What are the gears in a manual transmission car?
3 Answers
Manual transmission cars have gears divided into 1st gear, 2nd gear, 3rd gear, 4th gear, 5th gear, and R gear, where 1st to 5th gears are forward gears, and R gear is the reverse gear. Below is an introduction to each gear: 1. 1st gear is the starting gear; the car should start in 1st gear when idling. The speed range for 1st gear is 0km to 15km, and it is also used for uphill and downhill driving to control speed using the engine's traction. 2. 2nd gear is engaged after starting with 1st gear, with a speed range of 10km to 25km. 3. 3rd gear is engaged after slightly accelerating in 2nd gear. Engaging 3rd gear means the car begins normal speed driving, with a speed range of 20km to 45km. 4. 4th gear is the highest gear for most urban road driving, with a speed range of 40km to 60km. 5. 5th gear is engaged when the speed reaches the necessary level for maintaining high-speed driving, with a speed range starting from 60km. 6. R gear is the reverse gear, used when reversing the car.
The gear arrangement of a manual transmission is actually quite deliberate, and I pay special attention to it during daily driving. The common setup is five forward gears plus one reverse gear (R), but some performance cars may have six gears. First gear is used for starting, offering high torque but low speed. Shifting to second gear between 10-20 km/h feels the smoothest. Third gear is the most practical in the city, perfect for cruising at 40-60 km/h with decent fuel efficiency. Fourth gear suits expressways, while fifth gear is the fuel-saving champion for highway cruising. Engaging reverse gear requires a bit of extra force to push down, preventing accidental shifts. The most interesting part of driving a manual is the ability to shift gears based on road conditions—using lower gears for uphill climbs to maintain power and higher gears for downhill descents to control speed. With experience, you can tell when to shift just by listening to the engine sound, which is even more accurate than watching the tachometer.
When learning to drive, the instructor repeatedly emphasized the gear logic of manual transmissions: start in first gear at the top left corner, transition with second gear straight below. For an inline shifter, pulling straight down engages third gear, then fourth gear further down, and fifth gear on the far right. Some cars require lifting a ring or pressing down to engage reverse gear. Special attention is needed when shifting between first and second gears to avoid jerking—slowly release the clutch. Third gear is the most commonly used, covering most speed ranges during commutes. Fourth gear takes over smoothly after 60 km/h, while fifth gear can reduce engine RPM by over a thousand at highway speeds. I used to wonder why there weren't seven gears, but later understood that too many gears would complicate shifting. Once mastered, manual transmissions are actually much more fun than automatics, allowing precise control over power delivery.
