Cars with a high gear stick/shift position

[AnhBanhBao]

Anyone else who prefers driving a car with a nice raised shift position?

Maybe it’s just because I can pretend that I’m in the BTCC when I’m on my way to Asda, but whenever I’m driving someone else’s car now, just having to reach down to stir the gearstick takes away some of the involvement for me.

I’m thinking of things like the Civic Type R, Panda 100HP, or maybe even the MX-5, as with something sportier everything’s at a similar height and the wheel and gearstick are closer to each other.

Might be something insignificant to most. Any other suggestions at the modest end of the budget?

[trickywoo]

I value a good shift action but the position, within reason, isn’t a concern.

[The spinner of plates]

I had a breadvan civic type R 20 years ago.

Yeah still remember when jumping into my other car it felt very odd not having the gearstick a handspan away.

I’m with you OP!

[Dapster]

Perfectly positioned on the Mk 1 MR2!

[Panamax]

Dapster said:

Perfectly positioned on the Mk 1 MR2!

Usually is in any mid-engine car. Check out Porsche, Lotus etc.

What you really need is one of the original Minis with a "pudding stirrer" gearstick connected directly to the gearbox! Now that's an entirely different experience...

[Deerfoot]

AnhBanhBao said:

Might be something insignificant to most. Any other suggestions at the modest end of the budget?

Honda FR-V has the shift on the dash like a Civic too.

[StRemy]

Learnt how to drive in one of these:

[LuS1fer]

Panamax said:

Dapster said:

Perfectly positioned on the Mk 1 MR2!

Usually is in any mid-engine car. Check out Porsche, Lotus etc.

What you really need is one of the original Minis with a "pudding stirrer" gearstick connected directly to the gearbox! Now that's an entirely different experience...

Apart from that, I also had a 1965 Cortina 1200 which had a long (pre-remote) gear lever with a ball knob. Whilst waggly, the change quality was very good.

[Bungleaio]

Fiat 500 has a high gear lever

[WelshRich]

Vans often have a high/dash mounted lever - It isn’t just the sporty stuff…

[Bill]

WelshRich said:

Vans often have a high/dash mounted lever - It isn’t just the sporty stuff…

And a 2CV.

The VW type 2 has a handy gearstick too. But it's 2ft long and attached to a 8ft linkage, so close to hand but also quite remote.

[SteBrown91]

My girlfriends old Mazda 2 1.3 had a high gear lever. Along with a very mechanical change it was good fun to drive.

Just a shame it was a rattly tin can inside and liked a drink of oil!

[mr momo]

I've put levers into 4 categories:

1) Panda 100HP/Abarth 595 - positioned for convenience, but results in crazy good fun
2) MX5/Lotus Elan/Caterham 7 - RWD with perfectly placed and measured level
3) All big white vans - on the dash - must be handled with speed to maximise momentum
4) DCT 'fake' levers - pretending to be useful....

[Puddenchucker]

Renault 4, close to the steering wheel but not the smoothest in operation.



But then when you see the linkage under the bonnet...

[Heaveho]

Dapster said:

Perfectly positioned on the Mk 1 MR2!

Even better when it's got this many gears!

[Draxindustries1]

Panamax said:

Dapster said:

Perfectly positioned on the Mk 1 MR2!

Usually is in any mid-engine car. Check out Porsche, Lotus etc.

What you really need is one of the original Minis with a "pudding stirrer" gearstick connected directly to the gearbox! Now that's an entirely different experience...

Or a MK2 Cortina 1300/ 1600 deluxe, they were known as the fishing rod gear lever..

[Puddenchucker]

Dapster said:

Perfectly positioned on the Mk 1 MR2!

And in the MR2 Mk2

And having owned both, I always thought the MR2 had a better gearshift that the S2000.....

[OldSkoolRS]

Bungleaio said:

Fiat 500 has a high gear lever

I was about to post about the mechanically similar Ford Ka:




I thought it was more van like when I got it, though it does fall readily to hand. Not the slickest gearchange I've used, but could be down to age/wear and tear (was improved with a gearbox oil change).

[Bobtherallyfan]

Family CRV follows the Honda tradition..

[Don Roque]

Puddenchucker said:

And in the MR2 Mk2

And having owned both, I always thought the MR2 had a better gearshift that the S2000.....

I had a Revision 3 MR2 Turbo with a short-shift and a round, golf-ball sized gearknob. It was absolutely fantastic, one of the most accurate and satisfying shifts I've used. Perfectly placed too, relative to the driver.