So I originally learned how to drive on a manual transmission...

It is the widest change in ratio (often), and to add to this first and reverse are often non-synchromesh. The transition from first to second shouldn't be too bad, but it is not unusual to have a notch from second to first as you are selecting a non-synchromeshed gear from a synchromeshed gear.

Can I suggest that you do not select first gear when in motion? There is no requirement. You should be able to come to a complete stop in second gear. Select first gear to begin moving the vehicle but do not select it to continue movement.

What about if you're in second and struggling on an incline?

Also how would one downshift at high speed when needing more power to pass or climb? Say from fifth to fourth at highway speed. Wouldn't dropping down make you all jerky because the speed is too much for the gear?

If you need first, select first. Losing momentum on an incline is a situation where it would be required to select first where slowing down to a complete stop on level ground is not. It's a judgement call. That said, the general rule is not to select the shortest non-synchro gear while moving.

Let's look at your example - moving from fifth to fourth at speed. Let's assume that your engine is turning safely at 3000 RPM in fifth gear doing your initial speed. You require more pulling power, so you wish to select a Direct gear. If your overdrive was a common 0.83 ratio, doing the same speed in fourth (assuming fourth is direct, one to one) then the engine speed will be 3510 RPM. Simply deselect fifth, 'blip' or tap the throttle to accelerate the engine speed to around 3510 but within one hundred RPM either way, and select fourth. By moving the engine speed to the approximate desired engine speed for the lower gear, the clutch engagement shall be smooth and without drivetrain backlash.

When you are confident with this movement of gear selector and accelerator pedal you should find that you are able to skip gears while downshifting, for example from fifth to third, or from fourth to second without a crunch, shudder or other sign of drivetrain backlash.

Does this help you?

Yes, actually. I don't understand how you can figure out your RPMs and speeds for downshifting though. I typically go by feel/sound and blip the throttle to about 1800RPMs. But this is only for braking of course.

I read the manual, it's not in there. 2.2L Ecotec with F23 Getrag transmission if that helps.

The first to second transition is generally rough, if you have a female you might want to slip the clutch a bit, but when I'm just driving generally I absorb the shock.
It's a feature not a bug.

So I row through the gears when I go from first to third, does this help? I also row through when I go from 5th to third.
I haven't done enough testing to know myself even though I've had the car for a relatively long time. I know if I park it in second I can't shift directly into R

The 1st and 2nd gear ratios mean that the engine has more influence over the bulk of the car than any of the other gears, so smaller discrepancies between engine RPM and drivetrain RPM will feel rougher.

Solutions:
1) slip the clutch more
2) time the clutch release better
3) practice makes perfect

*I need to sleep, I'll read your reply tomorrow

Wait what? So I've got a 5 speed mustang. In second gear it's 1000rpm=10mph and in first gear it's pretty close to 1000rpm,=5mph. Is your gear ratio some weird divide my 7 number or something?
Not even the guy that asked about it.

If you can find the gear ratios for the transmission installed in your vehicle you can calculate but it is not necessary. You have already described how most know when to select the next gear - feel. With practice it becomes apparent when to clutch and declutch between gear changes. Underlying knowledge of the space between gears will help though.

F23 seems fairly typical - 3.58, 2.02, 1.35, 0.98, 0.69 with a 4.17 final drive. Apparently there is a MG3 variant with a .81 fifth gear and a 4.41 final drive. I do not know which variant is in your vehicle. To be specific, this means your transmission is a double-overdrive with both fourth and fifth being taller than one-to-one.

Know the distance between the gears in your transmission. For example my own daily is 1100 between second and third, 850 between third and fourth with 430 between fourth and fifth. When you know this, you now have your target modifier for engine speed while selecting a lower gear. For a smooth transition from fifth to fourth, I must increase engine speed by 430 RPM. For a smooth transition between fifth and third, I must increase engine speed by 1280 RPM. This will differ from model to model, variant to variant.

I'm sorry, what do you mean by 'row' the gears? With your inability to select reverse from second, this too is common. In at least two positions of a five-speed transmission, the dog-clutch or selector teeth do not align with their respective sprockets. Simply select another gear, then move back to reverse. I cannot select reverse if the last gear selected was third.

When I go from first to third I slap it into second even though I have no intention of engaging the clutch.
Same from 5th to third.
My car has a second gear lockout.

Oh wow look another fucking thread about the easiest thing in the world.

reverse* not second Jesus Christ. You can only shift into reverse if you were in first before.

oh is it only 5th and third? I need to test that tomorrow, I thought it was everything that was not first. So I could go from fourth (who even uses that gear) to R

I understand now, thanks. You shouldn't need to move the linkage and select second if you are not transmitting drive through this gear. It is not assisting you, but it is also not hindering you or damaging the transmission.

Sorry, please let me clarify. You cannot (and should not attempt to!) select reverse as a non-synchromesh gear while in forward motion. I meant to say that when the vehicle has been parked and is at rest, I cannot select reverse when I go to move the car again. The teeth are mis-aligned. I am required to select another gear, then I am free to select reverse.

At rest, I have a lockout as well. I now understand all points you have attempted to make.
I will be going to bed now. Good night.

It's not the easiest thing in the world. It should be fairly easy but for some people, it isn't. Some people are far more skilled at removing brain tumors, constructing houses, coding executables or mixing cocktails than they are at selecting the correct ratio for a given engine speed versus vehicle speed. And how a collection of text on a message board possible representing a person disconnected from your life in its entirety balances power delivery, volumetric efficiency, fuel consumption rate and more by use of a torque multiplication and division device should not bother you in the slightest.

Too easy. I hope I have been of some assistance. I do not have a reverse gear lockout but still experience the inability to select reverse from third gear at rest due to the geometry of this particular transmission. Very common.

Sleep tight!

Ah okay. For now I'll try to figure it out by noise when downshifting at speed but I'll see if I can find the exact RPMs.

Thanks a lot, user!

Because driving in the city is a bitch with a manual, and I learned that when I got my license driving a manual. I no longer live in the city, so I don't worry about it.

I have an 02 Neon ES.
>hurrdurrdodgeisshit

For the condition, mileage, and how much I paid ($800) for a street legal car, I didn't really care. People wanted too much for Civics and Corollas in shitty condition.

That's a BS reason. Your right foot works two pedals...your left doing something besides sitting dead isn't an appreciable difference. In stop and go traffic, you probably don't even get out of first gear. Laziness or difficulty don't stand as justification. Just be honest: you like to hold your coffee or burger in your hand while you drive rather than putting it down to shift.

Nah he's right senpai. Automatic is god-tier for stop and go traffic in a city.

At that point it's better to just ride a bus though.

Nope. Genuinely didn't like having to shift between 1st and 2nd in traffic. Especially when I was never the best at it and stalled more often than I probably should have been. Discouragement was probably the biggest factor. I don't like eating in my car usually.

That was 6 years ago, tho.

It’s really unusual to downshift into first if you’re going more than 5mph. It’s too jerky in most cars. But if you need to do it, rev-match hard. It’ll take a big throttle blip to shift smoothly into first.

Downshifting into any other gear is easy and highly recommended, just rev-match. Lift off throttle, depress clutch pedal and go to neutral, stab throttle to raise revs 2k or so, downshift, get off clutch pedal and get back on gas.

You don't have to go to neutral to revmatch just blip it with the clutch pressed in

Newer cars I've noticed are like that. Shift 1st to 2nd at 5500 rpm and see if it does it still. When I had to drive a 2008 Pontiac (could just be a shot American transmission) the timing of the shifts were completely weird feeling I think they put heavy flywheels in them the rpm doesn't drop as fast. In that Pontiac I either had to shift unbelievably slow or at a higher than normal rpm to be smooth.