Dream car as my first MT?
 

I have been shopping around for a while and I am definitely considering buying my first Z. I've wanted one since I was a teenager (the 300z), and now may be the last time in my life that I can afford one. I’ll be grabbing a manual transmission. I want to feel that connection with the car that so many people describe to me - in the 370z.

That being said, I’ve never driven a MT with consistency. I have some experience from about a decade ago with a truck, but it’s much different from a sports car. It’s hard to practice on a MT if you don’t have a buddy who has one, since you can’t rent one. I have taken a recent course in a Chevy Cruze and did well, but I go through a ton of stop and go traffic on a daily basis and I’m worried that I still may not have the experience.

Yet I’ve also heard that driving a MT car with higher torque makes it easier. Is this true? I am pretty decent with the clutch but my problem is I often do not know how much gas to use. I over accelerate (10+ mph) from a stop into turns at intersections in first gear and find myself with high RPM and the engine roaring. Perhaps I also need to learn to shift into second during a turn – or is that too pro? :driving:

I’m not necessarily worried about stalling out, or being slow. That much is bound to happen. I am mostly concerned with damaging the car in some way, or hitting a car in front of me if I over accelerate, since it has much higher horsepower and torque than what most people choose to drive daily. Replacing a clutch may not be so bad, but are there other issues as well?

Also it seems to me that extreme situations of stop and go traffic can be hazardous for learners. For a neophyte of the MT, keeping track of when to shift, clutch and brake as well as learning to feel the speed/rpm of the car and downshift appropriately in hills or slowdowns can be quite a challenge.

What do you think? Is it foolish to buy my dream car as my first MT?

I know there are many question marks in this post, but any input on any of the above is greatly appreciated. There are obviously a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum, and I’m looking to soak some of the excess knowledge up! :excited:

Yeah the manual takes some time to get use to in this particular car, but practice makes perfect, or just buy a 7AT. :tup:

Test drive the auto, you'll love it!

If you plan to go forced induction, go manual

I've test driven around five automatics and it blows me away every time! This thing lives for on-ramps!

I don't plan on modding too much, maybe some audio stuff with nice new head unit.

I have the utmost respect for manuals, but I just think the auto on THIS car is better

That said, focus on sport package vs touring vs sport touring then


The sport package is FOR SURE the best bang for the buck, if you go touring you'll get more back support, (base seats tend to get a LOT of complaints,) but if you go touring it's a bit more of a pain to replace everything (talk to Bigaudiofanat)

Also you got a lot of people in Georgia to point you in the right direction!!!

Hi

Get the AT. MT on this car is not for the uninitiated. Luckily the AT is quite good on this car, which somehow means you get a lot of AT owners laying on the hate (years of bullying from various MT drivers I'd assume)... Yea, just get the AT.

Get the MT. You'll learn it in a day and will be glad you did.

Geez people, driving a manual is not hard.... Like mustang said, it literally takes a full day of driving to get it, about a week to be proficient at it.

You'd absolutely think that. Recent threads make me think otherwise. Be prepared to LEARN.

Long ago I bought my first manual car having never driven manual. I had the dealer drop me off in an empty parking lot and leave me be. I drove home 15 minutes later.

Three pedals til the day I die. :)

Werd.

Was it a relatively expensive sports coupe?

The Z MT is easy. Is it the most graceful clutch/shifter around? Hardly. But MT is MT. If you can drive one you can drive them all. :)

Heavy stop and go traffic in Atlanta.....as much as I enjoy a manual transmission, get the A/T.

Relatively expensive? No. Rwd V8? Yes.

Regardless, no problem with a car like the Z as someone's first MT. Its easy!

I think it would be worth it to learn to drive the MT if this is a car you've longed for and you've wanted it with a Manual.

Especially if you think you have a short time to "play" and your next ride may not be a sports car...DEFINITELY do the manual now.

Not to mention, you won't want to look like a bad driver so you will learn how to drive it properly even faster lol.

I appreciate your zeal, sir!

I'm pretty set on the MT. I'm really just worried about being a newbie with it. Atlanta has some ridiculous traffic, and this will be my daily driver.

That being said, I enjoy your approach... :tup:

We are definitely on the same page. I'm gonna assume it's likely just a vocal minority that are creating those "how I drive manual FAST??!!!!?" threads.

Z's MT is a bit tough, but it's not rocket science. Theory is all the same, just smaller margin for error.

If you have made yourself enough money to get a z, you have enough intelligence to learn the MT

I'm sure many of us this forum, learned how to drive a manual trans car when we finally purchased one. I know I did, drove a 4 on the floor Toyota Corona back in the day. Yes, I'm sure you have no idea what that car is (LOL), as I'm an older fella.

You're correct, a manual Z is not that hard to drive as the torque in the car doesn't require you to be spot on pressing the gas. It's actually pretty hard to stall this car and even starting up hills isn't that bad. To make it a little easier, get the clutch helper spring as an early mod, it's only $20 on here and it gives you a better feel for the clutch.

Don't think you can go wrong either way getting an auto or mt. However I say get the mt to get that out of your system. Otherwise you'll always have that little voice in the back of your head saying, I wonder what the manual would feel like. Good luck on your decision and welcome to the club!

I'm still pretty sure that guy was trolling who made that thread lol.

No doubt as its been said, you can't be sloppy with the Z (like I can be in my 2009 VW winter beater) you have to work that clutch properly...and when you do it pays you back with amazing performance :tup:

Indeed.

A lot of people don't understand how transmissions work. If they did they might understand where they are going wrong or simply why the transmission behaves a certain way under certain conditions.

And then you have the newb kids that try to powershift every gear.

Once you learn the basics and get comfortable driving in traffic is not that bad with a manual. Its not like these cars have super heavy clutch pedals. They are relatively light. And a veteran MT driver will limit the amount of clutch work required in traffic which makes it easier.

Thanks for the advice, and the welcome! I'll definitely take a look at the clutch helper spring if the intense Atlanta traffic is too bad for me.

I do feel that I need to get that manual transmission voice out of my head.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to contribute to this thread, wish I could quote you all. :tiphat:

I feel like I mastered this 6 speed but I when I've driven the 7at it felt quicker on gas pedal response! I know I'm not the only one.. The first gear on this manual goes nowhere unless you absolutely floor it. Not to mention you have to be really careful shifting from 1st to 2nd if you do it slow and sloppy it's a nice clunky sound you can hear.

Overall in heavy traffic being a newbie for you, no I don't suggest the manual.

My Z is my first manual no prior experience.. drove my bosses stick civic twice thats it.. well motorcycles also long story short practice makes perfect.. i live in alpharetta and we get horrible traffic.. ONLY problem i had when learning was taking off from a dead stop going uphill with a typical atlanta driver tailgating:shakes head:... Trust me you will not regret MT.. perfect place braves stadium parking lot.. proving grounds for ya

I have always owned a manual (still have one). But...the 7AT is fantastic. No reason to get MT unless you plan to track or do FI. Just my opinion. I'm absolutely glad I got the 7AT.

Thumper, Valid points. I currently own an 11 auto GTI w/paddle shifter and my 6mt Z . I'm happy with both and glad we both have the experience of owning each transmission. But if you only have had one all your life, how do you know that it was the best choice for you? :tiphat:

Same here. I always owned manual cars and was never to keen on AT Transmissions. But from the first moment i drove a 7AT i knew it was the way to go. Never missed the shifter since, the AT works great and fits the Z very well.

From my experience of learning mt on the Z.... In the long run it is worth it and you will love the manual on this car. That said, the learning curve is horrible. I and many of my friends agree that this is one of the hardest cars to learn stick on, the low end torque isn't there on these cars so you really have to get a feel for the clutch.

This is my personal experience though, so take that for what its worth.

No pride lost in driving an Automatic performance car, man.
Nissan makes great automatics, not to mention their CVTs

Honestly, it wasn't that bad just remember the magic words.... :driving:

I generally think less of people who don't drive manual sports cars unless there is a very logical/specific reason they do. A Handicap or Castration*sarcasm* are two reasons I find acceptable. Honestly, though the best automatic/dual clutch/automated manual usually see an increase in performance but for me the simplicity of manual gearbox repair and the fun of driving it still make a manual gearbox even in the worst traffic worth it on a car like a 370z.

Go 7AT. You'll have auto shifting, manual on the floor shifting and paddle shifting. What could be better? :eek:

The third most left pedal next to the brake pedal in a manual transmission makes it all better.:tup:

OP, get a MT. Once you master it you will appreciate it. And you will certainly know better on how your car works too. Always get a manual on a sports car coz I don't want the car to drive me fast I want myself to learn how to drive the car fast. And that's the real fun factor in a manual transmission.:driving:

OP,

I also bought my car under similar circumstances. I'd driven manuals before, but hadn't in a while. That's one of the reasons I went for the sport package. The syncro rev helps while you're shaking off the rust/getting a feel for the car. I drove mine over and hour and a half home from the dealership and did fine. I wouldn't be scared of mastering the operation of the MT.

That being said, if I was in heavy bumper-to-bumper traffic every day, constantly stopping and going, I'd give the AT some serious consideration. (Actually I may consider a different ride...but that's beside the point.)

So basically I've given you no strong persuasion in any direction. You're welcome. :tup:

Buy the manual. You'll be frustrated for a week or so, and then you'll be happy you made the right choice. The transmission's not that bad to drive. It just gets a lot of bad press around here. I'm very biased though, I won't consider a traditional automatic with a torque converter. If I'm going to give up my third pedal, it better be for some slick dual clutch trans like the GTR. Even then it would be a hard sell for me.

I wouldn't let anything stop me from buying a manual in your situation.

The Automatic in this car is actually quite great, but personally, I like a manual in all of my vehicles. No shame in the game either way.

But I saw it in Fast 'n Furious. That's how you shift, right? :happydance: