I’ve owned two 3-speeds. In my ‘49 Chevy pickup it was okay up to 50 mph or so. In my’66 Mustang it was irritating. With the 120HP 200 6 cylinder there were occasions when it did not have enough oomph to go from 2nd to 3rd. Traveling TN mountain roads I would have welcomed more ratios to choose from climbing the hills and more to shift down into coming down the hills.

My VW Cabrio is pretty good all around. I really prefer the lockout on the reverse also found in all of my old aircooled VWs too (which all needed lower revs on the hwy despite the fact they needed them for power and cooling).

I’m in the process of buying a first-generation, five-speed Miata and, similarly to Jonny, had a minor concern about shifting into reverse – but my concern was that it would be instinctive, intending sixth but hitting reverse. Nice to know that’s not supposed to be possible, though!

I was happy with the transmissions in all of them. The shift quality of the 98 Prelude was especially nice, but that car also had a higher ratio 5th gear. All the previous cars would be under 3K at 80mph, but the 98 Prelude would tach right at 4K at the same speed.

When I got the TSX, I was hoping to see a return to more relaxed cruising, but not so fast. 70mph is 3K, and 80 is just below 4K. As such, an mileage benefits are truly dependent on my right foot. Still, I get high 20’s doing those speeds.

Using six gears took some getting use to after 20 years of five speeds. However, the clutch and gearbox in the TSX is one of the sweetest combinations around, so I have become comfortable with all six. I have had none of the “will I hit reverse?” puckers that others here have felt.

It is such now that I would say I prefer six speeds over five.

Either one, 5 or 6, was good…and fun to drive, but the Corvette’s 6th gear was really a fuel saver on the freeway.

I didn’t like the Corvette’s 3rd gear “skip” thingie, though. It was unnerving to be forced into 4th gear at unexpected times, and I never really understood why they did that.

PS BMW has an good idea for reverse on a 6 – it’s dogleg to the left, and you have to push down on the shifter to engage it.

I like my manuals with 10 gears at a minimum, but I prefer a 13 or 18 speed with a Hi-Lo splitter for pulling hills at gross.

But that’s the bizarro parallel universe of Class 8.

I agree that the the Fit could use a 6th gear to drop the RPMs at Highway speeds.

That being said, the T-A-L-L overdrive 6th gear is awesome for MPG (24+ hwy). At 80 MPH, the engine is turning a bit less than 2k. Compare that to 3800 at the same speed in my old Cabriolet 5-speed!

The Cabby had 4 gates above neutral (1-3-5-R) which I thought was strange as only 2nd and 4th were below neutral. Had no trouble with Reverse, but finding 3rd could be a devil sometimes.

No trouble with any of the gears in the Goat, including Reverse. You have to shove it pretty far to the right to engage it. Can’t mistake it for 5th at all!

2) I’ve been driving 6 speed for 2.5 years now and got used to it to a point that when I winding engine enough in 4th I shift into 6th, ditto 3 to 5.

3) Fear of shifting into reverse instead of 6th or 1st goes away with usage. There is usually some aid to guide on the stick and movement of shifter.

4) The major advantage of 5 speed over 4 I think was noise elimination. If you look at mpg rating on very same C30, you’ll find that it is the same for slashbox and 6 speed. 5 speed slashbox is NOT overdrive! 6 speed is “overdriven” from 4th on.

5 seems enough but in the Miata the high revs make me want a 7th. But alas I’ve become a wuss and like the ability to go automatic, I KNOW THAT MAKES IT A NON SPORTS CAR to some but since this car is filling the function as a daily driver and toy it’s something I chose to do. That said next time 6 speed manual and just use my partner’s Forester for the commute.

Reverse is so unmistakably out of the way of the other 6 in my car its not a problem.

I can burble along at 60@1500rpm and get 27mpg.
or
Hoon it to 2500rmm/19mpg… and 100mph.

Not bad for 410rwhp, IMHO.

But I’ll take the T-56 for daily driving thank you–double overdrive, 30 mpg with a 350 hp V8 ftw.

As I’ve written before, (creating much negative response!) most of this discussion underscores some of the reasons why cars should have automatic transmissions. Gear selection is too important to leave to a driver entrusted with navigaitng a 3000 pound projectile.

Bob

The answer is that a vehicle should have an appropriate gearing for its purpose and torque characteristic of it’s engine. A Kenworth truck might have upwards of eighteen ratios whilst a Steam-Roller might have two.

Some cars might need an extra ratio eg a Mini whos infernal din from the idler gear was enough to drive a person insane when on motorways.

That said, I am quite fond of the electric overdrive unit fitted to MGBs and Jags.

Now I have a Versa SL, with a six-speed; Reverse is up and to the left, just like first, but with a collar lockout that needs to be pulled up to go into the reverse gate. No fear, no stress, and with short gearing being the only thing keeping it moving (80mph is under 4,000, but not by much) I wouldn’t have bought it with a five-speed.

So it depends on the car, and on the shift arrangement.

I’m kind of split on 6-speeds. It really depends on the quality of the shifter and the spacing of the throws. Most Honda 6-speeds (reverse to the right) I’ve driven have gates that are way too narrow… making it easy to shift into the wrong gear. The MX-5 has a superfluity of closely-stacked ratios… and some of the MX-5 fraternity are of the opinion that the five-speed stick is superior (I agree). The Focus 6-speed is perfect in spacing and action (short, spacing like a 5-speeds, mechanical), but it’s still easy to get flummoxed by it.

I think the perfect box is still a 5-gear box with a dogleg 1st gear. Anything over 5th gear is just dead weight. Wanna save money on gas? Slow down.

In my car you have to press down very firmly on the shifter, then back and left (next to 6) to slip into reverse. Going into 6th is already a fairly concerted effort so accidental shifts are unlikely. Other cars have a pull-up ring. Those are nice too. There are even 5-speed and 6-speed BMWs that place reverse to the left of 1