Honest Feedback Requested 6 Speed Manul

[Rogues Gambit]

Transmission really makes or breaks the experience imo

Driven Boxsters and other fast cars with auto and I've driven various cars with sticks and hands down, I'd take the manual

Reading all this just makes me wish the Retrograde would end already

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[snowtx1]

I have 8K on my 2018 JLU Sahara and have a few complaints about the 6sp. I don't mind the low first gear as much as I don't like the tall 6th. I can't use 6th at anything under 80, and 5th is only good between 70-75. I've learned to hold my shift until I can get into the next gear without the engine dropping below 2,000 RPM. I've found that my car has not power or torque below 2K RPM. It's like a switch once the engine gets above that, so I try to keep the engine reving. That puts me in 4th gear on the highway a lot. The gearing also requires lots of downshifting on the freeway if I come to a slight incline.

I also have the 1st gear bucking and surging that many people referenced. I realize that it's due to the low 1st gear, but it's annoying trying to drive through a parking lot and everyone thinks that you just learned to drive a manual.

I do like the clutch and shifter as both are easy to use and not hard in traffic. If you haven't figured it out, mine is a daily driver. I've had it off-road a few times and the trans has been fine.

 

[Kenny]

Transmission really makes or breaks the experience imo

Driven Boxsters and other fast cars with auto and I've driven various cars with sticks and hands down, I'd take the manual

Reading all this just makes me wish the Retrograde would end already

I have driven manual transmission my entire life (really really old). Have been lucky enough to have some high end exotics where the automatic 0-60 times were faster than the manual - but the fun factor didn't warrant giving up the manual.

 

[Rockywoolf]

2018 jlur on 37s, 5.13 gears with molar 2.5 suspension lift with a manual 6 speed. When I first got the Jeep it was on 35s and the stock gearing. Took some getting used to having to work it from a stop without stalling. New gearing correct that. It drives and shifts perfectly. A joy to drive. With the new gearing, I now have a 6th gear as well. I have had A 44 Willy’s, a Willys pickup, a Willy’s wagon, yj, 3 tjs a jku and now,the JL. All were manuals and this by far is the smoothest manual out there. The JL drives great, like a car. The only thing about it that I don’t like are the high temps on the coolant and oil. I understand that is how they are designed, but I don’t like it. It worries me. I do not recommend using a tuner either, it will mess up something. I put a flash cal on it and lost my camera, auto start went screwy, etc. what it did do right was accommodate for the gearing and tire size. Took,it back to Jeep and they re did the programming and all is well but molar doesn’t accommodate for 5.13s. Beware of the flash packs/cal.

 

[Rogues Gambit]

I have driven manual transmission my entire life (really really old). Have been lucky enough to have some high end exotics where the automatic 0-60 times were faster than the manual - but the fun factor didn't warrant giving up the manual.

I only started driving them back in '12-13, shortly after the Boxster S (pdk). Once I learned it, would of traded it for a Bubble Civic (before I learned how much potential they could have)

I'm a speed demon (half Italian after all), but let's be honest, where are you racing? We don't live on tracks, and after a while, the computer dulls the experience, whereas you're always engaged with the stick, as something will come up where you half to drop a gear.

What was your favorite exotic btw?

 

[Kenny]

I only started driving them back in '12-13, shortly after the Boxster S (pdk). Once I learned it, would of traded it for a Bubble Civic (before I learned how much potential they could have)

I'm a speed demon (half Italian after all), but let's be honest, where are you racing? We don't live on tracks, and after a while, the computer dulls the experience, whereas you're always engaged with the stick, as something will come up where you half to drop a gear.

What was your favorite exotic btw?

The Jeep is the only car I haven't tracked in decades. I had a TT X50 911 which was the best all round track/daily driver. With a couple of minor tweaks I could keep up just about everything else. I also had a Maserati Spyder which was great - V8, deep exhaust, decent accerlation and probably the best looks of just about any car. I also had a Carrera GT - it was a LOT of car, unreal sound, handling that was top notch - should only be on the track. If I had it to all do over again, I would never have bought a Porsche. I would have bought the American muscle. Corvette, Mustang, a couple of Challengers and a Camaro. Would have been just as much fun and smarter. Live and learn.....

 

[Rickg667]

Okay all,

I'm looking for honest feedback from our 6 speed manual club now that some have had them for nearly 2 years. I have a 2017 JK 2 Door with the POS NSG370 with all of 22k miles on it. I have lost my patience with this thing grinding shifting into second, chipping into 3rd, bucking when shifted into reverse if not shifted into 4th first. I have a line on a 2018 JL with the new 6 speed for a reasonable price.

Has anyone had any issues with the new one? Grinding, not wanting to shift into gear, chipping as opposed to grinding, cable issues, clutch issues?

I don't want to turn this into a rant on the NSG370 but for God sake, I have driven manuals my whole driving life and this is the biggest POS I have ever shifted. My Dakota, Ram, Grain Truck, Tractors, Cars, YJ, all of them shift light years better than this pile of Garbarge.

I am taking in my JK this week again to have them look at it. If they don't replace the trans I am probably going to get rid of it and Id like to know if the new Aisin is really that much better.

Bonus points for those that have owned both the NSG370 and New Aisin.

Honestly I went auto on my JLUR... it is supposedly “stronger” than the manual. But I test drove a few manuals and with less than a hundred miles 2/3 had some strange issues. The one did not like reverse and the other felt sloppy. After my 10 JKUR and the POS throwout bearing I didn’t want to chance it...

 

[Rogues Gambit]

End of the day, a Wranglers a Wrangler and you're not in some boring, generic cuv/suv

 

[Billet_JLU]

As far as the shifting goes, the transmission shifts smooth and has good engagement on each gear. I don't have a problem with 1st gear at all but overall with 3.45's the gearing is to tall. On stock sport s highway tires I could not use 6th up a hill on the highway and I would need to downshift a lot on the highway. Now I have the 285/70r17 ko2's and the gearing feels that much taller now. 6th gear is useless and 5th is just about as useless. In the current state, I don't like the gearing. All that said though I believe if I do 37's and 5.13 gearing it would be very enjoyable and actually have 6 useful gears. I don't understand how the automatics even find 8th gear since it is even taller than the 6th gear on the manual. All in all I'd recommend the manual, do the tires you want and gear appropriately and if you enjoy driving a manual I think you'll enjoy driving the jeep. And that is my honest review

Background: I've never owned an automatic car nor do I plan to so I have some good experience, get the manual.

 

[AlamedaJeep]

I think OBJECTIVELY the auto transmission probably wins at this point in terms of acceleration, smoothness, mpg, etc. But SUBJECTIVELY, at least for some of us, there is no comparison and a manual transmission is the only choice.

I am happy with my manual JLU, and if there are a few minor characteristics that could be a little better, so what, it's my only choice! I am thankful that a manual transmission is still available.

 

[Rogues Gambit]

I think OBJECTIVELY the auto transmission probably wins at this point in terms of acceleration, smoothness, mpg, etc. But SUBJECTIVELY, at least for some of us, there is no comparison and a manual transmission is the only choice.

I am happy with my manual JLU, and if there are a few minor characteristics that could be a little better, so what, it's my only choice! I am thankful that a manual transmission is still available.

Exactly. If stick wasn't available, I wouldn't be looking

 

[DanW]

I think OBJECTIVELY the auto transmission probably wins at this point in terms of acceleration, smoothness, mpg, etc. But SUBJECTIVELY, at least for some of us, there is no comparison and a manual transmission is the only choice.

I am happy with my manual JLU, and if there are a few minor characteristics that could be a little better, so what, it's my only choice! I am thankful that a manual transmission is still available.

I drove an auto Sahara and my Rubi back to back. Both had the same tires (35's). By the seat of the pants, mine felt quicker, especially off the line and through redline in 1st gear. Yes, I know the Rubi has 4.10 gearing, so it wasn't quite apples to apples, but at least 0-60 I'm just not sure the auto is quicker to 60. I think Car and Driver was under 7 seconds with a base sport 2 door 6 speed. It had tiny little tires, but it also had the taller final drive ratio. IIRC, they were around 6.7 seconds. That's impressive, especially for a Wrangler.

 

[iklln6]

I have a 2018 JLUR; had a 2016 JKUR; had a 2013 JKUR. 30K; 45K; 60K miles, respectively

The gears are much taller...so strange driving 65 mph in 4th gear!

Note the above quote. I actually do most of my daytime driving on the highway in 4th gear because it is much more responsive when I need to be agile around other drivers on the road--the RPM is still around 3K to 4.5K (maybe lower) so it doesn't burn through fuel at a high rev like old models. When there's very little traffic or I'm going to cruise control I'll go to 5th or 6th, but after numerous drives to a neighboring city 8 hours away I can confidently say there isn't a noticeable increase in fuel consumption if I spend a majority of my time in 4th and 5th.

SUMMARY: (for me) MOST DAYTIME HIGHWAY DRIVING WITH OTHER TRAFFIC IN 4TH GEAR; LOW-TRAFFIC/NIGHTTIME HIGHWAY DRIVING IN 5TH GEAR; 6TH GEAR IF I'M GOING INTO CRUISE CONTROL

I like it. I drove the JKU manual with the old 3.8L for ten years.
Here's what I don't like first:
...
- With the warm weather and the top town, I can hear a light clank as it goes into each gear (really minor thing).
...
It's a different beast entirely.

This is very very noticeable in parking lots when shifting at low speed -- you feel it make a hard shift into gear, and if your windows are down you will definitely hear it and it will make you cringe. BUT there is a solution: double clutch at low speed.

SUMMARY: DOUBLE CLUTCH WHEN SHIFTING AT PARKING-LOT SPEEDS TO AVOID THE HARSH CLUTCH

...I’ve had zero issues with grinding and no popping out of gear (cough NSG370 cough).
...

From the day I drove off the lot my 2016 JKUR would sometimes pop out of 4th as though I'd only shifted half way in. After about four months I realized it wasn't me, it was the transmission when it stopped shifting into gears while I was on a drive back from Colorado. Point is: little quirks on day 1 with the 2016 JKUR foreshadowed bigger issues down the road. I have not observed a single quirk with the behavior 6-speed in the 2018 JLUR.

I never had any problems with the 2013 JKUR transmission--the problems I observed in the 2016 were definitely defects that had a less than 100% prevalence...There is some luck of the draw of whether you get a 'special' model with surprises.

SUMMARY: ISSUES THAT PLAGUED THE JK SEEM TO HAVE BEEN RESOLVED IN THE JL [BY REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION ALTOGETHER]

...
The clutch does occasionally make a noise, but I don’t really hear it and while some have had slave cylinder noises, I think mine is the clutch spring.
...

In the Taco Bell drive-thru with the window rolled down, while I'm sitting with the clutch pedal pushed in (clutch disengaged) I'll notice this kind of scrape clicking sort of sound like there's a slight rub at one point of the rotation. Not sure what it is -- it's never been an alarming sound, just present and likely noticeable by the driver alone

SUMMARY: I DON'T REALLY HAVE A POINT HERE EXCEPT TO CONTRIBUTE A +1 TO THE OBSERVATION QUOTED


Additional thoughts:
My wife tolerated occasionally driving the JK around town because she could stay in 4th gear or lower. She hated the highway because the placement of the reverse bothered the hell out of her. I tried talking her through it one time but ended up slapping her hand away as I watched in horror the stick slipping through the reverse gate, narrowly avoiding catastrophe at 70mph. She loves the JL -- both the transmission's "feel" as well as the placement of reverse and the safety button thing that has to be pulled up to permit shifting into reverse.

My favorite thing about going from the 2013 JKUR to 2016 JKUR was that there was virtually no difference between models. I didn't care for the 2018 JLUR changes inside at first because I don't like change. I especially didn't care for the transmission change because I felt like it was making it too millennial dummy-proof, e.g. the new placement of reverse and the thing you have to pull to go to reverse, the short first gear that would let me take my foot off the clutch in the parking lot from a stop without killing it (lurches like 4L, albeit not as beefy). Either I've loosened up a little or dumbed down a little, because now I wonder how I tolerated the JKUR 6-speed for so long.

 

[melman8r]

I have a 2018 JLUR; had a 2016 JKUR; had a 2013 JKUR. 30K; 45K; 60K miles, respectively


Note the above quote. I actually do most of my daytime driving on the highway in 4th gear because it is much more responsive when I need to be agile around other drivers on the road--the RPM is still around 3K to 4.5K (maybe lower) so it doesn't burn through fuel at a high rev like old models. When there's very little traffic or I'm going to cruise control I'll go to 5th or 6th, but after numerous drives to a neighboring city 8 hours away I can confidently say there isn't a noticeable increase in fuel consumption if I spend a majority of my time in 4th and 5th.

SUMMARY: (for me) MOST DAYTIME HIGHWAY DRIVING WITH OTHER TRAFFIC IN 4TH GEAR; LOW-TRAFFIC/NIGHTTIME HIGHWAY DRIVING IN 5TH GEAR; 6TH GEAR IF I'M GOING INTO CRUISE CONTROL

What kinda gas mileage are you seeing with the daytime driving in 4th gear? 80% of my commute is 40 miles per hour, 43 miles one way. Thanks.

 

[Rufus]

I have 8K on my 2018 JLU Sahara and have a few complaints about the 6sp. I don't mind the low first gear as much as I don't like the tall 6th. I can't use 6th at anything under 80, and 5th is only good between 70-75. I've learned to hold my shift until I can get into the next gear without the engine dropping below 2,000 RPM. I've found that my car has not power or torque below 2K RPM. It's like a switch once the engine gets above that, so I try to keep the engine reving. That puts me in 4th gear on the highway a lot. The gearing also requires lots of downshifting on the freeway if I come to a slight incline.

I also have the 1st gear bucking and surging that many people referenced. I realize that it's due to the low 1st gear, but it's annoying trying to drive through a parking lot and everyone thinks that you just learned to drive a manual.

I do like the clutch and shifter as both are easy to use and not hard in traffic. If you haven't figured it out, mine is a daily driver. I've had it off-road a few times and the trans has been fine.

I agree totally. The engine definitely lugs under about 2100 RPM. At least on my 3.6L V6 Sport with stock wheels, gearing, and tires it does.

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