[OFFICIAL] Manual v. Automatic Thread

[epod86]

Originally Posted by semtex

Because it's not all about speed. For some people, they'd gladly sacrifice a little speed for more fun, and they perceive MTs as being more fun. This whole thread is kinda silly, to give my honest opinion, because the answer to the question 'Which is better? MT or AT?' is entirely contingent on one's criteria for what makes something better, which makes it entirely subjective. If speed in a drag race is what you're after, AT may well be the way to go. If convenience is what you're after, AT is definitely the way to go. But if you enjoy doing your own shifting and enjoyment is what you're after, then MT makes more sense. Point being, the question that this thread poses has no objective answer one way or the other. Everyone should just figure out what his/her priorities are, and then get the one that best matches up with those priorities and be glad that (a) the Z is offered with both AT and MT (unlike the S2000, for ex.), and (b) both transmissions seem to be very good.

Edit: I forgot to add -- we should also be glad that (c) Nissan didn't decided to scrap both AT and MT and replace them with a CVT (like they did with the Maxima).

I third. And thank god no sports car breed will ever have a CVT if they listen to the owners. A sports car must have a viscous-coupling-less option. Period. We'll cross the bridge into sequential when it happens, but there are still clutches in those.

For me, the manual makes me a (somewhat) safer driver, in a very narrow and qualified way (and I completely understand why most people think I'm wrong for saying it). The manual makes me stay in a more alert and aware part of my attention and situational awareness, which is backed up by numerous human factors studies (the two worst regions of attention/S.A. are over-tasked and severely under-tasked, your reaction time goes way up, you want to be in the middle). Because I'm constantly thinking things like "the car lineup at the next light is pretty long for this time of day, the lights probably going to change, so I should go ahead and heal&toe into 3rd rather than coax til idle" I'm actually aware that I'm driving. To the naysayers, yes i do have to concentrate on the revs, and yes the manual does take my eyes off the road and add something for me to worry about. But if I add the 'fun' I have the manual is worth the cheaper price tag in spades in my opinion. If I know how to drive a manual, and I'm not hauling anything (trucks get more hauling capacity from the auto because of the V.C.), I will always go for the cheaper manual option.

I also grew up in the UK, where autos are the anomaly, and I can remember being 12 and asking my best friends mom why her car didn't have a 'stick.' I was amazed by the explanation of what an auto let you do and she found my 'why would you want to do it that way?' response hysterical. My dad had just finished the Shelby Cobra replica, though. God I loved that car. I'd almost pass on a Z to drive that car.

end nostalgia.