6M/T vs. 7A/T race with consumer advice
 

Me and my friend did race 6 M/T 2009 silver (with 7000 km on it ) against 7 A/T 2010 euro black edition (2500 km) on the closed track yesterday:tup:
We switched both cars frequently, races were always neck to neck close, however, there is one important factor that with one exception led always to A/T close victory:eek:
We both are used to drive crisp and perfectly built euro cars with M/T - bmw 3er and audi a5, that's important to mention.
After switching to Zs, we quickly come to conclusion, that 7 A/T in manual is first-class transmission, one of the best we have driven so far (I've definitely liked it more then a dual clutch S-tronic in Audit TT).
The manual however is not. We hated it. As a huge Z fan I'm really sorry to admit it, but the manual quality is average at best and SynchroRev cannot compensate for extremely hard and not very precise shifting with stick violently shaking all the time :shakes head: And results are clearly visible in a race conditions or under stress when you try to do shifts as fast as possible - you will miss a gear. During our testing, we both did. For the first time in at least 2 years :mad:
When I drove my A5 home, I missed the power and agility of the Z, however I was so happy to be back with my audi's M/T... :driving:

Yes, we are both spoiled and not pro racers, but if anyone there is like us, the 7 A/T is to way to consider ;)

Thanks for your opinion. However my opinion is the complete opposite having owned a host of vehicles from beaters to exotics. The 6MT (IMO) defines the fun factor of the Z. The auto feel slow, sluggish, and detached, coming most recently from a GR6 DCT so it's not quite fair.

But as they say...opinions are like a$$holes............that's why they make both for the Z! Happy driving! :)

Ibtl :rofl2:

I own a 7 AT and I can see both points. Yeah manuals and definitely more fun and yeah the Auto feels sluggish when it's in auto mode but there are just some days where I'm like thank god I don't need to shift (bad traffic or just lazy). But yes, the 7 AT is a kickass auto transmission and the paddle shifters work great.

Thanks for posting your experiences, now we'll just wait for the AT vs. MT war

I can understand the whole manual = more fun.

but saying that the AT is sluggish is...wrong.

it can feel sluggish in D but you arent going to tell me that it shifting in 0.5 seconds is slow :roflpuke2:

Well I don't want to start a useless MT vs. AT war. :roflpuke2:

I just want to warn euro car owners that switching to Z manual can be big issue and not at all pleasant experience. Especially if Z is second car to the daily driven manual BMW, MB or Audi. These are my 2 cents.

I test drove the Z manual at francorchamps and at the dealership.

it sure as hell felt rough compared to my old megane's MT.

but then again I like it rough :stirthepot::roflpuke2:

Basically wat it comes down to is I like charburgers and cheese fries. :yum:

I think manuals better because your wife and kids can't drive it!
Not only that but manual is faster if you are somewhat decent at manual driving.
Though auto would be nice if I did not have one arm but fortunately I do have both arms therefore I drive manual.

you should take some driving courses

This is the exact same reason I went into the dealership only wanting a MT and came out only wanting the AT.

The Z is my first manual, and I will never go back to an auto.

Oh boy another MT vs AT thread!

I'll guess I'll stir the pot a bit and put in my 2 cents.

6MT 370Z = more fun, takes more skill to drive fast
7AT 370Z = seems to be quicker with the average driver

IIRC, #1, #3, #4, #8 spots are 6MT. :stirthepot:
Nissan 370Z 1/4 Mile Drag Racing Timeslips - DragTimes.com

Didnt AT first start finding there ways in sports car to appeal to women??? Ouch I'm going to make alot of people mad LOL... When it comes to a car like the Z a stick is the only way to go I'm sorry. Then if you have an Auto and you put an exhaust on it, eww I hate that sound inbetween gear changes.

Yes! IBFTL!!




DAN

:rofl2: Maybe my 60.000 km a year is not good enough for you and you know we are wrong, because you've heavily tested both MT and AT Zs and you own first class german car to compare. Right? :p
But sure, I will do an advanced driving course as I always do with every new car. I do have feeling this will not improve quality of Z's manual transmission even a little, so for the first time in my life, I'll do it with an AT. Yes, I love Z so much. :icon17: