[OFFICIAL] Manual v. Automatic Thread

[scruffydog]

Originally Posted by Rasengan

don't get me wrong, the IS350 is a great car...when i moved to the city from the burbs i figured i had enough with shifting gears, sports cars, nice rims (potholes), etc. i settled on the IS350 because it's reliable, had 4 doors and 4 seats (my gf and i have FOUR dogs!), has quite a bit of power, AND it had those nifty shift paddles and the +/- on the shift lever...best of both worlds, right? then i realized it just wasn't the same without the clutch...driving then became boring, the car became a vehicle to get from point A to point B...i no longer took the car out for the sheer enjoyment of driving which i always used to do with my sports cars...for a good 3 years my left leg could never find anything to do and so to save weight i cut it off...no just kidding, i didn't do that

literally though for the past year since the 370s came out i've been having dreams of owning a sports car again and driving for the sheer enjoyment of driving...i knew it was the most impractical thing to do in this economy and living in the city...but the dreams started becoming more frequent and i caved in when i saw pictures of the roadster

it's a good thing you don't have to give up the IS, man...when i was leaving the dealership i could see the IS looking back at me as if i was leaving her because she did something wrong...all i could think of saying was that "it's not you...it's me"

I don't think I have ever found anyone that could relate with me as much as you can. The IS is a Great car! I may still think it's still a better choice in terms of value. For a lot of people, it is simply the best of both worlds.

I also have 2 dogs so I know exactly what you mean! The IS is a much better car between the 370z. It looks super sporty, and it handles really nice for a sedan (X-package, can't say for the regular version since I don't own one.), spacious, and last but not least....it's also a status symbol that you've made it and can afford a luxary car class.
Like you, I've grown tired of it and didn't feel the same enjoyment from driving a MT sports car. Ever since the 370z came out, I've been dreaming about wanting it. After test driving it, it only confirms it more that I belong in driving a MT. Sure it may suck in traffic or uphills with a MT, or even with the fact that my injured left foot will never be completely heal from my injury...but after being in an AT, it's just not the same. I'm not saying driving a MT is a must have...which is why I got the IS in the first place....but now that my Fiance is willing to make a choice of buying such an impractical car at an economy like such....I'm gonna take advantage of it and cherish it.