2012 Jeep Wrangler: Stick With the Stick
November 07, 2011
I really liked the idea of getting a dirt cheap Wrangler. Getting a six-speed manual? Didn't like that idea as much.
Sure, I prefer driving vehicles with manual transmissions as much as the next guy, but my prior experience with manual gearboxes in Jeeps didn't leave a great impression. They were just too vague and disconnected to feel good going through the gears. I never found it very satisfying.
The six-speed in our Jeep is not like those old gearboxes. It actually feels reasonably precise, and I mean that in the best possible way. There's no wrist wiggling required to get this thing in gear, it just slides right in with a firm push. It doesn't rattle or vibrate when you're cruising, either. It's like a properly sorted manual from a midsize sedan. Glad we didn't pay up for the slushbox.
Ed Hellwig, Editor, Inside Line
