Amazing experience!!!!!!!
 

HEY GUYS, ok I just learned the manual transmission about 10 mins ago, and let me tell you I feel ridiculous driving my 350z in an automatic. I almost think I should be banned from this website. LOL, no seriously I hear people discussing the differences of at/mt and I have made my decision that I will definitely get mt cars from now on. I learned in my buddys 02 Mustang GT and it was incredible.

Now for the not so interesting part, I am in a battle of trading in my 350z for a used mt 350zr, or a mt 370z. But I still oew 19,000 on my 04 350z. I think I will be better off sticking with my car but I really want a mt car. The 06 350zr has 14000 miles on it and its around 21,000. Should I take the trade in or just stick with my boring at. !!!!!!!!

SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!!!!!!

Unfortunately it Sounds like you're hosed! Suggestion would be to rob a bank...(j/k)

Yea I know it sucks man, the mt is so much more exciting. I actually felt like I was driving the car for once. Hopefully I can get a good deal but it's not looking so good.

Just wait it out man. No reason to take a bath on your car. I've been to san anton, and youre going nowhere quick anyway.

Yeah...The reality is Unlikely

KBB trade values on a 2004 touring with 60K:

Condition Value


Excellent
$13,525

Good
$12,725

Fair
$11,400

^ keeping in mind practically no one will give you excellent value anyway. Especially not a dealer selling you a used car anyway. Maybe if you buy a new 370. Anyone have a rough idea of the costs of changing out the tranny and interior trim to get a manual?

^^ the cost will not be worth the trouble

Why not just ride it out in your Z and pay the car off, then later pick up a used 370 with a mt -at the end of the day you won't be head over heels with car payments and still get to enjoy a mt.
I don't know much about the older auto tranny but doesn't it also have the tiptronic mode?

Manuals are great in certain cars, the Z being one of them. I have had a lot of cars and most have been manuals. The sports cars have always been a blast, but I have also had a manual F-150 and a Suzuki Samurai. Those really weren't much fun. I had a manual Nissan Maxima, and it was pretty cool, but nothing like my Z, MR2, or even the Mustang and Celica I used to have.

Hmm.

I taught myself stick shift, when i got my celica with the basic concept, poor clutch had a beating the first couple days

My father made me learn how to drive a stick in Baltimore City before I could get my license. Fortunately it wasn't too hard for me. I rode enduro bikes as a kid so it was just a matter of having my left foot do what my left hand was used to doing, and my right hand do what my right foot was used to doing.

My friends taught me using the cobalt and ion at hot import nights when they were doing the cobalt and ion test drives

This might sound silly but I've been riding sportbikes for almost 4 years now and I still haven't operated a MT on a car before. Therefore I bought my 7AT for two reason: LA traffic and the fear of f*cking up my tranny within months of ownership.

My suggestion... Wait it out. No need to go under.

On a different note, I first learned to drive stick on a 95 corolla. I learned to drive a MT before an automatic. Then when jumped in an automatic, i didn't know when you put it in drive it automatically rolls forward... I almost ran into a parked car! lol

same here, but my poor celica had a 1" clutch travel so it was really hard to learn :driving:

Like everyone has mentioned... Don't do a dealer trade. Imo never do one. Ride it out, trust me you dont want to start the old Upside down game.

I was dead-set on having a manual transmission for my 370z.

I test-drove a 370z Automatic. By the time I took it back to the lot, I was OK with getting an automatic. The auto-stick is a nice plus for when you want to play and drive more agressively with less "lag" between throttle position and taking off (as the system tries to figure out WTF you're doing)

The automatic is a bit "jerky" at times, as it's trying to predict my erratic driving behavior, but, when I'm just cruising, it's nice to not have to think about what gear I'm in, what RPM I'm in, while focusing on my cornering. If I want to do that, I can bump it over and work it like a manual.

The funny thing is when I forget that I have it in auto-stick mode, and gun it - and forget to shift it. Like a manual, it'll stay in that gear...


Honestly, I feel quite connected to this car despite it not having a manual, which was one of my "things" about getting one. That, and the perception that you loose power/torque with an automatic...as I said to a gal here at work who has a Mustang GT w/ auto - having an automatic in a sports car is a waste of a sports car.

I don't feel that way any more!

If you have the cash to make up the difference and really want to do this you should sell your car yourself.

Funny - I don't feel ridiculous driving my 7AT 370Z... ;)

There can be some advantages to a dealer trade. In Maryland anything we get for a trade is deducted from the price of the new vehicle and we don't pay sales tax on that amount. That just saved me nearly 2K on my Z. I'm sure I could have sold the car on my own and gotten that 2K, but it would have taken quite a bit of time and I would have had to go through the hassle of clearing the title, bill of sale, inspection, etc..