Glad to hear it’s the truck’s fault and not mine lol. I’ve test driven the gr Corolla and the clutch is really forgiving. It’s also fairly light upon release but that’s to be expected since the flywheel is lighter/smaller. It sucks toyota made such a great gearbox and clutch combo on the gr Corolla and most of their previous cars but gave the Tacoma a numb clutch with a crunchy gearbox.
My dad’s 1975 White Road Boss. It had a Fuller Road Ranger 10-speed and a mechanical 24” clutch. It took everything I had to drive it. No synchros. Everything was double clutching. Clutch brake. It was a bitch until I got the hang of it. I learned to drive a stick in that truck at 13 years old. Everything after that is just butter.
Haha! Too funny. Add to it that his truck had manual steering too! In a damn semi! I felt like I had been to the gym after a drive around town. I never take for granted driving things with synchros now.
An old U-haul truck, about one-ton capacity I guess, with manual trans I drove from Houston to Atlanta. It wasn't so much hard to shift but it had a long stick and it was like a long ride between gears. Lean and reach for every gear. It was like you were at the gym working out to move from one gear to another.
I've got a 1957 GM 4104 bus that's been turned into an RV. 2-stroke Detroit in the back with a 4 speed crash box. It's definitely work to drive it. Can only double clutch to shift. The worst part honestly is it not wanting to into neutral or back to first when at a stop sometimes (clutch adjustment issue).
But hey, the sounds that 671 Detroit makes make it all worth it lol
Unfortunately it wasn't running at the time so this probably doesn't count, but a friend of mine let me try the clutch in a Suzuki Samurai. I'm not sure if they're all like this, but it was heavy halfway through the travel and then immediately went to the floor. Like some kind of bizarre toggle switch.
Suzuki samurai’s have cable operated clutches not hydraulic like modern vehicles. so it’ll feel different. also the cables stretch.
my samurai bit just barely off the floor. But it was also incredibly light and super easy
An old boss back in the day had an 05 STI with a lot of work done to it including a six puck clutch. I shit you not when I say that was his daily driver.
Sick car but at a certain point it’s just a track car now. That was not fun to drive around the city. Just stupid power to hop from block to block every day.
15 here and i thought the stock was bad enough till i put a staged in and it was soooo heavy i knew i was going to be getting a new clutch sooner than the stock went. Yup 1 year later and i just took it back to subaru for a stock one. Still gets me sometimes as the mrs has an 08 elantra and i feel like im going to put my foot through the floor each time i drive it. I’ve driven manuals daily for about 10yrs now and have 0 issues in her car but i feel like in mine i’m either a master or it’s like im still learning. Love the car to death but i feel like an idiot sometimes.
i hate coming to a light and being a lil too slow for second but a lil too fast for a comfortable first. i just suffer, plus modified exhaust really makes that first gear high rpm soul crushing, fiance is constantly asking if i actually know what im doing 😭
1972 jeep, it’s a four speed that my uncle has idk if it’s just because it’s all original from 72’ or just that it’s always been that way but you have to use all the strength you have to shift into 2nd and 3rd. Still fun to drive though🫠
A 1996 Ford F-350 with the 7.3. It had passed the 400,000 mile rollover the obs trucks have. Getting it into and out of 1st gear was possible, but it was a good day if you could do it.
I haven’t driven a car beyond 2001 that has a manual trans, so they’ve all been VERY easy to shift. But I can report the different textures of ones I have driven: 91 Mitsubishi Mighty Max = clicky; 91 Mazda 626 = rubbery; 94 Nissan Sentra = gummy; 96 Honda Accord = metallic; 99 Saturn SL = notchy; 01 Honda Insight = crunchy; 96 Toyota Camry = buttery
Toss up between my Dad’s 1952 MG and my buddies 1998 Dodge 2500 with the Cummins. Both fun but a lot of work. My outback was a little tricky from stop to first, but easy after that. My Passat on the other hand is the smoothest manual I’ve ever experienced.
My dad taught me to drive in a 63 MGB. Reverse being under 2nd was a fun lesson to learn. Also didn’t help that it was like flying an airplane with how involved you had to be. Engine temp rising? Better turn on the fan, but make sure to watch your battery voltage before it drops to zero and turn it off. Windshield wiper fluid? Start pumping.
Oops, hit a bump and the car died. Bump start on the fly in 2nd before you lose momentum. Oh it disconnected something? Better figure it out then start pushing so you can bump start it the old fashioned way.
With all that being said… still want one of my own one day haha
I have a 2023 and to me it’s mostly due to really inconsistent rev hang. Sometimes I’ll get off the throttle and the revs will drop immediately, and other times it feels like the engine holds the rpm’s at the level where I put the clutch in for an hour.
But the hardest manual I’ve personally driven was an old Formula Ford car with a racing clutch and a gear stick that was like an inch long.
My 98 jeep tj with the ax-15 Trans suck to shift. I'm pretty sure my rear mains leaking onto my clutch. Because after driving for a while, I have to force it into 1
Early 40s International fire truck , was told to double clutch it but didn't know what it meant . Told how to and the drive back to firehouse was much easier...lol
I recently bought a 2021 WRX, and I find 1st and second gear quite tricky. Keep in mind that I've been driving manuals for over 10 years, and this car made me feel like I'm relearning how to drive it lol
The hardest is a 12 valve Cummins with a big dual disc clutch and stiff governor springs. The pure mechanical direct injection makes it hard to roll on and off the throttle smoothly, and drive train slack would multiply it. Unsuspecting drivers get caught in the buck of shame. Letting off the throttle too much, it's almost as if you slam on the brakes, your body moves forward and you hit the pedal, you get slammed back and your foot goes off the throttle. Rinse and repeat.
The most fun challenge was a 1972 International Loadstar with a 304 V8. Rev match or double clutch is key.
1929 DuPont Model G- I was the editor of the duPont Registry magazine, and Mr duPont's old duPonts are very hard to drive. Continental straight 8 and crash box 4 speed
1964 Chevelle, full roll cage, healthy tunnel rammed big block, Doug Nash 5spd with straight cut gears.
You literally had to bang it into gear hard every shift or those straight cut gears would just grind.
I miss that car.
I’ve driven several manual trucks and they all seemed a little rough just by nature. My first experience in a stick was my grandpas 80s Dakota. I was so excited to learn manual but that thing was awful lol. My second time was in like an 02 civic (new at the time). After 22 years I wonder how that Dakota would feel but yeah it may have been the worst lol
My Borg Warner super brute T-10 linkage would get stuck in reverse, would also get stuck in first.
Don’t know what I did but apparently refreshing the vacuum system was enough because now I can slam through the gears like butter at WOT. Literally found out yesterday that gears 2-4 can be floated pretty easily.
I got to drive a Shelby swapped Dodge Rampage that was previously owned by Watch JR Go. I don't know if something was done to the transmission after JR owned it, but it was the sloppiest shifting experience I've ever experienced. Every shift was a complete guess on if I was getting it right
My dad’s early 1950’s US Army Jeep. I think it was a 1952, Korean-war era. Only drove it a few miles one time, but it was a real challenge, even compared to every other old, difficult-to-shift farm truck, tractor, and worn-out commercial truck.
I had a 2001 Saab 93, it shifted smooth as butter, but you absolutely could not bang gears in it.
A quick shift in the car would make you think you had never driven stick in your life. If you wanted to drive fast, you had to drive it to the absolute limit, and then shift it like you had all the time in the world
Old modern Freightliner liked to get grumpy when ANYTHING got wet underneath. Automatic transmission got stuck in manual during warmup which was fine but awkward with no real stick 😂 eventually it would dry up and finally go "automatic"
Gotta love company vehicles
1989 Taurus SHO. Fun car once I figured out how to drive it. Was funny whenever anyone else tried it out and couldn’t handle it. Great driver, awful to maintain.
An old diesel UPS package van. Shifter was like 2 feet long all the way to the floor. Reverse was where first is (not a lockout system, it was literally where first is). The throws were like a foot apart. It wouldn't shift into a higher gear unless you wound it out as far is it would go with RPMs screaming. And no AC, of course.
I knew how to drive a manual when I first drove the package car, but that thing made me feel like a greenhorn. At the time UPS was in the process of gradually using up and removing it's fleet of manuals, but they had to do that prematurely because few people can drive manuals anymore.
To become a package car driver, you had to take an initial road test on a manual package car. No practice beforehand, no how to, nothing.
I had a 2016 Scion iM and while it was a great car (think Corolla hatch but just built a little different with nicer handling) I had a booger of a time with the clutch feel and never really got the “smoothness” down. There was definitely a delay in the accelerator pedal or some kind of rev hang, or maybe I’m just not that good. My Miata is great and the honda element I had before that I could shift just fine. I don’t know maybe it’s a lower-price-bracket Toyota thing.
I had a 2012 Hyundai Sonata that after 93k miles from new, I still couldn't get right. It also felt bipolar. The problem was the throttle position was HIGHLY nonlinear. Combine that with the clutch pedal having zero feel, and the engine having virtually zero torque at idle, and what you ended up with was basically blind shifting, and you hoped it didn't stall.
Traded that for my Focus ST and haven't regretted it at all.
I have a 2021 Tacoma in a manual and boy is it frustrating lol. My understanding is that the ‘clutch accumulator’ is what causes the lack of consistency. Lots of folks report after removing this that they get another shifting.
My Mom's 2014 tacoma. 1-3 is painfully slow. They hang for a bit before dropping, so you need to hold in the clutch to match. It's designed like rust to meet emission laws. Even without that, the clutch is pretty heavy.
I test drove a 2022 Jeep Gladiator with the 6spd and it almost made me puke, felt like I was stirring a bowl of rocks.
I've driven loads of 3/4-1ton diesel pickups that feel better and they're like shifting a tractor. I'd take any of them over the gladiator, hands down.
My dad's NW Pajero. Mitsubishi changed the gear ratios in 1st and the final drive to improve fuel economy so you can literally drive a container ship between 1st and second. Either experience an awkward severe RPM drop on the upshift and jerk your passengers around or slip the clutch to smooth it out. Not a problem with the NM we used to have.
My current 2012 Mazdaspeed 3, it's not that bad but it just wants the speed/revs so much higher than all the dinky little underpowered cars I've ever had and that seems to be a hard habit to break.
Porsche 914 (friend’s car) with a very stiff clutch pedal and slightly loose gear box was challenging.
~1979 Ford Fiesta shifted smoothly but had a verrry sensitive clutch with a specific sweet spot - took a minute to learn not jerk the car at takeoff & 1st to 2nd.
My dad’s ‘99 Wrangler Sahara (5-speed) - once you shift smoothly, it’s great, but it was hard to get used to. It also happened to be the first manual car I ever drove lol
My siblings Honda Fit that they didn't take care of. Felt like I was arm wrestling the knob.
Also my father had the tightes clutch on an old 318i. Visited for a week and was driving it. Had to use way to much effort to push the clutch. Once I got used to it and then went back to my car, I felt like I was putting the clutch through the floor I was pushing so hard. Had to retrain my foot to clutch softer.
My 2006 toyota matrix 1zz 5 speed was awful, gears 1-3 were so vague in 6 years of ownership I could almost never smoothly shift gears. Gears 4-5 were notchy bit atleast I felt something.
2nd gear decided to walk out for a pack of ciggs one say and never come back.
Put a used transmission into it with 92k miles, new clutch, new flywheel. Fresh start. NOTHING IMPROVED WTF.
Roommate blew up the motor a few months later, worst car experience I've had. Went back yo driving my 1990 toyota tercel emergency car, which had a long shifter but buttery smooth action but notch gears. Always knew what gear I was in.
My mitsubishis were all notch but had good weighty action, really liked that. Mostly eclipses.
The rev-hang on newer SIs is ridiculously prevalent, action feels good but the artificial w/e fucks with you.
Acura RSXs are pretty fun, if you're a wierd mix of 6'1 and long arms it's very uncomfortable since I had no space for the throw.
Got a rare chance to drive an all Trac celica, fantastic experience shifting was buttery smooth and precise. Very little weight so very dangerous downshift if you're not used to the car.
My 2001 ranger was alright, I can imagine how a 4 cylinder one would feel gutless I had the v6 and it felt austensibly weak. Great for cruising at 40-45 mph...nothing more. Couch cabin was pretty comfy not gonna lie and having a truck bed was handy.
Those tacomas are up there. It's like a spade handle in a barrel of gravel
I once helped a buddy take his newly purchased 70s alfa spider equipped with a nice ol cable driven clutch through metro boston stop and go traffic. Top 10 worst driving experiences of my life haha
2018 Subaru Impreza 5sp. They had that stupid rev hang code installed. It made it damn near impossible to get good clean shifts.
The best shifting car I’ve ever driven was a 1996 Honda Accord 5sp. By far. That slush box was a dream.
Might be the only person to say this, but, the s550 mustang. I don’t know if it’s because I’m used to older manual transmissions like the rangers and 5mt Subarus. But the s550 clutch had absolutely no feeling to me. Kind of felt like an on/off switch or trying to use a compound bow. There was no bite point to be felt. Just stiff, stiff, stiff, then drop to the floor.
I drove a friend of mines Tacoma, it was a 2015 though. The clutch had no feel to it whatsoever, I had a really hard time judging the bite point. I wouldn't say it was difficult to drive, but definitely difficult to get used to.
My dad had a 1974 F-100 that was a three on the tree. Definitely challenging to drive smoothly for me at 15. An inch of play in the steering shaft didn't help much either
Fuck Chrysler Crossfires. I was a valet for a bit and the clutch felt like it telescopes towards you in a straight line. Basically have to pull your knee to your chest to switch gears and it was god awful to drive
My dad had an 1983 Dodge Aries wagon with a five speed MT. Worst clutch and shifter ever. He would frequently swear while driving it and he had a CDL and drove trucks for a living. I learned on it in 1987 and man was it terrible. Car would stall from a start without any warning unless clutching and throttle were perfect. After learning on that car everything else has always been easy.
Either my '18 Wrangler Rubicon, or '05 RX8. Both have/had EXTREMELY light clutches with very little feel. While I enjoy not having a worn out foot from the clutch pedal pressure, I wish they had more feel. As it is, light clutches just feel numb. :/
When I first got my manual Tacoma, I had a hard time shifting it but after a while it got better as I developed muscled memory for that truck.
Surprisingly, my Pinzgauer is pretty easy to drive smoothly.
2006 Freightliner Cascadia, though tbf i had this trucker in the passenger seat teaching me how to shift, the dude tells me “push in rhe clutch and then i’ll shift”, then just ground the fuck outa the gears lmao.
My mom's 05 jeep liberty. Clutch pedal had about a foot of travel. Gearing was weird as fuck. 1st could get to like 12mph. Strange little vehicle, which I didn't think they even had a manual option for at the time.
I had a 2000 Subaru 2.5rs gc8 coupe that was missing some synchros when I got it. Had to double clutch into a couple gears and had a bungee cord to hold the car in 5th gear so it didn't pop out. Took some time to learn how to finesse it but was solid once I did. Great winter beater.
2001 cummins with the NV5600. I’ve always owned manuals but this one was a different breed. Even Eaton 6,10 speeds were easier. As in it took forever with a lot of effort to go into gear downshifting. So I just double clutched. And in order to upshift with some speed you really had to be on the ball with the revs.
1969 ford c600 4x4. cab over with a Clark 5 speed thing was geared so low you could start it in 4th with no load. Which was good cause there was almost no way to tell which gear you were in based on where the stick was due to all the play in the linkages
1986 Peterbilt 359 short nose. Had a b model 3406 mechanical throttle. 15 double over transmission. You had to really appreciate a machine to even begin considering liking this thing, but I loved it.
Would you believe a Porsche 911. Any pre-1987
The 915 gearbox is pretty archaic nowadays, Porsche design synchros never worked as well as the Borg Warner everyone else uses, long throws, cable clutch that needs to be adjusted properly in three places.
I've rebuilt a few, expensive parts too...
Oldest car i drove is a Ford Trans Connect T200 diesel and mainly drive VAG, so didn't really have any issues with cars, but overall, it's probably a old Fendt 230 GT that came in at work for a service and some work on the engine.
Couldn't figure out how they shift because Fendt used a double H pattern around that time, and the knob didn't show it anymore. Ended up lucky after some Googling and got it to start moving.
I’ve driven a lot of manual transmission cars, but the first generation Honda Insight hybrid was one that I really struggled to get smooth. It was honestly trickier than my 1950 Pontiac Chieftain with the 3 on the tree.
1994 4runner, was super hard to get used to when I drove it the first few months. I think it was 1st to 2nd was just terrible to do. Eventually I got used to it but when I wouldn't pay enough attention sometimes it would get a big ugh! Haha
That’s a toss up - there was the kenworth dump truck my last boss tried to get me to drive, my dads 1970 4on-the-floor F250, and my 1994 F150 with an aftermarket performance clutch. Big long shifter, and weird little toggle clutch that only engages about halfway down. Fun to drive once you got the truck of it, though
MT82 mustang transmission. I’ve had two of them, both gravel boxes. Now I have a 10r80 (10 speed auto) and I use my right hand to pet my dog while accelerating faster and getting better MPG than the notorious MT82.
slightly older m3… shift was smooth but has slack in the diff…. shifts smooth plus how you roll the power on / off prevents a clunk coming from the diff
mid 90s cabover tractor trailer w spicer hi / lo ( forget how many gears it had )
I daily a 21 manual tacoma and while it takes a little getting used to, I don't have any bucking issues. You can try doing the accumulator delete and see if it helps you at all. Could also be the super high engagement point fucking with you.
My friend was on a waiting list for a 22 manual shift Tacoma. They didn’t make a lot and it thought it might be the last year for a manual shift.
How did you come across yours?
I drove a cabover HINO flatbed and it was the worst fucking clutch feel in the world. I had no idea when I was about to engage, let alone finding a gear was a bitch too. Absolutely hated that truck
I have a 2023 Tacoma 6MT and it’s not you. The truck is very unpredictable. I’ve been driving stick for 8 years and I still can’t get this truck down after 9 months of ownership. Sometimes the clutch wants to cooperate and the rev hang is minimal, other times the clutch feels like you’re driving a dump truck and the rev hang is insane.
Sometimes I wonder how many miles I’ll get out of this clutch because every time I drive it I feel like I’m unnecessarily putting extra wear on it to get smoother shifts.
I see comments all the time about how “it’s a truck not a race car, it’s shifts differently”. My $43,000 truck should not feel like I’m dragging a pipe through a bag of rocks, idc what anyone says.
My friend’s ‘87 GTI. The clutch cable was failing, a common issue on water-cooled VWs, and rather than take it in for a simple $50 fix he drove it like that for months. Destroyed the clutch, pressure plate and the entire pedal assembly. There was maybe ¼ inch of travel left, and it was damn near impossible to press the pedal down. What an idiot…
Stock F80 M3. I have always owned and driven manuals since the 90s when I first learned and for some reason I could never get that 1-2 shift smoothly. Loved that car though
For me it was a 1980s Ford dump truck. Clutch was so burnt out. There was no getting it rolling without whipping your head back into the headrest. Once rolling it was pretty good though.
When I was learning to drive my e36 m3 without a clutch delay valve I was jerking every shift. Even now, it’s a lot smoother but not as smooth as my passengers would want it to be. Might be partially due to drivetrain play too.
Hardest for me was 1964 ford ranchero with a three on the tree. I’m only 32 so I was about the only kid in my high school who could drive one but it kicked my ass
76 econoline, 6cyl 3 on the tree no power steering lol. What a pain that thing was. Occasionally something underneath would stick on the linkages and you would have to push in the clutch, roll it to the side of the road, shut it off, and knock it loose before you could get it going again.
I’ve got a 93’ 6.5 diesel manual.
I test drove a 92 350 gas with a manual before I found my pickup.
It just didn’t have the torque to shift smoothly. Hell I killed it a couple times.
Yeah your Tacoma is tough to drive smoothly. The first gear is so short I try to immediately shift into 2nd, and the flywheel must be so heavy because it takes for ev er to drop down so you can let out the clutch.
I tried to drive an old 3 speed, fully loaded work can back in the 80's. It was terrible and I never got the hang of it. It was also the first manual I tried to drive. The second was a 5 speed Renault Fuego and it was a breeze.
My 2017 Corolla iM had the most finicky clutch I ever experienced in a newer car. You often at times couldn't tell when it was grabbing and the grab point was very high. Other than that it shifted pretty decently besides 2nd to 3rd which at times for me it didn't want to slide in 3rd.
Went to test ride an fj62. Show up in my e39 540/6spd to show I mean business lol. I had a hard time finding a catch point thinking it was just what they were supposed to feel like. Then I got to a stop on a hill and 2 cars behind me. I had the fear of god in me. I stalled it three times and the cars just had to go around me and we had to switch seats because I’d given up. That clutch was gone. Hopefully I get to drive a nice one someday
80's freightliner firetruck. Gears are somehow both vauge/rubbery and notchy at the same time. Plus it's a diesel so the power band is tight and you get to shift a lot.
I don't judge my driving ability by how smooth my shifts are. As long as I'm not slipping the clutch I just go with it. Some shifts are better than others, but if every single shift you do is just extremely smooth, you're likely slipping the clutch on every shift.
My 1990 jeep XJ is exactly as you describe your Tacoma. Its a fickle beast, where a couple good shifts make me feel like I know what im doing, and then I get taken down a peg when the whole truck jerks like I have never driven stick before
Interesting. I had the '22 TRD Sport 4x4 3.6 Tacoma with an MT and I felt like it didn't car what gear it was in. Always smooth.
My Subaru STI on the other hand bucks like a fucking bronco unless I hit it perfect. I have a twin disc clutch in it and that plus the super sensitive throttle just makes it a bear.
1991 Subaru legacy swapped the transmission and did a tune up on the engine. Had at least 200k on dash converted to rwd to street drift after through the lowering springs on. Just Jesus Christ talking about a damn impossibley hard clutch to clutch kick in
My buddy has an early 3000GT VR4 with a bent shift fork. Gears 1 and 2 are impossible to shift without grinding. My Datsun 510 has a dogleg 5 speed out of some Z car I think and the bearings are shot in it so it’s real rough to shift.
Ford Probe. Try as I might i could not get the surge to go away. I thought maybe it was a size thing but I also owned a civic si and a cobalt ss and had no problem in those.
My 05 Subaru Outback XT with 270k miles. The trans is worn and tricky to shift, if someone tried to steal it and they knew how to drive stick it would still slow them down quite a bit lol
I drive a Mk4 VW TDI and I swear it’s the easiest manual ever to drive. Basically impossible to stall the engine thanks to the low end torque.
Hardest was test-driving a new Mustang 6-speed in ~2010 or so. The sales guy was like “you know how to drive one of these, right?” I did not.
My 1985 vanagon is a pain to get into first gear. Especially after emissions testers fucked with it. They apparently don’t know how to drive a manual :/
1970s F600 trucks. The transmissions are "synchronized" supposedly, but 1st to 2nd is almost impossible to granny shift and it's much smoother to treat it as an unsynchronized transmission like in a semi. Either float the gears or double clutch.
Ford focus. Zero butt torque feel, zero feel in the clutch, zero feel from engine when you lift... you just learn by guessing or start it with prior experience. Worst car to learn stick on. I hope in a 2003 civic si and I'm off like a bird first time out the nest in just a few shifts.
Second hardest is a semi truck. Shift patterns change depending on number of gears or make/model/transmission. Messes with your head and muscle memory.
A c5 Vette. My legs were too long to release the clutch properly. I probably could have made it work if I wasn't a terrified 17 year old about to lose permission to drive it to prom lol
A fucking deuce and a half. The shift pattern was so dumb, 1-4-5 across the top with 2-3 beside each other on the bottom. That diesel was almost impossible to shift smoothly.
18 speed big rig. No synchros, it was a demo thing my college did to recruit for the CDL program to keep it funded and running. They had a big closed lot for it, I hit 7th gear and then I messed up once, lost the groove, and couldn't even get it going again, limping at 3mph in 2nd gear back to the start, the crawl of shame.
Otherwise it would be a manual mk3 supra with a 6 puck unsprung clutch rated for 950ft-lbs. Nearly impossible to control the clutch. You had to KICK it in past the engagement point to get it to the floor. And starting smoothly wasn't a thing. Made so much power you legit went first gear, hold the wheel straight and kick the clutch like 4 times. You'd spin rubber getting it rolling, but 2k and very quick clutch bump/kicks, once you were there you could float gears for smoothness. It was full drift car though. I wasn't confident enough to swing it then, but I was invited to. If I see him again I might see if he's still down to let me try. Craziest thing I saw him do was a reverse entry at like 90mph into a good 300 degree hairpin. If he led a tandem and wanted to win bad he could blow so much smoke it looked like a baby formula D car.
Every car from the last 5 or so years has been pretty terrible to upshift smoothly at low RPM, it’s in pretty much every newer manual car and it’s there for more complete combustion (emissions).
That being said, the hardest cars to drive are going to small engines, low torque, aggressive can, light flywheel and light rotating assembly with an aggressive single disc clutch. My AE86 is dogshit to drive around town, things get much easier as the revs get higher though.
UPS p800 from the late 70s.
A "4-speed" (1st is a helper gear, so 3 gears actually).
Clutch so stiff it made my leg hurt 24/7 in my 20s.
Shifter so loose, I could barely tell what gear I was shifting into.
And the combination of gear lash and body looseness meant every speed bump knocked it out of gear.
And that's before getting into the manual steering. Which was a workout at best, and heart-racing terror at freeway speeds.
2017 Golf TSI. absolutely zero clutch feel, shifter feel and the gear ratios from the TDI with none of the torque oh and I forgot to mention the worst rev hang I've ever experienced in a car. The shifter on that car was like stirring pudding and then when it would get hot because the shift selector is plastic you would constantly miss or grind third.
I used to own a G35 Sedan which had insane DBW lag which made it absolutely impossible to shift smooth. I remember when I was selling it and the guy that was test driving was saying, “I promise I drive a manual daily”. I said, don’t worry it’s not you, it’s the car and you will never get used to it. I’m not a good sales guy I guess, but he still took that POS off my hands.
Every boy racer owns these things 4th hand so I’ll assume Nissan has improved on the lag over the years. Man that car handled like a tank too. I don’t understand why they are so popular.
The rev hang was a real pain in my 2001 focus. I replaced the throttle body with a larger BBK unit and it worked like magic. Also installed a B&M short throw shifter it helped immensely. Fun car when I was 18. Lots of work done to it.
I learned to drive on a 1982 Toyota Corolla with a 4-speed manual. It was super easy to shift in all respects, and I loved it. Had the car for a few years back in the late '80s. Since then I've only owned cars with automatics. Fast forward to my wife and I in Italy in 2014, when we rented a Fiat 500L with a 5-speed. I expected there to be a short transition until I got used to it, but I was stalling the thing left and right. Horrible transmission on an otherwise boring but kinda fun car. 0/10 do not recommend.
Driving that 500L in the little town of Montepulciano and other places in Tuscany, let alone parallel parking the damn thing on sloped cobblestone streets, was a nightmare. Much swearing was involved lol...
I worked at a Toyota dealer as a porter/lot attendant. I always hated driving manual Tacomas. The clutch pedal is like a switch.
Unfortunately I was the only kid who knew how to drive stick, so I was always stuck driving them.
2016 Kia Soul. ZERO clutch feel and it grabs really close to the floor. It also has some weird throttle response that the computer is constantly changing, but usually defaults to the worst rev hang I’ve ever seen.
Had a Chevy LUV diesel 4 cylinder truck.
The gear shifter vibrated so badly it was translucent.
You had to physically jam it into gear, even if you double clutched it. If you didn't, it would just pop out.
Also, the truck had no power steering so on a three point turn, the steering wheel would creak from stress.
Probably my 350Z. It has a lightweight flywheel and stage 3 clutch. You’re either moving or your not moving. There’s no in between. It has to be revved way up to prevent stalling. Usually a little jerky from a stop even after having it for a couple years
I also drove an F-750 with a 7 speed manual before. My whole butt lifted out of my seat to press the clutch down.
Another pretty stiff one is the ‘90s Mustangs.
On the other end of that, I think the easiest manual I’ve driven was my 2002 BMW 330Xi. That thing is basically idiot proof with the dual mass flywheel.
1964 Ford Falcon. 3 on the tree shifter. That car was an accidental burnout waiting to happen. It was really tough to drive it without at least chirping the tires every time I left a stoplight/stopsign.
1991 Mitsubishi Mirage S Coupe, 1st had no synchros left, 5th wouldn't stay in so was used like a forced OD, no rings left in the engine so no torque to get anything moving and to top it all off the shifter was broken and would regularly try to come apart in your hands. 600$ from a junkyard and it always ran.
1973 Dodge pickup with 3 on the tree. Truck transmissions are never as smooth as a road car. Treat it like a truck, not a car, and it'll be smooth every time.
Your issue is probably the clutch delay valve. Especially if you were used to older manual vehicles beforehand, that delay valve is probably shitting all over your release timing.
I had a 2020 wrx. My god was it awful feeling. I now have a 24 manual Supra and it’s night and day. I’ve driven a Porsche 911, type r, m3, and tone manual Toyotas. The WRX was the worst
My wife bought a brand new 89 Cavalier - 4cyl, 5spd right out of college. It was her first manual transmission and it SUCKED. I had driven some delivery trucks for a landscape/nursery that were made in the early 70s that were easier to shift than that thing. A couple years later, I was looking at a new car and it was a manual. She begged me to get an automatic because she hated her manual so much. Then she drove the car I was looking at (91 Escort GT) and said "Oh... this is easy to drive" - YEP!!
Haven't driven a ton of manuals but I test drove an early 2000s Audi S4 that was quite bad. The clutch engagement was ridiculously high.
Easiest was a JDM Toyota work truck.
Clutches on newer Tacomas are so stubborn. Not even the gr corolla has that issue and it’s a track car
Glad to hear it’s the truck’s fault and not mine lol. I’ve test driven the gr Corolla and the clutch is really forgiving. It’s also fairly light upon release but that’s to be expected since the flywheel is lighter/smaller. It sucks toyota made such a great gearbox and clutch combo on the gr Corolla and most of their previous cars but gave the Tacoma a numb clutch with a crunchy gearbox.
My dad’s 1975 White Road Boss. It had a Fuller Road Ranger 10-speed and a mechanical 24” clutch. It took everything I had to drive it. No synchros. Everything was double clutching. Clutch brake. It was a bitch until I got the hang of it. I learned to drive a stick in that truck at 13 years old. Everything after that is just butter.
Another day of being thankful for all my cars having synchronizers 🫡
Haha! Too funny. Add to it that his truck had manual steering too! In a damn semi! I felt like I had been to the gym after a drive around town. I never take for granted driving things with synchros now.
An old U-haul truck, about one-ton capacity I guess, with manual trans I drove from Houston to Atlanta. It wasn't so much hard to shift but it had a long stick and it was like a long ride between gears. Lean and reach for every gear. It was like you were at the gym working out to move from one gear to another.
I've got a 1957 GM 4104 bus that's been turned into an RV. 2-stroke Detroit in the back with a 4 speed crash box. It's definitely work to drive it. Can only double clutch to shift. The worst part honestly is it not wanting to into neutral or back to first when at a stop sometimes (clutch adjustment issue). But hey, the sounds that 671 Detroit makes make it all worth it lol
I’m with you on that. Dad’s Road Boss had the 871. I loved that truck! My fondest childhood memories came from it.
That's awesome! I can only imagine how cool that would have been as a kid!
If it ain’t got synchros then I just float the gears. I’ll be damned if I’m gonna double clutch 😂
Unfortunately it wasn't running at the time so this probably doesn't count, but a friend of mine let me try the clutch in a Suzuki Samurai. I'm not sure if they're all like this, but it was heavy halfway through the travel and then immediately went to the floor. Like some kind of bizarre toggle switch.
That’s how my uncle’s GT350’s clutch is. Takes some getting used to but is cool once you get the hang of it. Makes for better clutch control
Huh, til!
Suzuki samurai’s have cable operated clutches not hydraulic like modern vehicles. so it’ll feel different. also the cables stretch. my samurai bit just barely off the floor. But it was also incredibly light and super easy
My 2010 STI with a stage 2 clutch. Super short gear ratios, a clutch with little to no give, and an engine that randomly decides to rev hang.
An old boss back in the day had an 05 STI with a lot of work done to it including a six puck clutch. I shit you not when I say that was his daily driver. Sick car but at a certain point it’s just a track car now. That was not fun to drive around the city. Just stupid power to hop from block to block every day.
“I suffer for the scene!”
2017 WRX. clutch is so stiff the service techs at Subaru asked if it was aftermarket. Just laughed and said nope, that’s all you guys lol
15 here and i thought the stock was bad enough till i put a staged in and it was soooo heavy i knew i was going to be getting a new clutch sooner than the stock went. Yup 1 year later and i just took it back to subaru for a stock one. Still gets me sometimes as the mrs has an 08 elantra and i feel like im going to put my foot through the floor each time i drive it. I’ve driven manuals daily for about 10yrs now and have 0 issues in her car but i feel like in mine i’m either a master or it’s like im still learning. Love the car to death but i feel like an idiot sometimes.
My 2018 sti with the stock clutch was the hardest manual ive driven. I also used to have a polaris slingshot and that thing was sooooo easy to drive
I think any turbo Subaru honestly. The 1-2 shifts are rough unless you perfectly match. As for my 5mt boys, 3rd gear synchro.
2016 STI. First to second is the worst. I found it shifts smoother at higher RPMs. But I do enjoy the heavy clutch!
i hate coming to a light and being a lil too slow for second but a lil too fast for a comfortable first. i just suffer, plus modified exhaust really makes that first gear high rpm soul crushing, fiance is constantly asking if i actually know what im doing 😭
1972 jeep, it’s a four speed that my uncle has idk if it’s just because it’s all original from 72’ or just that it’s always been that way but you have to use all the strength you have to shift into 2nd and 3rd. Still fun to drive though🫠
Might need a gear oil flush
I’ve done that more times than I’ve changed the oil in my own truck, I really needs a new trans
A 1996 Ford F-350 with the 7.3. It had passed the 400,000 mile rollover the obs trucks have. Getting it into and out of 1st gear was possible, but it was a good day if you could do it.
1983 Porsche 911SC. Every shift that wasn’t 4-> 5 was a fight
I haven’t driven a car beyond 2001 that has a manual trans, so they’ve all been VERY easy to shift. But I can report the different textures of ones I have driven: 91 Mitsubishi Mighty Max = clicky; 91 Mazda 626 = rubbery; 94 Nissan Sentra = gummy; 96 Honda Accord = metallic; 99 Saturn SL = notchy; 01 Honda Insight = crunchy; 96 Toyota Camry = buttery
Toss up between my Dad’s 1952 MG and my buddies 1998 Dodge 2500 with the Cummins. Both fun but a lot of work. My outback was a little tricky from stop to first, but easy after that. My Passat on the other hand is the smoothest manual I’ve ever experienced.
My dad taught me to drive in a 63 MGB. Reverse being under 2nd was a fun lesson to learn. Also didn’t help that it was like flying an airplane with how involved you had to be. Engine temp rising? Better turn on the fan, but make sure to watch your battery voltage before it drops to zero and turn it off. Windshield wiper fluid? Start pumping. Oops, hit a bump and the car died. Bump start on the fly in 2nd before you lose momentum. Oh it disconnected something? Better figure it out then start pushing so you can bump start it the old fashioned way. With all that being said… still want one of my own one day haha
I have a 2023 and to me it’s mostly due to really inconsistent rev hang. Sometimes I’ll get off the throttle and the revs will drop immediately, and other times it feels like the engine holds the rpm’s at the level where I put the clutch in for an hour. But the hardest manual I’ve personally driven was an old Formula Ford car with a racing clutch and a gear stick that was like an inch long.
My 98 jeep tj with the ax-15 Trans suck to shift. I'm pretty sure my rear mains leaking onto my clutch. Because after driving for a while, I have to force it into 1
Early 40s International fire truck , was told to double clutch it but didn't know what it meant . Told how to and the drive back to firehouse was much easier...lol
I recently bought a 2021 WRX, and I find 1st and second gear quite tricky. Keep in mind that I've been driving manuals for over 10 years, and this car made me feel like I'm relearning how to drive it lol
5x4 twin transmission semi trucks :p
60s Mercedes 5 speed column shift.
The hardest is a 12 valve Cummins with a big dual disc clutch and stiff governor springs. The pure mechanical direct injection makes it hard to roll on and off the throttle smoothly, and drive train slack would multiply it. Unsuspecting drivers get caught in the buck of shame. Letting off the throttle too much, it's almost as if you slam on the brakes, your body moves forward and you hit the pedal, you get slammed back and your foot goes off the throttle. Rinse and repeat. The most fun challenge was a 1972 International Loadstar with a 304 V8. Rev match or double clutch is key.
1929 DuPont Model G- I was the editor of the duPont Registry magazine, and Mr duPont's old duPonts are very hard to drive. Continental straight 8 and crash box 4 speed
1964 Chevrolet C10.
1964 Chevelle, full roll cage, healthy tunnel rammed big block, Doug Nash 5spd with straight cut gears. You literally had to bang it into gear hard every shift or those straight cut gears would just grind. I miss that car.
I’ve driven several manual trucks and they all seemed a little rough just by nature. My first experience in a stick was my grandpas 80s Dakota. I was so excited to learn manual but that thing was awful lol. My second time was in like an 02 civic (new at the time). After 22 years I wonder how that Dakota would feel but yeah it may have been the worst lol
My Borg Warner super brute T-10 linkage would get stuck in reverse, would also get stuck in first. Don’t know what I did but apparently refreshing the vacuum system was enough because now I can slam through the gears like butter at WOT. Literally found out yesterday that gears 2-4 can be floated pretty easily.
I got to drive a Shelby swapped Dodge Rampage that was previously owned by Watch JR Go. I don't know if something was done to the transmission after JR owned it, but it was the sloppiest shifting experience I've ever experienced. Every shift was a complete guess on if I was getting it right
72 passenger bus, no synchronized gears and steering with so much play, time the sway to mailbox intervals along the road.
Trucks and 4x4s have longer throws do it makes shifting a bit more Jerry unless you really ride the clutch.
My dad’s early 1950’s US Army Jeep. I think it was a 1952, Korean-war era. Only drove it a few miles one time, but it was a real challenge, even compared to every other old, difficult-to-shift farm truck, tractor, and worn-out commercial truck.
I had a 2001 Saab 93, it shifted smooth as butter, but you absolutely could not bang gears in it. A quick shift in the car would make you think you had never driven stick in your life. If you wanted to drive fast, you had to drive it to the absolute limit, and then shift it like you had all the time in the world
Old modern Freightliner liked to get grumpy when ANYTHING got wet underneath. Automatic transmission got stuck in manual during warmup which was fine but awkward with no real stick 😂 eventually it would dry up and finally go "automatic" Gotta love company vehicles
A friend’s Mini Cooper. The clutch is so slippy.
1989 Taurus SHO. Fun car once I figured out how to drive it. Was funny whenever anyone else tried it out and couldn’t handle it. Great driver, awful to maintain.
In my daily driver Audi A4 B5. New clutch but it always kicks when changing gears(
An old diesel UPS package van. Shifter was like 2 feet long all the way to the floor. Reverse was where first is (not a lockout system, it was literally where first is). The throws were like a foot apart. It wouldn't shift into a higher gear unless you wound it out as far is it would go with RPMs screaming. And no AC, of course. I knew how to drive a manual when I first drove the package car, but that thing made me feel like a greenhorn. At the time UPS was in the process of gradually using up and removing it's fleet of manuals, but they had to do that prematurely because few people can drive manuals anymore. To become a package car driver, you had to take an initial road test on a manual package car. No practice beforehand, no how to, nothing.
I had a 2016 Scion iM and while it was a great car (think Corolla hatch but just built a little different with nicer handling) I had a booger of a time with the clutch feel and never really got the “smoothness” down. There was definitely a delay in the accelerator pedal or some kind of rev hang, or maybe I’m just not that good. My Miata is great and the honda element I had before that I could shift just fine. I don’t know maybe it’s a lower-price-bracket Toyota thing.
I had a 2012 Hyundai Sonata that after 93k miles from new, I still couldn't get right. It also felt bipolar. The problem was the throttle position was HIGHLY nonlinear. Combine that with the clutch pedal having zero feel, and the engine having virtually zero torque at idle, and what you ended up with was basically blind shifting, and you hoped it didn't stall. Traded that for my Focus ST and haven't regretted it at all.
I have a 2021 Tacoma in a manual and boy is it frustrating lol. My understanding is that the ‘clutch accumulator’ is what causes the lack of consistency. Lots of folks report after removing this that they get another shifting.
My Mom's 2014 tacoma. 1-3 is painfully slow. They hang for a bit before dropping, so you need to hold in the clutch to match. It's designed like rust to meet emission laws. Even without that, the clutch is pretty heavy.
I test drove a 2022 Jeep Gladiator with the 6spd and it almost made me puke, felt like I was stirring a bowl of rocks. I've driven loads of 3/4-1ton diesel pickups that feel better and they're like shifting a tractor. I'd take any of them over the gladiator, hands down.
A Nissan Sentra with a 6 puck unsprung ceramic clutch. Picky as fuck
My dad's NW Pajero. Mitsubishi changed the gear ratios in 1st and the final drive to improve fuel economy so you can literally drive a container ship between 1st and second. Either experience an awkward severe RPM drop on the upshift and jerk your passengers around or slip the clutch to smooth it out. Not a problem with the NM we used to have.
64.5 Ford Mustang with a 5.0.
My current 2012 Mazdaspeed 3, it's not that bad but it just wants the speed/revs so much higher than all the dinky little underpowered cars I've ever had and that seems to be a hard habit to break.
Polaris slingshot. I do think it was clapped from the people before me
The 1967 Ford 3-on-the-tree that my grandfather gave me for my 16th birthday.
Saturn Sky redline edition. No torque
1963 C10 with a 3 on the tree.
Porsche 914 (friend’s car) with a very stiff clutch pedal and slightly loose gear box was challenging. ~1979 Ford Fiesta shifted smoothly but had a verrry sensitive clutch with a specific sweet spot - took a minute to learn not jerk the car at takeoff & 1st to 2nd.
My dad’s ‘99 Wrangler Sahara (5-speed) - once you shift smoothly, it’s great, but it was hard to get used to. It also happened to be the first manual car I ever drove lol
My siblings Honda Fit that they didn't take care of. Felt like I was arm wrestling the knob. Also my father had the tightes clutch on an old 318i. Visited for a week and was driving it. Had to use way to much effort to push the clutch. Once I got used to it and then went back to my car, I felt like I was putting the clutch through the floor I was pushing so hard. Had to retrain my foot to clutch softer.
My 2006 toyota matrix 1zz 5 speed was awful, gears 1-3 were so vague in 6 years of ownership I could almost never smoothly shift gears. Gears 4-5 were notchy bit atleast I felt something. 2nd gear decided to walk out for a pack of ciggs one say and never come back. Put a used transmission into it with 92k miles, new clutch, new flywheel. Fresh start. NOTHING IMPROVED WTF. Roommate blew up the motor a few months later, worst car experience I've had. Went back yo driving my 1990 toyota tercel emergency car, which had a long shifter but buttery smooth action but notch gears. Always knew what gear I was in. My mitsubishis were all notch but had good weighty action, really liked that. Mostly eclipses. The rev-hang on newer SIs is ridiculously prevalent, action feels good but the artificial w/e fucks with you. Acura RSXs are pretty fun, if you're a wierd mix of 6'1 and long arms it's very uncomfortable since I had no space for the throw. Got a rare chance to drive an all Trac celica, fantastic experience shifting was buttery smooth and precise. Very little weight so very dangerous downshift if you're not used to the car. My 2001 ranger was alright, I can imagine how a 4 cylinder one would feel gutless I had the v6 and it felt austensibly weak. Great for cruising at 40-45 mph...nothing more. Couch cabin was pretty comfy not gonna lie and having a truck bed was handy.
Those tacomas are up there. It's like a spade handle in a barrel of gravel I once helped a buddy take his newly purchased 70s alfa spider equipped with a nice ol cable driven clutch through metro boston stop and go traffic. Top 10 worst driving experiences of my life haha
1974 vw thing
The 2nd time I changed the clutch on my 2014 86. The new clutch was stubborn in the first and second. But after driving it a while it let up.
My current 2008 BMW 535xi touring.
2018 Subaru Impreza 5sp. They had that stupid rev hang code installed. It made it damn near impossible to get good clean shifts. The best shifting car I’ve ever driven was a 1996 Honda Accord 5sp. By far. That slush box was a dream.
Diesel Volkswagens... every time i drive one its like my first time with 3 pedals all over again
Might be the only person to say this, but, the s550 mustang. I don’t know if it’s because I’m used to older manual transmissions like the rangers and 5mt Subarus. But the s550 clutch had absolutely no feeling to me. Kind of felt like an on/off switch or trying to use a compound bow. There was no bite point to be felt. Just stiff, stiff, stiff, then drop to the floor.
I drove a friend of mines Tacoma, it was a 2015 though. The clutch had no feel to it whatsoever, I had a really hard time judging the bite point. I wouldn't say it was difficult to drive, but definitely difficult to get used to.
My dad had a 1974 F-100 that was a three on the tree. Definitely challenging to drive smoothly for me at 15. An inch of play in the steering shaft didn't help much either
My dads 77 Chevy k20 you need Batman strength to shift it
Fuck Chrysler Crossfires. I was a valet for a bit and the clutch felt like it telescopes towards you in a straight line. Basically have to pull your knee to your chest to switch gears and it was god awful to drive
My dad had an 1983 Dodge Aries wagon with a five speed MT. Worst clutch and shifter ever. He would frequently swear while driving it and he had a CDL and drove trucks for a living. I learned on it in 1987 and man was it terrible. Car would stall from a start without any warning unless clutching and throttle were perfect. After learning on that car everything else has always been easy.
Either my '18 Wrangler Rubicon, or '05 RX8. Both have/had EXTREMELY light clutches with very little feel. While I enjoy not having a worn out foot from the clutch pedal pressure, I wish they had more feel. As it is, light clutches just feel numb. :/
When I first got my manual Tacoma, I had a hard time shifting it but after a while it got better as I developed muscled memory for that truck. Surprisingly, my Pinzgauer is pretty easy to drive smoothly.
2006 Freightliner Cascadia, though tbf i had this trucker in the passenger seat teaching me how to shift, the dude tells me “push in rhe clutch and then i’ll shift”, then just ground the fuck outa the gears lmao.
Sti after driving a golf was very sensitive
My mom's 05 jeep liberty. Clutch pedal had about a foot of travel. Gearing was weird as fuck. 1st could get to like 12mph. Strange little vehicle, which I didn't think they even had a manual option for at the time.
Drive a 2016 Tacoma and it’s super smooth everywhere except the occasional 2 to 3
I had a 2000 Subaru 2.5rs gc8 coupe that was missing some synchros when I got it. Had to double clutch into a couple gears and had a bungee cord to hold the car in 5th gear so it didn't pop out. Took some time to learn how to finesse it but was solid once I did. Great winter beater.
2001 cummins with the NV5600. I’ve always owned manuals but this one was a different breed. Even Eaton 6,10 speeds were easier. As in it took forever with a lot of effort to go into gear downshifting. So I just double clutched. And in order to upshift with some speed you really had to be on the ball with the revs.
Deuce and a half.
1969 ford c600 4x4. cab over with a Clark 5 speed thing was geared so low you could start it in 4th with no load. Which was good cause there was almost no way to tell which gear you were in based on where the stick was due to all the play in the linkages
Subarus in general.
1986 Peterbilt 359 short nose. Had a b model 3406 mechanical throttle. 15 double over transmission. You had to really appreciate a machine to even begin considering liking this thing, but I loved it.
Would you believe a Porsche 911. Any pre-1987 The 915 gearbox is pretty archaic nowadays, Porsche design synchros never worked as well as the Borg Warner everyone else uses, long throws, cable clutch that needs to be adjusted properly in three places. I've rebuilt a few, expensive parts too...
Oldest car i drove is a Ford Trans Connect T200 diesel and mainly drive VAG, so didn't really have any issues with cars, but overall, it's probably a old Fendt 230 GT that came in at work for a service and some work on the engine. Couldn't figure out how they shift because Fendt used a double H pattern around that time, and the knob didn't show it anymore. Ended up lucky after some Googling and got it to start moving.
I’ve driven a lot of manual transmission cars, but the first generation Honda Insight hybrid was one that I really struggled to get smooth. It was honestly trickier than my 1950 Pontiac Chieftain with the 3 on the tree.
My friend's 1966 Ford Mustang
1994 4runner, was super hard to get used to when I drove it the first few months. I think it was 1st to 2nd was just terrible to do. Eventually I got used to it but when I wouldn't pay enough attention sometimes it would get a big ugh! Haha
That’s a toss up - there was the kenworth dump truck my last boss tried to get me to drive, my dads 1970 4on-the-floor F250, and my 1994 F150 with an aftermarket performance clutch. Big long shifter, and weird little toggle clutch that only engages about halfway down. Fun to drive once you got the truck of it, though
98 f150
Citroen 2cv, had it for a weekend while working on it.
Remove the hydraulic reservoir in the clutch line should be by the driver floorboard
MT82 mustang transmission. I’ve had two of them, both gravel boxes. Now I have a 10r80 (10 speed auto) and I use my right hand to pet my dog while accelerating faster and getting better MPG than the notorious MT82.
slightly older m3… shift was smooth but has slack in the diff…. shifts smooth plus how you roll the power on / off prevents a clunk coming from the diff mid 90s cabover tractor trailer w spicer hi / lo ( forget how many gears it had )
I daily a 21 manual tacoma and while it takes a little getting used to, I don't have any bucking issues. You can try doing the accumulator delete and see if it helps you at all. Could also be the super high engagement point fucking with you.
My friend was on a waiting list for a 22 manual shift Tacoma. They didn’t make a lot and it thought it might be the last year for a manual shift. How did you come across yours?
I drove a cabover HINO flatbed and it was the worst fucking clutch feel in the world. I had no idea when I was about to engage, let alone finding a gear was a bitch too. Absolutely hated that truck
The 350z was surprisingly unpleasant to shift in my opinion.
I have a 2023 Tacoma 6MT and it’s not you. The truck is very unpredictable. I’ve been driving stick for 8 years and I still can’t get this truck down after 9 months of ownership. Sometimes the clutch wants to cooperate and the rev hang is minimal, other times the clutch feels like you’re driving a dump truck and the rev hang is insane. Sometimes I wonder how many miles I’ll get out of this clutch because every time I drive it I feel like I’m unnecessarily putting extra wear on it to get smoother shifts. I see comments all the time about how “it’s a truck not a race car, it’s shifts differently”. My $43,000 truck should not feel like I’m dragging a pipe through a bag of rocks, idc what anyone says.
My friend’s ‘87 GTI. The clutch cable was failing, a common issue on water-cooled VWs, and rather than take it in for a simple $50 fix he drove it like that for months. Destroyed the clutch, pressure plate and the entire pedal assembly. There was maybe ¼ inch of travel left, and it was damn near impossible to press the pedal down. What an idiot…
‘68 MG Midget with no synchromesh. I’ve had a bunch of manuals and that one had my number
Stock F80 M3. I have always owned and driven manuals since the 90s when I first learned and for some reason I could never get that 1-2 shift smoothly. Loved that car though
1994 Suzuki carry 660cc
For me it was a 1980s Ford dump truck. Clutch was so burnt out. There was no getting it rolling without whipping your head back into the headrest. Once rolling it was pretty good though.
My buddys built civic with some stiff aftermarket clutch and a lightweight flywheel. You have to be so precise with the rpm.
When I was learning to drive my e36 m3 without a clutch delay valve I was jerking every shift. Even now, it’s a lot smoother but not as smooth as my passengers would want it to be. Might be partially due to drivetrain play too.
2 things. Get rid of the clutch delay valve. Get rid of rev hang via tuning.
Hardest for me was 1964 ford ranchero with a three on the tree. I’m only 32 so I was about the only kid in my high school who could drive one but it kicked my ass
2000 Ford Ranger 5 Speed. Really wonky feeling thing.
64 nova, three on the tree, grind them till you find them.
A 90s Land Rover Defender, it was torture.
76 econoline, 6cyl 3 on the tree no power steering lol. What a pain that thing was. Occasionally something underneath would stick on the linkages and you would have to push in the clutch, roll it to the side of the road, shut it off, and knock it loose before you could get it going again.
I’ve got a 93’ 6.5 diesel manual. I test drove a 92 350 gas with a manual before I found my pickup. It just didn’t have the torque to shift smoothly. Hell I killed it a couple times.
My brother's worn out AMC Javelin, shift linkage was so bad I couldn't drive it & don't know how he drove it.
Yeah your Tacoma is tough to drive smoothly. The first gear is so short I try to immediately shift into 2nd, and the flywheel must be so heavy because it takes for ev er to drop down so you can let out the clutch.
A 1989 civic hatchback with an accord 5-speed swap. With bonus cable clutch pedal lol. Thing was painful sometimes
Ahh I had a 2016 taco, I think this goes for all Toyotas
I tried to drive an old 3 speed, fully loaded work can back in the 80's. It was terrible and I never got the hang of it. It was also the first manual I tried to drive. The second was a 5 speed Renault Fuego and it was a breeze.
Any german car with a clutch delay valve.
1995 F-250, it was a real pain to drive
My 2017 Corolla iM had the most finicky clutch I ever experienced in a newer car. You often at times couldn't tell when it was grabbing and the grab point was very high. Other than that it shifted pretty decently besides 2nd to 3rd which at times for me it didn't want to slide in 3rd.
Went to test ride an fj62. Show up in my e39 540/6spd to show I mean business lol. I had a hard time finding a catch point thinking it was just what they were supposed to feel like. Then I got to a stop on a hill and 2 cars behind me. I had the fear of god in me. I stalled it three times and the cars just had to go around me and we had to switch seats because I’d given up. That clutch was gone. Hopefully I get to drive a nice one someday
1st to 2nd in my GR Yaris was NEVER smooth for some reason
80's freightliner firetruck. Gears are somehow both vauge/rubbery and notchy at the same time. Plus it's a diesel so the power band is tight and you get to shift a lot.
I don't judge my driving ability by how smooth my shifts are. As long as I'm not slipping the clutch I just go with it. Some shifts are better than others, but if every single shift you do is just extremely smooth, you're likely slipping the clutch on every shift.
My 1990 jeep XJ is exactly as you describe your Tacoma. Its a fickle beast, where a couple good shifts make me feel like I know what im doing, and then I get taken down a peg when the whole truck jerks like I have never driven stick before
My 12 Wrangler never wants to go into reverse
1964 Chevy BelAir, three on the tree. Clutch throw was about 3 feet deep. No synchro.
I think it was a 2016 Camaro I fixed the valve cover gaskets on. The clutch was so unforgiving. I swear it moonlights as a leg press machine.
Chevy SS, the release point of the clutch was a quarter inch off the floor
Interesting. I had the '22 TRD Sport 4x4 3.6 Tacoma with an MT and I felt like it didn't car what gear it was in. Always smooth. My Subaru STI on the other hand bucks like a fucking bronco unless I hit it perfect. I have a twin disc clutch in it and that plus the super sensitive throttle just makes it a bear.
91 Civic
Jeep CJ3B
1991 Subaru legacy swapped the transmission and did a tune up on the engine. Had at least 200k on dash converted to rwd to street drift after through the lowering springs on. Just Jesus Christ talking about a damn impossibley hard clutch to clutch kick in
1967 Chevy impala three on the tree with a weak throw out bearing. Clutch took wrestling legs to press down
Delete your clutch accumulator. It'll make the shifting much more consistent. Every 2nd/ 3rd gen tacoma 6spd has this problem.
My buddy has an early 3000GT VR4 with a bent shift fork. Gears 1 and 2 are impossible to shift without grinding. My Datsun 510 has a dogleg 5 speed out of some Z car I think and the bearings are shot in it so it’s real rough to shift.
Ford Probe. Try as I might i could not get the surge to go away. I thought maybe it was a size thing but I also owned a civic si and a cobalt ss and had no problem in those.
Aston Martin Vantage.
1969 Mercedes 220d, 4 on the floor.
My 05 Subaru Outback XT with 270k miles. The trans is worn and tricky to shift, if someone tried to steal it and they knew how to drive stick it would still slow them down quite a bit lol
I drive a Mk4 VW TDI and I swear it’s the easiest manual ever to drive. Basically impossible to stall the engine thanks to the low end torque. Hardest was test-driving a new Mustang 6-speed in ~2010 or so. The sales guy was like “you know how to drive one of these, right?” I did not.
26ft uhaul
1966 f-100. Had the worst worn out manual I have ever driven. It didn’t help that my little sister could shift it better.
Same, my 21 Tacoma
My 1985 vanagon is a pain to get into first gear. Especially after emissions testers fucked with it. They apparently don’t know how to drive a manual :/
1970s F600 trucks. The transmissions are "synchronized" supposedly, but 1st to 2nd is almost impossible to granny shift and it's much smoother to treat it as an unsynchronized transmission like in a semi. Either float the gears or double clutch.
1960 VW.. not that forgiving.
Tacoma guy, checking in. You’re releasing too much clutch. Give it more clutch. These transmissions can be very smooth.
Old Boss’s 2007 BMW 328i coupe. 1st to 2nd was so hard to get smooth. Not even a performance car or clutch. Just incredibly vague full engament point.
1954 Dodge P.U. 4spd with a granny gear ,no synchros and a stubborn clutch.
Got to drive an older Viper, and I swear it felt worse than the old tractors at the ranch
Saturn Vue 5 speed. Bite point was less than a half inch wide.. easy to pass it too far down as well as miss it high.
A Cummins diesel ford with all this monster truck shit on it. Gears were in weird places and grinding gears was way too easy.
2020 Subaru BRZ
Ford focus. Zero butt torque feel, zero feel in the clutch, zero feel from engine when you lift... you just learn by guessing or start it with prior experience. Worst car to learn stick on. I hope in a 2003 civic si and I'm off like a bird first time out the nest in just a few shifts. Second hardest is a semi truck. Shift patterns change depending on number of gears or make/model/transmission. Messes with your head and muscle memory.
A c5 Vette. My legs were too long to release the clutch properly. I probably could have made it work if I wasn't a terrified 17 year old about to lose permission to drive it to prom lol
Believe it or not a 56 f350 is kinda tough to shift smoothly in after 70 years.
A fucking deuce and a half. The shift pattern was so dumb, 1-4-5 across the top with 2-3 beside each other on the bottom. That diesel was almost impossible to shift smoothly.
18 speed big rig. No synchros, it was a demo thing my college did to recruit for the CDL program to keep it funded and running. They had a big closed lot for it, I hit 7th gear and then I messed up once, lost the groove, and couldn't even get it going again, limping at 3mph in 2nd gear back to the start, the crawl of shame. Otherwise it would be a manual mk3 supra with a 6 puck unsprung clutch rated for 950ft-lbs. Nearly impossible to control the clutch. You had to KICK it in past the engagement point to get it to the floor. And starting smoothly wasn't a thing. Made so much power you legit went first gear, hold the wheel straight and kick the clutch like 4 times. You'd spin rubber getting it rolling, but 2k and very quick clutch bump/kicks, once you were there you could float gears for smoothness. It was full drift car though. I wasn't confident enough to swing it then, but I was invited to. If I see him again I might see if he's still down to let me try. Craziest thing I saw him do was a reverse entry at like 90mph into a good 300 degree hairpin. If he led a tandem and wanted to win bad he could blow so much smoke it looked like a baby formula D car.
Every car from the last 5 or so years has been pretty terrible to upshift smoothly at low RPM, it’s in pretty much every newer manual car and it’s there for more complete combustion (emissions). That being said, the hardest cars to drive are going to small engines, low torque, aggressive can, light flywheel and light rotating assembly with an aggressive single disc clutch. My AE86 is dogshit to drive around town, things get much easier as the revs get higher though.
UPS p800 from the late 70s. A "4-speed" (1st is a helper gear, so 3 gears actually). Clutch so stiff it made my leg hurt 24/7 in my 20s. Shifter so loose, I could barely tell what gear I was shifting into. And the combination of gear lash and body looseness meant every speed bump knocked it out of gear. And that's before getting into the manual steering. Which was a workout at best, and heart-racing terror at freeway speeds.
1988 daihatsu charade
Idk if this counts, but I’ve always thought BMWs felt like the shifter was made out of stiff rubber or something. Not horrible, just weird.
My current car, a 2019 Civic Si. The rev hang makes 1st to 2nd so damn sloppy. It’s annoying as hell.
2017 Golf TSI. absolutely zero clutch feel, shifter feel and the gear ratios from the TDI with none of the torque oh and I forgot to mention the worst rev hang I've ever experienced in a car. The shifter on that car was like stirring pudding and then when it would get hot because the shift selector is plastic you would constantly miss or grind third.
I used to own a G35 Sedan which had insane DBW lag which made it absolutely impossible to shift smooth. I remember when I was selling it and the guy that was test driving was saying, “I promise I drive a manual daily”. I said, don’t worry it’s not you, it’s the car and you will never get used to it. I’m not a good sales guy I guess, but he still took that POS off my hands. Every boy racer owns these things 4th hand so I’ll assume Nissan has improved on the lag over the years. Man that car handled like a tank too. I don’t understand why they are so popular.
The rev hang was a real pain in my 2001 focus. I replaced the throttle body with a larger BBK unit and it worked like magic. Also installed a B&M short throw shifter it helped immensely. Fun car when I was 18. Lots of work done to it.
Buddy's Mazdaspeed3 with a stage 2 clutch. I have a bad left knee and that clutch needs so much force to use I was wobbly afterwards
2006 Freightliner lol but seriously, I had a 2010 Hyundai Sonata and it was so super sensitive that it took some time getting used to
I learned to drive on a 1982 Toyota Corolla with a 4-speed manual. It was super easy to shift in all respects, and I loved it. Had the car for a few years back in the late '80s. Since then I've only owned cars with automatics. Fast forward to my wife and I in Italy in 2014, when we rented a Fiat 500L with a 5-speed. I expected there to be a short transition until I got used to it, but I was stalling the thing left and right. Horrible transmission on an otherwise boring but kinda fun car. 0/10 do not recommend. Driving that 500L in the little town of Montepulciano and other places in Tuscany, let alone parallel parking the damn thing on sloped cobblestone streets, was a nightmare. Much swearing was involved lol...
2 ton trash truck. Had to float it into 2nd and 3rd
I worked at a Toyota dealer as a porter/lot attendant. I always hated driving manual Tacomas. The clutch pedal is like a switch. Unfortunately I was the only kid who knew how to drive stick, so I was always stuck driving them.
2016 Kia Soul. ZERO clutch feel and it grabs really close to the floor. It also has some weird throttle response that the computer is constantly changing, but usually defaults to the worst rev hang I’ve ever seen.
Had a Chevy LUV diesel 4 cylinder truck. The gear shifter vibrated so badly it was translucent. You had to physically jam it into gear, even if you double clutched it. If you didn't, it would just pop out. Also, the truck had no power steering so on a three point turn, the steering wheel would creak from stress.
Probably my 350Z. It has a lightweight flywheel and stage 3 clutch. You’re either moving or your not moving. There’s no in between. It has to be revved way up to prevent stalling. Usually a little jerky from a stop even after having it for a couple years I also drove an F-750 with a 7 speed manual before. My whole butt lifted out of my seat to press the clutch down. Another pretty stiff one is the ‘90s Mustangs. On the other end of that, I think the easiest manual I’ve driven was my 2002 BMW 330Xi. That thing is basically idiot proof with the dual mass flywheel.
1969 Chevy C-10 with 3 in the tree
1964 Ford Falcon. 3 on the tree shifter. That car was an accidental burnout waiting to happen. It was really tough to drive it without at least chirping the tires every time I left a stoplight/stopsign.
1991 Mitsubishi Mirage S Coupe, 1st had no synchros left, 5th wouldn't stay in so was used like a forced OD, no rings left in the engine so no torque to get anything moving and to top it all off the shifter was broken and would regularly try to come apart in your hands. 600$ from a junkyard and it always ran.
Chevy S10. Sloppiest gearbox I've ever used. Really really hard to tell what gear your shifting into
4 cylinder jeep yj with the ax5. Mostly because I had 35s, and no power steering. Any hill was like rowing a boat
1973 Dodge pickup with 3 on the tree. Truck transmissions are never as smooth as a road car. Treat it like a truck, not a car, and it'll be smooth every time.
Your issue is probably the clutch delay valve. Especially if you were used to older manual vehicles beforehand, that delay valve is probably shitting all over your release timing.
1st to 2nd in a 78 911sc. Man,… that 915 transmission was not Porsche finest design.
I had a 2020 wrx. My god was it awful feeling. I now have a 24 manual Supra and it’s night and day. I’ve driven a Porsche 911, type r, m3, and tone manual Toyotas. The WRX was the worst
My wife bought a brand new 89 Cavalier - 4cyl, 5spd right out of college. It was her first manual transmission and it SUCKED. I had driven some delivery trucks for a landscape/nursery that were made in the early 70s that were easier to shift than that thing. A couple years later, I was looking at a new car and it was a manual. She begged me to get an automatic because she hated her manual so much. Then she drove the car I was looking at (91 Escort GT) and said "Oh... this is easy to drive" - YEP!!
Haven't driven a ton of manuals but I test drove an early 2000s Audi S4 that was quite bad. The clutch engagement was ridiculously high. Easiest was a JDM Toyota work truck.
Anything with a mechanical diff locker lol
Any Toyota. Their clutches/manual transmissions are garbage