Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
Many manual transmissions don't have a syncro for first gear. My Mazda is fully syncro'ed including reverse, so pick your gear and go. Not sure about the PT Cruiser's five speed, it's not exactly a sweet shifting transmission at the best of times, plus it's got terrible clutch engagement that apparently can't be fixed. So shifting with it is usually done more carefully than you would with a "good" transmission.
But regardless, race car or tractor, shifting does require a little finesse beyond just picking a gear and letting out the clutch; rev-matching, double-clutching, and clutchless shifting are all techniques you should learn.
I have only owned one car that had no synchro on 1sr
A 1966 Austin A40 Mk2 Farina.
Ford (week the MTX 75) were the first Manufacturer to put a synchro on reverse as far as I can remember, on the mk1 Mondeo if I remember correctly so that would have been 92/93, a really sweet gearbox, I have owned a few Mondeos (a mk1, 2xMk2 and a mk3.)