Rent a stick shift in the Fort Worth Airport area (Howe: car rental, rental)

[doysl]

I'm Russian and was taught to drive a stick. Is it possible to rent a car with a manual transmission in the area of the Fort Worth airport in a month? Would it be cheaper than an automatic one?

I've checked out lots of different rental websites and can't find anything about sticks. Automatics would be ok, but I though maybe I can find a stick somehow?

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by doysl

I'm Russian and was taught to drive a stick. Is it possible to rent a car with a manual transmission in the area of the Fort Worth airport in a month? Would it be cheaper than an automatic one?

No, if anything I think it would probably be more expensive because it would be a low-demand, special interest car, like a sports car. Or you could rent a manual transmission pickup truck.

Fewer and fewer cars are even manufactured with stick shifts. I mean really, even race cars have gone to automatic transmissions.

[doysl]

Yeah, the same answer I got on the another Internet forum. What can I say? That's sad. I hope driving an automatics is easy, but I have no opportunity to practice it in my city.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by doysl

Yeah, the same answer I got on the another Internet forum. What can I say? That's sad. I hope driving an automatics is easy, but I have no opportunity to practice it in my city.

Of course it is easy. That's why it is so popular, and manual shift is so hard to find.

Seriously, you just press your right foot on the accelerator pedal to go, and press it on the brake pedal to stop. A lap or two around the parking lot and you'll be good.

[doysl]

I suppose I'd better not telling the personnel at the rent-car-office that I've never driven an automatics, otherwise they might wanna increase the insurance cost, right?

[texas_nightowl]

Originally Posted by doysl

Yeah, the same answer I got on the another Internet forum. What can I say? That's sad. I hope driving an automatics is easy, but I have no opportunity to practice it in my city.

I sympathize. I'm born and raised in the US, but was taught to drive a stick shift and that is all I've ever owned (+20yrs). However, if you have to rent a car some place in the US, you have to resign yourself to an automatic. It is easy...have you ever been in an automatic at all? There will be a gear selector. Just remember "P" = Park, "D" = Drive, and "R" = Reverse.

I plan to continue purchasing manual transmission cars until age or knee/ankle problems make in impractical. And, on the plus side, if I ever have to rent a car in another country...I'll be just fine unlike some friends of mine.

[doysl]

Thank you, gentlemen
Sounds like I can manage driving an automatic, though I've never tried to. I'll read more about it, of course, but one question I have is: if I stop in front of a red traffic light, will I need to switch to "Park" or I can leave it as "Drive"?

[OpenD]

No, you just leave the car in Drive. When you take your foot off the accelerator, and step on the brake, as you come to a stop the transmission will automatically shift down. Then when you take your foot off the brake and press on the accelerator the transmission will step up, automatically. Now do you understand why people like automatic transmission? It is so simple.

When you come to a complete stop in a parking place, then you put the selector in Park, which locks the transmission so the car won't roll.

One thing about starting the car... the way many cars with automatic transmission work, your foot must be on the brake in order to move the selector from Park to Drive.

Ask the attendant at the car rental place to show you the controls... just tell them you've never driven that model before. They're used to the question.

Good luck!

[stanwood]

I have to admit I've never thought about this problem before. Usually it's the other way around.

You'll figure it out in about 30 seconds.

[loves2read]

check out You Tube
I am sure someone posted video of someone learning to drive an automatic

As someone who drove a stick for several years then bought an automatic
my problem was not with the gear shift so much but feeling for the clutch pedal on the floor
Anyone who drives a standard shift is a two-footed driver--because you need to use 3 pedals
but automatics require really only 1 foot--because you rarely try to use the brake and accelarator at same time
Just remember to keep your left foot well away from the pedals--keep it close to the driver's door--so you don't step on brake when you think you are shifting....

MOST automatics will show 2 drive gears for forward--only use the main D--the second gear is for situations where you have to do very steep inclines or downgrades--not something to worry about in this location...