It's a sports car, for Pete's Sake!!! Get the 6MT and live with the fun of shifting the gears. However, it is not fun in heavy commuter traffic. Get the Beetle with the auto for that. <G>

MADDOG

 

I'm going to put between 55k to 60k miles in 2 years on this car. I would have opted for the 6MT if it weren't a daily driver. I'm one of those people who agree if it's a sports car, there's only one choice. This is my work car that just happens to be fun to drive.

I actually like the 5AT, if it would just upshift more quickly I'd love it.

 

I've heard the 5AT is a bit slow on the upshift. I attended a gathering this weekend and heard some comments about that from some 5AT owners. One member of our organiZation wondered if anyone has come up with either a downloadable code change or if there might be some form of programmer available.

Anyone have any leads on either?

 

OK I am going to put an _end_ to this subject that seems to come up over and over again. This is it! The definitive answer:

Top Ten Reasons to Buy an AT over a MT

10) You don’t know how to drive a manual transmission.
9) Your wife does know how to drive a manual transmission.
8) Your average speed on your morning commute on a good day is 5mph.
7) You are almost done reading Tolstoys War and Peace while waiting in traffic.
6) Your wife starts asking about a big stick.
5) You think that heel and toe is a foot infection.
4) You drink coffee, steer and talk on the cell phone all at once.
3) You spend more time shifting radio stations than shifting gears.
2) You don't have a big stick.
1) You like to hold your beer in your left hand while steering with your right hand when practicing power four-wheel drifts.

 

LOL...I especially liked the last one.

BTW, did you come up to Lithia in Eugene this weekend???

 

Did not make to Lithia, but I was in Eugene! One of my kids made it to State finals in Eugene last weekend. I really like Hayward field there in Eugene.

 

Yeah on the touring model manual is actually cheaper.

I have a 5AT and love it. I drove both and felt that there was a certain annoyance that 6MT can sometimes give you.. specially when there is no power difference in between the two.

 

Most slow shifts are caused by not correctly shifting in manual mode. Many people shift in manual mode like they would a regular manual. On the upshifts you don't want to lift off the throttle. This will cause a slower shift. When upshifting in manual mode you want to try and maintain an even throttle or accelerate slightly. This is counter-intuitive if you have driven a MT. When I first got my 5AT, I didn't even realize I was lifting off the throttle. I had to consciously remember to not lift but accelerate when upshifting. It took a while to break the habit and do it correctly. I had a Honda Civic MT while my car was in the shop and when I got my Z back I found myself lifting off the throttle again.

Also, the fastest shifts on the 5AT are when you are driving aggressively in auto mode. Just for reference the average human eyeblink is 300ms and the Porsche Tiptronic S, which is similar to the 5AT, can shift in 200ms. A professional NASCAR driver can shift in about 0.8s. Slow for the 5AT is still faster than any human can shift. It just seems slower because there isn't a clutch pedal motion to take up the extra time.

Maddog,
Have your friend upgrade his valve body and that will firm up his shifts. Also, he might want to raise the stall speed on the torque converter. That will allow the TC to instaneously flash to an RPM closer to the Z's peak power and at the same time get higher torque multiplication values.


Tusa123,
If you are worried about performance between the 5AT and the 6MT, don't worry, they have just about equal performance and driver skill is what will make the difference. The biggest difference on the dyno isn't even caused by the transmission. The final drive gear is what causes that slight 10rwhp peak difference in the high RPM range for the 6MT. The 6MT has a 3.5 FD where the 5AT has a 3.3 FD. What many people forget to take into account is the rest of the graph, because of the torque converter the 5AT has better torque management in the mid to low RPM range. Just keep an open mind, drive both versions and choose which ever you like best. Both transmissions are great. I almost missed out on the 5AT because I was dead on set on getting the 6MT and didn't want to even hear anything about an automatic sports car. I test drove the 5AT because I just wanted to get the salesperson to stop talking about it and I was curious. At the end of the day, I ended us driving the 5AT home and I have no regrets.

Good luck and let us know what you get.

Amnbex and Yobri, made an appearance just for you guys.

 

That "I wish I had a MT itch" got to me with my Maxima... one of the main reasons I'm selling it and getting the Z is that it isn't fun to drive anymore, the AT just feels laggy as hell.

When I was buying the maxima, I really wanted the SE with the MT...but I was getting such a great deal that I couldn't ignore it. I ultimately went with the better deal rather than the car I really wanted.

I wish I hadn't made that mistake!!

Just think about what you REALLY want, and DO IT. I don't think I'd want the 5AT Z unless it had a tiptronic-style or paddle shifter, personally.

 

We only get the 6MT in the UK so no choice here. If you are doing lot's of stop/start town driving the AT is easier, particularly as the 1st/2nd gear shift in the Z is not very smooth. Having said that if you really want to DRIVE the car then the MT is the way to go.

 

The "stop and go traffic" always comes up in the AT/MT discussions and for those of you who travel the long concrete ribbons on the Left Coast everyday, I feel for ya. But I think coming down on the side of an AT because of that gives too much importance to the "stop" and not the "go". Any monkey can press his right foot to the floor of a car. It's takes a bit of concentration to drive an MT well. Which means the rewards of doing so are greater. It's a communication thing between you and the car that is always absent in the AT. Even our friends in weekly Traffic Hell have weekends. And then what do you have? Your fun's cut in half on Saturday and Sunday because of the compromise you made to the damn freeway. Now, if you're physically handicapped and you're buying the Z or any other sportscar, you get the autobox. And more power to you, you're my hero. But if you're able-bodied and you pass on the MT, you're a poser buying the car to make yourself look good. Learn to drive and have a relationship with your car--it's worth it.

 

Just went through this decision making process due to the wife not liking a MT and it being a daily driver. I've always loved a MT, but went with the AT because I want her to enjoy the car too. In hindsight, it was the best decision I could have made. I really enjoy driving the car and don't have any regrets with the AT (as I feared I would). Face it, if you can't have fun driving the Z - AT or MT - then you don't enjoy driving...

 

Hmm, Poser, eh!! Just because someone chose to drive an AT doesn't make them a poser. I dare you to say that or email that to any of the pro drag racers or any of the pro F1 racers and see what type of response you get. They all drive and race automatic transmissions. I'm sure they are much better drivers than you. I have relationships with my friends and family because they deserve it and they can share it. I don't have a relationship with my car, I have fun with my car because it is a tool and a toy. Have you even driven any of the new ATs like the Tiptronic or the SMG and driven it properly? It doesn't even sound like you know how they really work or perform. So before you go calling other people posers, look in the mirror!

BTW here is the definition of poser as you used it. "Someone who pretends to know something that he doesn't or represents himself as something he is not." Now you tell us who the poser is.

 

BURN! nice one al.

 

Sorry you were offended, Mary.
Nope, I'm not a pro drag racer, not even an F1 driver. Driving those vehicles competitively are beyond my abilities. But I have participated in about 10 track days in the last couple years and am not new to sports cars or enthusiastic driving. I do think you can have a "relationship" with a car, just like I think cars have personalities. But I don't think the car relationship should be more important than the family relationship. I have 2 kids myself. But chosing a true sports car with an AT is simply watering down the full experience, and my guess is that even those pro drivers you mentioned would agree. You don't take a dragster down the twisties and F1 cars shift faster with the paddles they have. For those guys, winning is everything. For us, I would think driving is everything. I've just traded an S2000 for the Z and am so happy I did. The Honda is a fantastic car and the engineering is second to none. And it doesn't come with an AT even as an option because the company wanted to create a more purist, no-compromise sports car. And that philosophy demands respect. But the Z has tons more torque and a gearshift and suspension to rival that of the S. And that makes it more fun for anyone who's truly interested in the experience of driving.
The original question in this thread was AT or MT? The only answer that really honors the design and spirit of the cat is MT. But once you've made your choice, I'm not gonna argue the point. I would only want to help keep you from making the autobox mistake in the first place.
It's WAY more fun to drive these cars than to layer on the Zaino and polish the bling rims.

 

What is the point of having a sports car if you are going to get a manual ?

 

Correction

I meant to say what is the point of a sports car if you are going to get an automatic

 

JoHonda,

What kind of an apology is that? If someone wants to drive an MT or AT it is their choice. I have no problem with that. There is no right or wrong answer to the original thread question. On this topic it is either a fact or it's an opinion. Your statements are definately not fact and your statements stops being an opinion when you start attacking people. I like driving an MT just as much as the next person but I chose the AT and so did several other people. In your previous posts you called people that drive ATs posers that just want to look good, you said that only handicap people should drive automatics, you mentioned that people with ATs can't drive or enjoy driving. Then in your supposed apology you follow it up with people that drive ATs made a mistake and inferred that they were superfical because they are into Zaino, polish and bling rims instead of driving!

Again, if you haven't really driven a Tiptronic-type or SMG-type transmission or even have an inkling of how they work or perform, you really don't know anything about them. Passing yourself as someone in the know when you don't really know is the definition of a poser.

It is okay to share your opinions, experiences and factual knowledge. It is also okay to disagree or be wrong occassionally. We are all here to discuss, learn and socialize in a responsible manner. Please don't pass on your ignorances as personal attacks. If you don't know something, it is better to ask and learn than to perpetuate more misinformation.

You need a reality check!

 

No, it's because the F20C(or F22C depending on year) doesn't have enough torque to even start a torque converter going.

Later in your post you mention that the Z is "better for driving than the S", which is pure, grade A, bullplop. The Z is waaaay more civilized than the much more radical and hardcore S. If you want a sunday canyon carver, definately, definately, definately, take the S2000.

 

Wow...thanks for opening my eyes, man. Here I was, enjoying every blissful moment behind the wheel of my 5AT Z, when in reality, I was just being a tool. Thanks to you, I now know that I was wrong, and that because of this heinous purchasing decision, I don't deserve to be a proud member of the 350z family.

And now, having said all that, I shall gracefully retire from Z ownership and spend the rest of my days puttering around on a Segway, because it's painfully obvious that I don't deserve to own a sports car.