Been there, done that with M/T, to include a '78 280Z. It's fun initially but it gets old after awhile (for some of us). Especially in stop & go traffic. You shouldn't let other people's opinions decide what you're going to do. I'm sure you already know what you're going to do with the Z (daily driver or weekend rider). If daily driver, what is the traffic like on your way to school/work. Lastly, your driving comfort should not be the only deciding factor. You may want to look at the various threads in this forum on problems with the M/T. Which is more high maintenance -- A/T or M/T? That's for you to find out.

 

I currently have a Mazda RX8 and its auto. I regretit buying an auto thats why I'm in the market looking to buy M/T Z.

 

You will be missing a clutch for sure.

 

6MT all the way unless you have 1 mile per hour traffic jam in your area all the time.

 

i drive an automatic and like it twice as much!

 

 

Semi drivers can't complain, you see em all the time in traffic. They just learn to leave the traffic 1/8 mile in front of them. I tried that once...gay asses behind me prefer stop/go stop/go rather than decent 5mph roll, and will floor it to get around you. Ughh
Didn't mean I'm behind traffic 1/8 mile (lol), but about 5 cars.

 

I bought an auto Z then got a 6MT G35c... I never had to replace the auto Z's transmission...

 

my first one was a 03 brickyard enthusist auto (so wifey could drive it too)
put 23k miles on it and totaled it (hit a deer)

bought a 04 performance model 6spd... was fun but its old now... with a good valve body you can get just as fast of a shift if not faster with the auto...

if i could do it again i think i would do an auto again

just my opinion though

 

Those that buy auto in a performance car should be hung.

 

its a sports car...if u need an automatic buy a camry

 

Auto might be useful in real heavy traffic all day long. With the strong engine in the Z, you can be really lazy with shifting. You can go down all the way to like 35mph in 6th and leave it there to accelerate later again.

 

This topic has been beat to death.

Basically, the choice between an auto and a manual is one of preference. You can do, with practice, almost everything in the A/T that you can do in the M/T.

I chose an A/T because of my personal preference. It is definitely not as fun as its stick counterpart, but the difference is negligeable when you think of long term costs of owning an M/T (clutch, tranny, etc..)

M/T is funner when you want to have fun. When you are not trying to have fun, (i.e. coming home from work, traffic, talking on the phone, etc.,) M/T can get annoying. With A/T, you have the manumatic mode to let you control your vehicles powerband and also the option to stick it in D. However, the A/T is just not as fun.

Do not let anyone on this forum, or anywhere for that matter, influence your decision in buying an automobile. After all, this is your car, not theirs. Drive both and see which transmission is the one that is right for you.

M/T: Fun, Fun, Fun
A/T: Convinience, Reliability, Fun

---------------

And just to **** off all the hardcore M/Ters reading this thread, keep in mind that the fastest cars at the strip are A/T.

 

If you buy an auto, you'll hear less noise, have less problems and you won't visit the service department as much.

 

Which translates to -- you'll get to enjoy your Z more with an A/T instead of waiting for it being serviced if you have an M/T. Again, just read how many threads in this forum alone are dedicated to the various M/T problems.

 

I drive in one of the most congested areas in the country and driving the manual in traffic becomes second nature. This would never be my reason for getting an AUTO. Actually, I will ALWAYS buy manual cars until they stop making them. I don't care what anyone says. I know its been beaten to death, but if you aren't pushing in a clutch pedal, then you're you're missing half of what it is to be driving a performance machine. That's the truth.

BTW the Zs 6MT is easier to drive than any car I've ever driven.

 

I really don't think those guys know how to drive manual.
It's pretty hard to build a tranny that grinds, let alone a Z tranny. The construction is really awesome. I think the Z was such a desireable car, that even people who didn't know anything about them or driving MT bought them anyway. There were so many sold (my town is over-Z'd), Nissan caved in to the replace-my-tranny-because-I-broke-it-demand, but gave a false fix on the alignment issue.
To answer the question of the original post title, YES.

 

Correct. As I stated above, do not let anyone influence your decision. Both have advantages and disadvantages and it is important to know those differences, but in the end, it is your car, you choose what tranny is right for you.

 

People mention traffic as the #1 reason for gettin a slushbox. That's just lame excuse. I've done 90min commutes where 60min of it is bumper-to-bumper for 3+ years and it's tolerable. Also, I just came back from Europe and from what I saw, less than 10% of cars had autos(and those are probably rentals for us Americans who have no idea what the 3rd pedal is for ). Don't tell me they have less traffic then we do. It's especially inexcusable in a car like the Z.

 

LI [Kings Cty thru Suffolk Cty] = Several nice parking lots during "rush" hours...

LIE, SSP, NSP, WSP, SOE, BP, GCP, CVE, BQE, etc.

Enjoy! Hehehe