r/ManualTransmissions

I don’t want this personally 🤮. But this may appeal to a stick shift human, who wants a “manual” in their ⚡️🚙

Hi everyone,

I only started driving manuals a few months ago and I’m still learning small things about how the car feels. But now my shifts feel smoother sometimes and it depends on how I hold the shifter and it got me wondering if the actual car gear knob itself can change the feeling of shifting or if it’s mostly just in my head.

My current knob is very light plastic and honestly feels kind of cheap. I borrowed my friend’s car for a short drive and his had a heavier metal knob. The shifts somehow felt more solid and smoother to me, especially going into 2nd and 3rd. Maybe coincidence, maybe not.

I started looking online and got overwhelmed fast. Some people swear weighted knobs improve shifting feel, while others say it changes almost nothing and is mostly cosmetic. While going through some online stuff on Alibaba which many had fake brand logos and weird weight claims, so now I don’t know what’s actually good quality anymore.

Please let it don't be like am trying to make the car look sporty or anything. I just want my driving to feel a little more comfortable and consistent while I learn.

Do heavier gear knobs actually help with smoother shifts?

Or is proper technique way more important than the knob itself?

Thank you to anyone who replies. I’m trying to learn without developing bad habits 🙏

Hey I’m new here but here’s the rundown, I originally had a manual mustang but it blew up after a few day s (I know I know) but regardless I found a beautiful 3000gt (one of my fav cars) with only 55k miles, only thing is it’s a manual and I’m not sure if I would enjoy daily driving it or not so I’m nervous on making a purchase, any advice?

I’m obviously a learner driver and i think i just messed up the car. Was driving and was trying to go 2nd to 3rd and i think i went into first instead ( not 100% sure but what else could it be) , the car pretty much stopped as if i jammed on the brakes, the car still feels fine to drive but theres a very noticeable whining noise now when driving. Cant really hear the wine in first, barely in second and it gets louder the faster the car is. It’s also louder when accelerating but when foot is on the clutch the noise stops so is the gearbox badly damaged?

Getting ready to get into a c6 manual in a few days and just wondering if holding the car at the bite point and then adding 1.5k rpm till the car gets to 4-6 mph is the best way to take off?

https://preview.redd.it/7idrb8tmsg2h1.png?width=960&format=png&auto=webp&s=0668fcede72068bdc3379cc6b173919d425cfb94

I have been driving a 1.5L 6spd Honda Fit for a couple of years now, mostly highway to work. I go early so I drive calmly and listen mostly to podcasts. Recently I started listening to heavy metal in the car after i installed aftermarket speakers, and i realise that i usually forget to shift and would drive highway speed at gear 4 instead of 6, or i would go 40mph at gear 2 in certain sections of the road where I’m going downhill. This also happens if i open the windows and the wind is loud enough to mask the engine noise.
Car has a small engine rev gauge so not that easy to see sometimes.
Am I stuck with windows up and podcast/calm music only or is there a solution?
Thanks all!

Bought a wrx a year ago and have loved every minute of it. Although I love it even after a year I still find myself shifting bad or slow. Even after a year I still have a hard time finding the bite point. When I started I was more so relying on letting out the clutch slower to smooth out a shift or specifically when rolling in first (like in a parking lot). Now with some experience I still have times where I jerk the car in 1st 1st gear and 1st to 2nd shifts still are such a pain for me and very slow shifts I feel like every time a light turns green cars are on my ass because of my slow shifts. Any advice? I did have to break some and shifting habits from riding dirt bikes my entire life with their wet clutch difference

I have been driving my father's car for 7 years but now I can afford to buy a car and I thought driving a manual would be fun, but my father tells me it is a bad idea because cars with manual transmission are old and will require a lot of repairs, and also that driving a manual is tiring because my country has a lot of traffic usually. I really want to do it not just for fun but also to learn more about cars, but I am not sure if buying an old car to drive a manual is a good idea while automatic cars are easier to drive and they give no headache. So what do you think, Is it a good idea or am I just giving myself trouble?

Today I drove a car for the first time 😭

Didn’t do too bad honestly, but I’m struggling with clutch-speed coordination.

Any tips from experienced drivers on how to get smoother control and confidence as a beginner ?

I daily a brz ts to the office every day, and my current dress shoes slip off the pedals all the time. Does anyone have any recommendations for dress shoes that don’t suck to drive in? They need to be brown with black soles

Let’s have a good healthy discussion lads.

What’s a manual gearbox you were pleasantly surprised with? Something that either felt nicer than the price range of the car, surprisingly clean feeling, incredibly strong and reliable etc. bonus points: your favorite manual vehicle you’ve owned or driven.

For me: the P1 Volvo m56 trans is stellar. It feels very sporty. Short, clean shifting, you know you’re in the gear, and it almost guides you. It’s crazy fun to drive the S40 with it. It’s up there with the 01E from my S4 as far as favorite feeling gearboxes.

The BK Mazda 3 manual is also great for a daily/beginner. Super soft and easy clutch, very forgiving, but still enjoyable and not-vague feeling. Not something I’d expect from a base model from 05.

Worst gearbox I’ve ever had the displeasure was from a clapped out mk6.