From my experience of learning mt on the Z.... In the long run it is worth it and you will love the manual on this car. That said, the learning curve is horrible. I and many of my friends agree that this is one of the hardest cars to learn stick on, the low end torque isn't there on these cars so you really have to get a feel for the clutch.

This is my personal experience though, so take that for what its worth.

No pride lost in driving an Automatic performance car, man.
Nissan makes great automatics, not to mention their CVTs

Honestly, it wasn't that bad just remember the magic words.... :driving:

I generally think less of people who don't drive manual sports cars unless there is a very logical/specific reason they do. A Handicap or Castration*sarcasm* are two reasons I find acceptable. Honestly, though the best automatic/dual clutch/automated manual usually see an increase in performance but for me the simplicity of manual gearbox repair and the fun of driving it still make a manual gearbox even in the worst traffic worth it on a car like a 370z.

Go 7AT. You'll have auto shifting, manual on the floor shifting and paddle shifting. What could be better? :eek:

The third most left pedal next to the brake pedal in a manual transmission makes it all better.:tup:

OP, get a MT. Once you master it you will appreciate it. And you will certainly know better on how your car works too. Always get a manual on a sports car coz I don't want the car to drive me fast I want myself to learn how to drive the car fast. And that's the real fun factor in a manual transmission.:driving:

OP,

I also bought my car under similar circumstances. I'd driven manuals before, but hadn't in a while. That's one of the reasons I went for the sport package. The syncro rev helps while you're shaking off the rust/getting a feel for the car. I drove mine over and hour and a half home from the dealership and did fine. I wouldn't be scared of mastering the operation of the MT.

That being said, if I was in heavy bumper-to-bumper traffic every day, constantly stopping and going, I'd give the AT some serious consideration. (Actually I may consider a different ride...but that's beside the point.)

So basically I've given you no strong persuasion in any direction. You're welcome. :tup:

Buy the manual. You'll be frustrated for a week or so, and then you'll be happy you made the right choice. The transmission's not that bad to drive. It just gets a lot of bad press around here. I'm very biased though, I won't consider a traditional automatic with a torque converter. If I'm going to give up my third pedal, it better be for some slick dual clutch trans like the GTR. Even then it would be a hard sell for me.

I wouldn't let anything stop me from buying a manual in your situation.

The Automatic in this car is actually quite great, but personally, I like a manual in all of my vehicles. No shame in the game either way.

But I saw it in Fast 'n Furious. That's how you shift, right? :happydance:

:icon18:

2 M/T stories here
 

First my wife, never had a driver's license let alone did she know how to drive a MT. Her first car 2 weeks after she got her license she bought a 1990 Miata. Had to have a friend drive it home she didnt know how to drive it. She learned the hard way, burned out the clutch in the first month, somehow got the dealer to replace for free. (pouty eyes and a great smile will turn any guy to nush) Never looked back. She's alittle older now but that experience will never go away. BTW she drives a FX35 now.

Second me, I learned on a MT, took my driver's test in an MT drove an MT for like 15+ years before my first AT. Bought it because I had a 1.5hr commute back then. When I shopped for the Z I test drove the MT, didn't hate it and actually was leaning towards it. THEN I drove the 7AT and absolutely loved it. the 7AT can definitely shift way better than I could, extremely responsive and when I get stuck in traffic, my left doesn't feel sore at the end of the day. I am sure with practice the feeling would come back quickly.

If you do plan on buying new I found the Z clutch to be stiff, I'm sure it will loosen as it breaks in, but that takes time and practice.

That being said, get the MT practice, practice and just drive the hell out it. You definitely wont regret it, you are young and have plenty of time for the nanny trans.

Good Luck in whatever you get!:driving:

you'll be fine getting a 6MT. Once you get used to driving stick, you wont even notice shifting between gears. having a 6MT in traffic isnt all that bad either. With you revving too high, you can change your shift light indicator to turn on at a lower rpm as a reminder to shift

I was having a conversation with a co-worker a few weeks ago. The topic of learning/driving a manual transmission came up. The conversation concluded when he actually said, "oh yeah, I can drive a manual. Easy. My car has the +/- thing on the transmission. I drive it manually all the time. I don't know what all the fuss is about, because driving a manual is pretty easy. You just move the shifter when the engine revs up. Yeah, maybe sometime I can take your Z for a ride around the block, see how she drives."

(He drives an automatic Chevy Cruze)

:gtfo2:

:bowrofl::bowrofl: