First ever praise for stock MS3 shifter!!

I actually seem to remember quite a bit of positive feedback about the shifter/shifting of the MS3....I swear I remember certain reviews saying the shifting is smooth and precise. I must admit that for the first 1000 or so miles mine was too.
 
mine's still smooth, bone stock. And IMO, torque steer isn't too bad on this car, drive a high-powered civic or a skittle sometime...
 
I don't have an issue with torque steer with my MS3, but going into 3rd gear gets stuck sometimes. It's a bit of a pain. My Integra GS-R's shifter felt much smoother. Also, got to drive my brother's 2007 Civic SI and it's shifter was smoother than the MS3 as well.
 
The shifter itself was never bad imo. Was just the short gearing and engine mounts. The top gear mps 6 video doesn't say anything bad about it while he throws the gears around.
 
shifter

the S2000 shifter is uncomparable.. but with some shifter bushing in the speed3... it's a close 2nd...add a motor mount and ur gold.. i have no problems with mine..
 
Yeah, I test drove a S2000 back in 2004 when I was deciding if I was gonna keep my GS-R. It was definitely the best manual I had ever driven. So smooth, quick and easy to shift.

If my girlfriend had a car that worked, I would have gotten a used S2000 instead of the MS3 easy.

Will swapping out the bushings void any warranties with Mazda?
 
kaganb said:
Yeah, I test drove a S2000 back in 2004 when I was deciding if I was gonna keep my GS-R. It was definitely the best manual I had ever driven. So smooth, quick and easy to shift.

If my girlfriend had a car that worked, I would have gotten a used S2000 instead of the MS3 easy.

Will swapping out the bushings void any warranties with Mazda?
Click to expand...

No the motor mount and bushings won't void the warranty. In fact when I discussed it with the lead tech at my Mazda dealer both he (who owns one) and the service writer, who has driven the techs MS3 with both new bushings and MM, said they recommend me getting them. Neither will affect your warranty. That is unless you fubar something up when installing them.
 
Yeah Honda generally has the best manuals in the industry. Coming from the Si to the MS3, there's a difference. But I do think the MS3 tranny is good. Gear ratio is a bit too close for me in 1st and 2nd, and the clutch engagement is a bit tricky, but otherwise no problems.
 
Clutch engagement in MS3 almost ruins the driving experience for me in stop and go traffic but livable. Also experienced 2nd to 3rd gear issue when cold. Agree on S2K shifter, best imo.
 
Being that it isn't a musclecar, lightning fast shifts weren't exactly a high priority for Mazda.

The shifter is a major weak point of the MS3.
 
Have never driven a Honda with a stick, but coming from an RX8, I was pretty let down with how often I miss 2-3 shifts. That RX8 shifter was a serious piece of engineering.

Rear motor mount I'll be doing sometime next year, as soon as I'm satisfied with the stereo...
 
Ya when I test drove the RX8 R3, I was pleasantly surprised by how nice the shifting was.

I wished my MS3 had shifting like that!!
 
i never had a problem with my shifter but it is very easy to miss 3rd gear in this car, the clutch in MS3 is nice to, i like how it pops, but i think there is a problem with timing in this car, its not that easy to get smooth shifts, some times i get smooth shifts at 3500 rpms some times 3000, its never the same.......i heard that engine mount and shifter bushing can fix that...
 
hyperpm said:
Clutch engagement in MS3 almost ruins the driving experience for me in stop and go traffic but livable. Also experienced 2nd to 3rd gear issue when cold. Agree on S2K shifter, best imo.
Click to expand...

I feel the same way about the throttle response in this car. My kingdom for a hard wired throttle cable like on my older honda on the SU carbs on my datsun.

2nd gear gets rough at cold temperatures until the trans oil warms up - I use double clutching techniques to get by. I still don't mind the shifter though. Not a honda shifter but it does the job good and quick.
 
I have actually enjoyed the easier shifting on the MS3 compared to my '02 WRX. Only thing that I dislike is the clunk I get when putting it into 1st from neutral.
 
Im telling you guys, you can replace the bushing in your shifter for like 97cents, with a few washers from home depot, and the investment on a motor mount is great.. dont do anything over an 80 duro if your afraid of vibes... it makes a world of difference, i never miss gears and I dont get any of the grinding going into first.. as far as the clutch ingagement and the stutter, I've heard an intake will help with that, as wierd as that sounds..

EDIT: Why the hell would you ever dbl clutch this car, you need to stop watching the fast and the furious..
 
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