iNVAR Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Holy crap the clutch is light in his car. I don't have much experience driving stick cars, but compared to my 05 LGT, it felt light as hell! Or rather my LGT has a heavy clutch? I don't know... I had a lot of probs getting a good start on his car, despite getting engine RPMs up to around 1500-2000. The engine would feel like it was bogging down despite the revs. Also, I felt very little feedback in the clutch pedal... The throttle also felt very.... stiff I guess, compared to ours. Maybe I've just gotten used to the ultra sensitive electronic throttle of our LGTs? The 6 speed shifter was the one thing I noticed was really, really smooth. No resistance going into the gears at all, although I did notice that by the time I threw it into gear and got off the clutch, I seemed to have missed the shift already since the RPMs dropped on the 330i so quickly... For those of you who have driven other stick cars, how does our car compare to others? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunra Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 The stick and shift on my '06 325 are great. I love that engine, and the feel of the car. It does take a while to get use to shifting though, when I got my first bimmer six years ago I was jerking down the road, not synchronizing my shifting and throttle very well. Once you get the feel of it, it's nice. The 325 is a little slow picking up at low gears, but on the highway it's a dream. Can't afford to stay in the bimmer league though, so I'm getting a Spec B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNVAR Posted December 20, 2008 Author Share Posted December 20, 2008 It's not just me, though, right? The clutch is really light in the Bimmer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolksey85 Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 European cars in general have a girly clutch. Especially VW's. They are the worst when it comes to clutch feedback. A friend test drove a new Rabbit and said he thinks he could have blown air on the clutch to depress it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katalyst Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 really? i wouldn't think that they would be lighter than econo honda clutches....i've never driven a vw rabbit but the civics have pretty light clutches as i recall. i thought BMW clutches in my experience were pretty decent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yamie700 Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 I test drove an 08 STi a while back and I was very surprised how light the clutch pedal felt. I didn't think the difference between the 5mt and 6mt subaru would be that noticeable. I do know that when I am in stop and go traffic in my car it is a pain in the ass and my left leg gets tired quickly. That is the only time I ever drive that I wish I had an auto, the rest of the driving fun makes up for it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoozeRS05 Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 I've never driven a MT tranny with a clutch pedal as heavy as my LGT.. In the last year or so I've driven a Passat 2.8 NA, Jetta 1.8 NA, Audi A4 1.8T, BMW 540i & 328i, Nissan 300Z & 350Z, which all had significantly lighter clutch pedals then my LGT.. I kind of like it, except in heavy traffic when it's terrible, and I kind of like the notchy-ness getting the lever into gear.. The 350Z 6mt was about the closest to my LGT, but even still it wasn't very similar at all.. EB's Subaru journal - 2005 LegacyGT Wagon & 2014 Forester FB25 (2008 specB - RIP) IG@legacygtliving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolksey85 Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 I came from a MINI which while having more feel than a VW, still didn't have the efoort my LGT has. And I like the effort more. It took a little gtting used to but I find it easier to drive as it makes you more aware of the effort of you need and put in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backlash Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Personally i like a heavier clutch feel. the LGT doesn't bother me. I have had clutches that are easy on the foot, i didn't like driving them as much. heavier to a point i should say... i don't need a work out when i shift. It's probably more of a driver preference i'd think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 I think LGT clutch is pretty light My Altima had bit heavier clutch I think. As a typical Nissan (had a couple before) it had looooong travel, which I hated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Lol I think the LGT has an extremely light clutch. My friend's father's 66 Chevelle has a ridiculously heavy clutch. Of course it isn't hydraulically operated, but if the LGT clutch felt like that, I'd have an auto. Worst mt car I've ever driven was my friend's late 90s Saab 9-3...I could never get it to engage smoothly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepthrills Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 LGT, BMW, Jeep...all light weight clutches. Try going from a 2.5 ton GMC 6500 CAT powered Diesel Towtruck to a hydraulic Jeep CJ. I used to do it all the time. Man my foot hurt from hitting the floor so hard!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubleM Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 I work at a BMW/Audi/Porsche dealership, drove a bunch of BMWs today, including the E92 M3, they all have extremely light clutches, sometimes it can make it hard to engage smoothly, but its not hard to get used to. Every car has a slightly different clutch feel. Audi's are close to the BMWs with lightness too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longislander1 Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Since I'm still fairly new to the brand, I haven't driven an MT Subaru. However, I had owned a Porsche 968 and when I switched to the Boxster, I noticed the clutch was much lighter. I think a lot of sporty cars in general are being dumbed down to appeal to a broader audience, especially women. I don't mean that as a criticism of women. It's just that the manufacturers believe women may be more willing to buy a car that's easier to drive so they soften the components until the thing feels like a Lexus. I prefer the earlier Porsche because it just felt beefier -- everything, including clutch, steering, ride, etc. It just had more of a quality feel, so I'd probably like the manual on an LGT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07miata Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 i can't comment on subaru's v. bmw shifters, but i've been shopping for a replacement for my mx5 and have been looking at wrx and spec b, and civic si. i guess i can say some things about suburu tranny v. other j imports. i think honda's 6spds (in civic si, previous rsx type s) are very similar to the mx5. the honda shifters feel slightly more definite, but the mx5 always feels like slicing through butter with a hot knife. the clutches and throws are almost identical. rev-matched downshifts are easy too. S2000 has a heavier clutch than mx5, rsx ts, c-si, and the shifter throws are the shortest i've ever used. spec b and wrx clutches feel the same to me. long travel and difficult to find the engagement point. 1st, 2nd, 3rd... all lurchy. maybe it just takes practice. wrx stock 5 spd shifter feels way too clunky and fragile, whereas the spec b 6 spd shifter has an interesting feel; like it's a hydraulically assisted industrial grade lever. Downshifting, though, is terribly difficult in the spec b if it's in anything other than sport# mode. it's such a helpless feeling waiting for revs before engaging third from say 5th. I thought the previous gen wrx had the heaviest clutch of all of the above cars. my favorite - s2000. short, fast, definite, and feels very sturdy. i'd like to drive an MT bimmer someday though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Backlash Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 i'll second the test drive a BMW MT someday. but something tells me i'd never be let back into the dealership... I've driven heavier clutches than my LGT thats for sure. the very first LGT i test drove, had a very light clutch that engaged quite a bit earlier than mine. I think the WRX i test drove may have had the perfect balance i'd want. was a little stiffer than my LGT, engaged fairly quick and felt solid. at times i want mine to engage a little earlier, other times i like exactly where it is. but i can feel the clutch, it's not super heavy but it's heavier than others i have driven. So i'd second the variables between the clutches on the LGT. Worst clutch... drove a 73 chevy half ton 4x4 with a messed up tranny. clutch was like pushing a grenade back together... push it in, and the bastard wanted to shoot back at you. easiest... a friends Ford (Mazda) Probe. such a weak clutch, but that may have been just that clutch. would engage about 2" from full release of the pedal, and i swear you could use your pinky to push it in. had no "feel" to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
987687 Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 The hydraulic clutch in the LGT is a hell of a lot lighter than the clutch in my 96 legacy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RJS5689 Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 European cars in general have a girly clutch. Especially VW's. They are the worst when it comes to clutch feedback. A friend test drove a new Rabbit and said he thinks he could have blown air on the clutch to depress it. The first thing I thought of reading the OP thread was, "haha yep, it's as light as my VW clutch was!" Anyways, I was in an 08 STi at the dealer the other day, the clutch felt even lighter than the Spec.B, should they be different? I thought the transmissions were the same? Overall, the clutch in both the Spec and STi feel light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 The first thing I thought of reading the OP thread was, "haha yep, it's as light as my VW clutch was!" Anyways, I was in an 08 STi at the dealer the other day, the clutch felt even lighter than the Spec.B, should they be different? I thought the transmissions were the same? Overall, the clutch in both the Spec and STi feel light. Clutch is same type but part #s are different - for both disc and pressure plate on all years STIs vs. SpecB. Interestingly many changes along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Siper2 Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 I find the stock LGT clutch fairly light, as well. I had an Exedy Sport (stage 1) clutch in my old RS for about 60K miles, and it was noticeably heavier than stock, but certainly not a strain. It felt normal within a couple weeks, but still heavier than the GT, I'd say. I've never driven a BMW honestly, though I've always wanted to try one with a nice clutch and a UUC Motorwerks shifter. Mmmmmmmmm, yummy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lawl Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 i've driven light lgt clutches and heavy ones. dont know how there is so much variation. mine is super heavy. after driving the legacy and getting into the miata the clutch went down straight to the floor immediately but you can fix it all by getting an ACT! car for sale. PM me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PineyLGT805 Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 I have on 05 LGT and i test drove a 08 and man was the clutch lighter in the 08. My 05 felt like a brick compared to the 08. IMO i like the heavier clutch, i was slippin the clutch bad on the test drive in the 08. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertsm99 Posted December 23, 2008 Share Posted December 23, 2008 Both my 05LGT and now my Spec-B both have solid clutches, they don't feel too heavy at all. I think they are good. My 02 Jetta's clutch was alright not very light but it had a decent feel to it. I test drove a Volvo S40 a few years ago and think I left a few foot prints in the floor board from that clutch it was so light. Though it had a rubber band holding it up. had a similiar experience a month ago test driving an IS-250. You'd think Lexus would have a decent clutch but not at all it was super weak, might even have given the sales girl some whiplash from the way it reacted. I like the heavier clutch as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNVAR Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 Okay, I had a few people sit inside my car and try my clutch and I sat in their car and tried theirs, and it turns out the 05 LGT is really, really stiff compared to other cars. (Compared to Mini Cooper-S, and a Nissan 200SX.) I like the feel of my clutch, or maybe I'm just used to it, but when I stepped on theirs, it felt way too light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cman7 Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 I tried my friends 99LGT and the clutch was very stiff/heavy in that car as well. It seemed a lot less picky about my shifting than my Honda does though. My civic has an extremely light clutch and a not so sensitive gas pedal. But both cars have a very defined shift. My buddy's 97 civic has the messiest transmission I've ever seen for manual. My confidence level that it's in gear is always very low. Then again it has 243k with original transmission, engine, and clutch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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