It's definitely important to find the biting point and be 100% familiar with it. It's not about releasing the clutch slow, because to beginners, that can be misinterpreted as releasing the clutch slow LINEARLY, when in fact what you want to do is release the clutch pedal as fast as you can to the biting point, then you remain on the biting point until you can hear/feel that the engine and flywheel are synced up, then you can release the clutch pedal completely. I know so many people who have driven manuals their entire lives and still jerk around upshifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd because they don't remain on the biting point long enough. The lower the gear that you're in, the longer you have to remain on the biting point. You're not going to burn it out or anything as long as you don't keep slipping the clutch for like 5 seconds or some crazy long duration. Even in this video at 10:17, you can tell that he didn't remain on the biting point long enough, causing the car to shake a little bit, which is fine because you don't have to be completely perfect all the time when you're just cruising around, but if you WANTED to be perfect, it's good to be able to know what to do to make your shifts smooth.
After driving a STi for a few months now and being used to Hondas and Volkswagens, this is exactly it. That additional time for the biting point is crucial to driving smoothly on the STi!
Thank you for writing this and not making me feel crazy. Got my first STI a month ago and I was worried I was spending too long on the clutch in the lower gears. Thank you.
I agree with this completely, i had driven friends around that laughed at me since i was "riding the clutch" when all i was doing was giving the clutch a second or 2 to do its job, people are so scared to ride the clutch that they end up doing more damage by releasing the clutch too quickly
A tip for some: when you begin to learn how to rev match I started off immediately on double clutching. (Clutch in, neutral, blip throttle, clutch in, go to gear you want). I do this for the longevity of synchros, etc. Again that's just how I was taught haha for some it may be different.
Do you hold the throttle to keep the rpms where you want then let go of the clutch? Or just tap the throttle and let go of the clutch? One of the hardest things for me when rev matching is trying to get the gear engaged before the rpms drop too low…
Lol man I got the car without test driving it because I didn’t know how to drive manual lmaooo….I was in the car max parking lot for 4 hours watching TH-cam videos lmaooo
@AlexInTheSubie That's okay I just bought me a 2019 subaru wrx a 6 speed manual on Thursday, I have never driven a manual before, so I was doing the same thing 😂😂😂
This morning I am going to test drive 2021 STI (used one only 4000 miles), it great to watch yours video first before I go, and make me feel easy. As I didn't drive manual for long time, your advice give me a good start. Thans a lot
When you had gotten to the tip mentioning an exhaust, I threw my arms up and said "SOMEBODY GETS IT!" My stock STi exhaust actually freaked me out, coming from a WRX that had a Remark N1 exhaust and was much louder--it was harder to tell what revs I was at, as you said, and it's caused me to stall a lot. Rev matching, too, is pretty important for that same thing. Sadly the new exhaust I picked up for the STi (Invidia N1) doesn't crackle and pop like the WRX's did, but upgrading has helped a ton nonetheless. I've only had the car for a month so being able to hear from someone who has had theirs for 5 years has shed some new light on my driving technique. Great video, informative and entertaining! Thank you!
Great points for sure. I typically gravitate to owning cars with more power - but looking back, my ‘18 STI I owned for 2 years was one of the most fun driving cars I’ve ever experienced. Once you learn the car it becomes so controllable and rewarding. It was amazing ripping into turns - and don’t even get me started on driving it in snow!!! I def miss it.
First and only manual i ever drove was when i first picked up my 2019 STi from the lot. Haha it was a nerve wracking experience not wanting to stall in front of my wife and the sales reps lol. But rev matching is so important. And double clutching is very smooth. Also man, i feel you i truly never drive any other way than sport sharp. I want to drive 100 % of my car not 75 % haha, but dude upgrading the exhaust is such a huge improvement. Being able to hear where your at and getting used to it is such a huge help. Love the video mate, well done.
I learned manual in my first car a 07 mazdaspeed 3. Learning manual in a fwd seems alot easier than rw/aw. When I made the jump to 2017 wrx learning the clutch was a tiny bit frustrating, but do-able that was 4 yrs ago. Now Im teaching my younger brother how to feel out the peddles before a road test. He wants to pass it in a manual.(but in my sheeetie civic tho).
Dude I seriously can’t thank you enough 🙏🏼 I’ve been driving stick for the past 4 years (had an Si, now an STI) and I’ve always been okay at downshifting but not great. After watching your video, it literally changed my life man Lol I downshift soooo much better now and a lot smoother/quicker, all thanks to you man! Just wanted to give a shout out and a BIG thanks to you. Love the channel and your STI is absolutely STUNNING 🔥🔥🔥
I've got a 2019 Sti and absolutely fell in love with it as soon as i started driving it around, the one thing i noticed about the rev matching is that between gears it looks like theres about a 500-600 rpm difference, and once i noticed that it was a lot easier for me to rev match, i just got used to the amount of pedal required to get that small jump in rpm. I know everyone learns a bit differently but that helped me quite a bit, All in all a really good video though
Just got myself a '15 STI in WR Blue and been partly feeling embarrassed for not being able to drive it like, well, you and others I see. Thanks for this! Also: Glad yours is still with you :)
Not easy meeting your hero, is it? Haha I experienced the same thing with my 2014 STI, takes a bit to learn where the grapple on the clutch is - The more you do it, the better you'll get it down, same with double clutching.
You can and will very quickly develop both confidence and the ability to manage engine vs wheel speed without conscious thought. It just takes practice. You can get rev matching practice downshifting through the gears at stop lights and signs, but I'd avoid 2nd to 1st
@@Renzii Awesome hope you enjoy it. Driving this car never gets old to me. I intend on keeping mine indefinitely, as another car like this will never come along
Great tip on clutch engagement. Will def share with new manual drivers! Also interesting to hear a tune can clean up first gear. Even driving stick forever but am struggling with first sometimes in my new STi
I downshifted from 3'rd to 2nd perfectly the other day. On accident. I don't even know if I could replicate what I did. I've only been driving my WRX for four days. :P
You don’t need a loud exhaust to learn how to change gears. You just look at the rpm meter while driving when you are speeding up and change gear at around 2.5.
You know what's funny about that statement? Tachometers didn't become standard on cars til the 80s, can you guess how people shifted? Hearing the engine.
Great idea for a video on rev matching! My '16 Stage 1 STI with the Cobb SS 3" Catback is pretty good for hearing the RPMs. I usually never listen music on the HK stereo just because I need to hear my RPMs.
Awesome vid! I am a life long manual person. I am going to teach my wife how to drive a manual, so this is great! Simply because I didn’t realize what I took for granted.
The biggest thing you forgot to mention is that there is very little to no clutch feel in the wrx/STI which can lead to problems when starting to move. If you look at other vehicles in the price range that come with a manual trans so mustang, Z, Camaro, etc. they have a lot more pedal feel on the clutch. Like you can tell when the clutch starts to make contact through the pedal. Before my STI I had an 18 mustang GT, and before that I had a 03 350z, and in both of those cars you know exactly where the clutch grabs.
I mastered driving this car within a week or 2 of owning it rev matching all that shit it’s such a fun car I love it I think I’ll never switch cars not even when I have kids
Same! I’ve been watching your videos for a while now to get an idea of what I’d like to do. As this is my first manual car this video is perfect! Just purchased a dmg (dream color) 2019 sti from carvana. Kinda sus buying an STI online but I’m optimistic. Return policy is pretty nice if it’s in terrible condition. Hopefully everything works out! 🤞🤞
@@03XToxiczX11 I got my STI on carvana as well. I strongly recommend getting a compression and leak down test (about $300). If they find anything wrong, carvana will have to pay to fix it. My check engine light came on after about 70 days of ownership, and thankfully the 100 day warranty was still active. The test revealed a 20% leak through the crankcase, and carvana had to pay for a new engine for me. Mine is a 2015, so I think yours has the FA engine which I believe is less problematic than the EJ in mine, but seriously do it for peace of mind!
Picked up my 17 STI limited last week and I love it. It reminds me alot of a Toyota I built when I was in high school. Everyone already says I drive the car so well and I don't even have the temp tags off it 😂 This car just matches my driving style really well.
I rev matched my 2010 WRX (bought new) for 11 years before selling it. Sold it with 140k miles and original clutch still grabbing hard.. much better for your drivetrain but worse on your gas mileage
I'm 52 years old and only recently understood the benefit of extending clutch lifespan. Also, like mine, makes it shoot flames out the back. Dats right!
thats a good point about basing shifts and revmatches on exhaust sound. my shifting does require more calculations when I have the exhaust silencer in.
I'm so glad you said something about the stock tune! I hate the way 1st gear feels on my WRX and convinced myself I just suck at driving stick (which still may be true) but good to know a tune will fix that. Just gotta decide if I want to Void my warranty or not lol
Yea just picked up a 2018 wrx sti in Lapis blue pearl with 43k miles . Still getting use to clutch . I did stalled reversing into my driveway lol . So apparently these cars need some throttle reversing . Use to drive a 17 focus ST and I could reverse without giving any throttle . Have to get use to the high engagement so use to low to middle clutch engagement. Love the car . Car came with Cobb intake and borla exhaust but no AP. Had my sales guy called the original owner to see if he ever had one and he never did .
Great tips! I learned how to drive stick this year with my WRX. However, I feel like I struggle when it come to being smooth. One of the main things is when Im coming to a stop, sometimes I put my car in neutral instead of downshifting but before coming to a stop the light turns green. Idk how to properly put the car in gear and keep driving smoothly. Ex: coming to a stop at a red light. The light turns green before I get there but I’m going 24mph in neutral just coasting. I’d assume I’d need to put my car in 3rd gear but idk how to do it smoothly to keep going
Any tips on smoothing out the first to second gear shift under normal driving conditions? I feel like I lose a lot of momentum in my WRX during that shift
I've experienced some success when lifting off the clutch with my toes pointing upwards and rolling off with the rest of my foot, exactly how Scooby mentioned with holding it in a bit and "slipping" into 2nd, all while putting in some gas. Haven't mastered it yet since this motion only seems to be needed when shifting from 1st to 2nd.
It also helps if the tranny is warmed up. I find the first few first to second shifts pretty rough in my WRX especially in the winter. There are moving parts and fluid in there and once the car is at temperature everything becomes much more responsive.
Glad it helped! There is no set RPM for each gear. If you want to get an idea of optimal shifting for MPG, turn it on intelligent mode and there will be a little arrow that pops up on the dash that tells you when to shift.
You just don't want to be lugging the motor (meaning too low of gear for the RPM). You'll get a feel for the car and what RPM it likes to be at the more you drive it. It takes some time to get to know a new car, so my advice is just to go out and drive it as much as you can.
thank you i have a 15 STI and its my 1st standard vehicle. im just worried im not a good enough driver for it hahaha ive gotten better for sure but i always worry sometimes ya know
Didn’t come here for the lesson, came for the sweet sti man 👍 props! Looking for one similar, but your mods really woke this one up. If you’d sell, give me a shout!
Maybe i am missing something, but the only time i see benefits to rev matching is scenarios where you need to mash down and get going. I don't dont shift for slowing down often cause it eats clutch as it uses the clutch friction to slow. Or if there is a need to help slow quickly, but in this case most people are not going to be thinking rev matching lol.
What year is yours it is beautiful!!!! great way to explain rev matching and why people choose Cobb to set their own boost levels but you put it very easy to rev match a newer sub!!!!
4:50 why the heck didn't you tell me this earlier lol. Took one out for a test drive today for the first time and thought Sports # would be the most fun mode and was revving the shit out of it (unintentionally) becasue the accelerator was SO sensitive!
Love the car man! I’m looking to buy a wrx pretty soon, and this video really helps considering I’m still pretty new to manual cars, also where did you get the touchscreen for yours?
Your camera doesn't catch how loud that Tomei really is, I don't think. It sounds great on camera and would probably be so loud to me in the cabin in person. I literally just got my 2016 STi back from the tuner today and it is driving like a dream. I had it pro tuned at a place and they had it going up to 21 lbs and making 316 whp (non mustang dyno) it was driving rowdy as hell. I got an equal length, uppipe, fuel rails, and a fuel pressure regulator (Cobb fuel stumble kit) installed and the thing is making the same HP on a mustang dyno but about 30 lbs more torque on only 17.5 lbs of boost, and it makes it at 3300 rpm with no fuel stumble. The car is ACTUALLY daily drivable now. It was a mess before I finally got it into the right shop. If they tuned boost to be 21 the thing would probably be a mess again....these tuners make the cars not fun unless you're in a fucking drag race.
I’ve had my STi for over two years. I’m 5 feet tall and my seat needs to be pushed as far forward as it can go so I can reach the pedals, thank GOD for the high clutch engagement because I’d have to drive in platform shoes. 😂😂😂
Take this 2 steps further. Learn to double clutch. It is not necessary, but it is a more fun way to drive and it prolongs the life of your synchros. Also get a light weight flywheel. They just rev so much more freely.
I felt that in my heart about the exhaust part , just got a 2018 STI and it’s so quite deff hard to know where your at with rpm’s , also coming from a 8th SI the clutch picks up insane high 😂
Wow I love seeing this car man! Let me know when you want to switch up the wheels I’ll take those beauty’s off your hands! Would you say the ots Cobb stage 1 + tune is pretty reliable? And fixes most of the stock tube issues? Reliable enough to at least run a couple months before getting a pro tune? Thanks I’m advance!
well, when downshifting, I blip the throttle in the neutral point between gears and then into gear (you'll feel it want to go in) and then clutch out. Or double clutch sometimes. I agree that 1rst gear tuning kind of is crap. It's jerky and if you gas it, boost just kicks in and straight to redline and is very harsh on the car. Thus, I typically don't take off in 1rst gear. 1rst gear on these cars is really just to get the car rolling.
I think Rev match is a high speed cornering technique , on daily base I prefer clutch and slowly let off your feet when downshift . Is better for the car as well
You’re riding the clutch by doing that, thus prematurely wearing it down sooner. Rev matching isn’t just for going fast. It increase the life of both the transmission and clutch life overall.
man i havent driven manual in over a year as a 17 year old and even then i wasnt a complete pro at it but i got into this car yesterday and man it was pretty bad mightve given my passenger whiplash, i kept apologizing again and again cuz of the sloppy shifts and the jerky starts gonna have to learn again
Thats it, simple enough but it can be tricky in practice, it helps to look at what speed your going. Like for instance i know where i should be in the rev range at 20mph in second gear, and knowing the general gap of 500ish rpms between most gears on a stock sti helps as well
I am 19 years old, starting college soon; I can afford payments the car while having a part time job but the insurance quotes Ive received from the main companies are INSANE. What insurance do you guys have and or recommend? I might just get a q50 instead if I cannot find a decent priced full coverage Insuracne for a 2016 STI.
mood haha my profile pic is abit outdated but I was paying 370 for my sti but now I got a 2020 m340 so it's 349 for my 340 and miata just gotta keep searching for good quotes
Is it bad if I don’t blip my throttle to rev match when down shifting and just let my clutch slowly take it until it reaches its point? I’m kind of new to my 2020 sti but I thought that’s how down shifting works. Which was just going down a gear, letting go slowly off the clutch until it reaches the rpm’s for that gear and speed while also slightly breaking during the entire process. If that’s not good for my car/clutch I would love to know haha.
Awesome video and car! My question is after you blip and release the clutch, are you ever putting any power down during the shift? I still don’t really understand what you did after you are letting out the clutch - do you not even have to press on the gas after the downshift?
The blip (rev match) brings the the motor to the right rpm so when you let go of the clutch, the motor and gear is spinning at the same speed when it catches. You’ll just apply gas as you normally would to keep accelerating.
@@Autofreakgarage I'll try to ask differently. I understand completely how the blip works, and letting off the clutch - but when you are letting off the clutch, do you have to find the catch point, and then press the gas to match? Similar to a start in first gear, where you are letting off the clutch until the catch point, and then you slowly press the gas to get going? Does that make sense. I am just curious after the blip if you just release the clutch without that "dance" between the clutch and gas pedal. Whenever I drove my GLI, I didnt rev match, but I would always release the clutch while simultaneously slowly pressing the gas. Sorry if I sound like a moron, I was totally self taught.
Before I bought my 05 sti and I drove basically all years of sti I noticed all the clutch pedals are extremely stiff. And so is the suspension even completely stock. As weird as it sounds I felt like the va is the closest to the gd stis in terms of driver feel etc. my car has tein lowering springs and man it’s low lol. I need to get coilovers on there asap.
Good video! Noticed you have tinted windows and no front plate - how is it working out for you in NJ? Looking to tint my new WRX all around but worried about unnecessary tickets and mvc inspection. Thanks in advance for any advice!
Been running tint and no front plate for 20 years. Never had an issue. Nj is an emission only state so you won’t have issues with getting it inspected with tint.
@@Autofreakgarage I've always been afraid of ordering on Ali Express…a bit of a stereotype perhaps. I was driving a 2006 WRX in the desert of northern Chile…I learned to use the clutch well in that vehicle…then I had a 2007 BMW 328xi 6 speed manual here in MN! My 2017 WRX is much better
Aliexpress is like the foreign amazon. You should not be afraid to order from there. Everyone that I know that has ordered it has had nothing but a positive experience. Great vehicle to learn manual on! I learned on a 95 Jeep Wrangler haha. Very forgiving!
Yup, that's what people tell me how to drive a manual. Found out, that was tough lol. What fog light setup do you have? I'm looking for some for my 2021 sti
What clutch are you running? I bought a used 2011 sti and I can't roll my car forward by engaging the clutch without throttle. It will will stall violently lol. Trying to determine if I've got a lightened flywheel and aftermarket clutch or not. I believe it does but ive never driven one with a stock clutch
When i bought my STI in 2017. I have been drivning a stick since I was 10, So 20 years of driving a stick. I never struggled so bad with a stick ever. As i did with my sti. I stalled it a lot at first. First thing I did was to disable the hill hold function. That was a fucking night mare. Second thing I did. I never ever drive with traction control. As soon as I could afford a exhaust that was the third thing I did.
Wow I thought it was me . I did felt like a noob on the test and drive and drive home lol . 1st to 2nd gear is rough unless you baby the clutch letting off between shifts. Def need a Cobb AP after the car came with a Cobb intake
I always stall my GR STi when moving from stop on 1st gear. Its so embarrassing. Part of the reason is that my clutch engagement point is almost at the point when I lift off the clutch pedal (long travel from the pedal all the way in). Is there a way to fix this?
That’s a fairly low rpm. There wouldn’t be a reason to rev match to 2nd as I would just put it in neutral to stop. You’d want to rev match mostly if you are going into a turn and need to go to a lower gear. And in that situation, you wouldn’t be at such a low rpm.
You don’t want to do that while you’re actually driving. The clutch engagement practice is just to understand where it is so you know when to start applying the throttle.
I used to rev match but I never was good at it but trying again. So I know the spot where the clutch engages so do I shift from 3rd to 2nd and before I hit that engagement I blip it hard and catch it on release? My question is when shifting from any gear down what appropriate Rpm’s should I be in? What If I’m trying to do a pull in 2nd but I’m in 3rd rolling at 40mph?
It's definitely important to find the biting point and be 100% familiar with it. It's not about releasing the clutch slow, because to beginners, that can be misinterpreted as releasing the clutch slow LINEARLY, when in fact what you want to do is release the clutch pedal as fast as you can to the biting point, then you remain on the biting point until you can hear/feel that the engine and flywheel are synced up, then you can release the clutch pedal completely.
I know so many people who have driven manuals their entire lives and still jerk around upshifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd because they don't remain on the biting point long enough. The lower the gear that you're in, the longer you have to remain on the biting point. You're not going to burn it out or anything as long as you don't keep slipping the clutch for like 5 seconds or some crazy long duration.
Even in this video at 10:17, you can tell that he didn't remain on the biting point long enough, causing the car to shake a little bit, which is fine because you don't have to be completely perfect all the time when you're just cruising around, but if you WANTED to be perfect, it's good to be able to know what to do to make your shifts smooth.
OMG thank you so much this is exactly what Is happening and what I was looking for
This is info i have been searching around for FOR DAYS. Thank you.
After driving a STi for a few months now and being used to Hondas and Volkswagens, this is exactly it. That additional time for the biting point is crucial to driving smoothly on the STi!
Thank you for writing this and not making me feel crazy. Got my first STI a month ago and I was worried I was spending too long on the clutch in the lower gears. Thank you.
I agree with this completely, i had driven friends around that laughed at me since i was "riding the clutch" when all i was doing was giving the clutch a second or 2 to do its job, people are so scared to ride the clutch that they end up doing more damage by releasing the clutch too quickly
A tip for some: when you begin to learn how to rev match I started off immediately on double clutching. (Clutch in, neutral, blip throttle, clutch in, go to gear you want). I do this for the longevity of synchros, etc. Again that's just how I was taught haha for some it may be different.
Double clutch downshifting is too smooth when done perfectly for the STI. Literally 0 work for the synchros
Do you hold the throttle to keep the rpms where you want then let go of the clutch? Or just tap the throttle and let go of the clutch? One of the hardest things for me when rev matching is trying to get the gear engaged before the rpms drop too low…
I don't think you guys understand how synchros work...
Lol man I got the car without test driving it because I didn’t know how to drive manual lmaooo….I was in the car max parking lot for 4 hours watching TH-cam videos lmaooo
@AlexInTheSubie That's okay I just bought me a 2019 subaru wrx a 6 speed manual on Thursday, I have never driven a manual before, so I was doing the same thing 😂😂😂
This morning I am going to test drive 2021 STI (used one only 4000 miles), it great to watch yours video first before I go, and make me feel easy. As I didn't drive manual for long time, your advice give me a good start. Thans a lot
The rev match feeling is one of the best feelings ever!!!
When you had gotten to the tip mentioning an exhaust, I threw my arms up and said "SOMEBODY GETS IT!" My stock STi exhaust actually freaked me out, coming from a WRX that had a Remark N1 exhaust and was much louder--it was harder to tell what revs I was at, as you said, and it's caused me to stall a lot. Rev matching, too, is pretty important for that same thing. Sadly the new exhaust I picked up for the STi (Invidia N1) doesn't crackle and pop like the WRX's did, but upgrading has helped a ton nonetheless. I've only had the car for a month so being able to hear from someone who has had theirs for 5 years has shed some new light on my driving technique. Great video, informative and entertaining! Thank you!
Exhaust plays a big roll!
Great points for sure. I typically gravitate to owning cars with more power - but looking back, my ‘18 STI I owned for 2 years was one of the most fun driving cars I’ve ever experienced. Once you learn the car it becomes so controllable and rewarding. It was amazing ripping into turns - and don’t even get me started on driving it in snow!!! I def miss it.
Ik what you mean. I miss mine to a couple of weeks ago some careless lady hit me and totaled mine.
First and only manual i ever drove was when i first picked up my 2019 STi from the lot. Haha it was a nerve wracking experience not wanting to stall in front of my wife and the sales reps lol. But rev matching is so important. And double clutching is very smooth. Also man, i feel you i truly never drive any other way than sport sharp. I want to drive 100 % of my car not 75 % haha, but dude upgrading the exhaust is such a huge improvement. Being able to hear where your at and getting used to it is such a huge help. Love the video mate, well done.
I learned manual in my first car a 07 mazdaspeed 3. Learning manual in a fwd seems alot easier than rw/aw. When I made the jump to 2017 wrx learning the clutch was a tiny bit frustrating, but do-able that was 4 yrs ago. Now Im teaching my younger brother how to feel out the peddles before a road test. He wants to pass it in a manual.(but in my sheeetie civic tho).
Dude I seriously can’t thank you enough 🙏🏼 I’ve been driving stick for the past 4 years (had an Si, now an STI) and I’ve always been okay at downshifting but not great. After watching your video, it literally changed my life man Lol I downshift soooo much better now and a lot smoother/quicker, all thanks to you man! Just wanted to give a shout out and a BIG thanks to you. Love the channel and your STI is absolutely STUNNING 🔥🔥🔥
Awesome! Glad I was able to help and thank you for the kind words!
Scoobyfreak86 No problem! Thank you!
in the exact position as u lol, I started off with a 8th gen si then later moved onto a sti
I've got a 2019 Sti and absolutely fell in love with it as soon as i started driving it around, the one thing i noticed about the rev matching is that between gears it looks like theres about a 500-600 rpm difference, and once i noticed that it was a lot easier for me to rev match, i just got used to the amount of pedal required to get that small jump in rpm. I know everyone learns a bit differently but that helped me quite a bit, All in all a really good video though
I really like your SI Drive Switch Cover. Where can I get one like it?
It’s made by Perrin. Unfortunately, they no longer sell them.
Rev matching my 06 Subaru wrx tomei is a blast it definitely is satisfying when you get it perfect
Just bought my sti and holy hell it's the hardest stick shift I've ever driven, especially with how stiff the spring is
those spoiler stickers are such a nice touch. really compliments the wing nicely and not too dramatic
WRX is HARD to learn stick on but it's so rewarding once you get the hang of it
Just got myself a '15 STI in WR Blue and been partly feeling embarrassed for not being able to drive it like, well, you and others I see.
Thanks for this! Also: Glad yours is still with you :)
Trust me, there is a learning curve. It’s not an easy car to drive smoothly at first. Hope this helps.
Not easy meeting your hero, is it? Haha I experienced the same thing with my 2014 STI, takes a bit to learn where the grapple on the clutch is - The more you do it, the better you'll get it down, same with double clutching.
What screws me all the way up is when I get new shoes..
@@xSmorez- I feel that, have lost races simply because I was wearing too foamy shoes and couldn’t genuinely feel the clutch connect point 😂
You can and will very quickly develop both confidence and the ability to manage engine vs wheel speed without conscious thought. It just takes practice. You can get rev matching practice downshifting through the gears at stop lights and signs, but I'd avoid 2nd to 1st
The STI has a weird clutch engagement. It was the car I stalled the most out of all my manual trans cars.
Facts
It does really! My spouse says it's heavy, it is!
It needs to be with the immediate stress of the AWD system on the drive train! Nice interior accents
I test drove one today and you’re right. Still getting the car though haha
@@Renzii Awesome hope you enjoy it. Driving this car never gets old to me. I intend on keeping mine indefinitely, as another car like this will never come along
It really is a good feeling getting the rev match perfect... feeling a butter smooth shift.
Great tip on clutch engagement. Will def share with new manual drivers! Also interesting to hear a tune can clean up first gear. Even driving stick forever but am struggling with first sometimes in my new STi
I downshifted from 3'rd to 2nd perfectly the other day. On accident. I don't even know if I could replicate what I did. I've only been driving my WRX for four days. :P
You don’t need a loud exhaust to learn how to change gears. You just look at the rpm meter while driving when you are speeding up and change gear at around 2.5.
What year is your sti?
You know what's funny about that statement? Tachometers didn't become standard on cars til the 80s, can you guess how people shifted? Hearing the engine.
Great idea for a video on rev matching! My '16 Stage 1 STI with the Cobb SS 3" Catback is pretty good for hearing the RPMs. I usually never listen music on the HK stereo just because I need to hear my RPMs.
Same lol. I don’t really listen to the radio for the same reason hah. My exhaust drowns out the radio mostly anyway 😂
Awesome vid! I am a life long manual person. I am going to teach my wife how to drive a manual, so this is great! Simply because I didn’t realize what I took for granted.
The biggest thing you forgot to mention is that there is very little to no clutch feel in the wrx/STI which can lead to problems when starting to move. If you look at other vehicles in the price range that come with a manual trans so mustang, Z, Camaro, etc. they have a lot more pedal feel on the clutch. Like you can tell when the clutch starts to make contact through the pedal. Before my STI I had an 18 mustang GT, and before that I had a 03 350z, and in both of those cars you know exactly where the clutch grabs.
Drive a bmw or Honda. That is no clutch feel. The wrx is very soft comparing the STI. Sti’s clutch is a good mix between firm and soft for everyday.
I mastered driving this car within a week or 2 of owning it rev matching all that shit it’s such a fun car I love it I think I’ll never switch cars not even when I have kids
Great video . Perfect timing lol , just got my 17’ STI a couple weeks ago . Very different clutch engagement compared to my 12’ wrx.
Same! I’ve been watching your videos for a while now to get an idea of what I’d like to do. As this is my first manual car this video is perfect! Just purchased a dmg (dream color) 2019 sti from carvana. Kinda sus buying an STI online but I’m optimistic. Return policy is pretty nice if it’s in terrible condition. Hopefully everything works out! 🤞🤞
@@03XToxiczX11 I got my STI on carvana as well. I strongly recommend getting a compression and leak down test (about $300). If they find anything wrong, carvana will have to pay to fix it. My check engine light came on after about 70 days of ownership, and thankfully the 100 day warranty was still active. The test revealed a 20% leak through the crankcase, and carvana had to pay for a new engine for me. Mine is a 2015, so I think yours has the FA engine which I believe is less problematic than the EJ in mine, but seriously do it for peace of mind!
Picked up my 17 STI limited last week and I love it. It reminds me alot of a Toyota I built when I was in high school. Everyone already says I drive the car so well and I don't even have the temp tags off it 😂
This car just matches my driving style really well.
I rev matched my 2010 WRX (bought new) for 11 years before selling it. Sold it with 140k miles and original clutch still grabbing hard.. much better for your drivetrain but worse on your gas mileage
your car is sick dude. I love it seriously. Happy for you.
Your car sounds so f****** good man 😂 always admired your driving so good tutorial 👍
I'm 52 years old and only recently understood the benefit of extending clutch lifespan. Also, like mine, makes it shoot flames out the back. Dats right!
thats a good point about basing shifts and revmatches on exhaust sound. my shifting does require more calculations when I have the exhaust silencer in.
Tip #1 Is gold! I used this method to teach my ex-wife to drive manual on my Saab 9-3 viggen.
Perfect timing i just bought a Gr86 thank you💜
I'm so glad you said something about the stock tune! I hate the way 1st gear feels on my WRX and convinced myself I just suck at driving stick (which still may be true) but good to know a tune will fix that. Just gotta decide if I want to Void my warranty or not lol
Yea just picked up a 2018 wrx sti in Lapis blue pearl with 43k miles . Still getting use to clutch . I did stalled reversing into my driveway lol . So apparently these cars need some throttle reversing . Use to drive a 17 focus ST and I could reverse without giving any throttle . Have to get use to the high engagement so use to low to middle clutch engagement. Love the car . Car came with Cobb intake and borla exhaust but no AP. Had my sales guy called the original owner to see if he ever had one and he never did .
Great tips! I learned how to drive stick this year with my WRX. However, I feel like I struggle when it come to being smooth. One of the main things is when Im coming to a stop, sometimes I put my car in neutral instead of downshifting but before coming to a stop the light turns green. Idk how to properly put the car in gear and keep driving smoothly. Ex: coming to a stop at a red light. The light turns green before I get there but I’m going 24mph in neutral just coasting. I’d assume I’d need to put my car in 3rd gear but idk how to do it smoothly to keep going
Drop it into 2nd and slowly let the clutch out and blip the throttle.
@@Autofreakgarage ok , thank you!
Rev match?
This is great, helpful for sure. I ned to practice a bit more -- feel like it makes the entire experience that much better and smoother. Cheers man!
I’ve been looking forward to this!
Any tips on smoothing out the first to second gear shift under normal driving conditions? I feel like I lose a lot of momentum in my WRX during that shift
At the top of the clutch, there’s some play. Hold it in a bit when switching to 2nd. You almost want to slip it to 2nd for a smooth shift.
I've experienced some success when lifting off the clutch with my toes pointing upwards and rolling off with the rest of my foot, exactly how Scooby mentioned with holding it in a bit and "slipping" into 2nd, all while putting in some gas.
Haven't mastered it yet since this motion only seems to be needed when shifting from 1st to 2nd.
It also helps if the tranny is warmed up. I find the first few first to second shifts pretty rough in my WRX especially in the winter. There are moving parts and fluid in there and once the car is at temperature everything becomes much more responsive.
Very Helpful Video, I picked up my 2016 Subaru WRX STI about 5 Months ago. The question I have is rpms at each gear while driving? If that makes sense
Glad it helped! There is no set RPM for each gear. If you want to get an idea of optimal shifting for MPG, turn it on intelligent mode and there will be a little arrow that pops up on the dash that tells you when to shift.
@@Autofreakgarage Is there an certain range I don't want to go above? And any good rpms to be at for curising speeds?
You just don't want to be lugging the motor (meaning too low of gear for the RPM). You'll get a feel for the car and what RPM it likes to be at the more you drive it. It takes some time to get to know a new car, so my advice is just to go out and drive it as much as you can.
thank you i have a 15 STI and its my 1st standard vehicle. im just worried im not a good enough driver for it hahaha ive gotten better for sure but i always worry sometimes ya know
Haha it happens! As I mentioned, it’s not the easiest car to drive. You’ll get the hang of it.
Didn’t come here for the lesson, came for the sweet sti man 👍 props! Looking for one similar, but your mods really woke this one up. If you’d sell, give me a shout!
Just bought one of these for my friend, neither of us have ever driven stick😭this seems fun lol I hope we don’t mess up the clutch
Maybe i am missing something, but the only time i see benefits to rev matching is scenarios where you need to mash down and get going. I don't dont shift for slowing down often cause it eats clutch as it uses the clutch friction to slow. Or if there is a need to help slow quickly, but in this case most people are not going to be thinking rev matching lol.
What year is yours it is beautiful!!!! great way to explain rev matching and why people choose Cobb to set their own boost levels but you put it very easy to rev match a newer sub!!!!
2017
Being able to hear the car helps a lot when it comes to driving stick
4:50 why the heck didn't you tell me this earlier lol. Took one out for a test drive today for the first time and thought Sports # would be the most fun mode and was revving the shit out of it (unintentionally) becasue the accelerator was SO sensitive!
Love the car man! I’m looking to buy a wrx pretty soon, and this video really helps considering I’m still pretty new to manual cars, also where did you get the touchscreen for yours?
th-cam.com/video/WkygGMjXwwk/w-d-xo.html
Love that car.
What year is it?
Did you push engine a bit? How many hp? 🙂
2017 th-cam.com/video/XMw2c-SymgE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=zEId06wTBAPP68NH
Your camera doesn't catch how loud that Tomei really is, I don't think. It sounds great on camera and would probably be so loud to me in the cabin in person. I literally just got my 2016 STi back from the tuner today and it is driving like a dream. I had it pro tuned at a place and they had it going up to 21 lbs and making 316 whp (non mustang dyno) it was driving rowdy as hell. I got an equal length, uppipe, fuel rails, and a fuel pressure regulator (Cobb fuel stumble kit) installed and the thing is making the same HP on a mustang dyno but about 30 lbs more torque on only 17.5 lbs of boost, and it makes it at 3300 rpm with no fuel stumble. The car is ACTUALLY daily drivable now. It was a mess before I finally got it into the right shop. If they tuned boost to be 21 the thing would probably be a mess again....these tuners make the cars not fun unless you're in a fucking drag race.
I’ve had my STi for over two years. I’m 5 feet tall and my seat needs to be pushed as far forward as it can go so I can reach the pedals, thank GOD for the high clutch engagement because I’d have to drive in platform shoes. 😂😂😂
Great vid, thanks for posting.
Take this 2 steps further. Learn to double clutch. It is not necessary, but it is a more fun way to drive and it prolongs the life of your synchros. Also get a light weight flywheel. They just rev so much more freely.
I felt that in my heart about the exhaust part , just got a 2018 STI and it’s so quite deff hard to know where your at with rpm’s , also coming from a 8th SI the clutch picks up insane high 😂
Great vid. Is there an actual benefit to rev matching, or is it just a cool thing to do?
Longevity of clutch and less strain on your motor.
Wow I love seeing this car man!
Let me know when you want to switch up the wheels I’ll take those beauty’s off your hands!
Would you say the ots Cobb stage 1 + tune is pretty reliable? And fixes most of the stock tube issues? Reliable enough to at least run a couple months before getting a pro tune? Thanks I’m advance!
Yes the Cobb tune will suffice and serve you well.
well, when downshifting, I blip the throttle in the neutral point between gears and then into gear (you'll feel it want to go in) and then clutch out. Or double clutch sometimes. I agree that 1rst gear tuning kind of is crap. It's jerky and if you gas it, boost just kicks in and straight to redline and is very harsh on the car. Thus, I typically don't take off in 1rst gear. 1rst gear on these cars is really just to get the car rolling.
I think Rev match is a high speed cornering technique , on daily base I prefer clutch and slowly let off your feet when downshift . Is better for the car as well
You’re riding the clutch by doing that, thus prematurely wearing it down sooner. Rev matching isn’t just for going fast. It increase the life of both the transmission and clutch life overall.
been waiting on this one
What a lovely color cool vid!
Awesome. Beautiful STI.
holy im drooling over your car
Do you have aftermarket pedals? The stock pedals on my WRX get slippery when it’s wet and I would prefer a little more grip. Awesome video!
th-cam.com/video/9JV8iZVkuK0/w-d-xo.html
had my sti for about 3 months now and still struggle with first to second gear sometimes, can never get it perfect
man i havent driven manual in over a year as a 17 year old and even then i wasnt a complete pro at it but i got into this car yesterday and man it was pretty bad mightve given my passenger whiplash, i kept apologizing again and again cuz of the sloppy shifts and the jerky starts gonna have to learn again
So basically for rev matching you just put the clutch in shift to the lower gear then rev up to the rpm it should be at then let the clutch out?
Yes sir
Thats it, simple enough but it can be tricky in practice, it helps to look at what speed your going. Like for instance i know where i should be in the rev range at 20mph in second gear, and knowing the general gap of 500ish rpms between most gears on a stock sti helps as well
I am 19 years old, starting college soon; I can afford payments the car while having a part time job but the insurance quotes Ive received from the main companies are INSANE. What insurance do you guys have and or recommend? I might just get a q50 instead if I cannot find a decent priced full coverage Insuracne for a 2016 STI.
mood haha my profile pic is abit outdated but I was paying 370 for my sti but now I got a 2020 m340 so it's 349 for my 340 and miata just gotta keep searching for good quotes
I got my 2019 wrx sti limited dream car
Is it bad if I don’t blip my throttle to rev match when down shifting and just let my clutch slowly take it until it reaches its point? I’m kind of new to my 2020 sti but I thought that’s how down shifting works. Which was just going down a gear, letting go slowly off the clutch until it reaches the rpm’s for that gear and speed while also slightly breaking during the entire process. If that’s not good for my car/clutch I would love to know haha.
I didn’t know the clutch engagement, but I used to do it every time. I didn’t know I’m doing the right thing lol
i remember the big learning curve for sure
Around what RPM do you shift for normal driving?
Great video, bro!! 🤙🏾
Getting me STI this week!
Enjoy!
Great video, what pedal setup do you have? I've been thinking about getting some sort of side extension like you had for the throttle pedal
th-cam.com/video/9JV8iZVkuK0/w-d-xo.html
Such a clean car 👍👍
Awesome video and car! My question is after you blip and release the clutch, are you ever putting any power down during the shift? I still don’t really understand what you did after you are letting out the clutch - do you not even have to press on the gas after the downshift?
The blip (rev match) brings the the motor to the right rpm so when you let go of the clutch, the motor and gear is spinning at the same speed when it catches. You’ll just apply gas as you normally would to keep accelerating.
@@Autofreakgarage I'll try to ask differently. I understand completely how the blip works, and letting off the clutch - but when you are letting off the clutch, do you have to find the catch point, and then press the gas to match? Similar to a start in first gear, where you are letting off the clutch until the catch point, and then you slowly press the gas to get going? Does that make sense. I am just curious after the blip if you just release the clutch without that "dance" between the clutch and gas pedal. Whenever I drove my GLI, I didnt rev match, but I would always release the clutch while simultaneously slowly pressing the gas. Sorry if I sound like a moron, I was totally self taught.
No worries. Yes you do need to apply gas to the throttle after the catch.
Before I bought my 05 sti and I drove basically all years of sti I noticed all the clutch pedals are extremely stiff. And so is the suspension even completely stock. As weird as it sounds I felt like the va is the closest to the gd stis in terms of driver feel etc. my car has tein lowering springs and man it’s low lol. I need to get coilovers on there asap.
Good video! Noticed you have tinted windows and no front plate - how is it working out for you in NJ? Looking to tint my new WRX all around but worried about unnecessary tickets and mvc inspection. Thanks in advance for any advice!
Been running tint and no front plate for 20 years. Never had an issue. Nj is an emission only state so you won’t have issues with getting it inspected with tint.
@@Autofreakgaragegood deal!
Great video! what do you think of the HU you have?
It has been great! Been in the car 4 years now and no issues. Huge upgrade over stock. Couldn't recommend it enough.
@@Autofreakgarage I've always been afraid of ordering on Ali Express…a bit of a stereotype perhaps. I was driving a 2006 WRX in the desert of northern Chile…I learned to use the clutch well in that vehicle…then I had a 2007 BMW 328xi 6 speed manual here in MN! My 2017 WRX is much better
Aliexpress is like the foreign amazon. You should not be afraid to order from there. Everyone that I know that has ordered it has had nothing but a positive experience.
Great vehicle to learn manual on! I learned on a 95 Jeep Wrangler haha. Very forgiving!
Yup, that's what people tell me how to drive a manual. Found out, that was tough lol.
What fog light setup do you have? I'm looking for some for my 2021 sti
th-cam.com/video/tGAclIoBezI/w-d-xo.html
Red line is at 7000 but I feel like going over 3000 before shifting is hard on the engine. Am I wrong?
I’m buying a 2018 sti but need to practice my manual driving will it be okay for buying it needing some practice
18 psi ? I thought the stock on sharp plus is 25 psi 😬but I do have a tune on mine
What clutch are you running? I bought a used 2011 sti and I can't roll my car forward by engaging the clutch without throttle. It will will stall violently lol. Trying to determine if I've got a lightened flywheel and aftermarket clutch or not. I believe it does but ive never driven one with a stock clutch
Stock clutch
@@Autofreakgarage perfect. Thx man. I had a feeling mine wasn't.
I know you've sold the STI but a few exterior mod questions. Was it the factory front bumper? And what lip, side skirt kit are you using?
Yes factory 2018 bumper. th-cam.com/video/wMBfWMr0B3g/w-d-xo.htmlsi=rjlL4pBnFCRZTp3-
@@Autofreakgarage Thanks.
When i bought my STI in 2017. I have been drivning a stick since I was 10, So 20 years of driving a stick. I never struggled so bad with a stick ever. As i did with my sti. I stalled it a lot at first. First thing I did was to disable the hill hold function. That was a fucking night mare. Second thing I did. I never ever drive with traction control. As soon as I could afford a exhaust that was the third thing I did.
Wow I thought it was me . I did felt like a noob on the test and drive and drive home lol . 1st to 2nd gear is rough unless you baby the clutch letting off between shifts. Def need a Cobb AP after the car came with a Cobb intake
what kind of wheel is that bro??? they look fires 😍😍
th-cam.com/video/u7tglnKXvl0/w-d-xo.html
I always stall my GR STi when moving from stop on 1st gear. Its so embarrassing. Part of the reason is that my clutch engagement point is almost at the point when I lift off the clutch pedal (long travel from the pedal all the way in). Is there a way to fix this?
If I'm 2k rpm in 3rd gear what's a reasonable blip rpm to downshift into 2nd gear?
That’s a fairly low rpm. There wouldn’t be a reason to rev match to 2nd as I would just put it in neutral to stop. You’d want to rev match mostly if you are going into a turn and need to go to a lower gear. And in that situation, you wouldn’t be at such a low rpm.
@@Autofreakgarage thank you for the knowledge!
So In my 17 sti. If I use the clutch to stop and go with no gas like you did is that wearing out the clutch more?
You don’t want to do that while you’re actually driving. The clutch engagement practice is just to understand where it is so you know when to start applying the throttle.
Clean STI 🔥
I need to buy this car I love it I love it ❤️❤️
Great video! What shift knob is that?
th-cam.com/video/qK1mLyiAw0k/w-d-xo.html
Foot cam with some heel toe downshifts would be nice
If you roll race what rpm is a good start?
I used to rev match but I never was good at it but trying again. So I know the spot where the clutch engages so do I shift from 3rd to 2nd and before I hit that engagement I blip it hard and catch it on release? My question is when shifting from any gear down what appropriate Rpm’s should I be in? What If I’m trying to do a pull in 2nd but I’m in 3rd rolling at 40mph?
also where did you get your Sti cameleon metal trim love the burnt look!!!!!
All my titanium is from titanium works
@@Autofreakgarage Well Done Job stay Awesome and safe on the road!!!
god shes so beautiful 😭😭