the car for a while.

dave_2012_tt

I would say get the manual...no one that I know has never learned how to drive manual. One nice feature of the c7 corvette is the manual has a "hill lock". Meaning, if starting from an incline the car will not roll back while you are attempting to go forward. Now, for those of us which are decent with a manual this is a drag...but it is nice to have...wish you could just turn it off.

MSG C5

My 2019 M7 Z06 was (is) the first manual I've ever owned. I drove a work truck when I was younger, but never owned a manual transmission car until my Corvette Z06. Knowing the mid-engine C8 was not going to have a manual transmission pushed me into ordering my 2019 M7.

As already referenced, once you get familiar with the high clutch engagement from a dead stop, the rest is pretty easy especially if you use the Rev Match feature. With the Z06, the car just wants to jump so finding that perfect balance to slow roll the car from a dead stop is more of an art than science. After taking delivery, I simply drove through my neighborhood every evening for the first week to get used to it. I never got the car out of 3rd gear and I had a lot of stop signs to practice the 1st gear engagement. Plus I got a lot of thumbs up from neighbors while slow rolling through the neighborhood.

SladeX

I learned manual on a 3 cylinder engine, so going v8 was much much easier. The low rpm torque on hand makes launching at lower rpm very easy, start with 1500 rpm launches then eventually work down to idle launch. The c7 throttle is iffy in the first 10% so it was the first car I stalled in decades, but eventually found the sweet spot once I switched air filters from stock.

My wife and I own all manual cars as it really makes you the driver where I found being in an auto lulled you to sleep. I used to live in the bay area and the hills in sf are easy to get used to in a manual, but practice a lot before tackling them daily. The c7 hill hold was annoying at first but you can adapt to it and eventually use it to your advantage. I forget I have it now as I am pretty comfortable to launch quick on a hill and never notice it engage unless I'm conversing with a passebger who is distracting me.

BAT

My son (now 18) learned on my Grand Sport. He rode dirt bikes so understands the concept. He did fine the first few times with me in the car. Just a few weeks ago, I tossed him the FOB and told him to go practice, alone. He did fine. You'll do fine.

449er

There is a learning curve for everyone who owns a manual transmission, are you gonna stall the car when learning? Yep, so what......in a few weeks you will be getting around town just fine

Exia

My 2019 Z06 was my first manual, I'd never driven one before but understood the concept and how it works.

The first week like any manual you stall a few times. The engagement point is high which can be a problem for tall drivers (my friend is 6'5 and struggles to get the clutch engaged without bashing his legs on the steering wheel).

There is an odd throttle delay on tip in that can cause a stall if your going really easy as mentioned above. Advice on this is to just give it another 500 revs. An aftermarket throttle body fixes this issue as well. I also find hill hold is a bit odd, it only engages when you have the clutch engaged (ie when you bring it to the bite point) and not simply when the car detects an incline which seems a bit backwards to me.

Overall the car has a lot of torque and rev matching makes it a breeze, the only issue is the higher engagement point if thats an issue for you and the tip in throttle delay but thats easily corrected once you know about it.

I don't regret picking up my Z06 as my first manual and I doubt you'll regret a C7 with one either.

I'll also add I've taught a friend how to drive stick on it as well and she picked it up nicely. If one of your friends can let you try there car and give you the do's and don'ts it will make learning a lot easier.

Jerrys-1LT

No one has addressed your question of what it's like for daily driving. I spent most of my life in So. CA and always had at least one manual trans sports car in the garage from 1967 to 2002 (when I moved to Las Vegas).

I don't know where in CA you are (you hinted at being an hour away from San Francisco), but I can honestly say that constantly having to shift from 1st to 2nd and back while in heavy stop and go traffic is not fun.

I had a daily one-way commute of 23 miles and at rush hour you are talking about 1-2 hours of mostly stop and little go.

That said, let me say that there is no other sports car I have enjoyed driving as much with a manual trans as the Vette. I had a Miata that I thought was the ultimate manual until I tried a Vette. As for standing starts, I noticed that little flat spot slightly off throttle and I compensate by using my toes on the throttle. Maybe it's just my car but curling your toes is all you need to get the best feel on the go pedal, of course that won't work with steel toed boots! 😃

Whatever you decide, I know you will love having a Vette, be it manual or auto.

CraigStu

One big advantage the Stingray has is the low end torque. This makes it easier to get off the line w/o stalling compared to a low torque engine. Jerrys comment about stop and go traffic is certainly valid but it would apply to any stick shift car. Other than that situation a Stingray is a great daily driver. jmmbbo is 100% w/ this; "You can expect a bit of additional learning and frustration, but once mastered, there's little like the satisfaction of shifting smoothly and consistently."

joemessman

I taught my grandson and granddaughter to drive their dad's 2017 Z06 manual in about 15 minutes. Hope this helps. They were in their early twenties. It's not rocket science.

Rabbi

Your coordination has a lot to do with how well you do. Also your determination and how quickly you learn. Many people can't walk and chew gum together.

Zjoe6

I love my M7 but if you have to commute in stop and go traffic, or get stuck on the interstate in traffic much, I'd pass. I do not commute or live in a high traffic area, so it's no problem.

rtv900

mine's a Z06, but IMO it is one of the, if not the easiest manual I've ever driven and I've driven a lot.
The throttle isn't ultra sensitive like some modern cars so it won't want to launch up to 2500 rpm's or something when you try to pull out.
and the clutch is easy and has a smooth engagement.
And obviously the low end has so much torque it's pretty tough to stall. I'm sure the NA motor still has tons of low end torque too.

Vetteman Jack

Sure there will be a learning curve when going to a manual transmission, but it really is not that difficult to do.

acroy

Manual is tons of fun. Separates the men from the boys IMHO
Nothing quite as rewarding as using your stick precisely and with great pleasure
Get after it

GOLD72

50+ years of driving stick shifts but I have stalled my 2019 Z06 vert so many times in the past 3 years as the throttle response is so different than my 01Z, 06Z and 2011ZR1. Probably does not help that I alternately drive the 2011 ZR1 with a different throttle response from standstill that I have to be deliberate with more throttle blip with the 2019.

WPGZ06

Manual is fantastic for driving experience and engagement. More fun to drive IMO. C7 isn't that particularly hard to learn to drive in, but I'd probably try to get a good handle of a M on different ride first.

Cons: bumper to bumper traffic, strip and sometimes it is nice on long drives just to throw it into D and just sit back

redman76

You'll love a manual. Stop and go traffic is no fun, but you're 19 so you'll be fine. Biggest issue is the 1st to 4th forced shift (CAGS). I highly recommend getting skip shift eliminator which is easy 15 min install and about $20. Many here will tell you to just shift at 21mph where CAGS does not kick in. That's just not practical in heavy traffic unless you're beside a Mustang.