Massive Manual tranny comparo (at Detroit Auto show)
01-15-2002, 03:37 PM
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Massive Manual tranny comparo (at Detroit Auto show)
I was at the Detroit auto show today (for work) and I played with just about every manual tranny I could find to see how it compared to the Maxima and Altima trannies.
The best tranny was found in the Porsche Boxter. Very smooth, very precise, very impressive. The Mercedes SLK Kompressor's 6 was nearly as good.
The worst tranny was found in the Toyota Corolla S. Very stiff, very notchy, quite crappy.
In generals Nissan's tranny's compared very favorably to the better tranny's our there. The 6 speed in the Maxima is quite smooth, with maybe a tad of notchiness (is that even a word?). The 5 in the Altima was similar to the 6 in the Max, but was a little stiffer. The SE-R had a stiffer 6 than the Max. They do not feel the same.
The VW/Audi trannys are very nice also. Nice short throw, and they're smooth.
The Honda S2000 required a bit more effort than I thought it should. But it had a very precise feel to it.
I think it was a new BMW 745 that had a tranny that hung on the shift to 3rd. "Racing" through the gearbox 3rd was very pretty hard to find. Kinda surprised me.
Overall most of the manuals that I tried out were very acceptable with the exception of the Toyota trannies. The MR2 spyder was OK, but not great and the Corolla S and some other Toyota (name is slipping my mind right now) were just terrible.
On a Side note the bose system in the Maxima sound pretty darn good. Now if the dealer would just get my HLSD equiped loaded SE in I would be a happy man.
Stereodude
The best tranny was found in the Porsche Boxter. Very smooth, very precise, very impressive. The Mercedes SLK Kompressor's 6 was nearly as good.
The worst tranny was found in the Toyota Corolla S. Very stiff, very notchy, quite crappy.
In generals Nissan's tranny's compared very favorably to the better tranny's our there. The 6 speed in the Maxima is quite smooth, with maybe a tad of notchiness (is that even a word?). The 5 in the Altima was similar to the 6 in the Max, but was a little stiffer. The SE-R had a stiffer 6 than the Max. They do not feel the same.
The VW/Audi trannys are very nice also. Nice short throw, and they're smooth.
The Honda S2000 required a bit more effort than I thought it should. But it had a very precise feel to it.
I think it was a new BMW 745 that had a tranny that hung on the shift to 3rd. "Racing" through the gearbox 3rd was very pretty hard to find. Kinda surprised me.
Overall most of the manuals that I tried out were very acceptable with the exception of the Toyota trannies. The MR2 spyder was OK, but not great and the Corolla S and some other Toyota (name is slipping my mind right now) were just terrible.
On a Side note the bose system in the Maxima sound pretty darn good. Now if the dealer would just get my HLSD equiped loaded SE in I would be a happy man.
Stereodude
01-15-2002, 05:07 PM
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How can you possibly get a feel of a manual tranny if the car isn't running and moving?
No parts are moving at all in there. No syncros to feel, no upshifting/downshifting. Maybe you can feel how the linkage feels, but thats about it.
No parts are moving at all in there. No syncros to feel, no upshifting/downshifting. Maybe you can feel how the linkage feels, but thats about it.
01-15-2002, 05:26 PM
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Originally posted by njmaxseltd
How can you possibly get a feel of a manual tranny if the car isn't running and moving? No parts are moving at all in there. No syncros to feel, no upshifting/downshifting. Maybe you can feel how the linkage feels, but thats about it.
How can you possibly get a feel of a manual tranny if the car isn't running and moving?
No parts are moving at all in there. No syncros to feel, no upshifting/downshifting. Maybe you can feel how the linkage feels, but thats about it.
Stereodude
01-15-2002, 05:31 PM
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Originally posted by Stereodude
If it's not turning you don't need the syncros, but you can tell which ones are stiff, which aren't. Last time I check the feel of the tranny doesn't magically change when the engine is running. All the trannies I've played with feel the same whether the engine is running and the car is moving or not. Granted you can't feel how the syncros mesh, but I've not found them to make a huge difference in tranny feel.
Stereodude
If it's not turning you don't need the syncros, but you can tell which ones are stiff, which aren't. Last time I check the feel of the tranny doesn't magically change when the engine is running. All the trannies I've played with feel the same whether the engine is running and the car is moving or not. Granted you can't feel how the syncros mesh, but I've not found them to make a huge difference in tranny feel.
Stereodude
01-15-2002, 05:54 PM
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Originally posted by njmaxseltd
I guess I'll have to agree with you on that. But I would love to dive them to really feel how they shift.
I guess I'll have to agree with you on that. But I would love to dive them to really feel how they shift.
Stereodude
01-15-2002, 06:05 PM
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Originally posted by Stereodude
it would have taken an awefully lot of trips to different dealers to be able to drive them all.
it would have taken an awefully lot of trips to different dealers to be able to drive them all.
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