There is a huge difference. First of all, your left foot is just as important as your right in getting the car going and shifting gears. There is something satisfying about feeling the clutch start to bite while timing the accelerator perfect. I never tire of it. I just feel so much more in control taking care of all aspects of driving myself. To me it is an advantage...maybe not for everyone.
It is sad to me that so many people don't even know how to drive a stick.

Red head or Blondes it's all about choice's...
With the 370 imho it's a win-win either way.....
when people stop and stare and rubber neck you
on the highway i doubt if they are thinking " i wonder if that's a auto or manual"

Since this is 2012, Automatics have come a long way..

If we were talking the days of the past, you would NEVER see an automatic car on the track...The hesitation with an automatic downshifting is just madness on an older car.

The old days you would downshift an automatic coming up to a turn and then wait......................Then BOOM, it would downshift causing a compression lock up on the rear tires entering the turn....

But the newer cars have come a long way...But I understand some guys must have a manual transmission...No problem with that..

As far as testing the Mercedes, you must test the AMG model to really get the feel...You don't care that it is an automatic...The cars are just crazy fun...

But I am new to the 370Z, and cannot wait to really test the paddles...

I would never buy an automatic older sports car..Now that would suck..

We have to have this debate at least once a year month week on this forum anyways lol.

I drove a stick for a long time, I know how to work one. I just like this better, at this point in time. I've got 99 other problems to focus on with my driving, and a clutch ain't one :).

For reference, a couple laps in a 2009 7AT 370Z (all in 3rd and 4th on this track). The 7AT is perfectly track-capable. Far more so than I am yet, in any case. You'll hear some upshift hesistations in the video. That's me shifting late and bouncing into the throttle rev-limiter. User error :)

Very Nice....yes the new Automatics have come a long way...I love it..:tup::tup::tup:

In a track environment, driving a well shifting auto is indeed easier and lets you focus on other aspects such as improving your line, entry/brake points, etc. Unless you can heel/toe well, this would be an added challenge on the track (or stay in one or two gears all the time).

On the street, things don't happen quite as fast. In fact, things happen far too slowly, so driving an MT does make for more exciting travels.

I have always driven Manual cars from my eclipse, to my 350z, When I got my 09 all they had was auto and one base manual. I opted to for the Auto I liked it a lot, plus I drive through traffic every day. I do not miss the shifting in traffic. In the end I do not mind either auto or manual.

hey wstar, what software/device did you use to get that tach/speedo info on the side

The basic details are outlined here: http://www.the370z.com/members-370z-...ml#post1305197

It's an Android phone on a window mount (a crappy one, hence all the extra shake), and the software on the phone is "aLapRecorder HD", which uses the internal camera and then pulls 5Hz D-GPS + OBD-II sensors over bluetooth, etc. Then post-processing in RaceRender2.

Well said.:tup:

I agree that for street driving, which is 90% of what I do, the manual is more exciting. For everyday driving, I find the automatic terribly boring. Even when stuck in traffic I prefer the stick...at least it gives you something to do.

I just tell my lady to wear a short skirt so I can rub her...leg. AT all the way! lol

:iagree: :tup:

plus AT in D means no shifting = no blocking of a female crossing over = .... lol

:shakes head::driving:

Here is my take on why I chose to get the auto:

The last car I had was a 6MT Tiburon. Yeah yeah, Tiburon... Whatever you think about them, believe it or not, it was an unbelievable car. It had so much torque (albeit mainly because of the gearing [3500 RPM going 70 in 6th lol])! Also, the Tib had a cable throttle, so just INSTANT response. Now that the Z has all this cool technology like dual intake and VVEL, this requires an E-throttle. I don't mind those! But for the manual and for a sports car, it just seemed like the intimate quick responsiveness I had learned to love and had gotten perfect at over the years was only being imitated now. The throttle just didn't seem responsive enough for me compared to the Tib, and it felt like it lacked so much torque! It just seemed like in a car with so much perfectly-tuned computer control, putting a manual in the middle of it muddled it all up. With the auto, I feel like the computer can do it's own, grand thing, in either mode. The auto feels MORE responsive to me after having drive 3 manuals, one for a whole day! Plus, as many others are saying, the auto is just simply more torquey, and that's what makes the car FEEL fast and responsive. And the Adaptive Shift Control is a very real thing, and it's what really sold me on it. I honestly feel like I don't need a manual now, because even in full auto mode, it's like the computer is reading my mind!