Confessions of a 7AT Driver

fonzo179

Power to the AT! I love mine because in both the Virginia and Kentucky hillsides, I was able to "zone in" on the road. Being able to feather the accelerator in and out of the turns, catching and letting go mid-gear and smoothly cruising in and out of straitaways...remarkable

ElVee

Even passengers can drive stick?

Cmike2780

That's just dangerous ....and I'd still have to shift gears.

__________________

[09][MB][6-Spd MT][Touring][Stillen Gen III][K&N][Borla CBE][Evo-R]

Pintsize725

I <3 my AT but would have gotten manual if I were taller. I must not have faux downshifting down, though, because mine sounds pretty angry after the first DS.

__________________
Tracie

UNKNOWN_370

I don't get the self-consciousness??? Insecure world we live in.

__________________
Favorite Quote.
"I'm not gonna kill you... I'm just gonna Bash Your Face In" Jack Nicholson-"The Shining". 1980

wackjum

I am the opposite of what most people would think to do. My daily driver is an Acura CL Type S 6MT (one of 2,700 ever made). My Z is a 2009 7AT.

I've never once complained or got annoyed that I had a MT in traffic, but I do get annoyed at there being traffic!

I got an MT CL because back then, automatics really deserved to be called slushboxes. You had power loss, crappier mileage, and particularly in the Honda 5AT of that era, a lot of reliability issues.

I got the 7AT in the Z because of the same reasons in reverse. The 7AT is quicker, more consistent, and gets better mileage.

Just get what you want and don't worry about proving yourself to random strangers on the road. The only time it matters is when a good looking girl knows how to drive an MT.

JARblue

I have 6MT with stock exhaust, and I have driven Tracie's 7AT with FI exhaust. Undoubtedly, her's is the meaner of the two. The sound even when not in manual mode is a symphony of harmonious tunes, whereas mine, unless WOT, is mostly just hazardous fumes. I have driven both down Lime Creek, although I didn't drive her Z in manual mode because my paddle shifting is poor at best (my left foot gets really confused) and I had never driven her car before, much less on a road like Lime Creek. The MT is of course more comfortable to me, but I can imagine the 7AT ripping up that road same as mine does. I have absolutely no beef with those that drive an automatic and having one certainly doesn't imply you aren't a true driving enthusiast. But for me, the manual transmission will always be one of those things that attests to my love of driving and desire to be one with the car

__________________

Red__Zed

Ubetit

After 26 years of owning some form of MT car, the 7AT was welcome in my house. I drive quite a bit with the paddles around town but once I get on the highway, it's all auto.

Haboob

I like to roll back and catch it, then roll up... I get bored sitting at red lights.

That, and I like to roll back a little as traffic is coming up, then roll forward - shows them I may need the space/gives me a buffer zone.

WOT shifting?



Wait, wait... what? You just pull, your left foot can pretend all it wants. It's just like a video game when using paddle shifters.

Honestly I thought I may have a problem when I drove the F430, but when asked if I wanted paddle or AT, of course I picked paddle and it was a cinch. I don't think my left foot knew what was going on and just stayed planted.

JARblue

I do this all the time... please don't make me make you rear end me

I can't wait until more features are released for my tune... supposed to enable flat foot shifting (not that I need that for my DD but still awesome!)

Except, no... my left foot isn't content to sit on the sidelines like that. He feels left out and then jams on the brake when I'm least expecting to just to throw me off It's happened once before and that was enough... Luckily, I have been getting in paddle-shifting practice with the Acura (too bad it doesn't have any power).

__________________

1st

Going auto in this car is like going auto in a vette. Never have never will. Mama said if I went auto in a sports car I wouldn’t get fed. I told her to pass the beef. Grandmamma said automatic cars are for handicap people that wished they had a left leg.

Pintsize725

I'm handicapped but I have both legs.

__________________
Tracie

EndyKwon

Trust me OP, just because you go to Glendale College (where the parking lot is apparently a race track to many others) doesn't mean you should feel insecure about your transmission package.

In all seriousness, you guys (and gals) are right though: It doesn't matter what the tranny may be, enjoy what I have. I'm glad I got some solace out of your responses. Thanks.

Apoc370z

Have pride in what you drive, not what transmission you have in your car.

I am not gonna doubt that mt cars take more skills to drive, and can be more engaging in a sense. But it all comes down to what you use the car for. If you love to track/drift then yes, mt would be much better.. The At and Mt are just as fun, both have thier ups and downs, one is not superior than the other. And that pretty much applies to majority of the Z drivers here.

Just ignore the negative comments, and enjoy the Z.