Resale problems with Manual
 

I'm concerned that in a couple years when I want to sell the Z nobody will know how to drive a stick anymore. Anyone run into this problem already?

People who want to buy a Z will know how to drive a manual.

One of my college kids told me yesterday he drives a stick by choice (and it's not even a fast car. Like a corolla or something). It gave me just a small bit of faith in humanity.

But yeah, as long as there are sports car drivers, there will be people who know how to drive a stick. It'd be different if you were talking about a family sedan or something, but the market for manuals won't be drying up for awhile with sports cars imo.

Edit: Another thing is that in many foreign countries, manual is the transmission of choice still. With how global the economy is, you can be sure there will still be immigrants going in and out of the US, so the stick culture is here to stay.

My 17 year old son wants to learn stick. There will always be people that will drive a manual transmission.

Econo boxes and sports cars.

With all the auto vs. manual arguing, I don't see you having any issues.
See Brancky's post, I agree with that 100% :tup:

Plenty of people know how to drive modern stick shifts, so you don't need to worry.

On the other hand, this confuses a lot of younger drivers...

http://www.the370z.com/members/markg...79-3ontree.jpg

3 on the tree?!?!

I can't tell if your trolling or not but it shouldn't be a problem. There are some people who will specifically search out manual transmission models. Jaguar just brought the manual transmission back into their latest sports car offering due to the demand from purists.

Do a google search for "Jaguars Manual Manual" for an interesting read and good laugh all at the same time.

It's like using a DSLR camera in automatic mode or manual mode.

Wow, they've really scaled down the interior of the base model Z!
;)

Its a sports car a lot of car enthusiast still out there who still want to drive stick.

:icon18:

Who wants a manual when the AT makes more powaaaaaahhhhhh:stirthepot:

honestly I think manuals will have more resale value than autos for a sports car like the Z.

:shakes head:3 in the tree baby!

Edit:someone beat me to it :shakes head:

Throw him the keys :ugh2:
Manuals are here to stay

The reason I ask, is because I ran into this problem when trying to sell my BMW. Granted it was a sports sedan not a sports car, but I had at least 5 interested parties that the manual was a deal breaker. In years past, most people interested in a sports car would demand a stick....that seems to be changing when there a some Porsche and Ferrari models that you can't even get with a stick. Sad.

I think you'll be fine with a car like the Z. IMO, most of the people in the market for one are looking for the manual. The BMW has a much broader appeal base so the everyday Joe who would be interested in one just wants a nice car to drive.

I picked an auto for certain reasons but all sports cars should have the manual option. I did enjoy that "feel" being one with the car at one time but prefer to put it in D now and go with the manual mode option if I want to play. Auto trannys have come a long way since us older guys have driven them in the past and unfortunately for the younger generations they didn't have the option to learn or drive the Manual. More and more cars are eliminating the manual due to customers preference.

I let my son try to learn manual on the Z. Hard system to learn with. But at least he got to the point where he could get it rolling and shift. I will do some more this coming summer. But yea. Where I see the manual sticking around for a long while is in the lower power sports coupe and roadsters (read less expensive). Higher power cars and the hybrids will be mostly auto and DCT.

4 door and manual don't sound fun together, sport "model" or not.

If you didn't specify in your ad that your 4 door car was a manual then I could certainly see why potential sedan buyers were thrown off with the manual transmission.

F' it. enjoy your car and stop worrying about resale.

Your right..........One of the car rags, I think last year talked about used 370z and said they manual's had better resale than the automatics.

Found it..........

"It’s an article of faith among the car-smart that opting for an automatic pays dividends later with easier salability and better resale value. In the Z’s case, not so much. In four of the five model years, the average dealer asking prices are higher for examples with the clutch pedal."


2009–2013 Nissan 370Z: A Certified Pre-Owned Guide – Feature – Car and Driver

Actually the manual z with sports pack was selling for more than the auto with sports pack. By 1-2k on avg when I was shopping...

Really, considering how much wiggle room there is in re-sale value, its more a matter of how popular the car is on its own, regardless of various options.

It's always going to be easier to re-sell a Camry than a Z.

I'll agree with the last few posts. When I was visiting my local dealer for some minor warranty work a while back, this topic came up when I was speaking with a salesman. He mentioned they have an easier time moving a Z with the 6 speed as opposed to the auto. While this is an extremely high volume dealer, its still just one dealer, so take it for what it is.

When you introduce a pure sports car like the Z, which already has a small market (its sales numbers prove that), those looking for a car like this typically gravitate toward the manual transmission.

With that said, I don't think the transmission type in your Z is going to be what causes you to have issues (if you have issues), selling the car when the time comes. I'd guess the manual would sell easier, but it won't have some overwhelming advantage over the auto.

Jordo's post nailed it, in my opinion.

Drive the crap out of it and let some other smo deal with what is left over when you are done. Stop worrying.

I disagree with most of you. The manual transmission will soon fade away. I highly doubt there will be manual transmissions by the year 2030 aside from MAYBE 18 wheelers. Take a look at whats going on. First you have manufacturers like Porsche, known for being a true sports car, phasing out their manual transmissions. I don't remember the year, but I read that they were planning on it. Maybe 2017 or something like that.

Next, you have the sports cars that never had an option for an auto, suddenly having that option. Z06 Vette, Mitsubishi Evo (even thought its dead), the Nismo Z. Im sure there are others that I don't know about. All of these auto makers are pushing the automatic transmission. Its obvious, and ill tell you why. R&D costs. With the sales in manual transmissions falling due to no one knowing how to drive one, soon it won't be profitable to do R&D on the manual transmission. That R&D is going to go into DCT's. Because "its the same thing". You can switch to "manual mode" and the car will shift faster than a normal manual could ever change.

Lastly, and everyone should see this coming as obvious, Im willing to bet it will be mandated by the US Gov that all new vehicles be sold with an "automated transmission" at a certain year for safety reasons. If the driver is too busy directing their attention to changing gears, how can they pay attention to the road? Therefore to inexperienced drivers, that places other drivers at risk. That is the craziest out of all of them, but I gauran-damn-tee you that one of these crack pot senators or representatives will push for that. Just like that moron Feinstein and her complete ignorance to firearms. The gov has already mandated other features for "safety", that one won't be much of a push due to declining sales of the manual transmission and the fact that the skill is also declining anyway. Watch and see gentlemen.

I agree, not sure about that last part but who knows, just watched a motorweek ep recently and one of the ways they are trying to improve big rig mpg is with dual clutch tech in 18 wheelers. Even manual long haul trucks will go auto within the next 5-10 years.

I bet there will still be a couple of niche "throwback" manual option cars at least for the next decade or so like the miata, stang, Z etc.

I know lol, it sounds retarded, but I seriously wouldn't put it past them. Thats why I said willing to bet lol.

To be honest, I think you'd have a harder time reselling an automatic 370z. There is a stigma associated with AT that is very hard to shake. You see it all the time when people claim "I will never buy a GT-R because it is automatic," really the reason they will never buy one is because they cannot afford one, but let's humor those people for the purpose of our discussion.

The 370z's automatic transmission has paddle shifters and that is perhaps its only saving grace, but it's still a slow torque converter rather than an exotic double clutch. They will appeal to some people (myself included), but are no longer synonymous with a high performance DCT (the new Altima even has them on its silly CVT).

That's so ridiculous that I actually wouldn't put it past our government to claim that. From my experience it's the people driving manual who are more engaged in driving (partly because they enjoy it, partly because MT forces you to pay attention) and are way less likely to be applying makeup while texting their babysitter and simultaneously eating a hamburger while yelling at the kids in the back seat.:rofl2: Of the worst driver's I've personally met, not a single one knew how to drive a clutch.

And sadly that slow torque converter is still faster than a manual

there will always be people who like to drive a car and not just aim it, don't worry :driving:

None of my kids or my wife can drive a manual. Six to one ratio in my household and this should tell you something.
Sports cars will be the only ones with a manual or possibly come to a special order for them. I'm not hating on the manuals at all but I do see the light on where we are going on transmissions.
Enjoy them while you can.

Maybe in the future aftermarket companies will specialize in retrofitting manual transmission into automatic cars.

This is unlikely only because of the electronics involved with today's cars. It's not quite as easy on the Z, as it was on the 240sx's and 300zx's.

:iagree:

I personally am way to scared to fiddle with anything while driving, However i have successfully managed to drive and take swigs of coffee/tea in between shifts :ugh2: But there is no way you will ever see me even glance at my phone. I pull over if its that important...


Ratio in my house is 4 out of 4 all currently drive MT. Houses vary i guess.



All in all everyone's becoming lazier and fatter, It's just one less thing people want to do. I know a lot of people that just see MT as "stupid", they see it as old people trying to cling on to their past or people that think its all about "man status" and pointless. Just ask some of your AT guys here on the forum, they would all argue its faster than MT as a defense :icon17:. I honestly do not want MT to die, but i have a feeling it just might :shakes head:

So you're telling me it's not all about "man status"?


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I can't see a manual transmission in a sports car being a detriment to resale anytime soon (within the lifetime of a 370Z). There will always be enthusiasts who MUCH prefer an MT over an AT.

If the gobmint does manage to outlaw MTs, that will make the existing ones that much more valuable. ;)

:iagree: manuals will always be more desirable over an auto.

i recently upgraded to an 09 370Z from an 07 350Z. the 07 Z was a manual and was sold by the dealership less than a week after it was listed for sale, whereas the 09 Z is an auto and i was eyeing for about a month before i decided to buy.