KJ and a manual transmission...

I have an '03 5-Speed Manual - 0 problems, 100% Satisfied!

SavageUrge said:

I have an '03 5-Speed Manual - 0 problems, 100% Satisfied!

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I don't know why they switched from the 5-speed to the new 6-speed. The 6th gear on the new one is lower than 5th gear on the old one. I don't see the advantages of the new 6-speed. Must be cheaper to make.

BoyNamedSue said:

I don't know why they switched from the 5-speed to the new 6-speed. The 6th gear on the new one is lower than 5th gear on the old one. I don't see the advantages of the new 6-speed. Must be cheaper to make.

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That's strange. You would think that 6th gear would be a lot higher, a good highway/gas mileage gear .

Dave

I have a 4x4 6spd 07 libby with 10,000 and have owned since new. and with me being 19 and only having one other 5speed i think this thing handles awesome. i have never had it jerk/jolt. i guess its just how you drive. i love the 6th gear on the highway my evic i installed shows 22.7 mpg on highway and drops to about 19.8 in the city the only thing i didnt like was the fact that 1st gear is very short and its almost impossible to start in 2nd. but i love it compared to my 05 auto

With the 6-spd, you have to gun it hard in 1st and 2nd to get the jeep moving with traffic. Then you can drive pretty normal in the other gears. I agree that the first two gears are pretty low for everyday driving, but if you live in an area with steep hills the torque really gets you going. Flatland driving is not so great, but pulling off from a light going uphill leaves me leading the pack.
For someone like myself the offroad abilities of a Liberty don't matter. If my jeep is offroad it has probably been stolen.
My only complaint about the jeep is the mileage. I traded a 5000 pound Sierra Crew Cab w/V8 and auto for a 3700 pound V6 with a stick. I get the same mileage. What gives?
On the upside, I don't have to plan approaches to parking spaces 100 yards ahead of time so that I can manuever a battleship on wheels. The jeep sure is alot more parking lot friendly.

Well, I own a 2003 5 speed.

Pros: Stupid simple, eeeeeasy maintainance
mechanical whine feels tough and truckish
more control over transmission

Cons: Loud
Clunky
stiff clutch

Choose wisely. I really like mine, I have a black freedom, and the manual just feels right in a Liberty.

csukoh78 said:

Well, I own a 2003 5 speed.

Pros: Stupid simple, eeeeeasy maintainance
mechanical whine feels tough and truckish
more control over transmission

Cons: Loud
Clunky
stiff clutch

Choose wisely. I really like mine, I have a black freedom, and the manual just feels right in a Liberty.

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I never drove the KJ with a 5 speed but if I get a chance I would like to feel the difference. I drove the TJ with the 5 speed so I wonder if it's anything like that?? But that had the 4.0 in it so I'm sure it was different.

Dave

I love mine. Its far from perfect, but it has character.

i agree. but i have nothing but problems going uphill..man does it chug i feel like im riding shot gun in a 1987 school bus. but other than that the 6speed is really nice compared to the auto, plus i heard they had some problems with the dependability of the automatic correct me if im wrong but wasnt that the case for 2002..wouldnt they have fixed that so edmunds and consumerguide dont give us a 2 outta 10 for reliablility

so to the person who started the thread..i have had a 2005 jeep auto and loved it, but if your not in traffic all day then get the manual its alot funner to drive

You guys got me geeked up. I wanna drive a KJ with the 6 Speed. I've only driven the 5 Speed.

Another '03 5spd guy and lovin it. One thing about traffic- other drivers have a nasty habit of speeding up and slowing down just right so you're shifting back and forth like a politician in an election year. Taking off from traffic lights is particularly annoying when you're behind gramps in his old buick. But for me, that's offset by how fun it is to drive and I enjoy having 100% control over my drivetrain.

I just bought a new 2007 manual. The first thing I noticed was the really low first gear, and low 2nd gear. Normally I gun 1st just to get rolling, switch to 2nd up to 2,500 rpm and use 3rd for accelerating, sometimes skipping 4th all together once I'm up to speed. It's a bit harder for a fast start compared to other vehicles, but it's not too bad.

What i really like about the low gearing though is I have a bit of a steep drive. With our automatic Camary it won't go anywhere without having to gas it up. With the Jeep i just put it in 1st before turning into the drive and don't even have to touch the accelerator. It's also nice when driving slow around a parking lot and never using the clutch until I come to a stop.

6 spd shines on twisty mountaain roads

OK, yinz here guys. For those twisty moutain roads you have in PA, the 6 spd shines. Nothing beats using the transmission for engine braking on a curving downgrade. I grew up in Latrobe, Pa., but now use a 2007 6 spd. Liberty 4wd in the mountain roads of northeast Mexico. It's a nice tight transmission - snick, snick snick as one runs through the gears. It has a nice positive feel to it.

I used stick shift in rural Westmoreland County, Pa. a very long time ago and have never changed. The Jeep 6 spd is one of the best I've driven, equal to all the 40 yrs. of manual shift Chevies I owned.