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I had a ton of issues getting 1st to 2nd to feel smooth. So much so that I eventually just started starting in 2nd. I had done plenty of research as to the pro's and con's of it... the pro's primarily being that it's a bit easier for casual daily driving and a bit 'smoother'. However eventually the con's of extra wear on the clutch and the risk of engine lugging if done improperly ultimately got me using 1st again.
I think the big holdup I had was how low of a 1st gear it is. Pushing 4.5-5k RPM and only going 18-19 mph felt off to me. The noise probably made me hesitant as well. Now I'm just used to it. Once you find your sweet spot for shifting into 2nd (and recognize that you'll inevitably have to slip it a bit more than other gears) made it a lot easier. I feel a lot more comfortable just casually driving around town. I used to be worried that the extra time it took me to get me into 2nd made me look really slow compared to all the autos around, but it was just a complex I had to get over. The more comfortable you get, the faster and smoother that shift becomes.
A lot of people in a similar thread suggested shifting at around 3.5-4k as they believed that was the closest overlap. I've been trying lately to not pay attention to the tach as much and instead go off of sound and feel. When I do check, I'm generally shifting at around 4.5-5k.
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