this thread is

 

<-was being sarcastic

 

If this was said in the 15 pages I skipped, forgive me.

The difference between stick and auto is.....one gives you CONTROL, one gives you CONVENIENCE.

Stick = Control
Auto = Convenience.

For those guys who ride motorcycles you know what control is. A motorcycle is all about control, and you do so with your whole body, not just your hands and feet like in a car (= lean).

For the same reason you went out and bought a motorcycle (no, not the facts that you can pick up chicks and evade police....I'm talking control again you bunch of hooligans...) you want a sports car with a stick. You get more control over the car. You decide when to upshift and downshift (it's kinda tough to downshift an auto). If you are this kind of person the thought of an auto can be compared with being neutered.

Then there is the person who drives an auto sports car. This is the same kinda guy who rides a Honda Goldwing. It's still a bike, but it can be compared to a moving lounge chair complete with a home entertainment center. I mean this is total convenience....the thing has reverse for god's sake! This person loves the freedom of a motorcycle but has had his share of raising hell in his day and wants to take life a little slower and easier. So he looks for a little convenience. Same with the auto sports car owner. He wants the thrill of the sports car but would like the convenience of not having to shift (think Boston traffic....or NY traffic....or Cali traffic.) They still love the ride and can enjoy the experience of the sports car, but don't have all the hastle (read as control for you MT guys) that is involved with a stick.

Of course then there are those sports car owners who are the control freaks and would prefer a stick, but got an auto instead. It is a shame you don't have that measure of control, but look at the bright side...since you don't have to concentrate as much you can talk on your cell phone, eat, or receive head. (Kidding here guys, just trying to get the point across that it's all a matter of preference. In the end they are still sports cars, but each have their advantages: CONTROL or CONVENIENCE).

 

hell, at this point i dont even know when im shifting, it scary. Only when racing i pay attention.lol

 

no doubt, Gs and Zs all family to me

 

+1, they sure are!

 

For some, (myself included), driving a manual tranmission would be great- but when the back is out or tweeky, depressing a clutch can be very painful (especially in So. Cal. bumper to bumper traffic). I truely enjoy driving my automatic in manual mode, as it shifts quickly and smoothly, and I'm not convinced that I could shift my previosly owned RX7 manually any faster than my 350 in "manual mode".

 

well this wouldnt be the test of it, i guarentee you on the highway and on a track you will get out done by a manual counterpart.

 

Ok.....read a lot had to add a lil something.

Yea...I'm one of those people that believes performance cars should be manual....and there are many reasons for that. Many people have made comments on as to why a performance car is better as manual. But I won't get into that

At the heart of this is...Did you get the Auto because you don't know how to drive a Manual? Or did you get the Auto just because thats what you actually wanted and both were equal in your mind. IMO: if you don't know how to drive manual....you can learn in one day with a friend...its not that hard. If you just prefer Auto...screw those badgerrers! They just hatin

my .02

 

I'm sure most car crazy ppl know that, but it isnt the question at hand....
Its a case of personal preffrence imo...
Cant we just love one and other????? Respect one and other??? Guess that s a hard thing to ask for....

Lou

 

looking for a link right now but I read an early review of the Z from a Japanese mag that tested the automatic and the standard on a track. There were two car reviewers and one professional driver and the automatic got faster lap times for everyone except the pro driver.

I can safely say I don't drive stick better than a person who reviews cars for a living so I know for me personally I am not giving much up with the automatic.

I am still looking for that link so take this story for what it's worth... which isn't much w/o a link.

6MT owners please don't take this post as me trying to bash you, I know you guys love the feeling of ripping though the gears on your own and wouldn't trade that for the world. Some of us don't share that passion.

 

But most of these clowns think they are professionals.

 

For the record I didn't say that...

gave up on the link so I guess my comments are worthless... sorry

 

Not tryin to bash at all.....I'm just saying I hope someone does not choose to get Auto over Manual just because they do not know how to drive Manual. They can learn to drive Manual. When someone knows how to drive Manual ....then and only then is it truly a matter of preference.

Also, IMO: Everyone should learn to drive on a stick (the way it used to be) to have a better understanding of driving....then if they choose to get a Automatic ..so be it but too many people don't know how to drive a stick and its not that difficult to learn. I taught a friend in one afternoon (not on my Z of course)

 

I truly agree, skills like throttle steering etc are easily understood with MT, It would be harder for one to understand the concept with the AT imo

 

I agree I think in order to make an informed choice you should at least give the standard a try. Before I bought the Z I was planning on buying a standard transmission b/c it is a sports car and thats what you do. I didn't know how to drive one and so I begged all my friends to teach me... And just how you stated you refused to teach your friend in your Z they all felt the same way about teaching someone standard on their car (and their cars werent even that nice... 98 v6 mustang and an older integra gsr).

They all suggested that I rent a car thats standard but no rental place is stupid enough to rent out cars with standard trasmissions. So I was stuck and ended up forking cash over to a racing school that had classes for stick noobs like me. After I took that class my brother in law's brother agreed to let me borrow his jeep for a week (he lived out of town which is why i never got a chance for him to teach me). I drove it for a week and it wasn't that big of a deal.

So when I started test driving cars (g35c, 330i, is300, Z, s2000) I was able drive ones with sticks without TOO much trouble. But then I found the car I have now which was a used Z that was a great price. I have a feeling they may have had trouble getting it off the lot b/c it was automatic. I thought about it for a few days and asked myself why I really wanted the stick and honestly the only reason I wanted it was b/c of outside pressure to get a standard b/c its a sports car and not b/c I wanted to drive that way.

I should come clean and say speed wasn't really a factor when I was picking a car. I wanted a white car, with HID's and RWD. I honestly had no idea what the 350z's 1/4 mile time was before I bought the car. I only knew I liked the way it drived and it was fast enough for me.

 

Its nice to see that you chose your Z, because of feasibility and personal preference.... and not because of "outside pressure""

 

Popcorn......Popcorn........ get your popcorn here ladies and gentlemen!

 

Sup gangsta yo!?!