Re: Driving Technique with a 6 Speed Manual Gearbox Have just picked up a 2010 6spd manual 2.5 Ti-L after my brilliant 2004 Ti-L auto was smashed with hail and written off (Statutory write off with Allianz Insurance which means never to be re-registered in NSW) I havn't driven a manual for my daily drive for a number of years and found the older auto extremely flexible, smooth and easy to kick down when acceleration was needed. Reviews I read praise the 6 spd manual and while I have found it smooth and light to operate I am still not relaxed with it's use after a week of daily driving. I have to negotiate fairly free flowing 60k freeway with stop start traffic lights. I am slightly deaf and with the AC on, struggle to hear the engine revs. I am currently relying on the tacho for change ups but have not been able to fully eradicate engine rev run ons when I de-clutch. Getting smooth take offs and change ups into second are not as smooth as I would like either. If I don't watch the tacho I find I am revving third gear off its head before getting into 4th. First and second gear seem very close and 5th and 6th quite close and high. I was always taught never to lug an engine below optimum revs between gears and find I need to be well above 2000rpm in order to feel comfortable with the engines workload. I am not getting out of 4th in the 60 zone.
I am coming to the conclusion that the gearbox works easiest when changes are made without revving the engine out too far but I am not confident that the engine is not overworking. Can anyone enlighten me here. I am missing the old auto.
Re: Driving Technique with a 6 Speed Gearbox After 5000ks mixed town and highway driving I am not loving this transmission. While my inputs have become more automatic I still find I get caught out with starting off in first (quite easy to stall and reaction tends to be riding the clutch too much - also especially when reversing with a load such as a trailer uphill.), not engaging first easily unless fully stopped, difficult to make fast shifting, engine flaring between shifts.
For highway work I am finding lack of torque means it is necessary to drop back to fourth and give it the stick to make fast and safe overtaking manoeuvrers from around 80 to 90Kmh, particularly on uphill gradients. The engine will happily rev out to 4500rpm. Fifth seems to be pretty useless for anything other than flat country cruising and sixth an overdrive which adds to fuel economy. I find it is easy to forget to slot it into 6th and a visual indicator on the dials (one that you don't need a magnifying glass to read) would be useful.
The biggest improvement I have found on the t31 2.5 petrol over the older t30 is a much improved steering turn in. It is actually quite pleasant to drive on the twisty bitumen bits. Just a shame it has lost it's zip.
Re: Driving Technique with a 6 Speed Gearbox Thanks DogTrail for that. Maintaining efficiency seems to require a fair bit of work I am finding. Maybe I should go back to an auto and give the CVT a turn.
Re:Driving Technique with a 6 spd gearbox. After 18 months i've given up on the manual exxy. Alright on the long haul country drive but never found it an easy drive in the cut and thrust of urban driving, having to concentrate too hard to get smooth changes, and keep the motor on the boil. Maybe years of driving with modern autos has ruined me, or maybe 6 speeds is just more than what you need in a manual. I also rented a CVT model on holidays and found it more responsive than i expected and apart from feeling like nothing was happening in a hurry when making a get away around the shopping centre found it easy to live with. I have come to the conclusion that modern auto technology is really very smart, and after 18 months with a manual exxy, for my money, the only way to go.
Cheers - Davo