Any 15+ Nismo 7AT Owners Regret Getting the 7AT?
 

I've read all the 7AT vs 6MT threads and the absolute last thing I want to do is create another one, but here goes. This morning I test drove a 7AT car and liked it a lot more than I expected. So now, being a manual guy, I'm confused on which to get.

I'd just like to hear some thoughts mainly from 7AT guys. My fear is that I'll just leave it in automatic and end up feeling like I'm driving my Q50S that I just got rid of.

Thanks.

Love mine & being nearly 6'6", much more appropriate.
My 11' has a 3.357 ratio diff & I'm thinking 15' & up have 3.69 gearing w/Automatic's.
Not going in to huge details/but normally will start off in D till it hits 3rd gear & pull shifter over in manual...then up-shift as needed (cruising around 2k-2500...pending road traveling on).
W/18" base wheels & 245/45,275/40's (26.7")
Cool weather & good air;
0-120 sub 14sec.
With only K&N drop in filters -went 13.1@104.89mph in 1/4 mile.
The rear gearing in the 15 should be quicker (pending driver)
Keep fluid clean & be prepared to spend 5-7k on trans. For upgrades if you Boost it.
Rev match shifting is perfect.
Ultimately your choice & nobody else's...they do perform!


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^^^^^
Interesting take. I'm 6'5". Hadn't thought of that difference.

Not going to do any major power upgrades so I should be fine there.

Yep, I've had 2 partial knee replacement's ...so less leg work. Here's a speed chart for the differential gears in mine vs. the 15' up you're looking at.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...4f8ce90e6d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...93211f94fc.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...74364eb03d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2d6d350f2e.jpg


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Ugh!! Knee replacements. Luckily I never had knee problems. My ankles are shot though.

Thank you. Are there any software upgrades that speed up the auto shifts? I know they're available for the dct's. Not that I think it's slow. Like I said, I was impressed.

You're talking about the quickness & firmness of the shift's? Yes.
The 2 main custom tune software company's are capable/ i'd have to check w/my transmission guy on it being performed without the engine tune software.
The shift light is adjustable; but you probably noticed that when you stab the throttle; it won't shift till right at 7500.
Mine has 85,000 trouble free miles & ive increased the wheel horsepower/Torque to the #'s listed in my signature.
Any of these cars can benefit from a custom dyno-tune, regardless if you've added bolt on's or not,,,as the mfg. sets the AFR on the richer side & you'll have option of turning off speed limiter and having different map settings for Valet, or if some other family member drives & you want it to be governed back.
Both manual & a/t Z's have engine oil temp issues- if you drive it aggressively & spirited; I've yet to add external cooler to mine,as I keep an eye on it.
They offer an external A/T cooler as well.
You will not be disappointed with performance or fuel mileage.
But again- Your Z,,,Get what "You" want! I'm but 1 person & perform my own maintenance,repairs,mods,etc...
Others may chime in on their experiences/ but I find keeping fluid in trans clean w/20-25k interval fluid changes; keeps shift quality good.

Wow, you're a great source of info. Thank you.

Do you have links for the best engine/transmission tune software? I don't want to mod the daylights out of it, but it would be fun to wake it up a bit.

You've pretty much convinced me to go with the 7at.

UpRev & Ecutek are the only 2 I'm familiar with...I would search around & find a competent tuner in your area & they will be able to give you the information on both/ as some tuners may not be as familiar with one software as the other.
Make a post of your location-plenty of Z guy's will give input about recommendations on a Tuner.

Auto=lazy driver. :driving: :rofl2:


Get what you want and be happy. :D

I enjoy driving our Honda Civic Si around more than the Nismo because I am actually driving it, instead of riding around in an auto. Being 61 and past the stage of life when I feel the need to impress people, the 6 speed manual Honda is more of a challenge and a fun toy. Pursuing those perfect shifts. I have a good bit of track experience and a manual gives me a chance to experience track like precision and challenge just riding around.

The Lotus are a whole another level and not appropriate to this discussion.

That's the problem figuring out what I want. :confused:

Great point. Three Lotus'!! Wow! You sir, have my respect!

There is no speed limiter in a 15- did over 160 and scared me too much to try again but she had alot more to go. I still have my original knee caps but had foot surgery over 4 years ago. This is my second auto Z, first was a 09, SC and ran awesome. The 15 Nismo is going to be all motor but i like that i can drop gears and she will stay in that gear even bounce of the rev limiter.

Go Drive them both, as having a class A cdl license....i've had my share of shifting gears & working a clutch.
I know the A/T is what i prefer & don't have any plan's to own another manual.

I had a 2012 7AT Sport and it was pretty damn fast in a straight line, not to mention on the race tracks down here in So Cal.

My only gripe was reliability and the sensitivity this unit has to heat. I had my transmission replaced 4 times under warranty. Granted, I drive hard...but I kept up with my maintenance and I even added a transmission oil cooler to help. The good news is that it did indeed help and extended the life of the trans under hard driving conditions. The bad news is the trans still broke.

If you are the type of guy who likes the twisties and drops down a gear or two before sailing into a corner, my advice is to get the 6MT if you can.

If you aren't that type of driver, you should be fine with the 7AT. Just know that eventually the day will come when the torque converter, flexplate, the transmission or all the above are going to go.

The 6MT's don't have this kind of problem, they get to deal with CSC issues though:ugh2:

Also, regarding the tuning from EcuTek and Uprev...keep in mind your upshifts may get quicker and sharper but your downshifts will become more sluggish. This is a non-issue for drag racers and street racers who like doing pulls light to light or from a roll, but in the canyons and the road courses I imagine this will become frustrating and possibly dangerous. This is feedback I received from DEPointFive0.

If it's a CPO would that all be covered as long as I stay off a track and don't modify it?

If any of the components that are known to go bad on the 7AT actually fail and you haven't modified or tracked the vehicle, you are pretty safe. The dealer will have a hard time trying to prove you were negligent and or abusing the car and should replace the parts and cover the labor under your CPO warranty. If the unthinkable happens, you have to have it replaced and they are denying your warranty claim, let me know. I can guide you through the process to get that done. I've been down that road too many times unfortunately.

What boggles my mind is how Nissan made the 7AT a sealed unit, says it does not require service for the life of the vehicle (no ATF fluid flush and fill...ever) but there are numerous accounts of people having problems with their 7AT's and needing to have them serviced or replaced just from everyday street driving.

Brings up a few more questions:

1. Which is more common a CSC problem or a 7AT problem?

2. If you change the transmission fluid (have a Nissan dealer do it) will they say that voided the warranty?

3. If you add a transmission cooler, will they say that voids the warranty?

4. Is the CSC problem still common on a '15+ Nismo or have they done something to address it?

I'm choosing a Nismo Z over a C6 Z06 for my perceived reliability, am I picking the wrong car? I know once the exhaust valve heads are addressed on the Z06, they're pretty reliable.

No regrets... Mine is my DD and I drive almost exclusively in manual mode (save for those rough mornings when I just want to drink my coffee on the way in to work :icon14:)

Personally, I like the flexibility of having it "both ways" so to speak... But as far as your concern about just leaving it in auto... the driving experience is obviously soooo much better when you are controlling the shifting yourself so I usually pop it into manual every time I get in it. :driving:

Absolutely love this car... even in 7AT form.

1. CSC is more common, but cheaper to fix.
2. If a Nissan dealer changes fluid ONLY with Matic-S ATF, your warranty still stands and should not be void.
3. No not easily, the only way they can do that is if they can prove the cooler caused a failure of some sort.
4. CSC problem has never been addressed. I believe the new 2018 "Heritage Edition" has an Exedy clutch which may or may not make a difference.

Whether or not the 370z is the right car for you or not is not something I can answer. It has it's issues which are a nuisance and don't normally creep up in normal driving or commuting. For the spirited driver, you will encounter at least one of the common issues this car suffers from. It's a good car, but has it's flaws like any other when pushed. I don't want to convince you into buying a Z or dissuade you from doing so. My suggestion would be to research some more here on this forum...as there a small handful of issues to consider. Some of them are just nuisances and can be fixed or addressed pretty easily. Others are somewhat expensive and if it pops up, could mean your car is down for a while. The CSC and auto transmission problems are the worst to encounter, hope that helps.

I drove my car in manual mode all the time, absolutely hated leaving it in auto.

Guys thanks for all your help. I've pretty much decided on the manual. When I started my car search I swore I would not even look at anything but manuals, then I drove the 370Z 7AT and was very impressed. But the more I've thought it through, the more I think I need to stick with the stick.

Thank you for all your input. It helped a lot.

Enjoy the ride. :driving: :D

I got spoiled by the fr-s with the paddle shifters moving with the steering wheel...I took the corner leaving the neighborhood and tried to shift with the paddle but then realized it's not with the wheel and I need to move my hand to reach the paddle

just something I need to adjust to

To me, and to Ferrari and Lamborghini, but not to Porsche, etc... it makes more sense to have the paddles fixed in one place, that way you always know where they are. In race cars they never have to move their hands so it works there, but on the road, our hands have to move on the steering wheel. I had a BMW with the push either side to downshift/pull either side to upshift - I hated that!