First Report on 6 Speed--Drove it Home!!

[Redneck_Jedi]

Congrats, and thanks for the info on the 6spd! :D

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[FrenchSSGTMike]

Those reporters at Motor Trend have forgotten how to drive a clutch.

That’s what I thought from day one... and honestly shitty reviews like that about manual are gonna get worse and worse (at least for as long as we’ll be able to find some...)... So didn’t give it any credit, and ordered my JLUS manual of course !
These guys drive less and less manuals, and then expect us to trust em on this... and this is particularly valid in Northern America, where you can barely find good (or any) cars with a stick nowadays, and where most people don’t even know how to drive it...

 

[wanderer]

just wait some d---a--- will say the trans sucks because he find the paddle shifter

 

[TTEChris]

Congrats on being the first JL with a manual transmission on the forum!!
How are the throws through the gears? Any gear grinding when shifting quickly?
I was never concerned with the JK gear shake, but I hated that I couldn't quickly shift from first to second without a very slight grind(like the syncros couldn't keep up.) I also hated the foot long throw between gears. Before you say it's operator error or the Jeep, I had 2 Manual JK's with the same issues(And have driven manual cars all my life.)

 

[wanderer]

how long are the throws? would love to see anything you can show us.

 

[swozey]

I've seen a lot of people asking about how the start/stop works with the MT. Could you provide any feedback? Do you have to push the clutch in when it stops the motor or does it start right back in gear? In that case you have to make sure you're holding the break and not riding the clutch to keep it still (on straight pavement)? I've considered going manual but if I need a DD for whatever reason it's been a huge help to keep my cars auto/dct..

edit: I'm reading now that it only engages in neutral and as soon as you touch the clutch it turns the motor back on, nvm.

 

[hilljackglh]

I've seen a lot of people asking about how the start/stop works with the MT. Could you provide any feedback? Do you have to push the clutch in when it stops the motor or does it start right back in gear? In that case you have to make sure you're holding the break and not riding the clutch to keep it still (on straight pavement)? I've considered going manual but if I need a DD for whatever reason it's been a huge help to keep my cars auto/dct..

edit: I'm reading now that it only engages in neutral and as soon as you touch the clutch it turns the motor back on, nvm.

 

[Jeepsterfreak]

Hey, another story coming later....My dealer had given me 1% below invoice and their doc fees were 200 bucks. So, my salesman calls and tells me he found some savings. The quick version is that they surprised me with about an additional $1000 off! 500 of it was one rebate, and then there was another 200 in another. I don't know what made up the rest. I haven't looked that closely yet. So, I wind up with about 3% below invoice with a $200 title/doc fee! To say I love this dealership would be an understatement. They've been 1st class, all the way, and for the 10 years I've serviced my JK there.

Which dealer?

 

[Revelation17]

Getting some popcorn and waiting for more info. Happy someone finally got a manual to try out and report on.

Well............we’re waiting.

 

[FCrackerJLRubi]

 

[Revelation17]

That’s exactly the clip in my head. Don’t know how to post a vid clip on my phone. Too lazy to figure it out too. Thanks.

 

[word302]

@DanW did you get dual tops or just hard?

 

[FCrackerJLRubi]

@DanW did you get dual tops or just hard?

Man that is like a bad sex change joke all in one line of text.... I know that when I take delivery of my JL I will probably just get hard...ya know what nevermind lol

He got the dual top group

and back to the point of this thread.....

@DanW

 

[jeppesen.io]

Thank you for sharing @DanW! I was expecting the 6-speed to be very good, but it's certainly good to know as fact now!

Nearly 20MPG straight from the factory, for a rubi no less is very nice. Easy +1 MPG after break in. Was it all highway at 70 MPH?

Say what you will about modern vehicles, but its great at that manuals and autos are so much better than they used to be.

 

[DanW]

Hey congratulations!!! so please post a video of you going through the gears shifting down shifting let us hear it and see it for those like me who are getting the 6 spd.. "smalls you killing me" I got to see it.

Yep, I'll do that tomorrow. I did about 50 or 60 miles of driving around tonight, going through break-in, which for me, is lots of stop and go, going through the gears, under 50mph and under 4000rpm. Once I get to 200 miles, I'll push the engine hard and see how it feels. Right now, it feels like its got plenty of torque off the line, just going easy.

I'm absolutely in love with the feel of the gear box and shifter. The throws are just right, and it is smooth as can be. It isn't notchy at all, and it just slides right into each gear exactly the same. There isn't any one gear that is harder or feels different. I'm still getting used to reverse being to the upper left, though.

The clutch just takes a little getting used to, but I haven't even flirted with stalling it. It engages pretty quickly off the floor, but I've driven sports cars that have the same feel. Very different from the JK. It will take some getting used to for people with lots of seat time in the JK, but it doesn't take long. You just develop a feel for it. It will be interesting to see how it goes as I go from JK to JL and back and forth. I used to have a Pontiac Solstice and the clutch/shifter felt night and day different from the JK, but I never had an issue going back and forth.

The gearing is interesting, too. First gear is like a granny. This thing could probably pull 37's with little issue. Second gear is only a little taller. 5th gear feels like overdrive, and 6th....well, I didn't even get into sixth, except when I accidentally thought it was reverse. (JK habit) Fourth to fifth seems like a pretty good gap between ratios. Remember, I topped out at 50mph, so no need for it. I'd almost say I won't be looking for 6th until I hit highway cruising speed around 65mph. I'll test this tomorrow.

I am so glad I chose the manual. I was just having a blast tonight driving around on a windy country road. I can't wait to do it in daylight and after break-in, so that I can push it harder.

As everyone else has said, the steering feels great, and the Alpine sound system is probably the best factory sound system I've ever heard. The Uconnect is amazing, and so is Android Auto.

I'm so tired I'm about to pass out, so I'll try and get video of going through the gears and maybe some pics tomorrow. I barely saw this thing at dusk, but of what I did see, I thought the optional wheels look amazing.

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