Honestly how is the manual gearbox in comparison to the other options?

[Packofcrows]

It's loud compared to my 22-re pickup. At first I thought it was broken until I drove 2 others. It's short vs a truck shifter even if stick is same size. It feels grippy and forgiving if you dont force anything. Lastly, if I were to grade it based on feel, engagement and mobility/distance from driver to shifter it'd be as follows:

Feel: 9
Grip: 7
Engagement: 7
Mobility: 9

Overall score out of 10, I'd say an 8.

[DM7]

Back in 2013 I test drove an S2000 a few days before driving an FR-S. I bought an FR-S a few months later.

The S2000 had very short throws; even the gear selector is short as it does not rise out of the console very high.
The short throw and knob height combine to reduce the angle that the shifter leans when it is in gear. It feels like drawing a straight line between gears as opposed to tracing an arc.
There was almost no play in the shifter when in gear and shifting; as if there was no rubber in the mechanism and you were moving weighty metal components around. The weighted shift knob added to that sensation.
Engaging a gear was smooth with mild increase in effort.

The FR-S has longer throws and a taller gear selector compared to the S2000. The throw is still short, but the S2000 is shorter.
The shifter changes angle more between the top and bottom rows of gates so you do feel like you are tracing an arc.
The FR-S shifter has minimal play as well but feels lighter moving between gears. The knob is lighter as well.
Engaging a gear feels notchy/positive as there is a sharp increase in effort.

Overall the S2000 shifter feels racy, where as the FR-S shifter feels toned down for street duty.

I've driven a 2011 WRX before and after a short shifter install and the results were dramatic. Before the throws were long and gear engagement was light and rubbery. After the short shifter was installed the throws were shorter and gear engagement effort increased resulting in a more positive feel. Overall it felt similar to the FR-S shifter.

[sdemo]

I've had younger boxes, and older boxes... this is one of my better experiences. You feel everything. The engagement is intimately surreal.

Still, like all boxes, it's even better with a little warm up. Gently row through the gears - maybe even massage the steering wheel - a bit before you pound it into first and go... you'll know when it's time!

[djsyndrome]

I bought the FR-S over the WRX for three reasons, and the gearbox was one of them.

[humfrz]

I feel the gearbox on my FR-S is good.

Not as smooth as a 5 speed NC Miata ..... about the same as a 6 speed NC Miata.


humfrz

[zooki]

Smoothest shifting transmission I've had was the T5 in my old 93 Mustang 5.0 with a Hurdt shifter. Fresh fluid made it feel like opening and closing a rifle bolt.

[EAGLE5]

The shift is great. Not as nice as some hondas or an old RX7, but nice. The clutch is numb. I'll be replacing the slave cylinder soon to fix that.

[Irace86]

5th gear grind at cold temps is ehhh, but the gear box in general has a great feel. The stick vibrates tactfully in the hands, the shifts are short and notchy, and once everything is warm it is smooth. Definitely better than many sticks i have owned because it is less sloppy, not long and feels solid and connected.

[scarfo]

Unsure how effective this solution would be.
http://mooreperformanceparts.com/products/blastplates/


But I would be keen to try it out.

They have something in pipeline for the twins, more of a clamshell and less of a plate is what info I was able to get.

Do our gesrbox's twist like the wrx's under heavy loads?

[krayzie]

At least with this car the shifter doesn't grind or pop out of 2nd gear when cold like Honda, and also no need to visit a GM dealer for Synchromesh oil.

The stock Toyota GL3 gear oil doesn't even let me engage 1st gear in a very slow roll as if I don't have synchro on that gear. The Eneos GL5 Gear Oil / Subaru Extra-S fixed that.

Then there's this whole other can of worms about how GL5 gear oil could eat the yellow metal on the twin's brass synchros but I'm a firm believer that modern GL5 gear oil no longer does that.

IIRC the stock shift throw distance for the twins is 40mm, which is the same as most if not all Honda Type-R products. The STI JDM short throw shifter reduces that to 36mm, while the TRD JDM short throw shifter goes down to 32mm. Both shifters don't change the height, but the pivot to achieve this (they look exactly the same as the stock shifter).

I think S2000 stock shift throw distance is actually also 40mm, just that the shifter height is lower thus it feels shorter?

[DarkSunrise]

I'd describe it as precise and somewhat notchy, with short throws.

My favorite gearboxes tend to be in Honda products (S2000, RSX). The Twins are very close, but slightly too notchy for perfection. It's all subjective though.

[Vracer111]

Stock shifter was okay, better than most actually...(way better than Honda FWD and miata shifters which I don't like at all) but still bugged me. CAE Ultra shifter fixed the issues I had with it...more positive, more pecise, and easier to get into gear (but more force required). I like precise, tight, and very positive/notchy shifters - the Hurst Competition + shifter I had in my track Camaro was the previous best shifter to experiencing the CAE Ultra shifter, most likely down to the transmission mounts.

[continuecrushing]

I think its adequate for a 30k car...not great, not horrible.

It works.

[Snake]

Worst box ever. 0/10, would not smash.