Does anybody share my concern about the manual trans on the LS Cruze. It is a "progressive" transmission and it drives me crazy, because the RPM split is so huge (700 RPM) shifting from 1st to 2nd and so miniscule (300 RPM) shifting from 5th to 6th. What was GM thinking when they designed this transmission? At a stop light, shifting to second you have to wait for it, and the pregnant pause angers the car behind. I refuse to speed shift it, like most people and tear out second gear synchrow mesh. I have angered many tailgaters since I bought this new car three months ago. And then going into 6th gear you shift fast (300 RPM) which is almost nothing. At 65 mph the RPM runs too high (close to 3000 RPM) which seems so unnecessarily high. How hard would would it be to change the top gear to something taller to get the RPM down on the highway?
Doug Stern
3,000RPM at 65mph seems really high, even my 2012 1LT auto is around 2200-2300RPM at 65mph(believe 2500 is 74MPH). Since yours is a manual, seems you could swap in the 6 speed manual from the cruze ECO with its much more hwy friendly gearing. The 1.8L would probably be a complete dog with that gearing, having much less power than the 1.4T engine.
If you're really annoyed with it, you could plop a LT manual transmission into it for the highway gearing - 3000 @ 65 does seem very high (I run that at 80 mph). I think the Eco gearing would be way too tall for the torque-starved 1.8L to deal with - each gear would feel like you were bogging it without a turbos assistance.
2nd gear comes up quick in any model - they all have short first gear to get it moving easily, but just be quick with it. If you are grinding 2nd when trying to shift quickly, switch to a better fluid - it is well documented across the forum that the GM synchromesh fluid is terrible. I think 1st is also taller in the LT/Eco than the LS as well.
All that said, regearing a FWD on your own is no easy task.
2nd gear comes up quick in any model - they all have short first gear to get it moving easily, but just be quick with it. If you are grinding 2nd when trying to shift quickly, switch to a better fluid - it is well documented across the forum that the GM synchromesh fluid is terrible. I think 1st is also taller in the LT/Eco than the LS as well.
All that said, regearing a FWD on your own is no easy task.
Something isn't right here. My son's 2012 LS MT turns 2500 RPM at 65 MPH in 6th. 5th gear is 3000 RPM at 6500 RPM. I believe the gear ratios in the LS and LT are the same. As for the progressively shorter drops in RPM it makes shifting at speed easier easier on the clutch, extending the clutch pad life.
From Chevrolet News - United States - Cruze/Cruze Eco/Cruze Diesel
It appears 1st and 2nd will run out faster on the LS than the LT but 3-6 have the same ratios.
M32 6-speed manual (1.8L) | M32 6-speed manual (1.4L turbo Eco) | M32 6-speed manual (1.4L turbo) | Hydra-Matic 6T40 6-speed automatic | |
Gear ratios  1) | | | | |
| First: | 3.82 | 4.27 | 4.27 | 4.58 |
| Second: | 2.16 | 2.16 | 2.53 | 2.96 |
| Third: | 1.47 | 1.30 | 1.47 | 1.91 |
| Fourth: | 1.07 | 0.96 | 1.07 | 1.44 |
| Fifth: | 0.87 | 0.74 | 0.87 | 1.00 |
| Sixth: | 0.74 | 0.61 | 0.74 | 0.74 |
| Reverse: | 3.54 | 3.82 | 3.82 | 2.94 |
| Final drive: | 3.94 | 3.83 | 3.83 | 3.53 |
It appears 1st and 2nd will run out faster on the LS than the LT but 3-6 have the same ratios.
I've never felt the need to wait any significant length of time during a 1-2 shift in any cruze, and i've driven the LT, LS and Eco manuals.
If anything i think its an easy and intuitive gear spread in around town driving.
If anything i think its an easy and intuitive gear spread in around town driving.
Meant to read the shop manual on the gear shift lock, 2012 2LT has this, don't know about the LS, walked passed it because it didn't have a cruise control. A Cruze without cruise?
With this thing, the clutch pedal has to be fully depressed or almost impossible to get it out of first gear. But once the clutch is fully depressed, snaps into all gears. Wonder if the LS has this feature, if does, could be misadjusted. Kind of gentle with it, but my 120 pound wife sure runs through those gears. Ha, tell her to take it easy, isn't paid for yet. Actually it is, have to think of something else to say.
She was taught to also shift into neutral at a traffic light, but when that light turns green, in a mircrosecond in first gear and flying. She was taught if left in first gear, clutch engaged could break and run over a pedestrian. I always have my feet on both the clutch and the brake, if the clutch does break and engage, that little tiny 1.4L will stall.
With this thing, the clutch pedal has to be fully depressed or almost impossible to get it out of first gear. But once the clutch is fully depressed, snaps into all gears. Wonder if the LS has this feature, if does, could be misadjusted. Kind of gentle with it, but my 120 pound wife sure runs through those gears. Ha, tell her to take it easy, isn't paid for yet. Actually it is, have to think of something else to say.
She was taught to also shift into neutral at a traffic light, but when that light turns green, in a mircrosecond in first gear and flying. She was taught if left in first gear, clutch engaged could break and run over a pedestrian. I always have my feet on both the clutch and the brake, if the clutch does break and engage, that little tiny 1.4L will stall.
Final drive is slightly different, which would result in a higher RPM on the 1.8.
The spacing between the gears is identical though.
The spacing between the gears is identical though.
You think your 1>2 shift is bad? Try the ECO trans 1>2 shift, I could take an effing nap in between gears you have to wait soo long. 2>3 is kinda bad too, but not as bad.
I'm not sure why people complain about the shifting. It is what it is and you have to learn to shift the car. Every single car has different shift points and ratios between gears so you really do have to spend the first month or so retraining your feet and right hand when to shift and how fast to shift for normal driving. Even automatics have this issue but hopefully the transmission software is already trained for it.
2nd gear is my right turn gear. Don't care if it's 20 or 35 mph. I rev match if I have to to avoid a 3rd gear bog down. I can shift fine through the gears on my Eco if I don't short shift it up a hill. 1st gear I always end up going 3k in Eco mode to set myself up good for 2nd gear. The 1200 rpm shifts are when nobody is around.
Having trouble with grinding 2nd gear sounds to me like the clutch could be set to take up too close to the floor and is not being fully disengaged. The friction point should be about two thirds of the way up, any lower and the tendency is to not push the pedal down enough and gears grind, the lower the gear the worse the problem. I have driven trucks (real ones not pickups) with no syncromesh in any gear and learned to drive clutchless once moving, so I have had some experience with manual transmissions.
Yeah I was gonna take a yellow light and decided not to and the revs took forever to fall. I came to a complete stop and it was still falling from like 3300 rpms. Kinda deters me from having a loud exhaust.
I bought a new car back in 1978 with a 4 speed manual and it had that slow rev drop making gear changes hard to do smoothly. I asked the mechanic at Holden about it and was told it was part of the pollution control. He then pointed to a damper and said that it was adjustable but he couldn't touch it. After that I had great gear changes.
No such luck with electronic throttles. Chevy's is poorly programmed at high revs, but works well at sub-3K engine speeds. Actually, it's more difficult to drive smoothly with the A/C running, which quickly drops the RPM back to idle between shifts - you actually have to rev match to avoid jerking passengers around.
I've found if you let off the gas a microsecond sooner then you would for a "normal car" when shifting, it shifts great.
I am happy to have a nice low first gear. It saves the clutch. And you do need to shift early and that's fine. The problem is the jump from first to second is so huge. Over 600 RPM and you have to wait for it unless you want to tear out second gear syncromesh like lots of other people do. I wait for it and get honked at (by little old ladies) pulling away from stop lights. I just don't understand why they can't have a close ratio transmission all the way up. You know...every shift identical. You DO NOT need progressive gearing on a multi speed transmission. In other words it would be better to have an identical 400 or 500 RPM split all the way up, not just the top gears. My 5 to 6 is about 350 RPM split ! This is not a truck for goodness sakes !
No, DVAN nailed it. It is the "flippin rev hang" from a wide ratio second gear that is the problem. On a multi speed transmission there is NO NEED to have such a wide RPM split into second gear. The problem is, most guys will NOT wait to rev match it into second, and then ask why they are tearing out secong gear syncromesh. Simple solution.... on all multi speed transmissions, have a evenly spaced close ratio transmission, all the way up, for faster shifts, in lower gears, as well as high. KISS !!!
Sorry guys, but as a 40 year veteran pro driver I can tell you that a multi 6 speed transmission would be much better off with evenly spaced ratios all the way up, ie close in the lower gears as well as the top gears. Most drivers today do not do well with uneven spacing and timing of shifts. They will not wait for the big drop into second gear. They do not rev match into second and then ask why second gear syncro is wiped out in less than a year. Not very good for the clutch as well. Solution is simple. Close ratio (evenly spaced gears) all the way up.
Before we get into a shouting match here, remember that the gear ratios won't be changed. Yes, they are hard to learn but once learned there's no issue. As for the claim of starting like an old lady it's not true. I start my ECO MT moving and keep up with traffic all the way through third gear without an issue. Also, I learned to drive stick shifts in Alfa Romeos and have driven several different brands of cars. In addition, no car out there uses consistent gear ratio gaps as you shift up. Some are closer than others. The ECO MT has one of the wider ranges of ratio changes but if you consistently shift between 1800 and 2500 RPM you minimize those differences and accelerate fast enough you're not a road hazard.
If you shift your ECO MTs at 2500 RPM even the 1->2 engine speed drop keeps the turbo spooled at the end of the shift.
If you shift your ECO MTs at 2500 RPM even the 1->2 engine speed drop keeps the turbo spooled at the end of the shift.
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