[ksflatlander]

Ummm... This isn't heart surgery. I've taught lots of people how to drive a stick and it takes about 30 minutes. Then an afternoon of them practicing and it's done.

OP, stop stressing. It's not that big of a deal, seriously. Don't buy a car just to learn with, that's crazy. Get what you want cuz the "learning" process is very short.

Then there's the acclimation process for each car. They all have different feels, clutch weight, engagement point, rpm sweet spots, etc that you just learn as you drive it. Why go through that process on some car you don't even want?

I learned how to drive with a stick. Drove for years before ever getting to drive an automatic. All you are learning is just the shifting part. It's easy. Stop stressing and go look for the car you want.