joed4640

Well ive had the car for 2 weeks - and finding this car very difficult to shift 100% smoothly.

I have expirence with sticks before - mostly domestics.

seems like some of the 'experts' agree - almost every review ive read on the 6 speed makes the same complaint.

http://www.internetautoguide.com/rev...003/index.html

http://www.nctd.com/review-intro.cfm?ReviewID=1351

http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/u...x.cfm/id/2485/

jproy

i have a 6speed cl and if i want to drive it smoothly i can make it as smooth or more smooth than any automatic. it is all in the driver. the clutch is much more sinsitive than the domestics you have driven and that will take some time to get used to. as far as shifting you have to match rpm to selected ger ratio for a smooth engagement. you will learn it and you will love it. it is one of the smoothis manuals out there. enjoy

jproy

i have never seen anyone drive my car smooth the first time they drove it.

609CLTYPES

i never got the pleasure/chance to drive a 6 speed type s, im still looking for one to try out

SirSixSpeed

Really crisp, close ratio shifts.

(my GTI was )

123456SPEED

It took me longer than I expected to get it smooth, but I love this shifter. I used to love watching the dealer's employees kill it when trying to drive it. The clutch is sensitive and engages quickly, but it doesn't take long to get used to it.

I shortened the throw with a TSX knob, the stock knob is tall and lightweight.
I'd like to add a shortshift kit or do what a poster here did, cut off about and inch or two of the shifter!

joed4640

yes, it is taking me longer to get it than i thought - and honestly it is very frustrating. but yea, ill get the hang of it soon enough. I love a nice 5th to 3rd downshift and hearing that motor scream. awsome top end on these cars.

also, for a stock shifter I think the throws are pretty short and quick. I like the 'click-clock' feel rowing throw the gears - leaves no questions... but i defanatly understand your complaint with the lightweight shifter. Im not firniluar with the TSX knob. Mabey ill look into it later.

I can drive my roomates 95 Mustang GT like a pro. his clutch is 3 times as firm and twice as forgiving as the cl's.

acurapimp504

Mine shifts like a dream 3 grand and below.

Dead-Fox

i have 6speed envy.

6peedSleepR

to be honest with you... after driving the car for A while.. you can't be lazy with the pedal..

AcUrAge703

yea im not gonna act like im a perfect shifter....this is my first stick...but the shifting on it is pretty smooth once you get used to it.....took me a while since i was learnging but now im noticing as i drive i shift nice and easy......i drove my boys integra and the clutch comes out a little to the left instead of str8 up (modified car of course...racing clutch mugen swap) and that was a little weird...but after driving that and then getting back in my car i was like yea...my ish is a lot better.....just keep driving....it'll smoothen out..

mc_yanzo

I can (3k and under), but when I pound on it (4k and up) it can get a little rough.

CL6

This vehicle has a hydraulic clutch which can make it tough to drive it smoothly. Another weird thing about the CL-6 is they don't all shift the same. I've driven about 20 different ones and sometimes the pedal engages right away, sometimes not.

I can drive it very smoothly after practice until it becomes second nature.

Lord Helmet

When I drove my ex's it could be driven smoothly with ease. I did it all the time.

Elltrain

I agree, rev matching is the key.

I've found 1st to 2nd is the most difficult to get down. I usually shift at around 3k rpm and have to let the revs drop to 2k to get it smooth.

GreenMonster

After 50K miles, and 3 1/2 years... I'm at maybe about 96%...

The clutch pedal took a little while to get used to (couple weeks), and I think I stalled it out twice when I tried to leave the dealers lot when I bought it (started out in 3rd ) but I've gotten pretty good with it now... doesn't matter what RPM...

There was a bit of notchyness w/ 2nd gear when it was new (and especailly when it was 30 degrees or colder), but that got better after 10-15K miles...

The other 4 percent of the time, I mess up 2 ways. First, I sometimes let the clutch up before I get all the way into 2nd... and as it starts to make that awful sound I catch myself, and push the clutch back in and put it all the way into 2nd. Secondly, when I'm winding it out, sometimes, I miss 3rd and put it into fifth... it's messed up going from 1,2, to 5th... You know all those stories about shitty econoboxes taking a "fast" car in a stop light race ?? It's probably the guy in the "fast" car missing 3rd and going into 5th instead

One thing I noticed was is that the factory recommendation for shift points, will get you a pretty smooth ride (not herky-jerky):

1st to 2nd: 15mph
2nd to 3rd: 25mph
3rd to 4th: 40mph
4th to 5th: 47mph
5th to 6th: 52mph

I've got it pretty much memorized, and actually have it written down on the back of a business card that I keep in the tray in front of the shifter... You can cheat a little when revving it out and slipping the clutch a touch (but that's not good for the clutch), but if you want to impress a passenger with your smooth shifting skillz, the owners manual has the shift points just about right...

Rev matching takes awhile to learn, but I think the factory recommendations (even tho' they are in mph and not rpms) is a good starting point

The last standard vehicle I drove regularly before my 6spd was a 79 VW Bus, so let's just say, that I was happy that the shifter on the CLS was so smooth... Sometimes I just use one finger to flip it into 4th gear

CL6

I too have a VW Bus. Talk about a difference! I read that shifting a VW Bus is like moving a knitting needle thru apple sauce.

Allout

If I'm focused and am trying to make smooth shifts, I can make mine drive like glass. This got a heck of a lot easier once I dumped the stock flywheel. Rev matching is so much easier with the lightweight flywheel. It takes more throttle to get rolling and you can feel much more bucking when you miss since the stock flywheel isn't there to absorb the hit.

GuddsCLtypeS

ive had my 6 speed for almost 3 months and ive almost got it down. ive owned two 5 speeds in the past, an audi 90 and acura legend, and my CL-S was probably the hardest to get used to but by far the best. i love the close ratios and how small the gearbox and gates are, makes for great quick shifts. and also to this today...

..i was on an empty stretch of highway doing bout 100 (not quite sure) in 4th and was paying more attention to the road and lazily shifted into...3rd..ahh!! as soon as i felt the car lurch i reacted and looked at the rpms. i shifted out and into 5th right as it was about to cross the redline.

Lord Helmet

Another air-cool man!

Teh Snaps

Been driving mine for 3 months and I still get a jerk every once awhile from the 1 to 2 shift

Teh Snaps

Well shit GREENIE what happens to people like ME who live in VTECH LMAO

GreenMonster

Smooth and Speed are 2 different modes that I'm in... Getting into 4th @40mph seems to be so much work... it's smooth, but... meh...

The full on vtec blast is much more fun Just rev it up to redline in each gear and go !!

03silvertypeS

I've never really had much trouble driving my CL smooth. My first car was a 97 Contour SE V6 5-speed and it, surprisingly enough, was pretty smooth for a Ford. Granted, nothing I've driven in the past comes close to comparing to my CL, but the only thing that got me a little at first was the clutch.

03silvertypeS

i couldn't agree more

Hay112

i'm extremely jealous of all of u

AcUrAge703

thats something i've always wondered....by listening to my engine

1st to 2nd: 15mph
2nd to 3rd: 25mph
3rd to 4th: 40mph...but my car starts reving hard at 35mph...and the shift is smoother there
4th to 5th: 47mph
5th to 6th:52....but you can ride that to almost 60 with out being in high rpms....

well in my car at least....is there something i should look at or reset....?

sanjbaby

I have had a NBP CL S 6spd for about a month now and I have some days of perfect shifting. But some dayz in this ATL traffic it is not soo smooth. It is alot better than my previous ride 01 A4 2.8Q ultra sport ! I hated driving that thing. I loved the Quattro and the Bose stereo system but that about it !