BEST & WORST stickshift you've ever had to use?

[Rupert]

Vertigo

[93JC]

Dial M for Murder

[MX793]

The 39 Steps

[93JC]

STFU, Strangers on a Train!

[MX793]

Mr & Mrs Smith?

[Submariner]

Meet the Spartans?

[Rupert]

I think we've covered the ones I've seen...

[The Pirate]

I think my BF's Accord has a fantastic shift. Slinky, but with firm positive mechanical feedback once you're in gear. Not "snik snik" - the throws are too long -- more like "schlunk! schlunk!".

Yeah, I was always impressed with the shifter in my Civic and in my dad's Accord.  Good feedback and decent throws and all that - certainly better than the transmissions of it's competitors.

Best that I've driven is an AP1 Honda S2000.  Like Onslaught said, perhaps a bit too smooth, but it right now engagement and no chance of a mis-shift. 

Worst would be a tie between my friend's 1975 Porsche 914 (original linkage) and my 1991 Ford Ranger.  The Porsche was very balky and had a lot of resistance.  The Ford tranny worked as it should, it was just a truck transmission. 

[Rupert]

Yeah, the 914 was kind of known for a mushy shifter.

[The Pirate]

Yeah, the 914 was kind of known for a mushy shifter.

To be fair to the car, the linkage was 30 years old when I drove the car.  But yeah, it seems that shifters from that era just weren't that good.

[Rupert]

The MG isn't too bad. I think it was a weak firewall and mediocre linkage to start with on the 914.

[2o6]

Bit of an update since I have driven far more cars



Best: 2002 MINI Cooper

Worst: 2003? Saturn VUE.

Seriously disappointing: 2004 Nissan Maxima (6MT)

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

Best: '94 Accord
Worse: '97 6 cylinder Silverado

[Eye of the Tiger]

  NB Miata

my '79 Chevy C10 3-on-the-tree

[MexicoCityM3]

Worst: My aunt?s 70?s vintage Ford Pickup truck.
Best: Porsche 911 GT3 & 1M

[Byteme]

Best:  Probably my 95 Miata.

Worst:  1950's era Dodge 4WD ambulance we had at the dispensary.  You didn't shift gears, you just kind of stirred around with a big stick until something engaged.  And the clutch was designed to give you shin splints.

[AutobahnSHO]

Worst: 1983 Civic, the clutch and tranny had been rebuilt by an amateur mechanic. You really couldn't tell which gear you were in, the shifter wiggled more side to side once it was in gear than when it was in neutral..

Best: either my SHO (which had the improved "rod" shifter instead of original cable linkage, introduced late in the '91 model) or a ~2002 Renault Laguna I rented in Germany..

[Soup DeVille]

Best: my poor lost S2000.

Worst: Mack R600 Coolpower

[hounddog]

1994 Mustang GT.  

Worst stick ever.

Best, hmmmm.  I think I have to go with the 2010 Viper SRT-10 my neighbor has.

[MrH]

Best: my poor lost S2000.

Worst: Mack R600 Coolpower

Whatever happened to that S2000 anyways?

[68_427]

Best:  '68 Corvette


Silky smooth and direct, but long throws.


Only one I've driven.  :P

[280Z Turbo]

Best: 1991 Honda CRX Si
Worst: 1987 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V

Not sure if anyone here has ever seen the shift linkage on a MkI water cooled VW, but there are about 64.2 joints in there that all introduce a lot of slop. When it gets worn, it's almost unusable.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Best: 1991 Honda CRX Si
Worst: 1987 Volkswagen Scirocco 16V

Not sure if anyone here has ever seen the shift linkage on a MkI water cooled VW, but there are about 64.2 joints in there that all introduce a lot of slop. When it gets worn, it's almost unusable.

I have driven an Mk1 diesel Jetta, and it was like there were no particular spots for any gears. The lever just went all over in different places. Some of those places made wheels turn.

[Raza]

Whatever happened to that S2000 anyways?

New kid came around, he sold it.  Person who bought it wrecked it.  As I recall. 

[sportyaccordy]

I have driven an Mk1 diesel Jetta, and it was like there were no particular spots for any gears. The lever just went all over in different places. Some of those places made wheels turn.

I'm gonna say the best now is my bike. Barely even have to disengage the clutch to upshift. Low effort + precise engagement = win

[giant_mtb]

In my relatively limited experience (essentially, my only experience beyond my own vehicle has been with customer cars)...

Best: The Audi's

Worst: 2009-ish Subaru 5-speed. 

Even the 1998-ish ranger manual I drove wasn't as sloppy as the much-newer Subaru's.  Virtually no clutch pedal travel at all and gating that felt like Jell-O.  I never stalled it or missed a gear or anything, but damn was it a chore.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Rangers are cool to shift. Mazda makes good tranny.
Believe it or not, Accent with the BM short shifter is near the top of my list. Econo car with a cable shifter that *snick snicks* LOL.

[Rupert]

The transmission in my Explorer (probably same as same-year Rangers') is easy, but it has a lot of notchiness.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The transmission in my Explorer (probably same as same-year Rangers') is easy, but it has a lot of notchiness.

Same/same. Notchy, with a heavy clutch. Women need not apply.

[MX793]

I'm gonna say the best now is my bike. Barely even have to disengage the clutch to upshift. Low effort + precise engagement = win

Most bike gearboxes can be shifted clutchlessly with little effort (particularly upshifts).

I've often thought it would be cool to have a bike style ratcheting sequential shifter, with driver operated clutch, in a car.  Super precise, never miss a gear engagement while retaining mechanical shifter feel and full driver control over the clutch.