Always wondered if anyone else drove like this, my father drives like this as well. From a stop and at 1st gear I like to just shift into 2nd very early probably around 3k or even below, I like to be smooth with the shifts and at higher rpms I find myself needing to burn the clutch more in order to get a smoother shift into second although i did notice quick shifts around 4500 are smooth as well. Now I've been driving manual cars for quite some time now and i like to think I'm a pretty ok driver but I'm still unsatisfied with my 1st to 2nd gear shifts. I want to be automatic car smooth per say. I always ask a passenger what they think about my shifting, they say its fine but my butt dyno says 1st to 2nd could still be a lot smoother and less clutch. I feel like my downshifts/heel toes are smoother than my upshifts

Anyone care to share their daily driving styles/habits for smoother shifts? Perfect shift points from 1st to 2nd for "no feel" shifts?

 

yeah i kind of do to. the way our car is geared to first is really short so i kind of dont let it scream in that gear, i shift into second pretty quick. esp if its wet out cuz the car slips easy. anyway saves gas lol my clutch has been good tho no trouble here.

 

Meh **** it, I shift from first to second at 9k. No one ever notices the harshness; they are preoccupied.

 

lol well needless to say it does depend on my mood. 80 degrees on a sunny day and its 7k all way, windows down braah

 

truth! at 40 mph out of first most passengers are white knuckling their *****

 

its impossible to drive a manual as smooth as an automatic.
its just physically impossible.

as for shifting at lower rpm on a rotary engine, its actually smoother at higher rpm cuz the rpm drops slower so you can release the clutch faster.
high RPM 1st to 2nd you need to pause a little before you slide into 2nd and release the clutch fast.

 

agreed. I've been driving manuals for years and it is pretty tough to make a manual car feel "exactly" like an automatic car.

I have had a few manual cars and I have gotten great at driving them. However, your low gears are going to be the ones that give you the most jerkiness which makes it feel like a standard. Once you get to 4th, 5th, and 6th you can make it veryyyy smooth.

1st and 2nd were always tough for me. One thing that I found very different however in the 8 is that usually if I shift from 2nd to 3rd or 1st to 2nd, if I take too long letting the clutch out and dont give it gas, it pulls me back BIG time. But for the most part that jerk you feel upon rolling in first and then the jerk in 2nd are always gonna be there for the most part. but especially for manual cars, some days you will get in it and shift like ****, and some days you'll think its an automatic cause your on the ball.

Only issue I ever had with the 8 is high RPM shifting. Shifting from 1st to 2nd at 9.5k rpms i was never good at. It takes me a long time to put it into 2nd, i get a lot of resistance and a short pause from the shifter popping it into 2nd for some reason at any rpm actually.

 

you should change your diff/trani oil...1st to 2nd was rough, but now it literally goes in like butter. even at high RPM operations

 

Yeah, I always found the 1-2 shift the hardest to be smooth. I too tend to "short-shift" into second, just to avoid the jerkiness. In normal driving I don't take 1st past 3.5-4k rpms. I also found that a brief pause or slowing down the clutch release tends to smooth out the shift, at the expense of quickness.

 

StreetGT: funny ****! Its alot more fun to rip into corners too!

 

Yup, me too! I'm glad someone else said this The other gears are fine, it's just 2nd that's a little hesitant.

And yes, I shift pretty early into 2nd also, at least in normal commuting.

 

Just shift it normally for smoother acceleration, that's how i do it.

 

Get an automatic if you "want to be automatic car smooth", easy.

 

My shifts are (almost) always as smooth as an automatic. Not at first, however. After having driven manual transmission vehicles of many sorts for the better part of 20+ years, from a 50cc Honda mini bike to tractor-trailers and nearly everything in between, it doesn't take me long to find that sweet spot when shifting. After that it is smooth sailing.

As a bit of advice for those of you who are having trouble shifting smoothly, from my own experiences, I find that engaging the clutch in one consistent motion (whether quickly or slowly) often causes jerkiness in lower gear shifts. To smooth out that jerkiness, when engaging the clutch, there is a point when you will feel the clutch start to grap and the vehicle begin to accelerate, this is where to focus your attention; slow the rate of clutch engagement (how quickly you are lifting off of the clutch pedal) until you feel the clutch fully engage. Then, you can fully release the pedal.

That was as basic an explanation as I can give via text. The reality though, is that the subtleties of low speed, low gear changes take time and practice to master. It is a balancing act of just the right amount of throttle at the right time for the right pedal position and motion of clutch engagement.

 

This ^^^, and I've noticed it's smoother too if I can keep my heel on the floor and pivot my foot back to release it with my toes... at least at first to get to that point you mention. If I just lift my whole foot to release it all at once, it's harder to be smooth and control it.

 

Yeah, it's hard to be butter smooth shifting normally while putt-putting around town. Try shifting 1-3-5 and you'll find it much easier. Let the engine rev a bit higher than you're doing now, then a slow shift into 3rd. Not quite automatic smooth, but pretty close.

I wouldn't do this all the time if your driving is primarily city, 'cause low revs all the time is probably more likely to result in carbon problems later.

 

I've found throttle application to be just as important as clutch work when shifting. Smoothest shifts I've noticed is when I let off the throttle almost after the clutch is disengaged. That way you don't get the jerk forward from letting off the gas.

 

Bullshit.

1st to 2nd is a bit tricky in the 8, it's one of the quirks of the transmission. Instead of pulling straight back, angle a bit towards yourself. The 8 can be buttery smooth in any shift, but it has its quirks and demands a certain touch. But smoothness is mostly in the clutch work anyway.

 

I beg to differ. First off... a lot of automatic transmissions aren't that great and it seems painfully obvious when they are shifting, even for casual driving. Second, even some nicer cars still have relatively noticeable shifts. I will make no claims for consistency, but I feel pretty confident that my shifts are smoother on a good day when compared to a typical/average automatic. There are definitely exceptions and there are some buttery smooth auto transmissions out there.

Of course, the specific car matters. The 8 was rather difficult to get nice smooth shifts in the lower gears. I can more reliably get smooth shifts in my S4.

 

I drove my buddies 2008 GTI with the DSG transmission and when you're cruising at parking lot speeds there is a VERY noticeable front to back jerkiness in first gear. It feels like a noob learning to drive stick.

Once you're actually accelerating to reach speed the shifts from that point are buttery smooth.

 

I just start out in 6th gear and save myself all the trouble of shifting.

1.3L

 

9k every shift. Never been to 5th or 6th gear yet.

 

^what? why? **** man i hit 6th gear almost every time i drive

 

The easiest, smoothest shifting manual transmission car that I've ever driven was a 1995 Geo Metro. Even though it lacked power, it was a very versatile, comfortable riding car with great handling (with wider aftermarket wheels and tires). It also handled in snow up to 12+ in. better than many 4x4 trucks and SUVs in similar road conditions. It was quite possibly the best car (per dollar spent on purchase, fuel and maintanence costs) that I've ever owned!

 

I completely agree with pretty much everything you said here. 1st to 2nd in the 8 is really the only shift I have trouble with getting a butter smooth shift, I think clutch adjustment would probably help me out a bit. And yea the 8 has one of the most sensitive 1st to 2nd shifts, based on experience most newer cars are extremely easy to be smooth. For me the easiest is my friend's Honda Fit, no type of clutch/gas balancing is needed.