Thread: Noob M/T driver here.

I actually got the 6 speed Auto in my 3.8 Coupe but I have heard quite a few complaints with the manual transmission in this car. Most noticed would be something about 5th gear really grinding bad and people have had to get their entire transmission replaced! Don't let it scare you away but you might want to talk with others to find out their impressions.

No 5th gear grind here, just rough down shifting from 2nd to 1st.

I think if your comfortable w/ shifting on the cars you mentioned you shouldn't have much problem with the GC. I don't think there is a safety for reverse but (from neutral) if you pull the shifter to the left you will hit a barrier to prevent going into reserve easily, you have to pull harder to get threw that barrier then the car also makes a beep noise to indicate your going into reserve.

The manual is a POS tranny to learn on. POS to use.

I would suggest you test drive one first. The clutch is different than any other manual i've driven. I think its a hydrolic clutch, but don't quote me on that. It took me a couple days to get used to but now i'm pretty good with it and every time I drive another manual it feels like a POS. But my tranny doesn't grind any......yet atleast.

Originally Posted by teknical1ty

I've only driven stick shift a handful of times (corollas, civics) and I was wondering if you guys think that I'd be capable of handling this coupe, either the 2.0 or 3.8, eventually after some practice. I've never driven a sports coupe before so is it really any different from any other manual car? Is there a safety for the reverse gear so that I can't engage it while moving forward (being that it's positioned next to 1st gear)?

I drove a manual Toyota for over a decade, and sampled a bunch of cars during test drives. By far, the Coupe has one of the stiffer clutches, and the ratios do make smooth transitions more difficult if you're not trying to test the 0-60 time.

But like any car, once you adjust to it, it'll feel natural. I took mine out in the middle of nowhere and did "shift scales" a few dozen times. (Good thing no one had to follow me, they would have been swearing up a storm!) And after month of driving, I still have the occasional jerkiness (or rarer, stall).

The safety for the reverse gear is a little "BEEP" when you select it. Do not engage clutch until you've listened for it, or you'll be re-enacting scenes from your favorite 80's teen movies.

Thanks for all the input, guys.

Took it for a test drive and wow is all I have to say... lol. Clutch was very stiff as you said, Impulse, and I didn't get used to it until (sadly) the end of our test drive as I was riding through the lot on 1st gear. I've never driven anything close to being a sports car until today. It's a lot different from what I've been used to all these years.

Well in conclusion, I've decided to go with an automatic GC since this is gonna most likely replace my daily ride. I'm not bummed at all after that test drive. It just doesn't feel like something I'd be able to stand to drive daily, whether I want to or not.

I think you'd find you'd be used to it before long. It really doesn't take very long to adapt yourself to it. But best to get what you're happy with.

I personally never would want an A/T in a sports car!