Hello all. I am curious about something. I haven't yet test drove a 6mt and I am wondering how effective can the driver be when shifting gears. The engine is soo quiet that "I think" the gear shifting wouldn't be optimal. I have a 99 TL, one day in the parking lot I wanted to say hi to my buddy by revving my engine. The darn thing is so quiet that even though he was right in front of the car he didn't hear me. When I drive sticks, I like changing gears using the engine sound not by looking at the tachometer...

Any comments for the 04 6MT?

O.

 

well, I have NBP/Ebony 6mt. My brother has 04 WRX 5mt and he's car is definitly louder....BUT, the sound shouldn't matter so much because....

you can hear v-tec when you get to 4000 and up.....and it sounds very VERY nice!

you can install intake to increase engine noise.....but of course in low rpm's you are still "quiet"

but there are many other factors that make 6mt a good choice. do a search, we have discussed 6mt many times here.

good luck!

 

I owned a 2003 350Z and the engine/exhaust note was very evident. I do miss the sound of the exhaust while shifting through the gears in my '04 6MT TL. Whether or not the sound of the engine helps in the shifting process is debatable. There have been a few times when I didn't release the clutch pedal quickly enough and the ensuing patch of rubber and sudden lurch forward did make me aware of the quietness of the TL's engine and cabin. Overall, the TL is a great car especially the 6Mt version.
One Man's Opinion

 

The revs may not be as loud, but you can still hear it. More important, you can feel it, anticipate it, predict it and plan for it. The biggest adjustment for me in learning to shift a TL with any degree of proficiency was getting used to the clutch engaging right up at the very top of the pedal throw. Once you get that down (which takes all of about 10 minutes), running through the gears is a blast.

 

can't hear the engine rev when shifting. i know what you mean by listening to the engine to prepare for the shifting. but the TL is whisper quiet during normal driving. you will hear the engine roar after 4K but that is too high of rpm for my normal commute driving. i dun want poor gas mileage. but you get use to it and just "know" when to shift because you drive the car everyday. but sometimes i day dream or wander off into a conversation and the rpm's climb to 4-5K before i realize. it's not a bad thing to me because i like the quiet cabin. i can't stand the loud rice rocket exhaust anymore.

 

Caball, you are right; the engine sounds pretty cool at higher rpm's. The engine is loud enough with the radio off, but if you are cranking some music, you can't hear it very well.

To me, it seems like between having the tach in your peripheral vision, and the feel of the throttle, you can tell when you need to shift without staring at the tach. I think it's just something you get used to. I ride motorcycles, some of which have no tach, and I think what urges me to shift is more feel, than sound.

 

i shift between 3K and 4K usually.. seems to be the right area

 

Yeah....I'm waiting for someone to say "Look at the tach!"

 

well i'm not psychic, so when the tach does hit 3K to 4K i shift

 

The TL is very easy to shift. It does take some getting used to because of the aforementioned clutch engagement point. But the shifter feels so "clickety-click" nice. Don't worry, you'll pick up shift-point cues from many things as you get used to the car: tach (obviously), speed, timing, engine noise, and last but not least, noticing your revs bouncing off the fuel-cutoff point .

 

I don't know quite how to ask this, not sure of the words, but assuming you can't hear the revs as you all claim (I don't understand this, I hear them just fine. Not loud, but I hear them), can't you 'feel' them? Sure, the car is silky, but I can feel it in my foot, the wheel, the way it rides, the rate of acceleration as I the revs wind into the power band. Can't you just tell or 'feel' when to shift without having to look at the tach?

 

yeah that's what i meant when i said you just "know". there is no real way in explaining it because you know and sense it. of course if the revs are up to 5K you'll feel it. but when i drive normally drive i shift at 3K because i want better gas mileage and have observed the best results at this point. if your mind wanders a bit you will easily go towards 4K before realizing.

 

3K is best, I get about 23 MPG using this method...