Auto 370Z...Is it Good?

nicknick

I have always beleived that a sports car should be bought in manual form because it is quicker and more rewarding/enjoyable. Technology has improved though over the years and lately I am hearing and reading that auto's are better, quicker and just as rewarding. also to extract performance on the street from a daily driver it is better to go with an auto because to get real perfromance from a manual it is inevitable and unavoidable that the clutch will suffer abuse even if you are trying to be sympathietic towards it.
=Is this true that auto's are now bwtter than manuals for daily drivers?

baboola

autos are always better than manual for daily driver (esp when there's a lot of traffic!)
you should search on this topic as many have described pros and cons of either transmission. i do find it odd that people are quoting faster time for the automatic given that it's not a dual clutch system like DSG or DCT. perhaps c&d simply didn't try hard enough in their first drive with the 370Z. however, automatic will consistently outperform manual for most drivers who aren't super skilled at shifting (like me)

LattimerII

I got one. Thought long and hard about Auto vs 6MT. The manual is probably more fun to drive on the weekends, but on the way to work in traffic and drinking coffee, the auto is more practical. Apparently it's as fast or faster as well (depending on which car rag you read).

shabarivas

Performance wise - pretty much a wash so far - but autos now a days are pretty dam good... however - driving feel wise - I would not give up my clutch for anything ... but drive both... if all you care about is which one is faster - it wont matter... but if you care about the feeling when you drive a clutch - then get the manny

cdawg410

I've given my opinion on this topic before and inevitably the AT drivers come and rip me but it is what it is. It's a sports car, and a manly sports car at that with its aggressive stance, high revving engine and thrilling ride when you get on it. It should be bought in a manual, PERIOD. Sure Ferrari and Lambo and Porsche and yada yada are all autos and real sports cars and manly and the like but we're not talking an 80k + supercar here, we're talking about a real car for real people. My car is beautiful, and there are a hundred reasons why I love it, not the least of which is the fact that my wife can't drive it no matter how bad she'd like to.

The only argument I give any credence to is the issue with daily driver traffic. But even then, the anticipation of being able to open it up and get up and down on the clutch when the traffic breaks is too much of a high for me to give up. Guess I'm just old school. To each his own.

rudi

I previously had a Silvia S15 with a manual 6 peed. However, one of the conditions from my wife when getting the 370z was that it had to be an auto. This concerned me a little cause I loved my 6 speed and using the engine to slow the car down coming into corners etc. However, after getting used to the auto and using the paddles in manual mode, I find it just as much fun seem to able to do all the things I did with my manual. So now I have the best of both worlds.

When used in manual, there is a slight delay when changing which takes a little getting use to, but it's no longer than it would take to press the clutch and select a gear in a manual. All in all I am happy with it.

Rudi.

DJcuetip

MANUAL FTW.. this was my first manual car.. and i have absolutely no regrets. PLUS the synchro rev is beautiful!

DigitalMan

My basic feeling is that if you don't absolutely know you want the manual, get the Auto. If someone has to describe the difference then your probably not going to be into the manual.

That being said if I drove in daily "heavy" traffic I would get the Auto.

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2010 370Z Touring Pearl White Roadster, 7spd, Sports Pkg, Nav
2009 370Z Touring Solid Red, 6spd, Sports Pkg, Nav <SOLD>

CantZme

Get the manual its gonna be more fun and it will hold its value better i have seen auto 350z sellling for 3-5k less than mt,, with the same features and mileage more or less, but because the mt is more desirable its costing more.

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kannibul

That is my experience too...

I was dead-set on a manual..but all they had were autos, and would charge extra to have a manual brought in...to where the price would be the same or more for the manual, than the auto.

After a test drive, I was fine with an automatic, and I don't really see it as a compromise.

Island_370

A lot of the lambos/ferraris/etc are sequential gearbox like the BMW SMG. A computer controlled sequential box is not an auto. I drove only manuals until I got steering wheel shifting auto (similar to the 370 paddles). I enjoyed it. But if you really want a manual, no auto can replace that feeling. I have driven a Porsche Tip, BMW SMG, Audi DSG, Audi Tip, Aston Martin's Stick shift (sequential)--I only owned the Audi Tip. I rode in a 997 with PDK (or whatever it is called)--So I know what is out there. They are all very nice and all have advantages in certain aspects, but if you want to row....there is no substitute.

Only you can answer what is best for you. Manuals are generally cheaper to maintain and repair. Autos are smoother, but more costly if anything (big) goes wrong.

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hey32g

My plan was to drive an Audi TTS with the DCT, then go drive the 370Z w/ an A7, then drive a 370Z with a 6M. (I have a 335i with a 6M right now)

I drove the Audi, then went and drove the A7 Z, and was every bit as impressed with the A7 as I was with the DCT. It might have been a tad slower, not enough that I could tell, and not enough to make a difference. After driving the A7, I told the sales guy to forget the M6, because I had already made up my mind.

As for it not being as rewarding and sporty, I have to disagree. I've driven manual cars my whole life. I think being able to break hard into a corner while just using your left hand to do all the downshifting is great. I guess because I'm a huge F1 fan and I've watched them work the paddles for years. It's a whole different kind of rewarding.

That's my 2 cents.

rudi

Drifting my be an issue with the auto. I think that's why my wife made me buy the auto

g96818

i didn't like the auto Z, the pedal felt too sensitive, it felt like i didn't have enough control over car

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Jaws12

I have driven and owned cars with all the transmission choices mentioned.

All of the 911's I've owned have always been 3 pedal machines.

I had a Maserati Gransport with the automated manual.

I have owned Vettes with both the 6M and 6AT.

Etc...

My take on the 370Z is pretty simple. I chose the 7AT because this is going to be my daily driver.

For a weekend car, especially with the Sports Package and SynchroRev Match, the 6M is probably a bit more engaging to drive in short spurts.

My problem with the 6M in both the Z and G37 is that once you get the RPMs above 5000 the shifter starts vibrating like crazy. That would drive me crazy on a day in and day out basis. The 7AT eliminates this concern and makes the engine's powerband feel more refined.

In terms of performance, unless you are a professional driver or very experienced track day participant, the 7AT will be quicker and more useable on a day to day basis, plus a lot more convenient in rush hour.

I am thrilled with the 7AT and have no regrets.

BTW, I feel the same about the transmission choice in the Vettes. AT is the way to go. With the Porsches, whether Tiptronic or the new PDK, I would always get the 6M to get the most enjoyment out of the pure driving experience regardless of the enhanced performance claims of the PDK.

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2009 370Z Touring, Sport, 7AT, Mats, Splash Guards,Leguna Blue/Black