i've had an ongoing conscience battle between my wallet and my vanity conscerning the IX(.5) and the IX MR. I'm trying to figure out what best suits me. I would love the 6 speed in the MR but (being a former Honda nut) Electric Blue Pearl speaks to me and a sunroof isn't that bad either so here is my question. In the Honda world many guys are/have used the LS b-series tranny on boosted applications for a while now for two reasons, cheaper and longer gears meaning more time in full boost; would this necessarily be good evidence to abandon MR delusions in the form of the more (monetarelly)practical 5-speed IX?

p.s. mainly using it for highway blasts.

 

dyno slips or any type of comparison is welcome...i've read a few threads that just turned into preference and i still have no idea what to do. thanks for your time.

 

If you wanna drag race, get the 5 speed. (less gears to shift) If you want to do auto cross or race on a road course, get the MR. (more gear selections)

 

IMO the real question between MR and GSR is whether you really want the better suspension of the MR. You need to test drive both.

If you're doing highway blasts, then take a look at how the gearing matches up to your driving habits; i.e. if you have a tendency to cruise at 70 and 'blast' from there, see which gear/RPM you'd be in with either transmission.

l8r)

 

The 6 speed doesn't really make much of a difference (if i am understanding what you are saying) for when the onset of the turbine kicks in. On the track i wouldn't imagine you would see 6th gear to begin with. But if like you said you plan on "breaking the land speed record" on the highway (your Blasts) then the 6th gear would come in a little more handy than the GSR 5 speed.

 

I say stick with the 5 speed. Its cheaper, (more parts available) stronger, and rebuildable (shep charges $895.00). The 6 speed is overhyped and is generally not very useful or advantageous over its 5 speed cousin.

 

Get the 5 speed. It is better all around. On the road course the less shifting you do the better off you are. The 5 speed allows you less shifting. I drove an 04 Evo on the track once and did not shfit higher the 4th gear. I would have had to use 5th gear had I been driving an 05 MR.

In a 6th speed, you are more likely to make shfiting mistakes on the road course. A 3rd to 4th gear shift might mistakenly become a 3rd to 2nd shift and....you know what happens.

In drag racing people prefer the 5 speed so they can stay in 4th to the end of the 1/4 mile.

 

nj1266, you weren't going fast enough.

Going up the hill at Watkins Glen, I was shifting into 5th with the 5 speed and getting passed by Z06's.

Now I shift into 5th with the 6 speed box and those vettes have a hell of a time catching up. I also skip shift on the street.

More gears = more options, folks. Not to mention that it shifts a LOT nicer than the clunky 5 speed box. I highly recommend it for anyone doing anything but drag racing these cars.

 

More options indeed, but I hardly think that having one additional gear is going to always net you a faster lap time. But you are sure right about it shifting nicer, the 6 speed has like teflon coated shift cables or something, feels so sexy =) In general taller gears are better suited for road racing however on some smaller courses or more technical courses with many tight narrow turns the 6 speed may have the advantage since it will always have the right ratio to pull out of the turn. If the course has long straightaways and the roads are wide, the 5 speed would probably win simply due the fact that it doesn't have to shift as much.

 

In my opinion the stock suspension really sucks on both. If you want to compete with other race cars you have to go with a fully adjustable race suspension.

 

I have a MR with 6 speeds I dont like it at all more shifting and the gear ratios are mest up when I drive 65 I have 2700 RPM and my friend has 5 speed and he has 2500 RPMs on 5th

 

Then why don't you just shift into 6th??