Soon to be car owner question..?

KingRon

Hi. I am new to this forum, and as you can see by my name, I am a king named Ron. lol

But I have noticed something with older people that drive automatics. It seems that they don't enjoy driving anymore and they say it is like a chore that they can't get around. And (the only person I know that drives manual) my uncle still has fun in his Mustang and Camaro at 34. Also (by car videos) older older people say they enjoy manuals because they are more engaged with the car.

I am 17 and I may get a 370z for my graduation present (next year). I was wondering I should get an automatic because me being a novice, or get a manual (that I have no experience with) to possibly enjoy driving for the next however many years.

*And do any of you enjoy your 370z still like you did when you first got it?

Z_ealot

hey ron and welcome to the forums, to answer your question i would say that most older people who make comments like that aren't really much into driving in the first place and have probably never enjoyed driving. secondly you might want to think about test driving a few cars before you settle on a manual transmission on the Z as it does tend to have a very steep learning curve when it comes to being able to shift properly in the Z. Having said that i will have to agree with alot of others on the forum that the automatic in the 370Z is among the best automatics out there on the market. The main thing you have to keep in mind when thinking about getting a car is what YOU are going to use it for and just go from there.

houkouonchi

I think this all just depends on the person and is a cultural/personality thing.

I personally would never even think about getting in automatic in a Z and don't really understand why anyone does. Its probably partially due to my upbringing because my dad is the same way. He is 54 and he drives a 6mt 350z. My first real car I drove for a long period of time was a '78 280z (it was my dad's that he bought in 1981).

So for me Z's run in the family. I didn't make enough money to get the 370z as my first own car (and back then it was still just the 350z) so instead I got a lease on a non turbo subaru impreza. A nice car and decently fast for the cheap $200/month lease.

Anyway I got a manual transmission on that and every car I have ever really driven more than once or twice has been manual. To me its a requirement, Z or not.

I think if you don't have any such disposition to manual transmissions then there is probably not a huge reason for you to get a manual if you don't even have experience with it. Of course to me anyone who gets auto is crazy... But that is just me =)

All the car's that my parents ever had/drove when I was younger were also manual transmission. There have been only two exceptions. One was when my sister was learning to drive my dad got a nissan altima and automatic so my sister would have less problems learning. It was the decision of an inexperienced parent and he regreted it because my sister now has a 6 spd nissan versa and she also drives/prefers manual.

My mother (parents are divored and i have not lived with her since I was 13) finally got an automatic later in life when her health started to fail and she has trouble moving her legs and with body co-ordination so she went the auto route.

Take my input with a grain of salt =)

Nismo89

the way i look at it is this............. whether its manuel or Automatic.....

if you have fun with the car period ( doesnt matter transmission) then thats all that matters.

for me? i have an 7 speed Auto..... and i will say........ i LOVE it to death. i enjoy driving it. why? i love the CAR itself. the transmission i dont give a dang.

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nmjaxx9

X2

Gauge

Would anyone here that has a MT describe yours as "excellent"? To me this is one of those things like oil temps that Nissan dropped the ball on. The MT is loud, and not very smooth. And before I get bombarded, I still love my Z and wouldn't have another car. I just wish it had a different transmission in it

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whoady4shoady

Yes! 1st to 2nd feels like what plinko looks like on the price as right!


The Price Is Right - Game of the Day - Plinko - YouTube

With that said, I just cant get into the Pad shifters yet, and good Lord I cant stand the way the center console looks on the automatics of this car. Just make sure whatever you get that you enjoy it and treasure it, especially at 17 years old ya lucky dog.

dmhenderson

17.
Z for graduation present...
High school graduation present.

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KingRon

Lol, I'll be 18 when I get it though.

jpritche

I was your age when I got my Z. I got in for my HS grad present. I have the 7spd. The main reason I got it was because I come from a SMALL town and I was afraid that getting a manual in the "horrendous" atlanta traffic would be a bad idea. Turns out traffic isn't that bad, and now I wish I would have gotten the manual. However, I still the auto. It is amazing and super quick.

P.S. Please don't act like a retard and give us(those who got the Z as a teen and act responsibly) a bad name

daisuke149

hey i know you.

to people posting..

changing the tranny fluid and the clutch line makes the shifting alot smoother. engagement is alot more consistant and the shifting smoother. Esp when cold

whoady4shoady

I put the redline tranny fluid in mine and it didnt make a lick a diff.

Thank you!

KingRon

lol, don't worry. I am superdy responsible.

sonic370

when you get it ask them to hard wire the VDC to stay on at all times.........

NuffZed

Absolutely get the stick. Driving a stick is a fantastic skill that you will keep for life. It's also more personal than an auto. You will get to know your car better because you'll learn how it feels. Tough to describe but you'll understand later. I do suggest you rent a car with a stick first and learn on that as it will save your clutch much abuse.

Good luck with all this I won't preach practicality to you because it never worked on me either

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