Auto or Manual-never driven stick

Vegitto-kun

I honestly never understood the "if you want to controll the car get a MT"

manual mode lets you controll the car too so...wut?

it only stops you from overreving it which is good and stalling so...thats good too

DjSquall

Here's what I do with my 7AT:

my friends bash me for driving auto. Always trying to tell me how manual is so much beter. So I tell them, let's race while I drink a coffee and still beat your ***. They say **** that. Auto is faster and smoother, and it frees up your right hand. So you can do things like drink a coffee or play with your girlfriend. Manual doesn't let you do that.

For me, the choice was pretty obvious.

Jeffblue

Auto allows you to do more things that will get you in an accident. like eating, talking on the phone, texting. so yes, if you want to get a sports car that you'd love to drive, for the purpose of being able to do 14 other things while driving it, go for the auto.

A super computer can beat the best human in a game of chess. does that mean if i buy the super computer, have it play the world champion and it wins, that I am good at chess? Everyone says the 7AT is faster than the 6MT, which it apparently is, but i think for someone who wants MT it takes away from the driving experience. I could also strip my interior, take out the passenger seat, stereo, air bags etc, that that would make my car faster, but i think one might argue that takes away from the driving experience as well. Auto trans does not take away from the driving experience if you don't consider shifting the gears and using the clutch as part of driving a car. that doesn't mean you aren't a good driver if you have an auto, you either never did, or have gotten past the idea that cranking a lever to shift the gears is part of what YOU want to be your driving experience, which is what it comes down to.

If you DO consider that part of driving a car, you will only be happy with a manual, so the question to ask yourself is, do you think shifting and using the clutch is part of driving a sports car. Regardless of your ability to do so: Yes=get 6mt, No get 7AT

Gunzero

^Amen.

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DjSquall

So if people enjoy their manual cars so much, why don't they enjoy driving cars without computers? Auto is far superior to a manual, and manual trannies are going to become obsolete in the near future.

Now my question to you is: WTF do you do in a manual car when the situation on the road requires you to use both hands on the wheel? Like hitting a patch of black ice for example.

terbo

Do you not know how to drive a stick? You take your shifting hand off the wheel, select the correct gear and put your hand back on the wheel. Duh. Unless you only have one hand, then things could get tricky.

Also, true sports cars use MTs, just look at Ferrari and Lamborghini...wait a sec...

DjSquall

Nah I've never driven stick, and never will. A simple mistake = you stall. So you end lookin like a fool to everyone else. Also, you run the risks of burning the clutch, messin up the gears etc etc which is far less with an auto.

And now I'm waiting

Ferrari and lambo are switching to tiptronic only. but I understand your point man, for some people manual is better, but performance and reliability wise, auto is superior. Plus come on, didn't you ever stick your hand down your girlfriends pants on the freeway? If you haven't, at least rent an auto for just a day!!!

terbo

On the freeway, of course. Freeway driving isn't much different AT to MT. In a MT you throw the car in 6th and cruise until you hit your exit/race someone :P And most of the time it's her playing with the stick while I'm driving, if you know what i mean

You can only stall the car if you are a n00b/moron and that typically only happens in 1st gear and when it does happen it's no biggie, the stock exhaust is so quiet that no one really notices. Same with burning the clutch, if you know how to drive a stick then it shouldn't happen, unless the clutch is crap from the factory. Plus doing clutch dumps and burnouts and being able to kick it sideways using the clutch is pretty fun.

Also with a stick we can do the "6th gear slip" - when driving with a lady passenger, as you shift into 6th gear your hand "accidentally" slips off the shifter and somehow manages to grab a handful

DjSquall

Ahahahaha point taken! I'm just an AT guy I guess. I use the shifter as a handrest as well, so when I pop it back into auto, the occasional slip occurs. I blame it on the oily shifter!!!!

But the bottom line is: don't learn stick on a nice car. Get a $200 beater, and don't ruin a perfectly nice car.

terbo

^ Pretty much, I learned to drive a stick hours before I bought my first manual transmission car, my Eclipse. My buddy taught me in his 1985 Ford Ranger; that truck was a piece.

Jeffblue

Feraris and lambos are Dual Clutch not traditional automatics. They use clutches to transfer the power from the engine to the driveshaft, not a torque converter. The reason they do so, is because a torque converter can't handle the amount of power coming from those engines. Once people start going Forced induction, you'll see a lot of blown automatic transmissions.

My mom has a g37x. does it have the same 7at as the Z? b/c it gear hunts like crazy. thats another anoying thing.

tru_Asiatik

coming from a tiptronic car(celica gts) and upgrading to a manual(my 370z) i must say i enjoy my MT z more

*the z is also my 1st manual car

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kfscoll

I used to be an automatic transmission apologist too. I'd try all the usual arguments -- "the auto is faster" or "I won't stall the car" or "it'll be easier to drive in traffic" or "I can keep both hands on the wheel at all times" and on and on. But ya know what? I was just making excuses for the fact that I couldn't drive a manual and was afraid to learn on a nice car (my first "real" sportscar was a brand-new 2001 Corvette with a 4AT). This time around, I listened to the voices of reason and bought my Z with a manual transmission. I learned how to drive it pretty damned well within two weeks. Sure, I stalled it a few times at the beginning, but I never once ground the gears and only twice "burned" the clutch. I'm sure that the tranny will be fine in the long term.

Why the long post? Because I think the only way you can have a valid argument one way or the other on the merits of the 6MT versus the 7AT is if you can actually drive a manual and understand why it can be more engaging than an automatic. Sure, the auto might be a quicker car, but there's a reason why all of the automobile rags ALWAYS prefer manuals to autos. I finally understand why all of my friends and relatives were giving me such a hard time about my 4AT Corvette. I'll admit, there are very valid reasons why one might buy the 7AT over the 6MT, but I don't think you can make an educated decision unless you know how to drive a stick. IMHO my manual Z is an absolute blast to drive, and in a sports car that's not a daily driver, I wouldn't even consider an AT.

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Forrest

This is exactly how it was for me when i learned manual on the 370z. My feet had no finesse to do it properly. My feet were basically "bricks" that mashed stuff down when i thought it was the right time.

But to the original poster, if you are going to buy manual get the sports package. The syncro rev is worth its weight in gold for assisting a new driver. Plus all the other goodies you get.

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mishee71

I've also heard that the manual trans is hard on people with back or neck problems-that the constant shifting motion can aggravate that.
Anyone with back or neck problems drive a M/T?