Easiest $1k car to learn stick on?

flatlander937 wrote: I learned on an 89ish Ford Fiesta... It was a blast.

(facepalm) No you didn't. You learned on a Festiva. Fiesta owners everywhere beg you to learn the difference between a floppy handling Korean re-badge and a German built Ford with gobs of character. Fiestas were sold here only 77-80.

That pet peeve dealt with, I'd recommend a Focus if you want a car. Foci are plentiful and are pretty easy to drive. Try really hard to find one with the Zetec twin cam and not the boat anchor sohc CVH engine. Zetecs say what they are on the valve cover.

But...if I'm wanting to pick up something just to learn stick and then dump it later you'll have far less trouble selling a pickup than a car. Cheap trucks are always in demand and the transmission choice won't matter like it will in a car. Any of the rattly little small trucks are fine. Full size trucks tend to be clumsy with heavy clutches and long, vague shifters. Watch them for rust though if you live in the salt belt.

Ah, interesting points on the truck.

I think classic Saab 900 easiest clutch to change. Comes out the top and you don't have to remove engine or transmission. I taught my daughter to drive one.

I will chime in and say, skip the low priced beater and just buy the car you really want with a manual.
You will then learn on the car that you really want to spend time with. You're not going to kill the car.

I am also concerned that you are not getting good lessons. I have taught two separate 16yr olds on my '90 Miata and we have typically put on about 75 miles (with the new driver at the wheel) in the first day (about 3 hours.)

I'm in for the "it doesn't really matter" camp. But the car needs to fire up easy on cranking, because learners tend to stall.

The only hard gear to engage is first.

The way I teach people is put them in a parking lot in their three-pedal car until they can engage 1st consistently without feeding any throttle. It can take hours, and I need a well-charged battery to cover all the re-starts. But stalling a car over and over isn't such a disaster. And when they're done, they know exactly how the clutch engages. Then it's easy to go out on the road and learn the rest.

Toyota Echo

P.S. what JohnRW1621 said about who is teaching you

In reply to Jamey_from_Legal:

This is my method too.

Recent chatter on the same topic:
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/car-to-teach-swmbo-to-drive-stick/103580/page1/

Hmm, yea I was using gas to get into first. Need to try that.

Checking out a miata today. If I park a miata next to my P71 do I get some extra horse power out of GRM synergy.

What? Just drive whatever car you want. You're not going to ruin the car learning to drive it.

With the Miata, you will have 2 cars of the GRM Pentaverate.

Miata: two seat track/sport car
BMW e30/e36: 4 seat track/sport car
P71: 5 seat (or three baby seat) track/sport car
Jeep XJ: Off road
Chevy Astro: gear haul, people haul, sleep in, tow compromise. (awd available if needed)