I just drove my buddy's 1980 911 Porsche to the coast and hated it, the most unfriendly first gear I ever encountered. I have two six speed xfires and love both of them. First is agreeably low, but on a quick stop, I usually just start out in second. The throw is tight, smooth and short, I truly enjoy it. If you are having trouble hitting third, you are probably trying to move the shifter over, just let it pop over when you move up from second. Once you find out where the clutch is engaging, it's really a smooth shifting car and you shouldn't have any trouble keeping all shifts smooth without jerks.

At least that is how I feel.

Dave