What is the Best Manual Transmission Car you have ever driven or owned???

I have driven quite a few cars and have owned 4 stick shift vehicles. I currently drive a 2020 WRX STI ***EDIT SOLD**** (my 2015 Tacoma Long bed is auto). The STI I can safely say is a very very good car with a couple flaws... but I often wonder what the realistic epitome of stick shift car is and I would love to hear some feedback on what the best manual transmission vehicle TW members have driven has been. By "best" I do not mean fastest or even optimal handling but best feel in the clutch transmission shifts etc.

I also will add "best for a street/usable car" not necessarily for track but something that you drove and it was smooth and wicked amounts of fun.

My previous Stick cars:
2020 WRX STI - SOLD... 6,000 miles and 1 track day... sold for profit...
2012 Civic SI (76,000 miles of ownership)
09 Cooper S (6,000 miles 3 autox days and man was it a blast... leaky blast...)

Manual cars I have driven in no particular order:
2017 Tacoma TRD Off-road
2022 BRZ
2019 911 T
2011 Lotus Elise
2014 Lotus Evora S - in limp mode...
2018 Civic SI
2011 BMW 335i
2004 Lamborghini Gallardo V10
2002 BMW M5
2015 Mustang GT
2016 Challenger Scat
2013 Focus ST
2013 Golf R
2011 Evo
2005 Jetta GLI
2003 Tacoma
2004 Mustang
2005 350Z
2004 Tacoma Prerunner
2002 Sentra SE R V Spec
2012 Challenger SRT8
1967 Plymouth GTX
Suzuki Samurai - not sure the year but it was yota swapped offroad rig
Isuzu trooper - not sure the year

 

TBH my 98 Cobra with a T45 and a MGM quick shifter felt the best from everything i've driven. The shifter made the biggest difference... not like the T45 is anything to write home about. But everything felt very notched and the spring mechanisms in the MGM shifter were on point. The 2-3 shift you could literally flat handed (behind the shift knob) push straight forward as fast as you could and it would automatically move up and over and slide right into 3rd.

Pic for reference:



I had the MGM shifter on my 1990 Fox body as well but i had other issues with the T5 in that where it would grind a lot. I think I overpowered that transmission too much for too long.

 

Back in the 90's, my brother and I each had Fieros. I had a silver wedge with a 4 cylinder and auto trans. It was still pretty spry. My brother had a gold fastback with V6 and manual. That was a fun car until he fell asleep and rolled it several times.

My dad had a 73 Corvette with a manual. It was plenty quick but you had to practically stand on the clutch to engage it. When accelerating it was really hard to release the clutch smoothly because the moment of acceleration wanted to pull you back off of the clutch.

 

very cool! That car was probably very mechanical and fun to drive

 

Awesome! It is cool how all manual cars are different and offer a completely different driving experience

 

‘69 Alfa Romero Spider Veloce. Last year before they put in the 2.0 and cut the ass off. Fun.

 

Extremely fun to drive. I didn't touch the engine but did a bunch of suspension work to it (all MaximumMotorsports stuff). However, it did have the dreaded IMRC plate issue that killed some of the 8k rpm fun.

 

To be completely honest, that is one major downfalls to many of the modern turbo manual cars is that low redline. Even my STI just feels like it needs 1000 more rpms.

The two things that bother me about the STI are the clutch (i am used to it now.. but it has zero feel and engagement is way low to the floor) and the way the hill assist works... since the car has a mechanical emergency brake what happens is any "hill"... and sometimes flat... the car will hold brake pressure wherever the brake is at which actually causes it to be inconsistent when taking off if you have too much brake pressure. Literally will cause like a lag and hold up at times before I really understood how to drive with it. I had it disabled for a while but got tired of the light and now just kind of understand where my brake pedal pressure should be when i am expecting it to kick in.... stupid feature....

 

That had to be a cool car. They are so stunning in person! I feel like photographs do not do the old Alfas justice

 

My beloved '95 SHO - owned a '89, '90, '91, '92 - all 5 speeds



Never drove a Corrado - loved those cars.

 

It was fun. If I ever had the opportunity the GT Veloce is the one I would want though. I’m not much for cloth tops.

 

My s2000, bar none. Short throw that was very notchy. Felt just like a bolt action rifle, only downside was the super heavy clutch pedal tension. Never missed, combined with the light flywheel down shift rev matching was a blast.

I hope the newer WRX/STIs are better than my 2011 was, it was actually one of the worst shifters I've used. Gear change from 2-3 was always difficult to land, stock bushings were garbage and loose. Other than that I still loved the thing.

For a truck I was always impressed with the 3rd gen Tacomas set up.

 

So I wouldn’t call this the best. Far from it. But it was an experience most people don’t get. Even if it wasn’t for leisure.

1994 International 9400i Eagle
Somewhere near Toledo, OH

Looking into Cuidad Juarez, MX from El Paso, TX

 

'91 Miata test drive, hands down. My '86 RX-7 was a blast, but not near as fun as the Miata.

 

Easiest and smoothest to drive? My 2003 Mazdaspeed Protege.
Most fun to drive? My 2006 Mitsubishi Evo IX SE, it was hard to drive sometimes though because it had an unsprung twin disc race clutch in it. My wife HATED driving that car.

 

My list of manual transmission cars, 1970 Pontiac Astre 4spd, 1980 Pontiac Acadian 4spd, 1974 Toyota Landcruiser 4spd, 1972 Datsun 240z 4spd, 1981 Volkswagen Scirrocco 5 spd, 2003 Volkswagen Jetta TDI 5spd, 2018 Toyota Tacoma 6spd. The Scirocco and 240z were the most fun to drive. The Tacoma is my overall favourite.

 

All mine with the ex wife's had been great, Best fun to drive in order, 2012 Nissan Juke - turbo, 2012 Harley 72 Sportster, 67 Triumph bike, 98 Mazda 626, 01 Mazda protege, 99 Mazda B2500 (had for 16 years)

 

'89 Toyota Celica GT coupe. 2.0L with 5 speed.