Stick or Automatic

jelloman

I know then standard thinking around a sports car is Stick shift but I am looking to buy a 2010 370 and I am getting pretty lazy now in my 40's. I a pondering the automatic transmission because I have been told you could never match the shift speed of the automatic with a stick. Any thoughts comments?

ddvette9

Bought an automatic. Love it. 5 days out of the week when im tired i can just put it in drive and go. The other days when i feel like ripping i drop it into manual mode and bang out the gears.

I love the manual mode on the automatic. Allows you to freely redline with precision shifts

Jesse_Hunter

I had this mind set when I bought mine, which is why I bought a 6 speed.

There are days when I love shifting the gears, but (living in a city) most of the time I kind of wish I would have went with the auto. :/ The Z was alot harder to get used to then other manual trans I have driven. Also, there is quite a bit of clang and clunk to the tranny. I also noticed that compared to my mom's rx-8 which shifts like a hot knife through butter, the Z is alot stiffer. just food for thought Good luck with buy!

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Tronchaser

Jesse, I had an 02 Altima, and now a 10 Z (both manual) and they both clank and clunk. I think it's a Nissan "feature"

craniac24

Depends. Are you a man or a woman?

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Mt Tam I am

Agreed.

Jeffblue

keep in mind, the synchro rev match makes it pretty easy. aslong as you can get it into gear from a stop, you are pretty much in ok shape if you use srm.

Jesse_Hunter

good point. I don't have SRM.

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MawdR8

Personal preference! I would rather go with a true 6spd stick shift even on a Bimmer and turn down the SMG option. For every 10 people that say the stick shift is the only way to go on a sports car, there will be a few that will say today's autos are just as good and give the same feel in manual mode as a true stick. So it really comes down to what you want. IF you will be doing a lot of stop and go rush hour driving, sure the auto would be more convenient. But if you want to feel connected to your car, there is no comparison to a stick!

fairladyZ34

i would have liked to get mine in manual but at least i got a Z

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Jordo!

Test drive both. The auto has full lock up in each gear and lightning fast shifts with the paddles (the auto-stick is pretty good too, actually) -- this is NOT your typical slushbox. A lot of "MT only" guys really like the AT.

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Nitex

Flappy paddles are fun in their own way. Its fun to slap through the gears like an F1 race car.. However the earlier comment about feeling connected is a very good point. In my own opinion, for recreational driving, the MT6 is the way to go for pure sports car hooliganism. If this is truly your daily driver and you have a long drive in the middle of rush hour /shrug i would consider the AT.
Just don't forget that you will have slightly lower HP numbers with the extra drivetrain loss. And if your a numbers kinda guy this may also sway your decision towards the MT6. The AT will be easier to launch, but somewhat less fun, again just my opinion. For me there really is nothing like dropping a gear, letting out the clutch and slamming on the gas

I would also suggest the MT if your going FI (turbo or SC) but i get the feeling that's not on the list. Either way, good luck with your decision, and welcome to the club!

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Jordo!

Actually, because every gear locks up, the difference between the two is minimal -- only around 6 whp and 2 wtq -- that's like a 2-3% difference...

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UNKNOWN_370

Yup yup, the 7AT is something really new and fresh in the slushbox world. To drive the 7at is to throw away everything you know about autos and apply totally new driving concepts with an AT.
The 7at cannot burn rubber like a stick and a couple of other manual trans circus tricks will be missing. BUT, if your focus is aggressive and dilligently skilled driving. This 7at will provide you with crisp ultra quick snapping shifts, tough as nails aggressive engine braking and higher overall acceleration. Hands down these paddles are no joke. The 7at put autos on a equal fun factor level against manuals.
And which is better depends on what your mind is willing to embrace. If you learn the auto, learn to freak the slushbox and grab on to a whole new set of driving fun. Get the auto. But if fun to you still means making donuts in the parking lot and making 25ft skidmarks. Get the manual. On a true driving open circuit. The lack of clutch and paddles make you a slightly more focused driver. Flipside is manual makes you a slightly more multi-faceted driver.
I would mostly recommend the manual to anyone who will go F.I. on this car. Once you turbo or SC it the auto immediately becomes the inferior tranny. But if you are goin bolt ons only. The 7at is probably a better choice in more cases than not.

Jordo!

Agree with most of that... except:

1. I've laid wheels in the Z. Just turn off the VDC and floor it!

2. Actually, boost and autos work VERY well together. You can build boost during shifts and the auto generally can get better traction. Also, autos tend to be more durable as there's fewer hard parts to endure shock and thus possibly break.

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