Just not that fun...

"qbeezy" (qbeezy)
05/02/2015 at 10:09 • Filed to: NO RAGRETS

So a couple weeks ago when I got my new *used* car, I test drove another car. It was a manual. I went there to drive it initially. And I hate to say this... No I don’t.

IT WASN’T FUN

This is the car in question. Some might say that it has a terrible gearbox. Others may say that its the cars fault. Some will even say I wasn’t doing it right. OH I WAS.

IT JUST WASN’T FUN

It was like that sweet NA Miata you bought from a sketchy farmer who happened to keep the car after catching a shady systems administrator porking his... Pork? It seems like it is awesome and good, then you’re fixing it more than you’re driving it. It becomes a chore. A hindrance. Like going to watch your kid play soccer. Nobody wants to see a bunch of bobble heads kick a ball to only look forward to the pizza and ice cream while you search for the last air freshener at Dollar General.

It was exciting at first. After all, finding a manual is a rare thing. Then I left the lot. Then I came immediately back. Then I bought the AT. Yup, never looking back. I will probably never daily a manual, and that’s okay. With how much they talk about manuals, don’t feel pressured to try one. Honestly, most manuals suck. They are like great wine. They are rare and don’t taste very good.

If I ever get the need to shift on my own, I’ll just use the paddle shifters.

DISCUSSION (20)

trmoore09 > qbeezy
05/02/2015 at 10:13

Not even one single letter?

LongbowMkII > qbeezy
05/02/2015 at 10:16

I mean you did drive it off the lot. Like all the way. So this is a well formed opinion.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > qbeezy
05/02/2015 at 10:16

Honestly, most manuals suck. They are like great wine. They are rare and don’t taste very good.

Not a sommelier, I see.

Anyway, the thing with manuals is that they tend to only be good in very specific cars. I’ve found that the easiest ones to live with tend to be installed in BMWs or Minis.

The front drive VW manual transaxle I had at one time was also decently good.

The rear drive Nissan I had was not. The Subaru BRZ I test drove? OK, but forgettable.

The worn out Audi gearbox? We don’t even go there. I’d rather have an unsyncroed gearbox on an old Series Land Rover (1 and 2 unsyncroed, 3 and 4 single cone synchro)

qbeezy > trmoore09
05/02/2015 at 10:16

Nope! lol

Coty > qbeezy
05/02/2015 at 10:17

So a couple weeks ago when I got my new *used* car, I test drove another car. It was a manual. I went there to drive it initially. And I hate to say this... No I don’t.

What?

qbeezy > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
05/02/2015 at 10:20

Unfortunately, I can’t speak about the BMW as my economic status won’t allow me on the lot. But I have driven a Mazda, Ford, Honda, Nissan and Chevy. I’d rather drink an unflavored pedialite everyday. Now, I will say that I’ll try a BMW manual one day and keep my mind open and judge it fairly.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > LongbowMkII
05/02/2015 at 10:21

Also, because Hyundai is the only company in the whuuurrrrld that makes manual gearboxes.

So Hyundai cheaped on the manual gearbox and clutch in the Genesis Coupe. Not a sound reason to write off all manuals whatsoever.

qbeezy > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
05/02/2015 at 10:25

Not just this one. I’ve driven a focus manual, s2000, and a NC Miata to name a few. It just wasn’t fun. It’s like COD. Some like it others don’t. This isn’t about the merit of the gearbox. There just wasn’t anything there. No heart racing, palpitations. Just “meh” I’m good.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > qbeezy
05/02/2015 at 10:27

Honestly, most manuals suck. They are like great wine. They are rare and don’t taste very good.

Hehehe. That’s sort of how I feel about manuals and wine as well. Most manuals (in a reasonable price range) are just not that good. Hell Even the Tremec TR6060 in my Challenger SRT8 was notchy and not that great.

Textured Soy Protein > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
05/02/2015 at 10:29

League of elite manual shifters, ranked:

1. Honda S2000
2. Mazda Miata
3. Mazda RX-8
4. Honda/Acura K20-equipped cars (RSX, EP3 Si, etc)
5. Mazda FD RX-7

BMW shifters are ok but nothing amazing. Not in the same league as these cars.

qbeezy > Luc - The Acadian Oppo
05/02/2015 at 10:32

I just did get that “feeling”. And that’s okay. Manuals are like completely out of bounds here. I just didn’t get the warm and fuzzys!

Textured Soy Protein > qbeezy
05/02/2015 at 10:33

Most paddle shifters suck. They’re attached to boring regular automatics with torque converters and slow shift responses. They take their time to think about and interpret your intentions before actually changing gears. They can’t make up their mind about what gear to select in automatic mode. They are slower than their manual counterparts driven by a halfway competent driver.

There are plenty of mediocre manual transmissions out there but at least they do what you want when you want it and stay out of the way.

Other than a couple Grand Cherokees I’ve used as winter vehicles, the only non-manual car I’ve ever paid money for is my 135is. It’s a DCT, no torque converter.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > qbeezy
05/02/2015 at 10:33

Again, this means Hyundai cheaped on the gearbox. They could have installed a good one, which would have added to the driving experience.

But instead they didn’t, and it ruined the whole thing. Ambivalence is worse than being actively bad.

There’s a very big difference in driving a car with a crap gearbox, in which shifting is a chore, versus one with an excellent gearbox, in which one does not mind (nor even think) about shifting.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Textured Soy Protein
05/02/2015 at 10:39

I’ve driven an S2000, all three Miata generations (I don’t fit in an NA or NB with the top up), and the RX-8 (almost bought one of those).

Hell, I almost bought an S2000 over the Z4. I *didn’t* however...

Honda has good gearboxes, but I didn’t like how I had the feeling in my hand of fighting the dog clutches (to be honest, that one I drove may have been abused). The shifter in the Z4 does what I ask, and it doesn’t give me the feel of fighting the gearbox.

Textured Soy Protein > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
05/02/2015 at 10:48

BMW shifters are just kinda there. They shift, they’re fine, but they’re not particularly satisfying.

I like a nice tight snick-snick gearbox with well-defined gates, short throws, consistent length of throws for all gears, and some weight to it.

All those cars felt like that to me, whereas the assorted manual BMWs I’ve tried over the years were, well like I said, just there. That includes E90 330i, 335i & M3, a couple Z4s, a 135i.

I have a DCT in my 135is. Now that’s a BMW transmission that’s actually interesting.

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > qbeezy
05/02/2015 at 11:42

I only drive manual vehicles. Every manual i have owned was a DD and it was way better than any slushbox. Everything from two 90 ford escorts, a 97 f150, and currently my 03 miata and 97 tuned DSM. (And i have driven numerous other manual cars) I started DD manual my junior year of high school and will not go back. to me its about being in control of the car, i choose when it does what, and people cant steal them as easy. (also none of my cars have TC, ABS, or Stability)

qbeezy > TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
05/02/2015 at 13:22

I'm more concerned for the lack of your modern safety equipment...

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > qbeezy
05/02/2015 at 16:28

while I respect your sentiment, I do not agree

EVERY automatic car I've driven (this includes a DSG GTI) has one thing I dislike about it.

when I need to pass someone, I need to push my foot down first, and the car will downshift accordingly. I absolutely despise this. Downshifting before accelerating is how it is done.

And yes, flappy paddles and manumaticism do help, and don't take this as me saying "hurr durr I can outshift a DSG" because I can't, but even with flappy paddles and that stuff; it just isn't as crisp as when I quickly rev-match my way through 4th-3rd-2nd, and then nail the gas to the floor

qbeezy > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
05/02/2015 at 17:33

You definitely have a point with the downshifting. Paddles have came a long way, but they have even further to go. Shifting with them is jerky and jolting. No where near crisp

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > qbeezy
05/02/2015 at 20:32

exactly. Autos are awesome, and have their place in the auto world. It's just I will never want to own one. even in a supercar; I'd rather it let me fuck myself over by not shifting right