Manual transmissions and Seattle (rental, buying, live)

[az2wa]

I recently relocated to Seattle and am looking into buying a second car. The best deals seem to be on manual transmissions, which I have no problem driving, but I wonder how well suited they are for someone driving around Seattle. I know downtown has an awful lot of steep hills which I imagine would become very tiresome when driving a stick. Thoughts, suggestions, experiences?

[jenlion]

I have a hard time driving my automatic car uphill from the waterfront. YIKES those are some awful hills and I don't know how people do it. I hate those red lights. There must be some trick to it I'm not getting, because it seems like I'm the first one to get to a red light and then some jerk tries to crawl up my tailpipe. When the light turns green and I let off the break the car rolls backward a LOT further than I am comfortable with, and then I wind up skidding forward white-knuckled into the intersection. It's kinda scary. (I've only done it myself a few times. If I had to do it regularly, I'd make it a point to get down there and figure out whatever "the trick" is to glide easily out of an 80 degree incline without the drama).

But my husband drives a standard and can get up them OK. He uses the parking break to assist, and does fine. Sometimes it's awkward and it would be a lot easier in an automatic, I guess, but you can manage. We moved here from flat-flat-flat Texas and he didn't wipe out going uphill from the waterfront, so I'm guessing it's something anybody proficient with a manual can do reasonably well. Especially if $$ is the concern.

Just make sure the parking brake functions. And maybe get one of those "Driver in training - Manual Transmission - Leave Room" signs for the back window until you're comfortable. I've seen a few of those around, and everyone leaves PLENTY of room!! :-D

[eskercurve]

I used to drive an automatic Camry and then I switched to a manual transmission BMW.

Let me tell you the $$$ was DEFINITELY a motivating factor in learning how to drive up the hills.

I like the idea of a window sticker with a warning on it, LOL! I would imagine that that gets a lot of attention.

One suggestion is if you do find yourself stopped at a light and you notice oncoming traffic behind you, let off the brake a little so you slide backwards ever so slightly. That usually gets their attention and leave room.

When I find myself at a red on a hill I do that, and when it goes green I just do a quick throttle with ease off the clutch. It's sort of an art because if you punch the throttle too much and let off the clutch too slowly you smell the clutch getting burned. If you do it too fast you get a very uncomfortable lurch forward and bobble as the car settles from the transient force.

Believe me it takes some getting used to. I stalled probably a dozen times on hills before I got it down.

[az2wa]

Thanks for the input guys! Yes the ride up from the waterfront was definitely what I was referring to! I think I will end up saving a few thousand on a stick shift and forking over a dollar or two for one of those "BEWARE" bumper stickers!

[AzDreamer]

I wouldn't want to mess with a manual in the city, and the hills here make it worse. When I lived in a more rural area a manual was fun, here it would be a pain.

[Deep_Vee]

I've driven Manual transmissions downtown for years...once you do it a few times...it's really not an issue. You'd be surprised how second nature it becomes...

But, one tip in any car in the rain, especially on the steep hills over near the library, when you stop on the steep hill, try to make sure your drive wheels are not on a crosswalk or manhole cover. I've seen more cars sit on the hill and spin the tires for a LONG time with no forward progress than I care to count

[MichaelinWA]

There is one thing worse than a manual transmission on a steep Seattle hill. A manual transmission on a steep, icy Seattle hill.

[mikec34]

Originally Posted by jenlion

I have a hard time driving my automatic car uphill from the waterfront. YIKES those are some awful hills and I don't know how people do it. I hate those red lights. There must be some trick to it I'm not getting, because it seems like I'm the first one to get to a red light and then some jerk tries to crawl up my tailpipe. When the light turns green and I let off the break the car rolls backward a LOT further than I am comfortable with, and then I wind up skidding forward white-knuckled into the intersection. It's kinda scary. (I've only done it myself a few times. If I had to do it regularly, I'd make it a point to get down there and figure out whatever "the trick" is to glide easily out of an 80 degree incline without the drama).

But my husband drives a standard and can get up them OK. He uses the parking break to assist, and does fine. Sometimes it's awkward and it would be a lot easier in an automatic, I guess, but you can manage. We moved here from flat-flat-flat Texas and he didn't wipe out going uphill from the waterfront, so I'm guessing it's something anybody proficient with a manual can do reasonably well. Especially if $$ is the concern.

Just make sure the parking brake functions. And maybe get one of those "Driver in training - Manual Transmission - Leave Room" signs for the back window until you're comfortable. I've seen a few of those around, and everyone leaves PLENTY of room!! :-D

Yeah, it's a suicicde mission mission driving up those hills witha manual.


You've got to get (excuse my lack of formal terminology) auto-reverse locking/back breaks lockup when car rolls backward/i don't know what i'm talking about.... But really, there's some cars that have this thing where the car, if in Drive, autolocks and stops itself from rolling backwards. I was once in seattle and the crappy rental i had didn't do this, and, like an outsider, i overreacted and burned a bit of rubber when the light turned green(stupid red lights ;-)...not to mention being rattled for some time. My toyota tacoma had such a feature to name one model/type....

[Ambassador]

It all depends on how experienced you are with stick shifts.

My parents are European and I began "driving" at the age of 11 in Italy and Portugal where all the cars are manual transmissions. Here in the States my first few cars were stick shifts and I was a pro at it, while all my friends looked on in awe

I had a stick shift here in Seattle and I personally had no problems with it. However I can clearly see how somebody with less experience would. Just remember that going from a stop on a steep hill can easily be fixed by holding the emergency brake while accelerating/releaseing the clutch. Then when the RPMs are up a bit release the hand brake....really its a 3 second process. Never rolled back into anybody even though there were many instances where I was sure that I would because some jerk would stop so close behind me!

[jenlion]

Since we're talking about it, how come I have such a hard time doing it in an automatic? It's embarrassing. I have an 01 Honda Accord, and with just two adults and a toddler in it, it feels like I'm going to fly backwards down the hill and land in the water. Coming up from the waterfront and having to stop at the lights... getting started again freaks me out. If I don't give enough acceleration, I roll backward. Too much, I spin spin spin (even not on crosswalk or manhole cover ). I can't seem to find a happy medium so I wind up spinning until finally it catches and we lurch into the intersection and I can't even look at my husband. Other people are clearly managing to gently resume the trip uphill.... I'm missing something. Would it make sense to try the parking break trick in an automatic? Seems silly, but this actually drives me really crazy. I hate it when people drive badly and I don't want to be among their number even for a moment.