What's the worst manual transmission you've ever experienced?

"Tristan" (casselts) 02/03/2019 at 20:40 • Filed to: None

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We here in Oppoland tend to prefer the do-it-yourself method when it comes to changing gear. Generally, it makes driving more enjoyable and more engaging while giving the driver m ore control over the vehicle and so on and so forth.

But sometimes things that should be good actually suck. A lot. I’ve driven just about anything that could come with a manual from Miatas to 18-wheelers; from the precise *snick* of a Mazda to the arm-breaking stiffness of an old International grain truck. But nothing was worse than a 6-speed 2010 Camry.

A close friend bought it brand new in 2010. He previously had a ‘98 Crown Vic cop car that he badly botched a rear diff rebuild on and he was sick of old car problems, so it was traded on a bottom-rung Camry. He’s partly Jalop, so he requested a manual, and a fullsize sedan with a manual seems like a great thing. He had it for a few days before giving me a ride. Every shift was jarring and awful. I commented on this, jabbing at his manual transmission skills. He responded by whipping to the side of the road and saying “see if you can do better”. I could not. You see, Toyota’s drive-by-wire throttles were notoriously dimwitted and slow at the time, and this car was no exception. You could slam your foot all the way to the floor and lift completely off without the tach budging. This would have gone mostly unnoticed with an automatic but , when trying to shift smoothly and modulate the throttle precisely , it was like the driver had the clutch and shifter but the passenger had the gas pedal. It was infuriating to drive and impossible to make a smooth gear change. I think he owned it for 2 or 3 weeks before begging the Toyota dealer to let him trade it in on a used Corolla with an automatic at the value he paid.

Have you ever driven a manual -equipped vehicle that made you wish it had a slushbox?

pip bip - choose Corrour > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:01

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Gm mc6 Filipino 4-speed

WilliamsSW > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:02

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GMC 7000, brand new, around 1987.  Clutch was heavy and had no feel - the throws were surprisingly short, yet wildly sloppy.  

AestheticsInMotion > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:06

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2013 base engine mazda 3. The manual was terrible in every way. You’d downshift from 5th to 3rd and still barely have any noticeable change in “oomph” (technical term). In fairness I shouldn’t have expected the transmission to be able to fix what was an all-around supremely disappointing package. By far the biggest automotive let down I’ve experienced.

fhrblig > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:07

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Older Hyundai manual transmissions were pretty vague and rubbery, at least the Accents were.

The w orst one I’ve tried recently is the Mitsubishi Mirage, though. The shifter is angled strangely forward and down, and the clutch pedal feel is non-existent.

LoneCoyote > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:07

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Well, most fun yet still slightly annoying is the 1938 ford transmission in my 1930 Ford AV8 I built. 39 was the first synchro’d year, but besides that, I have to hold it in second gear or it pops out and yells at me. Other than that, first and third are fun, so no complaints.

wafflesnfalafel > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:09

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M ilitary surplus M175 Jeep Gladiator based 1 1/4 ton truck my father in law was working on for the local volunteer fire department. I couldn’t even get it gear half the time - it was like the clutch was doing basically nothing while shifting.

Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:10

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Jeep CJ5. Orange jeep, amazing graphics, skinny 33s. Except my feet somehow didn't fit in the pedal box because the pedals were absolutely tiny. Also I didn't know where any gear was because it had the same amount of slack in neutral and in gear. 

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:12

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The worst, a Chevy Aveo. Play while in gear could be measured in inches.

Most disappointing is definitely the Mk7 GTI. It’s why I ended up in a DSG car. It feels like VW deliberately made it feel disconnected to boost DSG sales, and it worked.  

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:13

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2018 Kia Forte.  

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:14

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I had a ‘99 Camry, 4-cyl, 5sp, and the throttle body was very choppy and it was difficult to get smooth shifts. And the seats murdered my back. Ditched that and bought an ‘89 , which we drove happily for over ten years and over 100,000 miles. That car was automatic and was recently crushed.

My wife had a Ford Ranger work truck at one point that was bloody AWFUL to drive, 5sp, underpowered four-cylinder, extra cab. Rangers are SUCKY to drive, albeit robust and dependable vehicles.

I had a ‘95 F-150 with the I-6 engine and a manual, and that thing was really hard to shift smoothly,

and the last one that comes to mind was a Honda Fit with a five-speed that was the worst shifter ever. Really dreadful and lots of rev hang.

Currently, I own a 2011 Mazda 3 5sp and it’s very much a driver’s car, though road noise and kind of harsh ride.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:14

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I still take a terrible manual over any automatic. 

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:15

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It was a Dodge dart for me. It might as well have been clutch-by-wire, you couldn’t feel anything through the clutch at all. The bite point was impossible to gauge. That and the shifter had no notch so you could feel it cick into gear .

Small, FWD, manual cars are supposed to be fun. I’ve driven manual trucks that were more engaging than this.

MiniGTI - now with XJ6 > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:20

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Fairly new  Early 90’s Plymouth Breeze, a friend’s parent’s when we were in high school.  Only drove it a tiny bit and though I was pretty proficient at manual I remember the clutch being really snappy and hard to engage smoothly.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:21

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My 1995 Eagle Talon TSI AWD, but only a few months after I sold it. I had an opportunity to drive it again after someone had “worked on it” and it was fucking awful. The pedal effort was ridiculously higher and all the gears were way harder to find.

MM54 > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:22

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The 4-speed in a 1980 c30-based box van I drove was more better than the manual in a brand new (2015) jeep wrangler.

shop-teacher > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:38

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The trans in the RallyMetro was pretty bad. Once you upshifted into 2nd, you couldn't get back into first without coming to a full and complete stop. Downshifting from 3rd into 2nd was also a double-clutching chore that didn't work more often than it did. Still way better than an automatic Metro though!

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 21:52

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I’ ve never met a bad new manual gearbox but I’ve met quite a few attached to completely ordinary new cars. They typically failed to show the not really terrible gearbox in the best light. Most memorable of these was in the XJ Cherokee.

The worst I ever used was in a Dastun 180B and the linkages were stuffed. It was like trying to stir custard with a deflated penis.

Tristan > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 02/03/2019 at 21:59

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I own a manual XJ Cherokee. The XJ is an objectively terrible vehicle, but it’s charming in all of its faults. Overall, the manual is an improvement over the automatic, especially offroad.

Tristan > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 02/03/2019 at 22:00

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I drove a Dart Ralleye when it was brand new. I didn’t hate the shifter, but the clutch sure had a weird lack of feel going on.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:00

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your point about the drive by wire throttle hits it right on the head. I was trying to come up with something worse than the saginaw-i-think 4 speed in my 81 A cadian. It was fine going forward but jumped out of reverse giving it any kind of gas. But my biggest complaint has been the drive by wire throttle ruining a perfectly good manual transmission that its not even a part of. My 2010 V ibe had the same personality as your friend’s Camry. A nd the Dodge N itro I drive now tends to let the revs hang for a second or so. But I’m sure the gearboxes themselves are fine, but the combination of delayed throttle response and dedicated manual trans engine software being a little weird, it’s lost something in translation.  The shift and clutching are manual, but the gas really isn’t anymore.  I’ve had and still have cars with carbs that are just better at doing what they’re told, which is why we dig driving a stick in the first place.    But I wouldn’t have even come across my current ride had it not been a manual.  I’ve stuck to my “I drive a standard” guns for a long time. Even if they ain’t what they used to be, I’m sure I’d just hate the slusher. 

Urambo Tauro > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:01

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Three-on-a-tree in some (’80s, I think it was) Ford pickup. Been a long time and I just barely remember the experience, but it wasn’t pleasant. Terrible place for a manual shifter.

Tristan > shop-teacher 02/03/2019 at 22:01

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Indeed! I’ve driven a good condition 3-cyl manual Metro, and it was a total blast. I imagine the RallyMetro’s synchros had seen better days.

Tristan > Clown Shoe Pilot 02/03/2019 at 22:02

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Did the new owner install a ridiculous clutch and then fill the trans with 80w90?

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:04

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Think the one I drove was a rallye. It went something like this: “Okay I think the clutch is engaged let’s give it some gas” *engine revs freely * “dammit”

Tristan > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 02/03/2019 at 22:04

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I worked as a valet when these came out. I got in one with a 5-speed once, and thought “my lord, this must have a million miles!” Everything felt worn out and the shifter was a spoon in a bowl of jello.

It had less than 200 miles on it. No, not 200 thousand, two hundred. Like, it was still on its original tank of gas.

dogisbadob > LoneCoyote 02/03/2019 at 22:04

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I didn’t know they had synchros back then! I thought that started in the 60s and 70s!

Tristan > MM54 02/03/2019 at 22:05

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Really? Wow... a manual 3.6 JK was always on my list of cars I wouldn’t mind owning. Maybe I should drive one.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:05

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I’d say any mid 90’s to 2000 or so Subaru Outback and legacy. The clutch wa s okay but the shifter was like grabbing a 12” rubber dong.

Tristan > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/03/2019 at 22:06

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I would have taken an auto over a manual in that Camry, but I probably would have taken a bus over that Camry.

Tristan > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/03/2019 at 22:06

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*sad trombone*

Tristan > wafflesnfalafel 02/03/2019 at 22:07

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Yeah, but it looked bad ass!

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:07

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You are sounding disturbingly like a Land Rover owner...are you OK? ;)

Oz delivered XJs had a gearstick made from a reproduction Sidchrome thru handle screwdriver. They were positively agricultural  compared to their competition...

t0ast > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:09

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In terms of normal, healthily functioning transmissions: Early 2000s Ford Ranger. L O N G throws with essentially no clutch or shifter feel. It worked fine, but brought with it a whole lot of second-guessing . Throttle response wasn’t great either.

In terms of transmissions in disrepair: A fellow STR autocross competitor’s NB Miata that would like to pop out of first gear while engaging the clutch. The fix for this was to hold it in place the first time you engage the clutch in that gear and then strangely it would be perfectly fine for any subsequent engagements. Definitely something you don’t want to forget rolling up to the starting line.

Tristan > Urambo Tauro 02/03/2019 at 22:09

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It’s been so long since I’ve driven a 3-on-the-tree that I have rose colored glasses. I actually wanted to convert my Studebaker since I had a complete conversion in a parts car, but the parts car met with an untimely demise... (my dad inadvertently lit it on fire and burned it to the ground while torching off a chunk of frame for another rustier project car)

Tristan > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 02/03/2019 at 22:11

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No, I’m not okay... I own 3 shitboxes and one nice car, but I can’t bring myself to love the nice car. I’m not normal.

I have likened my XJ’s shifter to a chunk of rebar sticking out of a bucket of dried concrete in the past...

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:14

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Y’know, that’s a difficult question... I think the worst shift lever ever was in the 2018 Jeep Renegade, that huge plastic sphere knob is god awful... But the actual shift feel and clutch were not too bad really. Jeze, if tractors count there were a plethora of 70's and 80's vintage tractors I’ve driven with vage, notchy shifters, spongy clutches and weak synchros... Then worst possibly being a Kubota... Don’t remember the model... My ‘85 Zetor 5211 was annoying because onl y the 4-5 shift was synchronized, and it was easy to forget that because the shift lever was actually pretty precise, and the hydraulic clutch was genuinely very good, leading to semi- regular grinding when forgetting the limitations of the transmission.

Tristan > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 02/03/2019 at 22:17

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My GLI has some weirdness with the DBW throttle, but it’s limited to first gear take off. The clutch throw is long and vague, and the throttle seems to do its own thing to try to regulate idle... it’s tough to describe, but it makes me roll through stop signs a lot more than I did before this car.

MM54 > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:18

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The engine wa s fine (the pentastar) , but that shifter felt like it belonged in, well, a 30 year old truck. Long, loose, and clunky.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:19

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My dad had a 1979 or so Toyota long bed half ton  with a gazillion miles on it and the shifter play was about 6” in all directions but that was expected and it was quite easy to drive. Not the worst by a long shot, I’d still give that to a 2001 outback.

Tristan > MM54 02/03/2019 at 22:19

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Sounds perfectly Jeepish!

Tristan > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/03/2019 at 22:19

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Zoidberg is your dad?!

shop-teacher > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:20

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They had. Metros are known for weak second gear syncros. XJDano and I swapped this trans in when he delivered it to me , because it was an improvement from the one where 2nd gear was just about impossible to get into.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:21

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My dad was zoiberg before zoiberg was zoiberg.

Urambo Tauro > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:26

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It’s probably not as bad as I’m making it out to be, and the one I tried might have had some problems. But it’s hard to beat a proper floor/console shifter location. The only times I’ve ever wished a stick shift was on the column was while driving with coworkers in a truck with a bench seat. At which point, just give me  an automatic. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder is annoying enough without having to row the gears too.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:30

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By far the worst manual trans I’ve driven was a 2013 Dodge Dart. I actually preferred the auto.

Clutch was numb, completely. No real feed back to speak of. Shifter felt as solid as your average marshmallow, and the knob was made out of cheap plactic that reminded me of Buzz Lightyear’s helmet. 

Tristan > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/03/2019 at 22:36

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I had such high hopes for the Dart, and it was such a press darling in the time leading up to the launch. Such a letdown...

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 02/03/2019 at 22:37

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Same. I worked at a dodge dealership when they were new so drove a few auto ones, even thought about getting one for my wife, when we finally got a manual one I was very excited to try it.

I could not believe how bad it was. I was driving a 220,000 mile 97 Honda Accord at the time. It was leagues better. 

gmctavish needs more space > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:39

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The one in a 1990 Civic a friend had for a while, with 400k kms on it. You could never tell if you were in a gear, let alone what gear that might be. It was like  pushing a wooden spoon through molasses with a bunch of metal in it.

jminer > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:43

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2 times

1st was a ~89 pontiac lemans which was actually a daewoo hatchback. Got it from a neighbor in exchange for mowing his grass for a year and he got the better deal. The linkage always fell out of adjustment and I always had to pick between no reverse or no 5th and it was just awful.

2nd was a ~63 F600 flatbed, actually a pretty cool truck in retrospect but it had lived a hard life hauling heavy shit around an amusement park.  This was in ~2005 and it had not been maintained well.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media 02/03/2019 at 22:44

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The linkages in my 91 Civic were shot. Like 6inches of travel in gear. And you kind of had to “stir” it into 2nd  gear

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:46

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They reeeeeeally should have had an SRT4 version. 

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:53

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Modern vehicles really aren’t set up for manuals. It’s as if the manufacturers don’t want to keep building them or something.

I struggled so bad moving around the class 8 plows at work, couldn't shift without grinding. Then I figured out the clutch brake... Not pushing the pedal down all the way is difficult to teach myself because it just feels wrong.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/03/2019 at 22:53

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yeah, the Dart’s manual was pretty bad, I forget I drove one of those. The clutch was pretty much a joke. T hat had been phoned in. On a crappy analog cell call.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 22:54

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no idea. the check cleared so I really don’t care :)

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies 02/03/2019 at 22:58

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huh, the last Aveo I drove (over 150K miles on it) had a perfectly serviceable transmission, the clutch even had some feedback, which is the usual fault with little modern-ish shitbox manuals...

The Golf Alltrack 6-speed I drove had lovely shift feel, but the clutch was vague and felt like the engagement point drifted, and the gearing was just all wrong. Way too high in the name of fuel economy.

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 23:00

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It seems to be all in an effort to make them easier to drive,  not realising that only the serious 3 pedal loyalists still drive them,  they’re just getting hard to find. 

DipodomysDeserti > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 23:07

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Some are better then others, but I still prefer my shitty manuals over my nice autos. Had a 4 speed Corvair whose clutch in put shaft would pop out of place and a Fiat 500 Abarth with the numbest manual known to man, and I still prefer them   over my wife’s X1 (which has the nicest auto I’ve ever driven).

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t 02/03/2019 at 23:08

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The GTI’s shifter feels exactly like a gaming steering wheel’s shifter.

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 23:09

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You own four cars! I’ve only got one. Though we do have another on permanent loan. And I still get to drive the Beloved’s car. Though none are younger than 2002...

Your XJ description is well within specification.

Rupert Palatipelen > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 23:17

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73 Datsun pickup 620.”lil hust ler” i threw it out of reverse at an angle that left the reverse idler gear engag ed , gave acces s to grind on 1 through 4. Reverse was impossible to wrangle back into place.

ewdudley > Urambo Tauro 02/03/2019 at 23:27

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Right, same experience with a 67 GMC half-ton short-box straight-six. Not the transmission so much as the shifting mechanism. Plus the leaf springs would resonate and destroy the transmission when backing up in mud, no matter the operator’s skill level. When faced with replacing the transmission for the second time I found the least-cash route was to replace both engine and transmission with a 401 Carter-AFB-equipped nail-head and Dynaflow from a ‘62 Electra 225, a road salt casualty. Transmission output shaft splines turned out to be the same, so only modifications were to shorten the truck’s drive shaft, make room for the exhaust manifolds with a sledge, fabricate engine and transmission mounts, and attach a piece of bar-stock protruding up into the cabin for a shifter. With the original 3.64 differential it would march right up to a buck-twenty as fast as anything, except that one 383 six-pack. Sure do miss that truck, but the 982 six speed is a worthy replacement.

syaieya > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 23:31

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Maybe I was just lacking in talent, being the 4th or 5th car I had driven stick. Maybe something was wrong with the car.

But the us spec 190E 2.3-16

It was finicky and felt so low on power, it didnt like being in low gears.

Just a sobering experience

Skierx > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/03/2019 at 23:34

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2008 pt cruiser convertible I bought for my wife. Notchy didn't describe it. I have driven old farm tractors that shifted better. But in the same vein my Jeep from the same vintage shifted great. But it was the last small car with a stick we will ever get to buy.

Heretic Auto > Tristan 02/03/2019 at 23:43

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My current '63 ford f100. When I got it, it had 180k miles and nothing had ever been rebuilt. Its an old t-18. No synchro for 1st or reverse. 1st is a uselss granny gear, so theres no point in grinding trying to shove it in only to get to 5mph and need to shift. Before i put a new spring and alignment pin in it, there was almos no differentiating 3rd and reverse until you heard a grind. 

Tristan > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 02/03/2019 at 23:53

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It might be a little harder to stall, but it’s sure hard to get going without the herky-jerkies.

Tristan > DipodomysDeserti 02/03/2019 at 23:57

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I had a Fox body 4 cylinder Mustang that I converted from auto to manual. The clutch setup for the manual had a “dogbone cable” which was a short little 2"-ish cable with a ball swedge on each end. It had to be replaced monthly because the damn swedges would pop off. Luckily it was easy to drive without a clutch. Even with that nuisance it was better than the automatic.

Tristan > Heretic Auto 02/04/2019 at 00:02

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My first car was an ‘87 F-150 with a 300 I-6 and a T-18. It loved to get stuck in 3rd gear and would take some coaxing to shift to the next gear. The unsynchronized 1st gear was fun for a teenage me to get used to. I thought it was broken at first. The truck was slow and majorly thristy, but I sure do miss it.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/04/2019 at 00:17

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This car is going to kill your soul. Better get out sooner than later...

DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 00:19

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If it’s a factory N/A Subaru with a stick, the manual probably sucks. I’ve driven Crosstreks and Foresters with a manual, and both had awful clutch feedback and spongy shifter feel. I hated both of them, and it actually makes me thankful my Outback is a CVT.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 00:23

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My 95 XJ with the 4.0, 231 tcase and an ax15 5 speed. The transmission itself shifted awesome, very smooth and engaging. But that clutch oh my god. First of all the xj chassis was not designed with a clutch pedal in mind. To put the clutch to t he floor I had to have my hip up against the door card. and on the 95-96 xjs equipped with the ax15 they used the same clutch hydraulics as the YJ, but with a longer master cylinder line. So the clutch was so unbelievably stiff. I did so many accidental burnouts in that thing because my knee gave out too early when releasing the clutch. I’d buy another one if it had an automatic in a heartbeat tho ugh. Loved everything else about it.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/04/2019 at 00:29

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Its been a while sinxce I've been on oppo, when did the crazy kanuck go mashuga?  Btw, your hebrew translation is awesome

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 02/04/2019 at 00:34

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I went to Russia, learned the Soviet way. Then I figured after that I would need a cleansing experience. 

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/04/2019 at 00:40

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Well glad to see everything is  

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever 02/04/2019 at 00:41

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Meh, financially it is good for me. I still have the ST to cleanse my palate.  I really need to buy a home in 2020, so trying to save every penny. Homes are very expensive here.

Tristan > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 02/04/2019 at 01:18

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My wife had an Outback as a company car for a while. The CVT was much less horrible than Nissan’s.

Tristan > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 02/04/2019 at 01:22

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I managed to find an aluminum slave cylinder for mine. It’s smoother and requires less effort than the stock plastic one, but the clutch is still fairly heavy and gets a bit tiresome in heavy traffic. The AW4 automatic is certainly durable, but that’s about all the nice stuff I can say about it. I had a few solenoid issues, NSS issues, and then there’s the annoying bit about how the torque converter won’t lock until 45 MPH so the damn thing gets blazing hot at lower speeds and slow traffic. I have zero regrets about my AX-15 conversion.

Manbearfish > DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish! 02/04/2019 at 02:24

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I have the 18 crosstrek the drive by wire and rev hang make it very hard to rev match. It feels like an eternity waiting for the rpms come down.

DoomsdayMelody > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 02:29

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Only owned one manual and it’s been a dream, the B6 in the mk7 fiesta st. While it’s been great it’s certainly taught me to appreciate autos a bit more... especially good ones, like the 6 speed in any Mazda. 

DutchieDC2R > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 03:13

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The problem that I have, especially after rebuilding my transmission recently, is that most other transmissions feel like butter now. The worst though, was from a 1.5 VTEC E Civic MB (1997 MY). It had absolutely no feel of whether it was in a gear or not. The throws were unbelievably long. Awful.

NKato > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 05:58

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N ever driven a manual, period. Thinking about buying a shitty manual car to practice in for a couple weeks before I send it to the scrapyard.

JimDanger > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 02/04/2019 at 06:04

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It wasn’t that bad, I learned to drive on a 95', and having known nothing but agricultural vehicles until then the Jeep at least had feel. It was a durable clutch as well, lasting 180k including my abuse.

Magic Shawnson > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 06:18

1

Interesting note about the XJ! My ZJ clutch seems fairly engaging; Stiffer than most 4cyl cars but definitely lighter than most trucks. Being a production mechanic at a high volume dealer in the past, I’ve had to drive every used car for sale you can think of, and I think my personal worst was always the more modern higher end V8 muscle cars as far as stiffness goes. I remember driving a 13 Camero when they just came out where the clutch was so heavy I felt like I was at the gym on the leg press. I thought my hip was gnna give out. It was either on or off too, once it started to catch it caught. The one thing that I will say about the ZJ clutch is that it does get really sloppy and doesn’t return well when it’s below 10 degrees, and I hate that the master and slave aren’t bleedable and are sealed and prebled from factory. But it’s so much better than the 42RE, I have no idea why Chrysler decided to switch the ZJ from the AW4 to that monstrosity. Maybe the larger body of the ZJ allows for less awkward clutch movement than your XJ, or the other XJ’s I drove had different designs? Either way it definitely is a narrower vehicle! But not quite as narrow as my 93' Miata. Now that thing was cramped!

Bondovw > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 06:36

2

2018 jeep compass . I was so happy to find a manual transmission. I always buy sticks. The more I drove it the worse it felt. I just couldn’t connect with it. It was so sloppy . I have been driving manual transmissions for 37 years. This is one time I should have got a automatic. I only kept it for a short time. 

Bondovw > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 02/04/2019 at 06:40

1

You must have never driven a jeep compass 

Syphious > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 06:51

2

If its not cable driven try doing a throttle position reset. I had a Mk4 with a Vr6 for a while and I couldn’t stand driving it until I reset what the computer had “learned” for the throttle .

Seems to need to be reset yearly when it gets really noticable so if it’s newerish it’s worth a try. Glad my current cars are cable driven lol. Cable clutches I like too depending  on the car.

MrQ > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 07:38

0

93 Explorer Limited converted to the M5OD. First manual I ever had. Love it, but talk about LONG throw: 3rd puts the shifter in the dash, 4th makes you lose ALL your cupholders in the center console and 5th might as well be shifted by the passenger. 

2nd has it’s good and bad days. Wouldn't trade it for the world though!

sjholland > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 08:00

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My 95 Ford f150 with 302 & five  speed isn't the best design work the Mazda trans. I'm sure many are familiar with it. It's almost like you need to be able to dump the clutch. With the non-slip rearend it can be something else and took like a year or two to get used to. 

Dex > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 08:20

2

Aside from some old trucks , which frankly just drove like trucks, so no surprise there, 2 cars come to mind. First is the Dodge Dart, I’ve never felt more isolated from the transmission, you can’t feel a single thing and I hate it. That combined with the extremely dimwitted drive-by-wire throttle just made it really unpleasant. The other has to be the Kia Forte Koup. I dunno what Kia was doing, but it’s damn near impossible to do anything smoothly in that car, everything was jerky, the shifter was awful and easy to miss gears if you wanted to drive spiritedly, just really bad.

DipodomysDeserti > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 08:22

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Yeah, this thing had a reall stiff clutch and the pedal was bare metal. If your foot slipped off the clutch while letting it out it would spring back and pop out of the transmission. I once lost it while in gear, so I just had to turn the engine off at stoplights, then fire her back up when I was ready to move. The engine made enough torque and the car was light enough that she would rocket forward with the clutch fully engaged.

Tim > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 08:45

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The only "bad" stick shift I ever had was a 1988 4WD Ranger with the 2.3 liter 4-cylinder. I think it was a Mazda transmission. I tried to go through what looked like a puddle 3 feet across, and sank the front end up to the transmission crossmember. I was able to Reverse out, but the transmission wouldn't go back into 1st after that. Had to get towed back to base and never drove it again.

ateamfan42 > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 08:53

4

93 Chevy S10 Blazer.

Clutch pedal sat a good 6 inches closer to the driver than the brake. Getting your foot up onto the clutch involved putting your knee up by your ear. And with all that travel, the clutch didn’t bite until the very last half inch of throw.

Coupled with that was vague shifter with so much slop that it moved side to side in gear just as far as it did as in neutral.

troyminer7 > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 09:23

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A lot of the people here are talking about manuals that are worn out and broken. I bet when it was new it wasn’t brilliant but nowhere near as bad as they’re saying.

Worst manual for me was a 2006 Chevy Aveo. It’s the kind of manual that probably made at least some people hate them, because they never got to experience a better transmission in another car. The shifter had this super plasticy knob and the throws were long and rubbery, genuinely felt like mush. The clutch was numb, had about the tactile feedback and preciseness of creamed corn and felt like it might be hard to use for a beginner. The gearing is way too tall for the car as well. Still better than the auto and a fun car, drove my friends and  50 felt mildly scary and you could just throw this thing around everywhere.

troyminer7 > Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer 02/04/2019 at 09:28

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In my opinion, it depends on the car. Doesn’t surprise me that a dodge nitro has rev hang and isn’t precise to use. My 2018 Mazda 3 has a 6 speed in it and the electronic throttle gives me zero problems. Doesn’t have rev hang, the gas pedal is easy to modulate and use. 

Dash-doorhandle-6 cyl none the richer > troyminer7 02/04/2019 at 09:31

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folks are generally surprised that a manual dodge nitro exists. 

Pickup_man > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 09:32

1

The 5 speed in my 924 was incredibly worn out by the time I owned it. The syncro for second was nearly dead and the one for first was straight gone, second gear had to be gentle shifting up and nearly rev matched shifting down, first was rev match or nothing, and quite often it would pop out of first. The linkage and bushings were so worn out that the shifter play in gear was nearly indistinguishable from neutral. Still though, that was the first, and still only manual car that I’ve owned and I loved every bit of it. 

Kyrgyz Nomad > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 09:33

1

Any old Russian car. And in reality, even the newer UAZ Patriot with Hyundai Dymos transmission is horrendously hard to shift without grinding. Replacing the clutch helps a lot, but it's still like a bad 1970 work truck in a 2017 production car. Lada Niva and zhiguli (2107 semyorka) will barely shift into reverse on a good day. Just saying, any Japanese, American, or European car off most any vintage is better. And don't get me started on the 4 speed in the old UAZ 452 "buhanka", one actually crushed my thumb between the gearshift and the engine cover!

pat > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 09:39

1

‘ 95 f150 regular cab with the 4.9 I6. Great engine with (what felt like) a lot of power, but God damn. T hat manual transmission was like rowing a boat, with a massive leak, 1 handed, blindfolded, and wearing a cast on a  broken wrist from driving it. You would look in the mirror after hours of driving and notice your left leg is JACKED compared to your right from the clutch. Gosh, miss that truck...

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 09:51

2

Subaru Legacy GT. Just kind of a crap car in general, really, but the shifter was the icing on the cake.

AkursedX > Tristan 02/04/2019 at 10:01

1

I spent about 2-minutes in a Saturn Vue with 160k miles on it.  I swear the linkage was held together by rubber bands and bubble gum.  And the clutch pedal feel was nonexistant.   

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 02/04/2019 at 10:21

0

You’d never be able to drive a Chrysler A555 then.

Non-hydraulic.