# Worst manual trannie you've ever driven?



## LA525iT (Oct 27, 2003)

So what's the worst manual transmission new car (trucks excluded) you've ever had an opportunity to drive? I'm not talking about 15 year old VW's with bad clutches. I mean, newish cars you've owned, borrowed, test-driven.

For me, it would have to be the Subaru Forrester. The clutch had zero feel and very little travel so I couldnt tell where it engaged. In addition, the throws were sloppy and imprecise, although they did require very little effort.


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## Artslinger (Sep 2, 2002)

Ford Pinto.


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## Jeff_DML (Mar 13, 2002)

another manual thread  

worst ever is wifes saturn sc2(? coupe thingy). clutch feel was non-existent, stick felt like what I imagine a tractor to be like. I would prefer to drive old school beetle with no syncros over that thing. :bigpimp:


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## Chris90 (Apr 7, 2003)

VW GTI

My mother's '86 Chevy Celebrity wagon


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## GregE_325 (Jan 16, 2002)

Mazda 3. There's absolutely no way to ride the clutch enough to smooth out the engagement. To call it jerky would be an understatement.


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## Kaz (Dec 21, 2001)

GregE_325 said:


> Mazda 3. There's absolutely no way to ride the clutch enough to smooth out the engagement. To call it jerky would be an understatement.


I thought the 3's clutch was better than my E46.


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## Jever (Apr 16, 2003)

My buddies 99(?) Mustang Cobra. The stick feels about 10ft long, the clutch must travel about 300ft before it engages/disengages. I hate getting stuck driving that thing! Next up would be my best friends wifes 2000 or 2001 Honda Passport or Nissan Pathfinder, whatever the hell that truck is the stick in that is craptastic.


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## Jeff_DML (Mar 13, 2002)

Kaz said:


> I thought the 3's clutch was better than my E46.


yeah description sounds like our bimmer


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## stewthebassman (Nov 10, 2004)

My Ex-Bimmer. The E46 2004 BMW 325i. Drove me nuts, even after CDV, SSK, and clutch stop.


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## Stuka (Jul 17, 2002)

LA525iT said:


> So what's the worst manual transmission new car (trucks excluded) you've ever had an opportunity to drive? I'm not talking about 15 year old VW's with bad clutches. I mean, newish cars you've owned, borrowed, test-driven.
> 
> For me, it would have to be the Subaru Forrester. The clutch had zero feel and very little travel so I couldnt tell where it engaged. In addition, the throws were sloppy and imprecise, although they did require very little effort.


2003 Porsche 911 Turbo, worst clutch, bar none. :thumbdwn:

It is so damn light and vague, that Hack had to slip the crap out of it to not stall the first time he drove it. After a year of driving it, I finally am not stalling it any more. :tsk:

Contrary to the grab and go E30 325is clutch that just grabs and goes at the same engagement point every time, it really p*ss me off that they had to put a worthless light clutch in the Turbo to cater to the old farts who probably would have just bought the automatic anyway. :thumbdwn:


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## GregE_325 (Jan 16, 2002)

Kaz said:


> I thought the 3's clutch was better than my E46.


 Unforunately for me, my E46 was a Step (please don't hate me). The last manual I owned was a 97 Honda Prelude, which was silky smooth. I'm looking forward to test driving an E90 by the end of the year, so I can decide whether or not I want to order one in early '06.

But the Mazda's clutch is just plain grabby. I've driven plenty of manuals in the past and had little problem adjusting and making things work smoothly, but I just can't get the Mazda to cooperate. I've ridden in a base model 6 with the same engine/transmission as my 3s, and I noticed the guy driving was experiencing the same thing. So I feel better that it's not completely my fault.....but it still aggravates the crap out of me.

-- Greg


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## vexed (Dec 22, 2001)

My Dad's vintage 1970's SAABs, combination of FWD and bad clutches. I once snapped the gear shift lever in two trying to shift on a cold day.


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## brkf (May 26, 2003)

LA525iT said:


> So what's the worst manual transmission new car (trucks excluded) you've ever had an opportunity to drive? I'm not talking about 15 year old VW's with bad clutches. I mean, newish cars you've owned, borrowed, test-driven.
> 
> For me, it would have to be the Subaru Forrester. The clutch had zero feel and very little travel so I couldnt tell where it engaged. In addition, the throws were sloppy and imprecise, although they did require very little effort.


Wow, of current cars i've driven, I'd put the following as worst (absolute worst at no 1 spot down):

1. Ford Mustang
2. Subaru Legacy GT 2.5
3. CTS
4. G35 6 MT
5. 03 330i ZHP (my car)
6. Audi A3 6 MT

best in the past few years:

1. Acura TSX
2. Mazda Miata
3. Mazda Mazda3
4. Mazda Protege
5. Honda Accord Coupe V6


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## Artslinger (Sep 2, 2002)

My Sunbeam was kind of a bitch... first gear had no scyncro.


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

Worst manual tranny setup ever for me was on a Renault Fuego. The shifter action was ok but rubbery, but the clutch used this hellaciously long cable that wrapped around the engine. I broke a cable about every 6,000 miles. 

Worst overall tranny and clutch recently had to be my boss' 01 Mercedes C240. Numb clutch and vague shifting action. Very nasty.


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## Jeff_DML (Mar 13, 2002)

gojira-san said:


> Worst manual tranny setup ever for me was on a Renault Fuego. The shifter action was ok but rubbery, but the clutch used this hellaciously long cable that wrapped around the engine. I broke a cable about every 6,000 miles.
> 
> Worst overall tranny and clutch recently had to be my boss' 01 Mercedes C240. Numb clutch and vague shifting action. Very nasty.


 :rofl: a couple of friends who had a fuego, they loved them, turbo I think, they eventually totaled one of them


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

Jeff_DML said:


> :rofl: a couple of friends who had a fuego, they loved them, turbo I think, they eventually totaled one of them


I had a turbo also. It wasn't a bad little car for FWD, if you didn't mind the clutch cables breaking or trim parts falling off the car at random times... :rofl:


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## Tangent (Jan 18, 2004)

The current Civic Si. The shifter itself was great and in a perfect location. The clutch pedal on the other hand felt completely dead. You get better feedback from a cheap video game controlller pedal set. The worst shifter was the 84 GTI I had years ago. With a short throw shift kit it became tolerable but stock was horrid. It felt like the entire pattern was ~2" wide by a foot and a half long. It was hard to tell if you were in 1st, 3rd, or 5th by just looking at the shift. While in those gears the shifter was practically in the dash, but when in 2nd and 4th it felt like it was almost to the seatback.


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## Matthew330Ci (Sep 9, 2002)

worst: mercedes c230 coupe 6 speed, a rubbery pos

best: honda s2000


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## gojira-san (Mar 1, 2004)

Matthew330Ci said:


> worst: mercedes c230 coupe 6 speed, a rubbery pos


I drove my boss' C240 sedan with the 6 speed the other week. Yeah no feel in either the clutch or the shifting mechanism. Horrid.


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