[OFFICIAL] Manual v. Automatic Thread

[frost]

[theDreamer]

No offense taken, my goal of this thread is just get user input to help me make the best decision. In the end it is my choice, but I like to hear others thoughts on something like this, especially with me not knowing much about how automatics in the range actually perform.

[WooZ]

I've driven automatics for all my life. My buddy taught me stick recently in his Integra. Now I wonder why I've never considered a manual long ago. It was a blast to be in total control of the car. When I do get my 370Z it will be manual all the way.

[rsboland]

Love my manual! Test drove the AT, was very impressed... but, in the end... glad I went with the MT.

[m4a1mustang]

The Touring comes with bluetooth, anyways... so talking on the phone shouldn't be a big deal.

[semtex]

Originally Posted by m4a1mustang

The Touring comes with bluetooth, anyways... so talking on the phone shouldn't be a big deal.

Maybe he's one of those guys who gestures with his hands when he talks.

[JoeyD]

^ You mean an Italian? LOL

[bossman]

Wow stop saying the manual is so much better to drive.. the 7AT also has synchro rev match with an additional gear! by saying its so much more fun to drive just goes to show that you think you can read everyone's mind.. what the hell? maybe some people find the smoothness or relaxation of an automatic better.. plus the Z's has one of the best auto's out there and Nissan specifically tuned it to produce as much performance as possible. The G37 7AT runs better times that the manual. Now what?

[ctzn]

Originally Posted by bossman

Wow stop saying the manual is so much better to drive.. the 7AT also has synchro rev match with an additional gear! by saying its so much more fun to drive just goes to show that you think you can read everyone's mind.. what the hell? maybe some people find the smoothness or relaxation of an automatic better.. plus the Z's has one of the best auto's out there and Nissan specifically tuned it to produce as much performance as possible. The G37 7AT runs better times that the manual. Now what?

wat?

Nothing to get defensive over, we are all just stating our preference at the OP's request, and why we feel that way. I certainly don't think I can read anyone's mind because I would rather drive an MT sports car.

I respect the enthusiasts either way, and this is nothing to get bent out of shape over.

[Crash]

Originally Posted by bossman

Wow stop saying the manual is so much better to drive.. the 7AT also has synchro rev match with an additional gear! by saying its so much more fun to drive just goes to show that you think you can read everyone's mind.. what the hell? maybe some people find the smoothness or relaxation of an automatic better.. plus the Z's has one of the best auto's out there and Nissan specifically tuned it to produce as much performance as possible. The G37 7AT runs better times that the manual. Now what?

You can "tune" a transmission? Having an extra gear doesn't really mean it's better if the ratios combined with the diff ratio evens out its performance compared to the manual.

People saying "The manual is better" is just their opinion. Don't get so defensive. And driving a manual doesn't mean that it's going to be any less smooth of a ride than the auto. That's all about driving habits. I've been on car rides in autos where I got nauseous because the driver couldn't do anything smooth.

[wellarmed]

Also........ consider that just maybe tuners can massage that tame AT street program into something that might very well out perform what anybody but a pro racer could do with the MT. Somebody is probably already working on that chip.

[Endgame]

^ Hmmmm. Had not thought about that.... Good point...

[salvador]

My father have an Infiniti G37s Coupe AT (the first Infiniti in Spain), and he will change it to get a 370z.

Before the G37s he had got a 350z MT (in Europe haven´t sold the AT), and he tought that G37 AT will be so much quicker and funny than it really is.

I have a 147 GTA with Selespeed gear box with paddle shifters and it is perfect, but it is not an AT, it is a manual gearbox without clutch pedal as Ferrari F1 gear box.

For first time in Europe Z will arrive with Automatic Transmission, do you know if it will be the same of the Infiniti AT? He wants pleasure at driving and the actual car he has is not a good toy.

Sorry for my bad English

Cheers!

[Crash]

Ever since the no phone laws took place in CA, the roads have FELT safer. I went to Florida for the AVN InterNext convention and let me just say, you don't even REALIZE how good the drivers are now in Cali until you go somewhere where the laws are different. Getting on the freeway at one point, we almost got hit by 3 cars in a row that had drivers that were on their phones not paying ANY attention to the lane they were merging into (our lane). This happened a good 80% of the time we were driving through FL.

Seriously, if you plan to be on your blackberry or fiddling on your phone while you drive, do me a favor and stay out of Los Angeles. We got crappy road conditions, small highways, garbage public transportation, and serious road rage already. That's more than enough for us to have to deal with without adding mindless texting drivers or people with phones glued to their faces.

BTW, it's fun heckling the sh!t out of people that still have their phones glued to the side of their heads while they drive. Believe me, it's like cow-tipping here. Some people are too cheap to get a hands free kit (even though almost ALL phones come with one).

Back on the subject, I prefer manuals because no automatic thinks like I do. 3 speeds are better autos in my opinion because they're so much more simpler. I don't like that Nissan's auto waits a while before up shifting if you've been on the gas, but if it didn't, you may have to wait for it to down shift again if you step on the gas. Personally, I think having 100% full control over everything in the car makes it more of an extension of you. If the AT was a DSC trans, I wouldn't have an issue with it. But it's really just a glorified planetary gear train with a 5 disc torque converter.

Manuals FTMFW!

[Endgame]

^ Most things controlled by a computer can be 'otimized'.