According to You: The Best Shifter You’ve Experienced
We are beyond grateful for the Hagerty Community: You folks heed the call to provide your unique perspectives to improve our content here on the automotive internet. This time we are sharing your thoughts on the best shifter. Some candidates are very much expected, but some are rather … shall we say, controversial? Check them out and tell us what you think in the comments. There’s a good chance some of these will compel you to try out a few new shifters, just to see what the fuss is about!
The Chevy Spark!
@Andrea: I have a feeling I’m gonna get a lot of grief from many of you, but the best shifter I’ve ever experienced was on my 2015 Chevy Spark, the only new vehicle I’ve ever bought. Both up and downshifting were unbelievably smooth; no jerking or lugging. There was an indicator that would tell me when to shift, but I never paid attention to it because I prefer to shift according to speed, engine sound, and feel.
Mopar Pushbuttons
@Bob: The best shifter I ever experienced is the pushbutton shifter in the 1960 Chrysler. Nice mechanical feel to the buttons, just the right travel and effort. A quality piece.
Hurst on the Heartstrings?
@Dutch52: Best was the Hurst I put in a ’65 Corvette; I never missed a shift.
@DUB6: It’s hard to argue with those beefsteak Hurst sticks (either factory-provided or installed aftermarket) in the ’60s and ’70s muscle cars (and even topping an old B-W or Muncie dropped into a Tri-Five) back in my youth. Those things were dead-serious, and for a time, everything else was just an also-ran.
@mike: Best shifter has to be a Hurst, that’s what everyone has bought over the years, if you wanted firm, [and you did] not [to] hunt for the gear, especially under full acceleration. Some factory four-speeds you could set the factory shift throw to be shorter, [and] I did that with my new ’65 Vette. It made a big difference—less slop to go astray with high-speed shifting, commonly known as speed shifting.
@BDP123: I had a Hurst Competition/Plus shifter and Muncie in my ’68 Camaro and loved it. I have a TKO five-speed in it now with a Hurst Blackjack shifter. It’s good but the Comp/Plus was a better driving experience.
@Michael: Aftermarket Hurst four-speed in a ’65 VW Bug.
@Tom: I have a Hurst Short Throw in my Shelby GT. It is the shortest shift pattern I ever shifted. Drive like you want to break it.
Hondas
@David: My first ever brand-new car: 1992 Honda Accord LX Coupe with the five-speed. It will forever be the yardstick by which I judge all other shifters.
@Andrew: My favorite was the shifter in the Acura Integra GS-R. It was, to me, just perfect. I compare all other shifters to that one.
@Golf: Second this comment. My ’94 GS-R was awesome, especially given that it is a front-drive with a cable actuation for gear changes!
@Shiven: Honda S2000, specifically the AP1, a proper bolt-action feel.
@Mike: I went from a 1987 Honda CRX Si with a perfect shifter and clutch to a 1993 Pontiac Sunbird—2.0 liter five-speed, with a clunky, notchy, imprecise shifter.
@Scott: My first new car was an ’86 Honda Accord four-door sedan [with a] five-speed. I owned two four-speed Mustangs, a VW Super Beetle, Honda Civic, and VW Dasher before, and the Accord’s smooth transmission was the gold standard for me. I had a 1992 Corvette six-speed and currently own a 2014 Corvette seven-speed, and they don’t compare.
@Walt: My favorite shifter has to be my 1996 Acura Integra GS-R.
Horseshoe Shifter
@Jim: Best automatic—the 1969 Camaro “horseshoe style” console shifter, because it was cool.
Zoom-Zoom-Zoom
@Robert: All of my Mazdas—Miata, Mazdaspeed3, Mazda3 SGT—had wonderful manual shifters.
@JohnD: The first-gen Miata is nice and mechanical with a famously short throw. Going into second is a known issue and it kind of hangs up. Other than that it’s perfect. I just replaced the bushings in mine and it’s as stiff as ever. As it should be.
@Jim: Mazda Miata by far. I’ve had two, a 1991 and a 2006, and they are the best shifting experience on the planet.
@TingeofGinge: The NB Miata in my garage. Quite good.
DCT for me?
TG: I am going to commit sacrilege and say my favorite is the auto-stick in my current 1 Series. I miss the feedback of having a clutch, but that autostick just plain shifts faster. It is in the right location where my hand wants to find a manual shifter, and in the rare occasions that I don’t want to bother it, I can pop it over to auto… hasn’t happened too often, though!
Column shifting
@Edward: 1966 Cadillac DeVille on the column: No effort needed.
British B somethings
@Layne: My favorite shifter was in my 1971 MGB. It was a very short shifter with a very short throw. You could shift it with just wrist movement. No need to get your arm involved. If you want to bang shift it you could do that too, using arm and wrist movement.
@John: Undoubtedly it was a frame-off restored 1956 MG MGA. Well-oiled rifle bolt action starts to describe how delightfully engaging and direct the shifts were. Super short-throw for something of the vintage and very well placed. The rest of the car drove like a fast tractor, but the MGA shifter is the high point in feel that many people aspire to achieve with after-market parts.
@Brian: The six-speed Ricardo in the 2006 Ford GT, modified with a short shift kit. Magic.
@Paul: My 1969 Series II Jaguar E-Type OTS with a manual all-synchromesh four-gear limited slip Thorton “Powr-Lok” differential. Matched with the normally aspirated 4.2 litre in-line six-cylinder, triple HD.8 SU carbs, Borg and Beck 10-inch Hydraulic clutch, and 3.54:1 Ratio Hypoid Salisbury rear axle. It was smoother than my 1972 GTO [with the] 455.
@StressCraxx: 1967 Lotus Elan: Rifle bolt short throws. Gear lever pivots directly upon the shift forks. Snick, snick, snick, snick.
@keeton: My favorite would have to be a 1971 MGB that belonged to a roommate of mine in the late 1970s. It was precise and mechanical. You never missed a shift with that ‘box. I would have said the Miatas that I owned (NA and NB, five- and six-speed, respectively) but a weak second-gear synchro in both kept them from being perfect.
@Magnumcello: I remember the 1973 Jensen Healey as having the sweetest gearbox that I had ever driven up to that point. These days I’m getting similar enjoyment in my ’96 BMW Z3.
@Isaiah: The MGB transmission I put in my MGA shifts very well. I like the world-class T5 in my (fake) Lotus 7, with a Pro 5.0 short shifter kit, but the T5 is famous for not being the best at finding second and I’ve noticed that finding second is a little harder when it’s cold, so I’m not going to go with the T5, I like the feel of the MGB transmission more.
@MGRX13B: Caterham Super Seven SV. Two and one-half inches is a short throw. You shift with your wrist.
@G Lomas: The best shifter I remember driving is on a brand new Lotus Europa, but my favorite was the one I got to use when driving a genuine 427 Cobra, the one that is sort of backward.
European Movements
@David: After years of ’50s and ’60s three-on-the-tree and four-on-the-floor gearboxes, my favorite was a BMW 2002. Like butter in a gearbox!
@Lawrence: 1979 Ford Escort Mk1 1600 GT.
@Arthur: Without a doubt, the smoothest manual shifter ever was the late ’60s through 2000 Alfa Romeo four- or five-speed. The only flaws were a somewhat long throw and early wear of the second-gear synchro, but when new and in good condition you just could not beat a synchro regardless of how fast you shifted, and not a notch in any gear. Just wonderful, especially for toe-heel up- and down-shifting on a winding road.
@Jere: I had a 2011 VW Golf with a five-speed. It was like butta!
@David: Anything Porsche beginning with the 944.
@Bigcat: 2002 Boxter S, like a bolt-action rifle. I’ve owned nine different manual shift vehicles, this was the best, bar none.
@Dale: Our 1983 Mercedes 240 D, four-speed: So smooth and quiet. The synchros could take anything thrown at them.
@Riz: 2018 Porsche Carrera T, best shifter ever!
Mostly Foxy Mustangs
@Espo70: My 1984 Mustang GT …just a Borg-Warner T5 with a Steeda Tri-Ax shifter, but it was very satisfying to move around.
@Toby: I have a stage two 2016 Mustang GT, with six-speed manual with the Ford racing shift kit. I do track events and the shifting is effortless (with the stock shifter I had a difficult time selecting the right gear at the higher gears).
@Rider79: Best was my in-laws’ 1977 Dodge Sportsman van, 318, three-on-the-tree. Or, maybe not … especially when it locked up on me! (Fortunately, my wife knew how to unlock it under the hood.) Actual best? My 1984 Mustang GT.
Corvettes
@Woodland: The six-speed ZF in my 1996 Corvette Grand Sport and 1991 Corvette ZR1.
@Mark: Best Shifter: Stock C-4 Corvette six-speed.
@FLPolara: Best-ever was 1996 Corvette Grand Sport … smooth as silk! Most fun for me was a 1971 Mopar pistol grip…makes me smile every time!
@Cannonball: I’ve been shifting for over 70 years. Owned many, driven more: Ferrari, Alfa, Lotus, Maserati, Mustang. Hand down the best, smoothest shifter was my 1958 Corvette.
Japanese Gear Jammin’
@Chris: Best (by far!) is my 1991 Toyota MR2 Turbo. The short throw of the shifter and the overall ergonomics of the driver’s side makes for an amazing experience.
@Shane: The best overall was a Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T, for my taste.
@John: 1982 Toyota Corolla SR5 with a hydraulic clutch. Never missed a shift and when the clutch cylinder would eventually leak you could rev-match easily without grinding. Cheap O-ring replacement, and leak would stop. 200,000 trouble-free miles. Miss that rear-wheel-drive, five-speed manual-transmission hatchback.
Modern GM manuals
@Classics Fan: The best shifter I’ve enjoyed was in my 2013 CTS-V. It felt firm and precise with short throws that inspired confidence running through the gears. I don’t recall ever missing a shift even under full throttle. Miss that car!
@Mark: The six-speed manual in the 2013 ZL1 Camaro convertible.
@Michael: The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing six-speed manual is a super smooth shifter!
@Paul: Best shifter I’ve ever used is the six-speed Tremec I put in my 1965 GTO. Truly a one-finger, “give it a push and it’s there.” Nothing else comes close.
J C Whitney special?
@Morris: My first and favorite was my 1952 Chevy converted from Powerglide to a spring-loaded three-on-the-floor by J C Whitney. With a bench seat, my date(s) would slide over next to me, which made shifting a lot more fun! Fast forward 50+ years, my VW GTI was a real joy to shift. Fun—but in a different way.
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The worst would be my brother’s 2009 Corvette 6-speed manual. If you want to shift from first to second, you need to be on it really hard because it wants to force you into fourth gear which is very frustrating.
Plus One for Mazda’s, I have an NC Miata and also a Mazda2 for our replacements to use. Good enough that our four millennials all learned to love manuals on them. My first car was a ’73 Challenger with a T-handle “Slapstick” 3-speed automatic – a bit gimmicky, but fun still.
For preciseness: my BMW E30 (318is) with a short shift kit–very tight gate, takes some force but you know where the lever is going, nd it gets there quickly.
For smoothness: an early BMW 1600/2002 fitted with the gearbox that uses Porsche-style synchros. Absolutely the smoothest shifts you can imagine, but with the penalty of a vulnerable 2nd gear synchro. Later Bimmers used Borg-Warner pattern synchros–more long-lived synchros, but not nearly as smooth.
For fun: the 4 speed–non synchro in both first and second–gearbox in a Fiat Topolino. Despite the two foot long shift lever, throws are short and precise–and you quickly learn how to double-clutch unless you have several spare gearboxes!
Smart ForTwo paddle shifter with aftermarket larger paddles and a Solo exhaust. The Mercedes engineers did are fantastic job of controlling rev-matching throttle and gears when upshifting or downshifting when opting to manual selection. The Solo exhaust is just plain fun!
With due consideration for what one is shifting, almost everything from a non-synchro dump truck, double decker bus, Lotus Cortina, various Jags, Fords, Austins, Rovers, even the push-pull twist ‘umbrella handle’ sticking out of a Citroën dash.
The one accompanied by the highest adrenaline and heart rate was a Hewland transaxle in a single-seat formula car. Select first BEFORE starting the engine
On the other side of the hill, how about worst ever? My ’66 Chevelle 283 with a Saginaw 4 spd got bought by me used with the factory shifter. I am not exactly sure how it happened but if you were backing up and moved the shifter at just the right time towards forward gear (I guess the 1-2 side) you could somehow manage to jam the transmission…..not sure how. But I figured out if you crawled under the car you could pull back the reverse linage to ‘fix’ it. Once I had a few $$$ I bought a Competition Plus shifter and that ended that problem I had a 1979 Cutlass I bought new with the Saginaw 4 spd and It did the same thing once or twice. Now, I got a 2000 GLC 300 with I am not sure what you would call it for a shifter. Its got what is essentially a stalk that ought to be the windshield wiper stem with three positions: nothing in the middle, forward or backwards, take your choice
I read the whole thing ….and the conclusion ot the best shifter is …. …..
it seems the best shifter is the arm between the elbow and the fingertips.
Looks like that’s where the good shifting matters.
My 2006 G35 Coupe is the best I have driven
back in the early seventies I put together a mean street rod, for power I was using a Dodge 426 Wedge, a B and M Torque flight with a manual valve body, high stall converter and reverse detent shift pattern, shifting the beast got interesting when spinning the engine over six grand, the car would use a lot of real estate, my friends and future wife wouldn’t ride in it.
for me it has to be the old Hurst 4-speed short throw shiftier
My ’68 911L with the “Sport-o-matic” slap shifter was very nice. Also, a very special girlfriend had a ’70 Opel GT that had a very short throw smooth as butter shifter in it.
My worst: During my ownership in 1989-93, the Muncie linkage and shifter on my restored 1966 Chevelle SS 396 4-spd. If not careful, could jam up the transmission (“lock it up”) so that when in neutral, you’d let out the clutch and find it was in some gear(s?) and stall the engine. Had to climb under the car and jerk linkage rods back and forth until freed up. But, it was a numbers-matching show car, so I didn’t do what smart guys did in the day, which was to replace it with Hurst linkage and shifter.
My best: The factory-installed Hurst linkage and shifters in my ’66 Pontiac GTO, ’69 Camaro Z/28, ’71 Camaro SS 350, and ’81 Firebird Trans AM. I also got a Hurst Competition Plus linkage and shifter from Ford Racing Products installed in my son’s brand-new ’07 Ford Mustang GT while he was deployed in the Middle East. We both loved it! Hurst is Number One for me overall. And Linda Vaughn grabbing hold of that huge shifter on the trunk of Hurst’s show car was the embodiment of that.
My favorite: The classic gated floor shifter in my ’69 Ferrari 365 GTC. V-12 with 5-spd transaxle. Firm shifts, well-controlled, perfect ergonomics, and a great, distinctly metallic “snick-snick” sound as you rowed through the gears. My favorite shifter “memory.” (Well, seeing Linda Vaughn cuddling with that giant 10-ft tall Hurst shifter is a good memory, too!)
My ’66 Chevelle with a Saginaw 4 spg, factory shifter did the same thing. Somebody must know what that is the cause. My ’79 Cutlass with the same Saginaw did the same.
Best automatic column shifter for me was on my father’s 1969 Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. It had a light but positive touch because servos did the actual shifting. Best manual shift I experienced was on a 1979 Porsche Turbo. It had a remarkably short and positive throw. Worst stick Shift for me was on a Ferrari 308 GTS. I hated the gated shifter. The transmission worked fine, I just hate the gate. A close second was a floor shift 4 speed on a friends 1961 Impala. Loved the car, but it took so much side force to hit second gear from first, that I found it in 4th gear when going for second making me feel pretty lame.
Had a ’63 Nova with a three speed. Installed a Hurst shifter and it was as smooth as anything I have had since!
The muscle car years ‘70-‘74 Dodge and Plymouth Hurst Pistol Grip…best ever