Stick Shift Academy

Fantastic experience: The best experience I could have asked for a stick shift newbie! I came with zero knowledge and background and in just 4-lessons I left super confident on the road and for my upcoming Europe trip. Jorge, you are the best instructor ever! Thank you for the wonderful learning experience.

Fantastic experience: Michael was a great, patient and supportive teacher who answered every question with intelligence. He has superb teaching skills and knows that people learn different ways and tries to find the best method in his vast tool set to use to explain things clearly and consisely. I would highly recommend his as a teacher to anyone.

Fantastic experience: Jorge is a very patient and thorough teacher with years of experience. He gave me the confidence to try on my own driving manual. Highly Recommended if you can find the time and want to learn.

Negative experience: I wish I could go lower than the 1 rating. I was given a slot from 8-10 in the night, and I reached the office half an early so that the formalities are done in time. I waited for around 45 minutes in the dark parking lot, the office was closed, although it showed open on the website. I kept calling their number, but no one picked up. I left 4 voice mails also, called in earlier in the day to confirm the appointment as well and left a voicemail then also. No one cared to call me back. And no one showed up on the site for the classes well past 8. Such a terrible experience. I hope no one goes through this ordeal.

Fantastic experience: Jorge is the very best! Don't settle for anyone else. Jorge is a patient ,knowledgeable teacher! Jorge went above and beyond to teach me and my daughter how to drive stick! Highly reccomended!

Fantastic experience: I had a great learning experience with Stick Shift Academy. I took the "basic" course which is two back-to-back one-hour lessons. Jorge is an excellent teacher. He explained and demonstrated all the concepts thoroughly and clearly for the first 10 to 15 minutes or so, then had me practice for the rest of the time in a large empty parking lot and on a nearby road. Jorge was patient and guided me helpfully thru my errors, and I got to do lots of repetitions, which is exactly what I wanted and needed. We practiced all the basics, especially getting the car moving smoothly from zero (we did this a LOT, which I found very helpful), shifting gears, slowing down, bringing the car fully to a stop, and reversing. After the two-hour lesson I now have a solid grasp of the fundamentals and feel much more confident in being able to drive a manual transmission car. I would recommend Jorge and Stick Shift Academy to everyone who wants to learn how to drive stick!

Fantastic experience: Jorge is amazing. One of the best teachers I ever had. He’s patient, kind, knows his stuff and makes sure you feel comfortable and safe on the road. Highly recommended and you get to drive a Subaru WRX STI

Fantastic experience: Jorge is an incredible teacher. He is so patient and thorough with explaining exactly what to feel for and how to navigate different scenarios. He had me driving back to the office on the road with real traffic by the end of our first 2-hour lesson, and by the end of our 6 lessons I was feeling confident and was able to pick up my new manual car by myself without any problems. He teaches you all the skills you need to succeed – plus, he's just an overall nice person and fun to be around! Highly recommend Stick Shift Academy if you are looking to learn how to drive manual.

Fantastic experience: So glad I took this class! Jorge was very patient with me. This was only my second day driving stick but even after one lesson I am already comfortable driving my new car and going into traffic. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn how to drive the right way.

Fantastic experience: The instructor's patience and people skills were most unparalleled. I was allowed to make mistakes without being rattled. And the experience was impressionable, allowing me just enough recollection to take notes of the most critical of steps. Flawless, basically!

Fantastic experience: I am super grateful to Jorge and Stick Shift Academy. I have always wanted to learn how to drive stick and thanks to Jorge now I can. The first two lessons go over what you as the driver will be doing when driving stick. You will familiarize yourself with all the gears, the clutch, its catch point, and shifting. After the first two lessons, you will get that much needed practice and repetition to commit what you learned to muscle memory. Thanks again Jorge. I greatly appreciate you. I enjoyed every lesson and I will recommend you when someone asks me “How did you learn?”

Fantastic experience: Took lessons a month before going on a solo trip to South America. Felt confident enough in what I learned to rent a manual by myself. Great skill to have and only/best place to learn in the Boston area. Worth every penny.

Fantastic experience: I was looking to learn how to drive a manual transmission car because I'm planning on getting a subaru wrx when my current leased car is up i was pleasantly surprised when I found out that I would be learning on the wrx sti. Jorge was a great teacher he very chill and explained everything very easily. The clutch on the newer wrx can be a little difficult at first but once you get the hang of it you can pretty much drive any other manual car

Fantastic experience: This guy is amazing!!! The best money I have ever spent on myself! I Recommend and approve as many times as I can! Thank you for your calm and expertise!

Fantastic experience: George is a great teacher, I never knew how to drive stick and in two hours I was driving on the open road. Careful when you sign up for the class as someone has made a similarly named company "stick shift driving academy". This is not the same and they are trying to steal the good reviews that this company has. Stick shift academy is the best

Fantastic experience: I was waiting to write this review until I had a chance to drive stick in a different car for an extended period. I can say without a doubt that this lesson works. I did the two hour's lesson and am now able easily to drive long distances in all gears safely and comfortably; enjoying the experience is a great added bonus. Jorge will take you to a parking lot at Arsenal mall where you will stop and start, eventually shifting up and down. You will then drive back to the office very indirectly, getting about 45 minutes on the road. Then you go to the office, get a receipt, and go on your way with a strong level of competency in manual driving (assuming you've listened). Recommend highly for anyone looking to drive manual.

Fantastic experience: This is THE place to go to learn or practice stick shift. Jorge is an incredible teacher! He is patient, knowledgeable, calm and enjoyable to learn from. He tailored the sessions based on my goals and made me feel comfortable and confident while I was learning. I HIGHLY recommend taking classes here!!! It was such a positive experience and I took away so much from the lessons!

Fantastic experience: I first learned to drive on a manual transmission car and hadn’t driven one since (40+ years ago) and I wanted to be prepared for driving in Italy on vacation. I took a 3 hour refresher from another driving school and although I felt I had gained a level of proficiency there I still felt like I was missing what I needed to share the road with impatient drivers that wouldn’t know I wasn’t a regular stick shift driver. So I took a 2 hour class with George at Stick Shift Academy in Watertown. I learned more in those 2 hours about the proper way to shift and use the clutch and the proper way to rev match (for smoothness at starting up and shifting gears) than I think I even learned in a full drivers ed class when I was 16 when I was first learning the rules of the road ! George taught me how to set myself up using the very narrow clutch catch point window so that I am ready to go when the light changes which sounds like a fine detail but is exactly what you need to avoid having the driver behind you honk at you for taking too long ! And he taught me how to use the same catch point window to back slowly into a parking space with total control. And it was fun taking the lesson in a sports car ! I highly recommend this school to anyone that needs to learn from scratch or anyone who has been driving a manual for years and may have developed bad habits !

Fantastic experience: Jorge was very good at teaching the basics and walking through the process step by step.

Fantastic experience: Jorge is a fantastic tutor. I learned to drive in a manual car while haven't driven one for years. Today I managed to pick up manual driving within the 2-hour session, and Jorge helped correct my wrong habits. It turned out manual could be so much more smooth than automatic. Highly recommend no matter if you plan to drive in Europe, or buy a manual car to enjoy driving!

Fantastic experience: Awesome experience, definitely worth the money

Fantastic experience: Jorge is awesome, very patient and knowledgeable. If you're looking to refresh/practice, or even if you're starting from scratch, this is your guy. Highly recommended!

Fantastic experience: This is a the best place to learn how to drive standard, the instructor takes his time being very thorough in teaching you how to drive a standard vehicle from beginning to end.

Fantastic experience: Jorge was a fantastic instructor. Very patient and helpful.

Fantastic experience: Great way to learn how to work a manual transmission or brush off a little rust if you already know. Detailed instructions in a friendly environment , and great spots picked out for practicing the specifics. Will you try things over and over until it really becomes automatic reflex. Car is great for learning too — not some old beater! Something you’d actually drive. Had fun.

Fantastic experience: Stick Shift Academy has a great reputation for teaching people how to drive a manual transmission car. The instructor is very patient and puts you at ease.

Fantastic experience: Eager to head-off a mid-life crisis years before it developed, a small sports car with a manual transmission was just the thing I needed, something completely inhospitable to carseats and ground up cheerios in the floormats. The thing was, however, that I never learned to drive stick. While I was seemingly the one male in North America who couldn't drive stick, I was seemingly the only one with kids who wanted one and actually owned one. Everyone offered to teach me but no one had a classroom in which to do it. Explaining my predicament to Jorge, he put me behind the wheel of a brand new WRX. It had maybe 150 miles on it. That's trust. He is, above all else, patient and professional. Let that soak in. This is his business and he's good at it. He knows what he's doing and there's a reason why you'll spend maybe 90 minutes getting in and out of first from a stop. It works. You won't leave this place driving like you're in the Fast & the Furious but you'll have a very solid base from which to learn manual transmissions. There is no stress involved. My friend laughed when I told him that I paid someone to teach me to drive a stick, telling me that he could get me driving in 20 minutes. Perhaps, but I doubt it. Not everyone can teach and few have the patience that Jorge does. Time is precious and it's worth making the most of it. Hire a pro. Learn the right way and you'll be well on your way up the learning curve. I highly recommend SSA.

Fantastic experience: About two years ago, I tried to learn how to drive a stick. I spent hours in a parking lot stalling and cursing, and made simply no progress. Spending just a few hours with Jorge at Stick Shift Academy, I was able to go around Watertown/Waltham side streets with no problem. Jorge is simply a great teacher, and very experienced and helping get people comfortable driving with a stick. He is extremely patient and very helpful with getting down the basics with lots of coaching and repetition. He focuses on making sure you know how to maneuver well between neutral, first, second, and reverse very well and as smoothly as possible. Additionally, Jorge does really care about his clients as people and your goals with learning. He was very responsive and accommodating and clearly works hard to do the best for his clients. I highly recommend Stick Shift Academy.

Fantastic experience: Great experience, instructor was very patient and clear. Lessons were fun and extremely helpful, definitely worth it!

Fantastic experience: From the customer service upon registering through the class itself, these folks were great. Professional and patient instruction, a great car, and great, constructive feedback. Definitely would recommend.

Fantastic experience: Jorge is a great teacher. He was very accommodating and flexible with his time. I was able to learn to drive manual in 4 hours. The experience was well worth the money.

Fantastic experience: I had a great experience here! Clear, patient instructions on a quality vehicle gave me the information and confidence to competently drive stick. Would highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: George is awesome. My husband tried teaching me (he has driven stick shift for over 25 years) but he is very impatient and afraid about his car too much to do it well. George was very patient and clear and set straight a lot of my misconceptions about the proper technique. After a two hour lesson, we pulled back into the lot for the business and my husband thought George was driving, it was so smooth! In the one week since I have had the confidence to test drive 2 standard cars at dealers ( 1 WRX like the business car and a BMW 440) and our Porsche Cayman. Thank you George and Stick shift Academy, This was the best investment.

Fantastic experience: George is a great instructor. Very patient. Great experience!

Fantastic experience: George is a great teacher. Before I took my lesson with George, I could not even get the car rolling. After 3 hours with George, I can comfortably drive around town. George is very good at explaining what you are doing wrong. He knows if you are holding the clutch or using too much gas just by how the car sounds and feels. I found George's lessons very helpful and would recommend it to anyone new to manual transmission.

Fantastic experience: You get to learn on a very new Impreza WRX which is the icing on the cake. George is a genuinely nice person, and a great easy-going teacher. He does an awesome job explaining things clearly and will go over any questions you have. Scheduling times during the week are great too.

Fantastic experience: George is a great instructor; he can explain exactly what you are doing wrong and help you fix it within minutes without you getting stressed out. Money was definitely well spent here. If you are looking to learn stick shift this is the place!

Fantastic experience: George is the man. He's a great teacher, friendly guy, and all around great person. He's very patient while teaching and will tell you exactly what you need to do to get going. He took me from having zero experience to being really comfortable driving in normal traffic. Can't rate this guy highly enough. The car is also top notch - 2015 subaru wrx. If you're thinking of learning to drive manual, this is the place.

Fantastic experience: Excellent experience learning driving there. Very patient with you; encourages you not to panic if you stall.

Fantastic experience: Just went to a class today and it was an awesome experience! If your going to Stick Shift Academy, Jorge, is an excellent driving instructor. He was very knowledgeable, patient, and explained manual driving clearly enough to understand how to properly drive the standard shifts. When I made mistakes he properly critiqued the situation so that I could understand the pros and cons of my actions giving me a brief idea of what to be prepared for when fully driving on the road. Again, Jorge is an excellent teacher. I will definitely attend another class and would highly recommend going to Stick Shift Academy! Pay attention, you can and will know how to drive a standard car at this school! :D

Fantastic experience: I would absolutely recommend SSA to anyone wanting to learn stick. I wanted to learn before buying a new car. Jorge walked me through every scenario a driver encounters on the road and, after I finished, I felt completely confident test driving a manual car. Jorge was also fun to be in the car with and talk to during the lesson.

Fantastic experience: I absolutely loved the experience. George is a great instructor, and brought me from never driven a stick shift before to being able to drive the academy's brand new WRX on the street after a few lessons. He has gone out of his way to make sure that I am prepared to buy a my new car (which has a manual transmission), and the whole process has been extremely personable. 5 stars!