6MT Owners - Discussion Thread

[NLJ]

Actually the newer crop of reviewers don't often have enough experience with what a good manual is unlike the old dogs who probably have driven mtiple manuals from multiple manufacturers.
I wouldn't take any of the new guys seriously. Look for reviews from those that are actually somewhat semi-pro or pro drivers. The Throttle House guys assessment is pretty valid.

 

[canucklehead604]

^^ correct. try and find one to drive to judge for yourself. but your assessment aligns with what i've seen and heard as well.

 

[Throat Yogurt]

Actually the newer crop of reviewers don't often have enough experience with what a good manual is unlike the old dogs who probably have driven mtiple manuals from multiple manufacturers.
I wouldn't take any of the new guys seriously. Look for reviews from those that are actually somewhat semi-pro or pro drivers. The Throttle House guys assessment is pretty valid.

In general I agree, the one example that busts this theory is Car and Driver, a magazine I've subscribed to since 1988 and trust implicitly with their reviews. They didn't like the manual at all, and had this to say:

The version reviewed here, the only G70 with a manual transmission, should be the one to grab driving enthusiasts by the clutch pedal, the one that truly validates the brand's freshman sports-sedan effort. Instead, it feels more like a checked box. Whether the stick-shift G70 exists because Genesis believes a manual-transmission option adds allure to a sporty car or to preemptively deflect whiny complaints from self-righteous internet commenters and car reviewers bemoaning the extinction of stick shifts from sports sedans, it fails to elevate the driving experience over its automatic-transmission siblings.

Where the manual-transmission G70 needs work is, well, in its transmission. Despite the clutch and shifter being among the best that Genesis parent company Hyundai has ever offered—right up there with the new Veloster Turbo and N models’ units—it still falls short of row-your-own greatness. The lever pops into gear without the satisfying sense of positivity and mechanical beauty you might find in, say, a Honda shifter. And the shifter's physical relationship with the gates is too plasticky for anything aspiring to usurp BMW's 3-series (or even the Accord Sport). While we have complimented the similar-feeling shifter in the $16,000 Hyundai Accent, the expectations are higher here, commensurate with the G70's cost.

We have few complaints about the clutch pedal, which swings through an arc with BMW-like springiness. It could better telegraph the clutch's bite point, but even so, launching the G70 is an idiot-proof event.

And later:
"Before the enthusiast crowd pulls out their wallets, understand that the stick-shift gearbox is a letdown."

And in their 10 Best review:
"the four-cylinder version with nonadjustable dampers is just as satisfying, although the six-speed manual transmission that can be optionally bolted to it is not."

So in other words, a shifter that doesn't have enough positive engagement and a plasticky feel going into the gates is enough for them to essentially write off the car and direct their recommendation to the slushbox versions. Come on! It's still a manual and driving manual cars is fun. It's not the *best* manual out there, but it's still better than an automatic.

Well, sir, the hamburgers here are served medium well and are missing pickles. May I suggest the kale salad instead? GIVE ME THE BURGER AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH.

 

[canucklehead604]

Well, sir, the hamburgers here are served medium well and are missing pickles. May I suggest the kale salad instead? GIVE ME THE BURGER AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH.

^ yup. pretty much it right there. writing off the G70's manual box is a gross overstatement. it is not by any stretch a terrible box and should not be bypassed on spec. a guy has to drive it for himself.

years ago i recall C&D and others whining about the 370Z/G37S 6MT as well, which i came from. was it the best? no. was it completely acceptable and still very rewarding to drive? you bet. and simple DIY mods made it quite good. the G70 box is at least as good or better. plus the G70 has the hill hold feature which is a great help.

 

[Teller2]

I have only owned manual vehicles, but when I test-drove the G70 MT, the transmission didn't impress me. Was it terrible? No. But... I somehow felt let down, and coming from a Mini Cooper S, it felt like a step backwards. I am going to test drive another G70 MT in case it was just that particular vehicle that was a bit off.

 

[JB08]

So I had my first service today to look into an issue related to a clicking sound coming from the wheel well. Nothing too serious, just a brake adjustment. However, when the guy who showed up to pick up the car is about to get inside when he says: oh it's manual. I can't drive manual. Twenty minutes later new guy shows up so that the car can be driven to the dealership.

 

[Toddasaurus]

So I had my first service today to look into an issue related to a clicking sound coming from the wheel well. Nothing too serious, just a brake adjustment. However, when the guy who showed up to pick up the car is about to get inside when he says: oh it's manual. I can't drive manual. Twenty minutes later new guy shows up so that the car can be driven to the dealership.

Lol... Those idiots.

 

[canucklehead604]

So I had my first service today to look into an issue related to a clicking sound coming from the wheel well. Nothing too serious, just a brake adjustment. However, when the guy who showed up to pick up the car is about to get inside when he says: oh it's manual. I can't drive manual. Twenty minutes later new guy shows up so that the car can be driven to the dealership.

^ ha ha ha, that's classic. reason # 17 why i won't be taking advantage of the valet service.

my GXM said there was only 1 rep at their dealership who could drive stick. wtf?!? i'd expect this at a realty or accounting office. but a car dealership where i presume there'd be some enthusiasts working?

 

[JB08]

i'd expect this at a realty or accounting office. but a car dealership where i presume there'd be some enthusiasts working?

Yeah, you'd think. They had to have one of the mechanics drive the car back to me.

 

[tarhoosier]

When I was a teenager decades ago I worked as a Ford dealer lot jockey moving cars, retrieving cars and such. A customer came for his repaired car and the cashier gave me the keys. I found the car: it was a 60's Mercedes (WTF?) parked against the side of the building. I tried to work the gearshift every way I could to reverse. I later learned it was a four speed on the column with a lockout reverse down and back toward the driver. All these elements were foreign to me, so to speak. I finally put it in neutral, and pushed it by hand into the drive lane and then drove it around to the front in first gear and was fearful of moving the transmission to any other gear. I am sure the owner wondered what took so long. Everything I knew at that young age was a three speed H pattern or four speed American style shift with no lock out. Foreign cars were foreign to me in both senses of that word.

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[Teller2]

However, when the guy who showed up to pick up the car is about to get inside when he says: oh it's manual. I can't drive manual. Twenty minutes later new guy shows up so that the car can be driven to the dealership.

Sigh... this is not promising.

 

[ventogt]

I'll cross post this here as I started a manual specific thread but didn't realize all of the threads were below the dozen or so subtopics at top--I thought everything was nested there---any opinions greatly appreciated:

"New poster here, been lurking for a bit and am getting fed up with my 2017 Sportwagen with it's third trip to the dealership for a random misfire code, along with small other niggling things. Went and drove a 2.0T Elite last week and really liked the feel, the steering, the overall chassis and drive. Didn't love the grabby brakes [I can get used to that though] or the transmission much [it felt slower to respond but then again I'm a manual guy].

My question is basically what else did you drive/think about and are you happy with the purchase? Pretty sure I will lease but there is only one manual in my state [MA] though there are 6 in CT/NY which is a short [150mi] drive for me so I want to talk to the local dealer absolutely last when I'm ready to pull the trigger but pretend I'm not that interested [the car dealer game].

Also, curious about waiting for the 2020s and seeing if that will drive down the costs/increase lease cash for the sitting inventory, as the dealer that I spoke to said they don't order cars and are given allocation, so finding a manual is going to be a pain no matter what."

 

[Teller2]

My question is basically what else did you drive/think about and are you happy with the purchase?

Also, curious about waiting for the 2020s and seeing if that will drive down the costs/increase lease cash for the sitting inventory, as the dealer that I spoke to said they don't order cars and are given allocation, so finding a manual is going to be a pain no matter what."

I am still in the testing phase, so my opinion may not be useful to you. My daily driver is a Mini Cooper S manual, which I would never repurchase due to reliability issues. While extraordinarily fun to drive, that's assuming the vehicle is not in the mechanic's shop... BMW is out of the consideration set as well.

I test drove a Mazda 6 manual. It was under-powered and unimpressive. Note that the 2019 Mazda 6 is not available in manual except as a special order. I also test drove a Hyundai Elantra GT N manual, which was extraordinarily fun and agile, though not the most exciting design-wise. Other vehicles were auto transmission...

My understanding is that cash incentives from the manufacturer are focused on the latest model year, so it's unclear whether there will be increases in manufacturer subsidies for 2019 models when the 2020 come out. The dealer might be more willing to negotiate with 2019s and 2020s on the lot, but it's always a gamble as to whether those will exceed the manufacturer's rebates.

 

[ventogt]

I am still in the testing phase, so my opinion may not be useful to you. My daily driver is a Mini Cooper S manual, which I would never repurchase due to reliability issues. While extraordinarily fun to drive, that's assuming the vehicle is not in the mechanic's shop... BMW is out of the consideration set as well.

I test drove a Mazda 6 manual. It was under-powered and unimpressive. Note that the 2019 Mazda 6 is not available in manual except as a special order. I also test drove a Hyundai Elantra GT N manual, which was extraordinarily fun and agile, though not the most exciting design-wise. Other vehicles were auto transmission...

My understanding is that cash incentives from the manufacturer are focused on the latest model year, so it's unclear whether there will be increases in manufacturer subsidies for 2019 models when the 2020 come out. The dealer might be more willing to negotiate with 2019s and 2020s on the lot, but it's always a gamble as to whether those will exceed the manufacturer's rebates.

Appreciate your insights--always liked Mazda's looks and recommended a relative look at the CX-5 recently [she chose a Volvo XC60 which was also on the list]. Part of the reason I'm interested in the G70 is that it seems like a good deal for the money, but moreso that it has some luxury niceties while being simple, well-styled [only thing I could do without is the boomerangs on the fenders] and driver-focused...something BMW was once upon a time. OH, and a manual transmission. 3 pedals is a must for me right now, even driving around New England, as I don't have a 9-5 typical commute even if I end up in the shit half the time. The 3 pedal drive is one of my releases from the world around me as I'm involved even in stupid petty decisions like when to change gears and how many RPMs to run up to when in traffic to allow never touching the brake pedal even though traffic is crawling, approaching a corner, etc. I'm always involved, even in the most insipid of driving conditions. Clearly, I have a problem.

As I explained to the [very nice] sales guy Mike when I went to test drive the G70 Automatic when he soft-asked for the sale "the only reason the G70 is on my list is because it has 3 pedals". So no, the Auto won't work, even if, as some say "it's the same thing I can shift with the paddles".

The G70 looks cool, I like the spec and equipment, and even more the simplicity of the dash layout [I hate digital dashes] and the logical placement of buttons, knobs, etc for A/C, seat heat/radio, etc etc...no magic knobs or iDrive or the godawful mouse pad that MB uses. I drive to drive, not to be in a computer.

 

[JB08]

The G70 was on my list for the same reason, it offered 3 pedals. I don't think it really has any competitors from my perspective. The Accord and Mazda 6 are not in the same category. Neither are compact cars or sports cars. With Audi, Acura and BMW no longer offering manuals on their entry level cars (or none at all) the only other luxury brand I could think of, were the Cadillacs CTS-V and ATS-V. However they are premium luxury sedans and in a different price category altogether. In the entry to mid luxury segment the G70 stands alone.

 

[ventogt]

The G70 was on my list for the same reason, it offered 3 pedals. I don't think it really has any competitors from my perspective. The Accord and Mazda 6 are not in the same category. Neither are compact cars or sports cars. With Audi, Acura and BMW no longer offering manuals on their entry level cars (or none at all) the only other luxury brand I could think of, were the Cadillacs CTS-V and ATS-V. However they are premium luxury sedans and in a different price category altogether. In the entry to mid luxury segment the G70 stands alone.

Is the ATS still around in manual? I like the way that car looks on the outside but GM interiors leave a lot to be desired. Also, I cannot for the life of me figure out why Honda hasn't put AWD in the Accord. I have to imagine a lot of its underpinnings are shared with the Passport/Pilot/CRV/etc etc so they are losing a lot of potential sales in colder climates; even though tire selection is arguably more important than AWD in winter for the most part, many buyers of Accords/Camrys/etc I'd bet don't know that and flock to the perceived safety of AWD--almost nothing has 2WD on lots up here if it is a model with an AWD variant. Even BMWs up in New England are almost all xDrive

 

[JB08]

Is the ATS still around in manual? I like the way that car looks on the outside but GM interiors leave a lot to be desired. Also, I cannot for the life of me figure out why Honda hasn't put AWD in the Accord. I have to imagine a lot of its underpinnings are shared with the Passport/Pilot/CRV/etc etc so they are losing a lot of potential sales in colder climates; even though tire selection is arguably more important than AWD in winter for the most part, many buyers of Accords/Camrys/etc I'd bet don't know that and flock to the perceived safety of AWD--almost nothing has 2WD on lots up here if it is a model with an AWD variant. Even BMWs up in New England are almost all xDrive

I believe the 2020 ATS is no longer manual, but the 2019 still is.

 

[Teller2]

The G70 looks cool, I like the spec and equipment, and even more the simplicity of the dash layout [I hate digital dashes] and the logical placement of buttons, knobs, etc for A/C, seat heat/radio, etc etc...no magic knobs or iDrive or the godawful mouse pad that MB uses. I drive to drive, not to be in a computer.

I also dislike the iDrive and BMW is not well-known for long-term reliability. I am tired of everything being controlled electronically - something as simple as opening a bloody window or folding/unfolding a mirror become a $$$ issue when the electronics go haywire (thank you, BMW/Mini).

You are correct that it seems that the G70 doesn't have much company in the MT luxury sedan class. Aside from BMW, there aren't many options. The ATS' interior is sad at that price-point, Audi discontinued MT in 2019 A4s in the USA, MB only offers MT in a minuscule coupe, Lexus and Acura have not offered MT in a while, Infinity only has a coupe that can be special ordered as MT, and Jaguar (I think) only has MT in the coupe and LOL at "reliability." Who else is left? The Buick Regal FWD? Is that considered luxury sedan?

I feel compelled to snap up a MT G70 to send a signal to Hyundai/Genesis that there are still some Three-Pedalers out here.

 

[ventogt]

You are correct that it seems that the G70 doesn't have much company in the MT luxury sedan class. Aside from BMW, there aren't many options. The ATS' interior is sad at that price-point, Audi discontinued MT in 2019 A4s in the USA, MB only offers MT in a minuscule coupe, Lexus and Acura have not offered MT in a while, Infinity only has a coupe that can be special ordered as MT, and Jaguar (I think) only has MT in the coupe and LOL at "reliability." Who else is left? The Buick Regal FWD? Is that considered luxury sedan?

I feel compelled to snap up a MT G70 to send a signal to Hyundai/Genesis that there are still some Three-Pedalers out here.

I feel the same, which is why I'm 90+% sure that before early 2020 there will be a G70 with 3 pedals in my driveway. I would have looked at the Buick wagon if it had 3 pedals, shocking as it sounds, it looks good and would have been interesting.

The biggest disappointment for me was Alfa coming back to the US and not offering a stick, even in the Quadrifoglio?!?! When setting your sights on pulling buyers from BMW and Audi, to come in with a passable entrant in the Giulia and not try to make it up at least with "we're the ones who still care about building a driving machine" or something of the sort...I have to bet they would have lured significantly more interest offering 3 pedals, even in lower trim levels.

BMW and Audi gifted them easy wins by walking away from their historical core enthusiast buyers with less than $60K [or way more--a new M3 is over $100K these days!!] to spend on the S or M variants. Even with all of Alfa's faults and inconsistency around reliability, I'd have bought [actually probably leased] a Giulia just to support Alfa being back here again out of principle...but, no. So here I am looking at the G70, which is not at all a bad outcome.

 

[Throat Yogurt]

I'll cross post this here as I started a manual specific thread but didn't realize all of the threads were below the dozen or so subtopics at top--I thought everything was nested there---any opinions greatly appreciated:

"New poster here, been lurking for a bit and am getting fed up with my 2017 Sportwagen with it's third trip to the dealership for a random misfire code, along with small other niggling things. Went and drove a 2.0T Elite last week and really liked the feel, the steering, the overall chassis and drive. Didn't love the grabby brakes [I can get used to that though] or the transmission much [it felt slower to respond but then again I'm a manual guy].

My question is basically what else did you drive/think about and are you happy with the purchase? Pretty sure I will lease but there is only one manual in my state [MA] though there are 6 in CT/NY which is a short [150mi] drive for me so I want to talk to the local dealer absolutely last when I'm ready to pull the trigger but pretend I'm not that interested [the car dealer game].

Also, curious about waiting for the 2020s and seeing if that will drive down the costs/increase lease cash for the sitting inventory, as the dealer that I spoke to said they don't order cars and are given allocation, so finding a manual is going to be a pain no matter what."

I was evaluating a similar decision matrix to you a few months ago. My requirements were 4 doors, not FWD, and manual vastly preferred. Pretty much the only cars meeting that description are the Impreza/WRX, Golf R & Alltrack, G70, and M6 Gran Coupe. I was coming from a GTI so the VWs were out. I looked closely and test drove the following: G70, A3, A4, Giulia, Stinger, WRX, S60, and Challenger and liked the G70 the best. If the Giulia came in stick I would have bought that, despite its shortcomings in ergonomics and reliability. The WRX is a great package and if I was 10 years younger or wore flat brimmed hats I would have bought it for sure. But I really fell for the G70 manual, a great combination of engagement, handling, comfort, uniqueness and price. I posted my deal in the lease thread but in short I'm leasing it for $383/month which is crazy. My GTI, which had a sticker price of $7,000 less than the G70, leased for $410/mo.

You should get one.