Drive Stick Shift Reviews

Great experience, I learned a lot in my first lesson. The instructor really takes the time to explain everything to be very easy to understand.

Update: Having spent several hours learning from Anton, and several months getting to a point where i could actually get a car, I started hunting. Wouldn't you know it, finding a car is a pita. After much hunting, i found a car in Poughkeepsie, which is quite far from where Anton teaches. Since i wasn't comfortable looking at the car on my own, I hired Anton to drive up there (he was kind enough to let me hitch a ride up there with him) and inspect the vehicle for me. He also checked the Carfax report and explained what the maintenance visits and mileage actually meant, which is a very nice service to offer for those of us who never really looked at those before. I ultimately went with a different car, one that Anton found for me, and sincerely wish i had hired him earlier as this was far more stressful than i had expected. Were i able to give more stars i would for this. My original review is below, i left that after my first lesson with him. Drove with Anton for 3 hours, we chatted a lot about the mechanical theory and some of the physics involved. He's clearly very knowledgeable about cars in general and fairly enthusiastic about teaching others. I was driving decently after the first lesson, not going on any highways yet, but I will definitely be going back.

We had a great lesson with Anton! He made a skill that initially felt overwhelming really fun to learn and I felt safe the whole time. Got to better understand how the car worked and see a new neighborhood too. Would highly recommend!

Great lesson. Anton is very knowledgeable and explains the ins and outs of driving manual very well.

Excellent driving lesson. If you're in NYC and want to learn manual transmission, i.e. stick shift, this is the spot. Anton is mega chill, a great instructor, and provides everything (including insurance for you, which was a problem for me since I don't have a car and temporary insurance isn't..a thing?), including a right-side car if you need. (I didn't need it, but he did ask about it when I called.) Overall a great experience. It was fun to chat with him, and I can't emphasize enough how chill and knowledgeable he is. A+ recommendation and service.

I honestly cannot say enough good things about my first lesson with Anton. He’s extremely knowledgeable and calm, and made sure I understood the mechanics of what was happening with the car as we went. Highly recommend!

My first lesson at Drive Stick Shift was a very positive experience, so I’ll be back! I entered the lesson with basically no knowledge, but Anton was easygoing, patient, and very kind to deflect some of the blame of my performance on my rote automatic driving habits. He gave very clear instructions, and he incorporated a combination of learning styles (verbal explanations, illustrations, videos to look at later, the Socratic method, letting you just drive the dang thing), so a kinesthetic learner like me was relieved. I presume everyone hits milestones at different rates, but by the end of my 2-hour lesson, I understood the basic mechanics of what I was doing under the hood; I wasn’t afraid of stalls; I had some safety precautions in my back pocket; and I was starting, stopping, making turns, and changing gears all around Manhattan Beach. When I told my coworker about the lesson, she asked me: “How was it? Do you think you could drive a manual in an emergency situation?” And my answer was a resounding: “Yes!”

Excellent 2-hour lesson. Eases you into learning. Great theoretical overview paired with methodical practical lesson. Never felt unsafe. Planning on booking a follow up!

Anton is a great instructor! I love that the sign up process is so straightforward. He explains the fundamentals very well. He’s also very calm and collected which makes him easy to learn from. If you’re learning manual for the very first time, definitely sign up for the 2 hour class!

Great experience, concepts explained well, will be going back for more lessons.

Did a 3 hour lesson and was very pleased. Instructor knows what he is doing.

Very detailed instructions, very insightful. Deeply helps with understanding what your doing and why. Definitely would recommend to anyone learning to drive a manual transmission.

A clear and deeply knowledgeable teacher. Would recommend.

Anton deserves the 5 star rating. He's patient, thorough, and attentive. He clearly knows what he's talking about and what you need to do to get up to speed (literally). Highly recommend if you want to learn to drive a manual.

Anton is amazing! He masterfully plans the lessons to flow smoothly but ensure you learn everything you need to know. He quickly adapts to your learning style and is extremely patient and gives just the right amount of feedback to fix any errors you make. He’s also fun to be around and is great to chat with about any car questions you might have!

Anton is very knowledgeable and a good teacher

Anton is an excellent instructor! I had a great experience and learned a lot.

Anton was great, patient, experienced and thoroughly walked me through everything! Would highly recommend using him

Great company and instructor. Has it down to a science. I’ll be booking more lessons in the future.