What is the Best Manual Transmission Car you have ever driven or owned???

The IX is probably was less refined in a good way. I am not going to lie, my STI feels a tad too refined to me. I actually expected a lighter feel and more frantic turbo power stock (i know once I get into tuning i am sure it can get wild). I will say, to me it seems to hide speed. It is a very good car though but more refined than reviews would have lead me to believe.

 

Best MT car I've owned? Probably a Celica, but the most fun was definitely a '71 MACH 1.

 

Best manual cars I have owned:

88 rx7 GTU
Several AW11’s
86 944
2001 S4
97 Nissan pickup
My tacoma
91 civic hatch
95 civic coupe

The best overall to drive was the Rx7, but the S4 is a close 2nd. The MR2’s all slowly became one MR2 with a great engine that was a ton of fun as well, but less direct feeling to shift. The pick ups are pickups, Toyota is better than nissan but Nissan was lighter. Honda’s were fun 90s shit box Honda’s.

 

One thing I definitely miss when I drive my rsx is the shifter feel my old civic(and by extension my integra)felt super solid. The cables don't really compare

 

68 Nova, 3 on the tree.

 

Should have hung onto that Rx7!! They are on the rise.... as is everything these days!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4CfWdoSOTk

^Thats pretty accurate.

My IX made 400whp so it was a riot. Beat alot of cars it shouldnt have on paper.

 

The Tremec t56 is a tough one to beat, that was a swapped tranny in a Mustang, belonged to a friend but great 3rd pedal

The WRX/Sti is such a great clutch to drive, but I managed to put mine in the ditch......after which I got to my personal favorite and current 6 speed manual Tacoma

 

T56's are fun till you destroy a couple lol. They dont hold much power. Thats what was originally in my camaro and its getting swapped out for an automatic. Id have to spend a fortune to make the T56 hold that power.

 

It was the non turbo FC with all the turbo parts. I got it from a guy who said it had a blown motor and he had just not hooked up the second set of spark plugs. It had 4ws and big brakes for 88, and it was aluminum body panels from the factory. That’s what did it in, I buried the pop up head light into the neck of a deer one night and it rolled into the hatch. The whole side of the car was wrinkled and there was just no panels for it. It became a track beater for a couple of years. It wouldn’t cut spark till 10k then it would triumphantly shoot fire out the exhaust, and 4ws scared everyone because it turned in more when you added load to the back. It was a mechanical toe bar set up in the linkage , no steering box like Nissan or Honda. So, turn in, load the LSD, lift the front and the rear tightens the turn. Mustang guys all panicked.

I do miss that car. Didn’t realize how rare GTu’s were.

 

The best manual transmission car I've owned was my '17 GTI. Thing was a hoot to drive and went from zero to illegal way too quick.



However, drive by wire, a dual mass flywheel, and clutch delay valve made driving it odd at times.

Now, the best SHIFTING manual is definitely (you all gonna think I'm crazy) is my newly acquired 1995 Eagle Talon. However, it has a '97 transmission with an upgraded clutch. Shifts like butter and has an ever so notchy feeling. Clutch pedal feel is on point. He she is in all her rusty dented glory...

 

Loved my first car. 1996 4runner 4cylinder manual. I miss that thing.

 

My first car was a new ‘00 Civic Si... had a 1.6L B16A2 engine with a 5 speed manual behind it. The motor factory was rated at 160hp, that’s a 100hp per liter!! Back then, this was fast believe it or not. After a few bolt-on’s and a Vortex SC, I was well into the 300’s... running mid 13’s in the 1/4 w/ street slicks. So much fun to be a teen and beat up on older guys in their Vett’s, Camaro's and Rustangs!! Especially if their lady was in the passenger seat!

 

2004 VW Jetta turbo diesel 5 speed, smooth, every gadget you could ask for (heated seats in a Maine winter etc.) sufficient power 50 MPG and I generally drove it like I stole it. Drove it over 250 K and it had 100K when I bought it. While I was still doing my 100 mile a day commute my brand new 2011 Tacoma mostly stayed at home until I retired.

 

my old m3, transmission itself was a little clunky but no screen in the dash and no stupid gimmicks. Just ac and a radio. Made for a near perfect drivers car. All it needed was the carbon fiber engine cover to get the racing sound

 

CJ5 Jeep with 400 HP small block Chevy, 4sp trans, 5.88 R&P, locked, and scared the crap out of anyone who rode in it.

 

Best, probably my '78 280Z.

Worst was my '76 Lancia Beta, but mainly because the linkage broke, and I tied it back together with the hem of a t-shirt. Parts were hard to come by.

I have a '77 Celica under re-construction, feels OK but the throw is a bit long. Feels a lot like my '92 pickup did.

 

Yep, my Evo would hang with or pull Gallardos and V10 R8's. The looks on their faces were priceless.

 

Best 3 on the tree was a 56 Chevy 4 door. Worst was a 76 Chevy Scotsdale.

 

I think my nova had a Chevelle transmission.