Wonky clutch--is it really an issue?

[squelchy451]

Many online reviews say the clutch is weird. Springy, spongy, engagement too close to the top and in to narrow a range. However, I've come not to trust online reviews no more after my woeful experience with the Mazda3. None of my current complaints (except for road noise) has been mentioned in the reviews while things I feel fine about (infotainment system and drivetrain NVH) are things reviewers mention the most.

The biggest complaint is the manual transmission in the Mazda3. I realized it's not so much the clutch pedal once it was broken in but the excessive drivetrain movement made it unpredictable. I hope the Civic Si, being a performance oriented model, would not have this issue, but I am still worried about the drivetrain.

Is it difficult to drive this thing smoothly as far as the transmission? I'm sure the handling and speed is there, but what I want is to be able to drive this car smoothly, without none of this "bucking bronco" I'm getting this slow-ass Mazda3.

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[RYSBRNR]

I’ve had mine for a month and I find it sublime. I’ve driven many different manual cars from Porsche 911’s, Fox body Mustangs, Accords of the last three generations, Subaru’s... the clutch is fine. It’s light but offers plenty of feel. I’ve never stalled it, never had a moment of “wtf” with it or had any unpleasantness with it. It’s very easy to drive very smoothly, you’ll be fine. The rev hang is what makes things tough, not the clutch. But you can learn to wait between gears (3 seconds for 1-2, 2 seconds for 2-3) or get a KTuner and eliminate the rev hang. It’s for emissions, holds the throttle open to avoid sudden extremely lean burn which produces nitrous oxides. It is, in a word, aggravating.

 

[CWCTR2018]

clutch is made in India so is the flywheel and transmission

 

[MattyNice]

I’ve had mine a little over 4 months and have found the shifting action to be buttery smooth once the car is warmed up. It’s almost too smooth imo and not nearly as notchy as the Si’s I had in the past. I can actually shift this one smoother than the past ones. I’ve found it to be the easiest manual I’ve ever had. The clutch took some getting used to as the disengagement/engagement point is pretty high and has a pretty small window and slightly numb feeling.

Maybe I’m used to the rev hang as it’s been there for years now.

 

[charleswrivers]

It really is a very smooth ride. With rev hang disabled and throttle padding set to standard (the minimum amount) it's still very smooth... the only think it let's you do is let the car jerk a little if you start goosing the throttle.

Its been a few years... but I drove a '15 Mazda 3 with both a 2.0 and a 2.5 and, other than the firm-for-me-but-nice leather seats I wasn't that impressed with the car. I chose a 9th gen Si over the 3. I couldn't get rid of the 9th gen Si fast enough when the 10th gen Sis came out. The 10th gen was, to me, a much much better car than a 9th gen which was, again, still picked over a 3. A 3 will a 2.5 optioned nice was also a *lot* more money.

This was at a time the 3 was getting rave reviews and the 9th gen was critically panned and on its way out. I could not, for the life of me, really see what the people saw in the 3. Firm seats... tight but squirrely ride... waaay overpriced trims (at least what I saw)... efficient but way under powered 2.0, still somewhat underpowered 2.5, a transmission I though was just 'ok'... HUD that looked cheap and wasn't, to me as good as the 2 tier dash... infomat that looked like someone took a $50 Amazon fire tablet and glued it to the dash...

I don't know... it was ok... It just didn't wow me one bit. I drove the Si... liked it... figured I'd be blown away by the 3, was totally underwhelmed and went back to wheel and deal on the Si. I'd looked at other cars but I settled on getting a small car after driving a Caddy for 3 years and wanting a platform change.

Good luck.

 

[xSherpax]

This is by far the easiest manual trans car that I’ve driven so far. I guess it’s different depending on the person but i can compare this car with the previous manuals I’ve owned ( Prelude - Audi A4 - S2000 - Golf R) The manuals on honda’s seem the most precise to me

 

[RYSBRNR]

It really is a very smooth ride. With rev hang disabled and throttle padding set to standard (the minimum amount) it's still very smooth... the only think it let's you do is let the car jerk a little if you start goosing the throttle.

Its been a few years... but I drove a '15 Mazda 3 with both a 2.0 and a 2.5 and, other than the firm-for-me-but-nice leather seats I wasn't that impressed with the car. I chose a 9th gen Si over the 3. I couldn't get rid of the 9th gen Si fast enough when the 10th gen Sis came out. The 10th gen was, to me, a much much better car than a 9th gen which was, again, still picked over a 3. A 3 will a 2.5 optioned nice was also a *lot* more money.

This was at a time the 3 was getting rave reviews and the 9th gen was critically panned and on its way out. I could not, for the life of me, really see what the people saw in the 3. Firm seats... tight but squirrely ride... waaay overpriced trims (at least what I saw)... efficient but way under powered 2.0, still somewhat underpowered 2.5, a transmission I though was just 'ok'... HUD that looked cheap and wasn't, to me as good as the 2 tier dash... infomat that looked like someone took a $50 Amazon fire tablet and glued it to the dash...

I don't know... it was ok... It just didn't wow me one bit. I drove the Si... liked it... figured I'd be blown away by the 3, was totally underwhelmed and went back to wheel and deal on the Si. I'd looked at other cars but I settled on getting a small car after driving a Caddy for 3 years and wanting a platform change.

Good luck.

I had nearly identical experiences with the 2016 Mazda 6. Desperately wanted to love the car but just couldn’t connect with it. It felt very underpowered, even with a manual transmission maximizing what was there. Same with the 2017 Mazda 3. I actually preferred the automatic, a shameful thing for an enthusiast to say, but nothing really jumped out at me as being particularly amazing. And this from a guy who loves how Mazda goes about their business of making every car they build sporty. Very curious to see how their new HCCI engines perform! But at the end of the day, Honda’s always end up doing everything well and a ew things exceptionally. Hard to beat unless you’re looking for something very specific or specialized.

 

[Mogadee]

Many online reviews say the clutch is weird. Springy, spongy, engagement too close to the top and in to narrow a range. However, I've come not to trust online reviews no more after my woeful experience with the Mazda3. None of my current complaints (except for road noise) has been mentioned in the reviews while things I feel fine about (infotainment system and drivetrain NVH) are things reviewers mention the most.

The biggest complaint is the manual transmission in the Mazda3. I realized it's not so much the clutch pedal once it was broken in but the excessive drivetrain movement made it unpredictable. I hope the Civic Si, being a performance oriented model, would not have this issue, but I am still worried about the drivetrain.

Is it difficult to drive this thing smoothly as far as the transmission? I'm sure the handling and speed is there, but what I want is to be able to drive this car smoothly, without none of this "bucking bronco" I'm getting this slow-ass Mazda3.

That bucking bronco feel was so eloquently named "huck-a-buckin" by my mother. When she taught my older brother manual, I felt I needed a personal injury lawyer for whiplash. Turns out, he just wasn't giving enough gas when letting up on the clutch. Not saying that's what you are having happen, just reminded me of that fond memory.

I came from the Mazdaspeed 3 to my Si back in Sept of 2017 and am at about 9600 miles. The Si clutch is butter smooth and the throws very crisp. The MS3 throws were spongey before replacing the rubber mounts to solid aluminum ones. The clutch was stiff, even after broken in. Getting stuck in stop and go in the MS3 was a guaranteed sore calf for the rest of the day. I ruled out a WRX as an option solely on its very heavy clutch.

 

[JNRS]

Many online reviews say the clutch is weird. Springy, spongy, engagement too close to the top and in to narrow a range. However, I've come not to trust online reviews no more after my woeful experience with the Mazda3. None of my current complaints (except for road noise) has been mentioned in the reviews while things I feel fine about (infotainment system and drivetrain NVH) are things reviewers mention the most.

The biggest complaint is the manual transmission in the Mazda3. I realized it's not so much the clutch pedal once it was broken in but the excessive drivetrain movement made it unpredictable. I hope the Civic Si, being a performance oriented model, would not have this issue, but I am still worried about the drivetrain.

Is it difficult to drive this thing smoothly as far as the transmission? I'm sure the handling and speed is there, but what I want is to be able to drive this car smoothly, without none of this "bucking bronco" I'm getting this slow-ass Mazda3.

The Civic Si's clutch is very light and it will take some time to get use to it if your coming from a vehicle with a heavier clutch. However, it is one of the easiest clutches to modulate, since it is very linear in its feel and does not spring up into the engagement point like other vehicles I have owned (e.g., Mustang and Camaro). The light clutch and linear feel makes it very easy to drive smoothly, especially in traffic and when starting on hills without brake hold or hill assist being active.

What was frustrating for me in the beginning was the darn rev hang! I have been use to driving without it for a few years, so switching to a vehicle with it was very difficult for me. I eventually adjusted to it and now just smoothly release the clutch in between gear changes instead of waiting for a second for the revs to fall to the appropriate rpm range and then releasing the clutch fairly quickly. I know slipping the clutch in between gear changes will cause the clutch to wear quicker, but waiting 3 seconds for the revs to fall to the correct rpm range before shifting is too long when trying to get up to speed in city driving with traffic behind you.

Another minor issue for me is that sometimes the shift from 1st to 2nd gear and 3rd to 4th can feel and sound rough. I mostly play my music loud enough for it to not bother me, but it is something that you may notice. Aside from that, the shifter feels great when rowing through the gears quickly. It is almost to the point where the shifter and the clutch do not match. The shifter feels like it's made for a sports car, while the light clutch feels like it belongs to an economy vehicle that averages over 40 MPG on the highway . This will only be noticeable when you are driving spiritedly on your favorite back road though.

slow-ass Mazda3

The speed of the Si will not blow your socks off, but its fast enough to have a little fun. There is some turbo lag, so you will have to wait a second before the boost builds before you start accelerating. In stock form, I feel that this vehicle is quick once you are up to speed and if you keep the RPMs above 2.5k-3k. TEST DRIVE ONE AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

 

[l15b7allturbo]

The Civic Si's clutch is very light and it will take some time to get use to it if your coming from a vehicle with a heavier clutch. However, it is one of the easiest clutches to modulate, since it is very linear in its feel and does not spring up into the engagement point like other vehicles I have owned (e.g., Mustang and Camaro). The light clutch and linear feel makes it very easy to drive smoothly, especially in traffic and when starting on hills without brake hold or hill assist being active.

What was frustrating for me in the beginning was the darn rev hang! I have been use to driving without it for a few years, so switching to a vehicle with it was very difficult for me. I eventually adjusted to it and now just smoothly release the clutch in between gear changes instead of waiting for a second for the revs to fall to the appropriate rpm range and then releasing the clutch fairly quickly. I know slipping the clutch in between gear changes will cause the clutch to wear quicker, but waiting 3 seconds for the revs to fall to the correct rpm range before shifting is too long when trying to get up to speed in city driving with traffic behind you.

Another minor issue for me is the crunchy noise and shifter feel when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and sometimes 3rd to 4th. I mostly play my music loud enough for it to not bother me, but it is something that you may notice. Aside from that, the shifter feels great when rowing through the gears quickly. It is almost to the point where the shifter and the clutch do not match. The shifter feels like it's made for a sports car, while the light clutch feels like it belongs to an economy vehicle that averages over 40 MPG on the highway . This will only be noticeable when you are driving spiritedly on your favorite back road though.



The speed of the Si will not blow your socks off, but its fast enough to have a little fun. There is some turbo lag, so you will have to wait a second before the boost builds before you start accelerating. In stock form, I feel that this vehicle is quick once you are up to speed. TEST DRIVE ONE AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.

test drive mine and you won't think it's slow at all.

 

[tehSteve]

CDV delete and SS line. You literally feel it when it starts catching. It brings all the feels back. Pedal still soft lol.

 

[l15b7allturbo]

CDV delete and SS line. You literally feel it when it starts catching. It brings all the feels back. Pedal still soft lol.

combat soft pedal with an aftermarket clutch.

i skip leg day everyday lol

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