I found that the first gear ratio is a little off. I'm not able to put my finger on it. I have noticed that when I hit 2nd gear it really takes off. Unfortunately, Mercedes has left the standard shift gear box in the distant past as far as upgrading it for a real performance vehicle. The throw should be a lot shorter and the handle is too slippery for any speed shifting. The whole Daimler-Chrysler family has invested heavily in the automatic transmission. Mercedes has always had an almost bullet proof automatic tranny. That is something Jeep has had to and hopefully has learned a little about from them.