When I was younger the first thing I used to do was put the steering wheel down and as far in as it could go, because it felt 'sporty'
The same with cutting down gearlevers to give a shorter throw.
Fast forward a few years, and you'll find that having all the controls in the right position makes a real difference.
You're more in control with the steering wheel higher up and closer to you, and you want to keep your hands on the wheel as much as possible, so the closer the gear lever is to the wheel the better.
When it's high up and close, you don't move your arm so much, but just rotate your forearm and it's right there.
Higher gearlever is way way more comfy. I hate getting into cars now and finding I have to reach down for a gear lever