I practiced driving stick on my friends RSX type-s, IS300, and a beater truck. All felt a bit different, but was able to find the friction point after couple drives. The acura was a the easiest because the clutch was forgiving.

One person I know told me that the impreza line up is a totally different experience. The clutch feel is more "demanding" so he says. How true is this?

To all daily impreza drivers: Is there that much difference? Or should I say, harder to drive compared to a honda?

Sorry for the noob question
Thanks

 

Honda might be softer but if you can drive a stick then you can drive a stick. I swap between an Sti (6mt), F-150 (5mt) and a 300zx (5mt - shameless plug IT"S FOR SALE) and there is a little gap each time

 

The clutch is touchier than an 87 civic and a 83 landcruiser. It's between the two in terms of stiffness (stiffer than the honda, softer than the landcruiser). I don't think it's very hard to drive, but I've only ever driven stick so I don't really think any clutch would be too much of a problem...like someone said, if you can drive stick you can drive stick.

 

I guess it all boils down to becoming second nature.
Thanks for the input guys!

 

That's it and a bit of initiation. I had a 69 bug and I remember my 1st visit to San Francisco...

 

I had great fun driving a stick shift Shelby (Dodge) Omni GLHS whose 3rd-to-4th gear shift fork had broken (from dozens of drag strip passes) inside the transmission while crossing the Bay Bridge into the City - tranny was stuck in 4th gear. I got off on the old Fell Street off-ramp and drove up Franklin St towards the Marina. I caught a red light at every single intersection and had to start from a dead stop on steep inclines with cars waiting behind me. The secret is to slip the clutch at 4000 rpm for several seconds until the car can get moving. Ignore the smell of the burning friction materials, which is the clutch's way of crying, "why don't you just shoot me??"

I figured that the clutch was toast and its days were numbered even though it seemed to work fine after it cooled down, so I ordered a replacement to have on hand. After the tranny was repaired (under warranty!) the original clutch lasted another 50,000 miles and was still going strong with additional drag strip passes until I got rid of the car at 131,000+ miles.

My WRX clutch has 63,000 miles on her but judging by the way that the clutch gets overheated way easier on really steep hills while parking but takes longer to recover, I'd guess that it may not last as long as the factory GLHS clutch made by Fichtel & Sachs, now known as ZF-Sachs, a large German corporation.

While owners' experiences will vary, how we drive our manual transmission cars does have an effect on how long the components (clutch, throwout bearing, and tranny) will last. Driving hard will shorten working life but abuse like riding the clutch or resting a hand on the shift lever while driving (and unknowingly applying force) will also wear out parts. I know people that say they know how to drive a stick but when I rode along with them, they clearly did not know how to properly drive that would ensure a long drivetrain life. It takes practice but a few people never really get it right.

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

Yes, I try to get good habits down such as keeping my left foot to the foot rest when the clutch is not needed, and my hands off the shifter when not necessary.

 

I have a 2002 WRX (the one known for having a "glass transmission") and I've driven 04, 05 and 06 model WRXs. The 5MT is definitely a notchy, touchy performance transmission that demands MUCH more attention than the average manual. Just like WW I drive for transmission longevity (I made it to 100k miles with my BMW 320i on a single clutch, in hilly Ohio) but I still find myself slipping the clutch, finessing downshifts with very careful foot pressure and generally putting a lot of work into the average drive, especially in stop-and-go traffic. There is a price you pay for having a performance automobile, and comfort is the first thing to go. My 1987 Isuzu Trooper with 98k miles on it (every part of the car except the alternator was factory original) was easier to shift, and it had a truck transmission. The fact that you are shifting for two axles/differentials rather than just one is a big factor in both the WRX and STI transmissions, and why they are so intolerant of shoddy shifting.