From someone with a 7AT but generally prefers a manual. I say this much. Out of all the slushboxes out there, the 7AT is the best engineered of all. And the AT is .02 seconds faster not .01 like someone on here mentioned. That's nearly 2 car lengths so its pretty significant in my opinion, though opinions are subjective. The best times on the at are 13.1 on the quarter with 4.6 to 60mph. The manual is 13.3 and 4.8 to 60mph. The 7th gear helps in those times and with a simple throttle response mod alone ,I'm sure you can add an extra .01-.02 seconds to that time.
As far as the paddles not turning, I would suggest going from the paddle to the autostick in mid turn. Seems to work for me. On the manual, people find it more exciting to let the clutch in and out,also heal and toeing makes it fun cuz u can make the car launch pretty hard while in motion.
All that can also be done from the AT. Its just getting the same amount of fun from the AT takes a lot more understanding of the cars reaction to your throttle input and rpm timing. Way more precision is involved in the AT to achieve the same result in a manual. A manual can be more forgiving giving you a broader rpm range to achieve a maneuver. The 6M will have perfect gear ratios, while in the 7AT, 7th gear is hogging up rev time and making some gear ratios too tight.
It will be easier to hold a gear at a precise rpm in the manual, but the manual will NOT be forgiving for improper clutch depression. That's not an issue in the AT "The extra gear in the AT, spools things up veeery quickly so making the most precise of shifts isn't as easy as a person that only drives a manual will percieve it". Sometimes 7 speeds can be too much but other times it can be extremely exciting to have 2 overdrive modes. Kinda a love hate thing goes on in manual-mode. The hate usually happens in city driving. The manual transmission will be smoother feeling. But you can just leave it in auto and hit the pedal smoothly. Issue ended in the AT. Lol.
The paddles and autostick can be just as engaging but the problem is it becomes the most exciting at over 100mph, which can get you into trouble. The manual is a little more fun throughout the entire speed range cuz you always are putting that left leg to work... for many puttin use of your left leg makes driving fun. If that's you? Go with the manual. Just remember if you have traffic in your neighborhood. A manual may not be as rewarding as it seems
If driving is focus number one and you want a lil bit of a challenge on gear perfect selection. I recommend the 7at in manual mode. In the end both will be fun if you are open minded about either. But you gotta decide which is best for you.
Things to consider before you choose.
1. Traffic in your area
2. Are the highways open with multi lanes or the 2 lane type.
3. Are roads smooth? If they aren't you may be slowing down and speeding up a lot which can make having a manual annoying as hell.
4.Will you track often? If you do? The AT needs modification, while the manual is ready to go from stock. And any mods you do perform on tthe manual for track use will be substantially cheaper compared to pricey and complicated mods for autos.
5. A modded manual will be more reliable than a modded AT.
6. A modded AT on a track will be much faster if modded properly. (With limitations. See #7)
7. A modded AT has horsepower limitations while a manual can handle almost all the power you mod into your car. So if you plan on making over 600bhp??? Your manual of course will end up being faster than your auto.
Unless you plan on spending over $25,000 in racing mods and creating over 600bhp? The AT should still be sufficient.
The choice is yours...
