Quote:
Originally Posted by Rasengan
scruffydog, i completely agree with you...the AT is nothing like a manual...in my case, i went from driving manuals for 12 years (including a 3000GT, an RX-8, and an '06 350Z) and figured i had enough of sports cars and bought an AT Lexus IS350...i figured the same as you, why shift in a luxury car? and plus, Lexus doesn't even give you the option of getting the IS in MT...but boy did i miss using a clutch and a gearbox, pushing up or down on the stick and/or pedals just isn't the same...so after only 3 years i traded the IS in for a 370Z Roadster, i missed driving an MT sports car that much
of course if you don't care about shifting gears with a clutch then by all means there's no point in getting an MT, you'd be much happier getting AT as it's just as fast if not faster because it takes human error out of the equation...but if you've driving MTs all your life and have loved it, driving an AT sports car just wouldn't be the same much like how some people will oppose the SRM system (in my opinion i don't mind SRM because at least you have the option of turning it off)
you don't have to let off the gas when you're "shifting" in an AT...letting off the gas so it feels like an MT actually defeats the purpose of getting the AT in the first place which i'm sure doesn't help with your acceleration
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HAHA, I can't believe there's someone as crazy as me out there! Yea, the IS350 doesn't come with an AUTO, that was also another reason I went with an Auto. About the whole letting go of the pedal when shifting! I can't agree more with you, it's just NOT the same. The Lexus IS along with many other cars out there already comes with the option of allowing the drive to shift from either the paddle or the Gearbox (+ / -), but whenever I'm driving an Auto in M-mode, I still find myself immitate myself stepping down on the clutch and pushing the level to left/right and then up/down as if I'm still driving a true Manual car during shifts. Flicking a paddle or pushing up or down in a level just isn't as cool as trying to physically putting a shifter into a gear. Knowing that the shift linkage actually has some kind of mechanical attachment rather than some electronic sensors/switches in the end of the shifter just makes the whole driving experience that much more exciting and entertaining. Also, knowing that you're able to everytime shift into a gear without the Gearbox rejecting your gear shift makes you feel much more satisfying than pushing on paddle, aka, electronic switch that tells the computer when you want ti to shift and there's a possiblity of the computer not wanting to upshift for you until it think it's the best time to shift because you desire to shift upward but your computer is telling you that you could push the engine RPM to a little bit more prior to the upshift. That's just ridiculous...you still have some computer telling you when to shift and how to drive.
By the way, luckily I was able to keep my IS because I convinced my fiance that I could use a REAL sports car, that's 2 door, 2 seater, and with a Manual gearbox. Fortunately, she also loves the IS so I don't have to sell it. Instead I traded her Scion tC and sold it and I'm gonna pick up my 370z sometime the end of this month.