All of my manual transmissions have been 4 or 5 speeds (did I just date myself by admitting to a 4 speed? Guess it's better than a 3 speed!).

My wife's car is a G35 sedan with the 6 speed transmission and we took a trip up to her family's house this weekend.

For cruising, the 6th speed was great because @ 80 we were barely at 3000 rpm (which is 60 in 5th in the Evo).

But around town? In the twisty roads we took for fun? It kind of sucked. To much shifting. Too many gates to play with. Too much thinking.

Is it just because I'm not used to it? Or is that what it's like living with a 6mt? I remember reading and seeing (Top Gear ) that the IS-F with the 8 speed auto is *always* hunting and changing gears and it changes the dynamic of the car. You might think it's better, but it actually makes driving the car in a spirited manner less joyful.

Maybe if it was just a 6th gear solely for cruising with some ridiculously gearing for fuel economy? Not sure it would be worth making the transmission weaker for though... The X isn't really a highway cruiser anyway.

 

yes I agree that a 6 speed is only for certain cars. I would expect most European models to have them because of the high speed highways they have over there. However, a performance minded car like the evo is right at home with a 5 speed.

 

A 'performance' minded car generally has more gears as it'll always keep you in the powerband. Yes, there's more shifting, but you should ultimately be faster as you'll stay in the powerband.

 

i love my 6 speed SST

 

You only have one leg? I feel like an old man only using one foot to drive.

 

just don't use 6th unless you get above 55 or so....do you have an mr?...if so just drive it in auto and don't worry about it...if you have gsr then u only have 5 gears

 

I think it's just a matter of getting used to. I have a 6 speed IX MR and I think it has worked out very well for me. If I had gotten the 5 speed GSR, then I probably would've still been ok with it....But I can't say that for sure since I've never lived with a 5 speed manual tranny before. Nevertheless, I can't complain about living with my 6 speed day to day.

 

I don't feel like an old man, I like the really fast gear changes. I had a 5 speed for 10 years before this car('98 Acura Integra Type R) but I wanted to see what paddle shifting was all about and so far I like it but if I had the 5 speed I would like that too.

 

I drive my MR with one leg outta window..SST rocks!

 

I loved the 6Mt on my M3.... But the 6MT on the 350Z.... I just felt like I was never in the right gear. The advantage to having it on an Evo would be purely for overdrive IMO (which I wouldn't mind).

 

Left foot braking with the SST makes for the quickest times.

 

until the transmission overheats

 

You can skip gears, but I suspect the G35 just needs more power.

Do what I did to remedy having to downshift all the time. Get a pair of turbos and you will have power in any gear.

 

It's not about the number of gears, but the gearing.

 

x2

My car is a six speed manual and its fifth is much taller than the Evo's 5th gear.

I've never driven another manual car that needs a sixth gear as desperately as an X GSR. It would help fuel economy and stop the car from going WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE on the interstate at 80mph.