[OFFICIAL] Manual v. Automatic Thread

[Felix 808]

Originally Posted by cossie1600

Did you really compare the Ferrari auto to the 370 auto? Yikes

Not so much, just saying, autos are not the slip-o-matics they were years ago & you will find them in high-end sports-cars as well.

[cossie1600]

Originally Posted by Felix 808

Not so much, just saying, autos are not the slip-o-matics they were years ago & you will find them in high-end sports-cars as well.

I would love to get a DSG Audi TT, but then they still have their drawbacks like the automatic upshifts/downshifts (not sure if the Z has it). I think the new auto on the Porsche is overrated too, not feeling it

[Super Moderator II]

And .... that's all folks!

[rhd]

Hi,

I am looking to buy a 370 in a month or two; I’m checking the market place forum and also auto trader. I want something with under 20K miles in maybe a sport package.

My question is: how does the automatic transmission perform vs. the manual?

I grew up driving a manual transmission and was planning on buying this 370 with a manual but I see allot of automatics for sale on autotrader that look really nice for pretty good prices.

I am going to use the car as a daily driver to and from work on mostly open highways and some winding highway. I will be the only one driving it, the wifey has her suv.

Can the automatic be used similar to a manual if you wanted? How is the reliability of the automatic if a person shifted it manually allot? If I bought an automatic and wanted to do some serious canyon carving would I be disappointed with the automatic?

I am looking for feedback on your experiences and thoughts with a manual vs. automatic trannys.

Thanks,

John - Montana

[kenchan]

No, get the manual.

Ibtl

[jpritche]

Originally Posted by kenchan

No, get the manual.

Ibtl

Originally Posted by rhd

Hi,

I am looking to buy a 370 in a month or two; I’m checking the market place forum and also auto trader. I want something with under 20K miles in maybe a sport package.

My question is: how does the automatic transmission perform vs. the manual?

I grew up driving a manual transmission and was planning on buying this 370 with a manual but I see allot of automatics for sale on autotrader that look really nice for pretty good prices.

I am going to use the car as a daily driver to and from work on mostly open highways and some winding highway. I will be the only one driving it, the wifey has her suv.

Can the automatic be used similar to a manual if you wanted? How is the reliability of the automatic if a person shifted it manually allot? If I bought an automatic and wanted to do some serious canyon carving would I be disappointed with the automatic?

I am looking for feedback on your experiences and thoughts with a manual vs. automatic trannys.

Thanks,

John - Montana

For the AVERAGE driver, the automatic tends to be just a smidge faster.

The automatic can be used sort of like a manual. You can choose the gear you are in, and you choose when you shift.

I have the automatic, and I have loved it the whole time I have had it. I haven't been disappointed with it at all.

However, I agree with Kenchan on this. I love the automatic don't get me wrong, but if I could go back, I would have gotten the manual. After college, I plan to go FI, but I have to watch how high my torque gets because the auto can't handle as much as the manual. Plus, you just don't get the same feel with an auto. Go manual. IMO.

[Gauge]

It's a RWD car... get a manual lol

From what I hear the automatic is good for some fun. I don't think it would disappoint.

[XwChriswX]

Originally Posted by rhd

Hi,

I am looking to buy a 370 in a month or two; I’m checking the market place forum and also auto trader. I want something with under 20K miles in maybe a sport package.

My question is: how does the automatic transmission perform vs. the manual?

I grew up driving a manual transmission and was planning on buying this 370 with a manual but I see allot of automatics for sale on autotrader that look really nice for pretty good prices.

I am going to use the car as a daily driver to and from work on mostly open highways and some winding highway. I will be the only one driving it, the wifey has her suv.

Can the automatic be used similar to a manual if you wanted? Yes
How is the reliability of the automatic if a person shifted it manually allot? 32k and no problems as of yet.
If I bought an automatic and wanted to do some serious canyon carving would I be disappointed with the automatic? Not in the least. It makes timing downshifts fun.

I am looking for feedback on your experiences and thoughts with a manual vs. automatic trannys.

Thanks,

John - Montana

[yellogixxer]

I was in the market for a manual before I bought my Z. I've always been of the mindset that a sports car should have a manual. You should drive it, not just aim it where you want to go. That being said, I ended up in a 7AT. The car I ended up with had everything else that I wanted (color, options, etc) except the trans.

Driving the auto is obviously different, and even now, a month and a half after I bought it I still ponder whether I made the right decision. I've been using the paddle shifters as opposed to the console shifter. I find you have good control over upshifting; you shift when you are ready, and the car responds immediately. Downshifting is another story. In a manual you downshift and use engine braking a lot. Not with this car. She will downshift on her own, when she deems necessary, and I don't believe there is anyway to bypass this. Downshifting yourself sometimes leads to downshifting 2 gears at a time, and thrashing the car a bit. Downshifting should only be used when you need to hit the power band for acceleration.

In my opinion, if you want to drive it like a sports car, get the manual. If you drive in traffic a lot and are okay with point and drive most of the time, go with the auto.

[ImportConvert]

Both are reliable, the auto is faster by far for a novice drag racer, and a tiny tiny bit for a skilled drag racer. The manual is a lot more fun.since you will be on the freeway, that meaner just stick it in sixth and kick back. On those windy roads, tons more fun. So unless this car is meant for drag or bracket racing for money--go manual.

[Lemers]

Autos are for girls and family wagons

[Red__Zed]

Ibtl

[ImportConvert]

Yeah, threads about trannys usually get locked.

[Augustus]

There are a many threads that are auto vs manual debates. From my limited time here, they don't end well.

IMHO, based on limited experience with Z's but lots of reading here, neither is really better than the other in the Z, they're just different. Performance is basically a wash, with a nod to the AT in terms of easy-to-launch consistency. Fuel economy is the same. Reliability is also probably a wash. Though with any manual, one can break stuff more easily due to human error (clutches burnt, forcing it into 1st at 80mph, etc).

If you don't want to be bothered to be required to shift, then get an automatic. Set it and forget it. When you need a specific gear, it has paddles. If you commute in the Z through daily heavy stop-and-go traffic, an automatic is probably the smart choice.

If you want a more "dynamic" relationship with your car, both pleasure (absolute control, perfect heel-toe downshifts, the 'coolness' of being in the minority of Americans who know how to drive a manual) and pain (how-do-I-launch-this-thing? stalling. why is the transmission so clunky? clutch-burnout-worry), then buy the manual.

One important note... If you buy a manual, the Sport package adds Synchro-Rev matching. When it's activated, the Z's throttle will automatically match the engine RPM to the correct transmission speed while you're shifting. Basically, it heel-toe's for you. It's a very cool feature, and it's the first (and currently only) car in the world that has this feature.

Good luck!

[kenchan]

Originally Posted by ImportConvert

Yeah, threads about trannys usually get locked.

also oil questions.