6-Speed

[Shant J.]

So... who here has the 6-speed in their Versa? How do you like it? Is the clutch light, does it shift smoothly, etcetera? Interested in the Versa with stick is all. Thanks for the replies.

[Great White Versa]

I like mine. It is a very easy shift. It doesn't take much foot pressure or movement to shift. It is fairly comparable (as far as i can remember) to the clutch on my 97 civic.

Though I personally now like it, it takes some getting used to the feedback of the gear movements (on the stick). As I shift I can feel a click as the handle moves through the gear box.

Some people don't like how low 5th and 6th gear are, but I feel that if they were any higher you would spend a lot of time shifting on the highway as the engine needs to be around 4k RPM to maintain highway speed on any significant incline (without flooring the gas pedal).

Overall I like it and at 13k and over a year I have yet to have any significant problems (the clutch pedal started squeaking this morning, and that's it)

[RocketShip]

I really like driving it: it's very fun...I hope I do not encounter any speeding tickets any time soon, since I notice that it's such a smooth ride yet I can be going at such a high speed. I previously drove a '94 5-speed Subaru Legacy wagon, and then got my 2008 Versa as a new car, so it's quite a step up as far as pep is concerned (though I could totally get that Subaru to go when need be, but certainly not like the Versa). I found the Versa to be the best car in terms of smoothest and fastest driving, as well as comfort, compared to the many other cars I recently test drove: Honda Fit, Scion xD, Toyota Matrix, Mitsubishi Lancer, Dodge Caliber. I was really torn between choosing between the Versa and the Scion xD, and I'm still wondering if I made the right decision, but what's done is done right now. I chose the Versa over the Scion for its comfy seats, really, so that's how those were tied for me. But I did also find the Versa more fun to drive, too, I think, than the Scion xD, and since I do enjoy driving, I might as well have a car I can have fun with, right? Plus, I can seem cool telling people that I have a 6 speed car--oooo, watch out, here I come! (Yeah, I know it's no sports car, but to some people they can be impressed or fooled :-P) Mine is easy to shift, though I am still having to get used to how going into 6th isn't directly down, it's sorta down and to the right. And of course, when I first test drove on my own, I didn't know how to reverse, so I ended up getting myself stuck in a neighborhood and having to find a way out without having to reverse to get back to the dealership (you have to pull up on this one and then take it to the left and up). I like the way my Subaru shifter handle feels better, but I guess it's just something to get used to--the Versa's handle isn't horrible at all, and certainly better than many of the ones I test drove (I don't think I enjoyed the Fit at all, that one was too round if I remember).


Modified by RocketShip at 7:42 PM 11/20/2007

[Joker69]

I have a 6 speed and i like it, at first it was difficult for me to get used to it because i was used to driving my Mercedes that was automatic, or my Datsun 280 Z which is a 4 speed! i did notice at first i had to put the clutch in all the way when i shifted which was new to me (probably cuz it was a new clutch) and taking off and 1st to 2nd was wierd for me at first, the rest were chill. there is a bit of a lag in between some gears but overall its a good smooth ride once you get used to it.

[scottstachowiak]

It is the WORST manual transmission I've ever had, and I've been driving manual transmissions in Japanese, American and European cars since 1983.

You would THINK the 6th gear would be like an overdrive on the highway-- and let the engine work efficiently at highway speeds-- but that's not the case. At 70mph, this car is at 3400rpm in 6th gear.

You'll be doing a lot of shifting in town. The engineers who came up with this transmission did not have typical American drivers in mind.

[dopey]

I'm not a massive fan of the transmission either.. 6th is way too short.. I know it's supposed to be close ratio for fuel economy but its TOO short.

It's not the worst front wheel drive gearbox I've driven as far as feel etc goes but it's not the best either.