Best & Worst manual boxes you have ever experienced!

[matt3001]

Best: E46 M3 (once warmed up)
Worst: Hyundai Accent Hire Car (c.'02) I have stirred paint and got more feedback.

[Wills2]

Best: 997
Worst: Fiat Panda Mk1

[RemaL]

LOL my grans Suzuki Swift Sport has a cracking gear box,

Worst - not 100% sure but maybe the Type 9 box I have in my kit car. Does the job but can be a bh sometimes

[sherman]

Best = RX8
Worst = Landrover defender 90 (the gearstick could move around in any gear and finding reverse is just pot luck. Its over there somewhere.

[HustleRussell]

Caterham
Skoda Felicia

[LuS1fer]

Best - Civic EP3 Type R
Worst - hate to say it but Corvette C5 Z06.

[Bacon Is Proof]

Best: 5sp Honda on B series engines.
Worst: Citroen C1 (considering it is a modern car).

[B'stard Child]

We talking about a proper box under the gearlever or one that has cable linkage

Cos worst for me will always be any box with cable linkage system - alays seem to be close to stiring custard with the wrong end of a wooden spoon

Cable Linkage

- Polo Gti (MKV) probably was the worst

- Pug 205 XS probably the best

Real box - ie lever above box

- Lotus Carlton probably the worst

- Opel Monza Getrag 265 Probably the best

The SLK (2001) seems to get slated for gearchange in manual box versions but I'd put that mid way between the two above

[Garlick]

Instead of being obvious, I really like the gearbox in these.



That said, I last drove one when brand new, not sure what they are like now.

The worst was in one of these

[billy939]

Best: Ep3 Civic Type R
Worst: Daihatsu Hijet van

[Jimmy No Hands]

Best: 944. Proper gear change, short and fairly tough actually.

Worst: Erm probably my old E30. It was spot on gearbox wise but it was a long throw and always felt pretty flimsy.

IMO.

[rohrl]

Best - Hewland Mk9 in a Formula Ford on a track day at Castle Combe.

Worst - 1995 C180 Mercedes or maybe an old Montego.

[vixen1700]

Must admit I do like my EP3 Type R box too.

Worst was probably a 1997 Golf GTi, not precise and felt just stodgey and nasty.

[jon-]

EP3 CTR, 100%. I even own an S2000 now and the EP3 box is better.

Worst has to be a Pug 307.

[B'stard Child]

Garlick said:

Instead of being obvious, I really like the gearbox in these.

Actually on reflection whist the box wasn't fantastic I had a company pool car for a while (wedgie shaped Rover 213) and that had just the most fantastic pedal layout and driving position and a really zingy K series lump and the whole package more than made up for the slightly vague cable linkage

[lankybob]

Best- MX-5
Worst- Ford Fiesta circa 1997. It was seriously horrid.

[Mintyhit]

B'stard Child said:

- Pug 205 XS probably the best

Even though it had a comically long throw?

Best - Honda S2000

Worst - Ford Escort 1990

Edited by Mintyhit on Wednesday 18th April 16:08

[anonymous-user]

Worst was a mini 850 properly shagged it was. I used to tell it I would change the oil if it made the jump from 1st to 2nd up a local steep hill, but everytime it would bulk just enough to necessitate dropping back into first as the slug like acceleration was overcome by gravity. Then followed bursts of screaming engine, tractor noises and more screaming engine until the slope levelled and the load was off of the box. Finally 2nd gear and 25 mph could be exceeded

Best I have driven was an s2000. Not a fan of the car in general but the gear shift action was superb.

[robsco]

Not sure about worst, but my favourite is the original IS200. Lovely short throw and beautifully snickety.

[Eighteeteewhy]

Best - MX-5

Worst - Driving instructors Fiesta Diesel. That had had some abuse, and it showed.