What’s the Best Shifter You’ve Experienced?
This week’s question in Hagerty’s Our Two Cents series is a feel-good affair all the way around. Many (all?) of us have enjoyed the mechanical, analog thrill of shifting a manual transmission, or maybe a direct sequential gearbox, with those mechanically perfect aluminum paddles found behind the tiller of a modern Ferrari. But a feel-good affair isn’t exclusive to exotics—quite the contrary, in fact!
I enjoy the heft of that Hurst shifter in a 5.0 Mustang, I revel in the excitement of a Pistol Grip in an E-body Mopar, and I never tire of Honda’s shifters back in the 1990s. But there could be more to this question, if you take a pause for the cause. That cause is the automatic transmission. Here are three examples of amazing autobox shifters, from newest to oldest.
That’s right, some automatics tell your fortune are controlled by crystal balls. This design by Genesis is admittedly a little cheesey, but these days, that added drama is what helps differentiate luxury cars from their (surprisingly luxurious) sister ships with cheaper asking prices. I know that tech-intensive vehicles aren’t what we normally think about ’round these parts of the automotive internet, so how about that cool AutoStick from Chrysler?
Then again, Chrysler automatics from this era might not bring up pleasant memories for some folks. But Autostick Chrysler LH cars were still a lot of fun when new. They personify the phrase “fun while it lasted.”
So let’s get to our final example, one that I hope will warm hearts and get y’all’s keyboards in gear for some long-distance typing. Because if there’s a king in the world of automatic shifters, well, it has to be the next one.
Hurst Lightning Rods are one of the coolest automatic shifters ever made. The three levers certainly look impressive, but seeing them in action is a whole ‘nother story. This has to be the best shifter of all time.
Or not? You tell us, Hagerty Community! What’s the best shifter you have experienced?
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My favorite would have to be a 1971 MGB that belonged to a roommate of mine in the late 1970’s. 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, 5 and 6 speed, respectively) but a weak second gear synchro in both kept them from being perfect. Easily the worst manual shifter was the cable actuated shifter in my 1980 Pontiac Phoenix (GM’s unfortunate X-car) . It was rubbery, imprecise and connected to a transmission with way-too-wide ratios. I drove a few Hondas of that era, which had excellent manual transmissions and proved a front wheel drive car could do it where GM couldn’t.
Amen sir, I went from a 1987 Honda CRX Si with a perfect shifter and clutch to a 1993 Pontiac Sunbird 2.0 liter 5 speed with a clunky notchy imprecise shifter.
First manual I fell in love with was my 1987 Honda CRX Si, bough used in 1992.
Surpassed a few years later by a 1993 Mazda Miata bought used in 1995.
Worst was my 1987 VW Cabriolet bought used with high miles and a mystery shifter. Most notchy was my 1993 Pontiac Sunbird 2.0L 5 speed.
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.
When the Cad/LaSalle boxes blew up in his 1960s 1,000+-hp Chrysler hemi fuel rail dragsters, hence scatter shields, Don Garlits used 1935-38 Packard One Twenty transmissions–this was Packard’s junior model at that, not the much bigger transmission used in their larger 320-ci and 384-ci senior eights and the 473-ci V-12.
The Cad/LaSalle transmissions were from 346-ci cars, the Packard One Twenty engine displaced 282-ci. But end of Garlits’ problem.
—-LaSalle V-8 was 322-ci, Cad was 346, but you get the point. Packards were over-engineered to the point that even their “popularly priced” junior model that allowed them to survive the Depression was up to the demands of a top fuel ’60s rail dragster.
Without a doubt, the smoothest manual shifter ever was the late 60’s through 2000 Alfa Romeo 4 or 5 speed. The only flaws were a somewhat long throw and early wear of the 2nd 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 heal up and down shifting on a winding road.
6 Speed manual in 2013 ZL1 Camaro Convertible.
First off there is no auto shifter; only auto gear selectors. Dregs: Hilux and Celica, Army Jeep, Pinto Runabout. Meh: 2nd Gen Hurst Camaro, XR4Ti. Creds: 2002Ti, Super Beatle, 1st gen Elan. Bestie: M240i . Three gates, slap left low slap right high; 6sp as god intended.
Sorry beer thirty slipping in. Right low; left high.
Best was my in-laws’ 1977 Dodge Sportsman van, 318, 3-on-the-tree. Or, maybe not…especially when it locked up on me! (Fortunately, my wife knew how to unlock it under the hoodlet.)
Actual best? My 1984 Mustang GT. A close second? Two Challenger Scat Pack 6-speeds that I drove.
Worst feel? Two 1983 Plymouth Scamps, a 4-speed (kind of iffy) and a 5-speed (rubbery as heck). A shifter/linkage rebuild helped the precision (using the term lightly) of the 5-speed, but it is still rubbery.
1978-81 Fiat 124 and 131/Brava and Toyota Celicas were slick, easy, fast change five speeds.
The NB Miata in the garage. Quite good. The 6MT in a 2017 RT Challenger…also quite good.
Hurst 4 speed Aftermarket in ’65 VW bug.
The MGB transmission I put in my MGA shifts very well. I like the WC 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.
Best shifter I’ve ever used is the 6-speed tremec I put in my 65 GTO. Truly a one finger give it a push and its there. Nothing else comes close. As far as automatics go even though the push pull manual mode in my Bentley Arnage is flawless I really enjoyed the Dual Gate his and hers I put in my 71 Firebird.
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. Automatic wise my Boxster PDK is great.