Auto or Manual-never driven stick

DjSquall

Nah I've never driven stick, and never will. A simple mistake = you stall. So you end lookin like a fool to everyone else. Also, you run the risks of burning the clutch, messin up the gears etc etc which is far less with an auto.

And now I'm waiting

Ferrari and lambo are switching to tiptronic only. but I understand your point man, for some people manual is better, but performance and reliability wise, auto is superior. Plus come on, didn't you ever stick your hand down your girlfriends pants on the freeway? If you haven't, at least rent an auto for just a day!!!

terbo

On the freeway, of course. Freeway driving isn't much different AT to MT. In a MT you throw the car in 6th and cruise until you hit your exit/race someone :P And most of the time it's her playing with the stick while I'm driving, if you know what i mean

You can only stall the car if you are a n00b/moron and that typically only happens in 1st gear and when it does happen it's no biggie, the stock exhaust is so quiet that no one really notices. Same with burning the clutch, if you know how to drive a stick then it shouldn't happen, unless the clutch is crap from the factory. Plus doing clutch dumps and burnouts and being able to kick it sideways using the clutch is pretty fun.

Also with a stick we can do the "6th gear slip" - when driving with a lady passenger, as you shift into 6th gear your hand "accidentally" slips off the shifter and somehow manages to grab a handful

Jeffblue

Feraris and lambos are Dual Clutch not traditional automatics. They use clutches to transfer the power from the engine to the driveshaft, not a torque converter. The reason they do so, is because a torque converter can't handle the amount of power coming from those engines. Once people start going Forced induction, you'll see a lot of blown automatic transmissions.

My mom has a g37x. does it have the same 7at as the Z? b/c it gear hunts like crazy. thats another anoying thing.

DjSquall

Ahahahaha point taken! I'm just an AT guy I guess. I use the shifter as a handrest as well, so when I pop it back into auto, the occasional slip occurs. I blame it on the oily shifter!!!!

But the bottom line is: don't learn stick on a nice car. Get a $200 beater, and don't ruin a perfectly nice car.

Auston

I traded my auto 370 in for a MT. First MT I've had (just learned to drive
a MT for the very first time in two long afternoons before the purchase).
It's been almost a year now. A lot of learning, but you can do it for sure
if that's what you want. If your worried about the work, go strait to an
auto, they are known for being mostly work free.

If you buy the car with the manual/auto thought in your head you'll probably
want a manual all the way to your next car.

First thing to do though is you got to find someone with a manual car
to teach you, this is hard (could be someone from work?). The next and
last thing, is to test drive a manual 370 to see if it's worth it.

terbo

^ Pretty much, I learned to drive a stick hours before I bought my first manual transmission car, my Eclipse. My buddy taught me in his 1985 Ford Ranger; that truck was a piece.

tru_Asiatik

coming from a tiptronic car(celica gts) and upgrading to a manual(my 370z) i must say i enjoy my MT z more

*the z is also my 1st manual car

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Stillen G3 CAI*Stillen CBE*Berk's HFC*Eibach Prokit*Hotchkis Sways*ichiba 15/20mm spacers*? Oil cooler*Stillen Pulley*Stillen Headers

kfscoll

I used to be an automatic transmission apologist too. I'd try all the usual arguments -- "the auto is faster" or "I won't stall the car" or "it'll be easier to drive in traffic" or "I can keep both hands on the wheel at all times" and on and on. But ya know what? I was just making excuses for the fact that I couldn't drive a manual and was afraid to learn on a nice car (my first "real" sportscar was a brand-new 2001 Corvette with a 4AT). This time around, I listened to the voices of reason and bought my Z with a manual transmission. I learned how to drive it pretty damned well within two weeks. Sure, I stalled it a few times at the beginning, but I never once ground the gears and only twice "burned" the clutch. I'm sure that the tranny will be fine in the long term.

Why the long post? Because I think the only way you can have a valid argument one way or the other on the merits of the 6MT versus the 7AT is if you can actually drive a manual and understand why it can be more engaging than an automatic. Sure, the auto might be a quicker car, but there's a reason why all of the automobile rags ALWAYS prefer manuals to autos. I finally understand why all of my friends and relatives were giving me such a hard time about my 4AT Corvette. I'll admit, there are very valid reasons why one might buy the 7AT over the 6MT, but I don't think you can make an educated decision unless you know how to drive a stick. IMHO my manual Z is an absolute blast to drive, and in a sports car that's not a daily driver, I wouldn't even consider an AT.

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2009 Brilliant Silver 370Z 6MT coupe w/ Touring, Sport, and Navigation packages

drivin blind

A little OT, but my dad has that. I don't know how old you are, but he is 85 and it "burned out" leaving him completely fused in his 70's. No more pain, but no mobility. He couldn't ride in anything that rode rough. It made it tough because he was a large animal veterinarian. Couldn't use a 4X4 truck always a 2wd pick-up. On the other hand, I learned to drive a stick at 12 (that's all he had) because I had to back his cattle trailer up for him as he couldn't turn his head. I've only had 2 automatics through out my life. I'm now 58! RP

mikemerton

I'm 49, thanks for posting. I'm probably as fused as I'll get...I wish some of the biologic drugs available today were there for me in my early 20's when this started. I have limited neck side-to-side movement but the Z's massive mirrors (set properly) are a huge help. I'm glad you're okay because, as you know, this disease is genetic. The only real problem I have is standing for more than 20 minutes.

kenchan

carmax loves you force111111

Lemers

First I believe that everyone should learn how to drive on a manual transmission. But if you gotton this far in life without needing a mt no need to start now.

I grew up with a mt and will have one as long as they are availible in the cars I want.

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2010 Black Cherry Touring/Sport/Nav Now - 2012 Travese LTZ until I leave for Turkey

JDubya

The 370 was my first manual car as well(but I had experience on dirt bikes for years, so it isn't like I went in blind), and I love it. At first I was frustrated because I always get frustrated if I don't pick something up fast enough for my liking, but within a few days once I was comfortable, it was great.

I have to agree with the people who say you can learn manual on a 370(I was actually told from a few people who had driven manual that the 370's high engagement point felt like learning again to a lesser extent anyways). Do not get intimidated by anyone telling you not to learn manual on a nice car, because you'll just freak yourself out and drive worse because you're scared of hurting the car. No it is not the 100% ideal scenario, but it's nothing to get worked up over, you aren't going to blow your car up. A clutch is designed to slip and take a beating(albeit for short bursts), and provided you have a normal learning curve and understand the mechanics behind shifting, you won't kill it for long enough to cause major damage.

Either way, go with your gut instinct and buy what YOU want! If worse comes to worst, you should be able to get a new clutch installed for around $1200 anyways(provided you shop around), a small price to pay if you have the money to afford this car!

KptKIDLAT

after having 3 previous car I had them all in automatic, I had to get a manual on a sports car because it is classified as a fun car. First time I learn how to drive was on a stick shift for 1 week,so it kinda stuck on you even though I hadn't driven a manual for so many years.

If other person can do it you can do it,

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370Z Base Sports Package (6MT) Monterey Blue

pompey

i never driven a stick really till i got my Z, but i never want to drive a auto again, i love stick to much.