You're in Seattle? Let's settle this in the streets. I know I have a huge advantage but I'm sure you can get a NOS setup, and you know when you press the button, things get all blurry.

I know for a fact that stuff doesn't get blurry, so as long as you have a NOS button you should be faster than me.

 

Don't let that even come close to being a deciding factor...the whole MT vs AT argument is STUPID.

Neither is faster, the end. The Z is amazing no matter what your transmission is.

Why is there never a winner in lame MT vs AT arguments? Cause there isn't one.

Z = winner

 

is350

 

I taught 3 duaghters and 1 wife how to drive manual trannies, on my Porsches and my MR2s.

None of the students ever did any harm to any of teh cars.

bill

 

str8 up man if I was you, I would get the new g35 4 door. I test drove one and the automatic with paddles is alot of fun, it shifts really fast for an auto. THe quality is amazing in the new g of the interior and that car is pretty damn fast for a stock car. Itll def keep you having fun, its nice, fast, rwd, and you can have a blast in it. I vote goes for the new g35, BTW the auto in the 335i totally kills the car, sooooo boring. I dont know if an auto z is the best idea, but test drive them youll never know.

 

get a rx8

 

i only know how to drive manual so im no help

 

Learn to drive stick its fun and easy. If you msut have an auto buy a G35.

 

Makes absolutely no sense.

 

Get the Z. This is my 4th sports car and the first that's AT. I could not up shift any quicker than this car shifts in tiptronic mode. It's almost instant, and the shift between 2nd and 3rd a WOT literally lurches the car forward. There is, however, a sometimes alarming lag when braking hard and down shifting. It's not all the time, so I can't say "this is what I'm doing to cause this", but I've had situations where I'm shifting down into 2nd to accelerate and the car is searching for the gear. If you are accustomed to driving a MT you will find this alarming as well.

 

You want a sporty classy car thats auto?


Have you ever thought about the Lexus Is250/Is350?

 

I have owned a few autos and I admit the 350z auto is very smooth. The triptronic isnt exactly "instant" shifts but its fast enough to keep you entertained.

 

He knows how to drive stick but his family doesnt know how to drive it and they just leave it sit while he's at college.

Personally i would just get a stick because i wouldnt want anyone else to drive my car (especially when im not there).

but if you must the Z is great i have an auto and it is very fun to drive.

 

Why not? Learning stick is pretty easy. And is it not fun to drive? The G35 is a sedan. In some ways wouldnt you agree that sedans are built for the purpose of being luxerious and easy driving? The Z is a 2 door/2 seat sports car. Sorry if this is PC but wouldnt you agree that most sports cars in the past and present are stick shift? Well ferraris and stuff have SMG style shifters but those are like sticks with driven by a computer.

oops your family has to drive it. Didnt read that part. Get an auto then. =)

 

A 5AT Z is better than no Z at all. I have one. Its fun to drive because you can be in traffic and leave it in D or when you gots straightaways or no traffic, the tiptronic is fun. The upshifts are just as quick if not quicker than the 6spd manual, but the downshifts is where the 6spd manual owns the 5AT.

I say to just test drive one, and you'll definitely will be able to decide after that.

 

Most people who bag on the AT have never really driven the 5AT on the Z or don't know how to drive it properly. I've driven both versions and for me I prefer the AT. Performance in both are the same and I will go as far as to say for most of the people here, the AT will perform better because most of us don't have the skill to control the MT to it's full potential. Alot of people think that the MT gives you more control when it is the other way around on the Z. The Z has an advanced driver adaptable transmission which learns how the driver's driving style and the environment and method in which it's being driven in. In both the MT and AT it's all about throttle control and keeping the engine in it's optimum band. Controlling the throttle and torque with a MT at optimum is a skill that most of us don't have or have the ability to do consistently. The 5AT when driven aggressively can shift way faster than any human can. When the driver and the 5AT have adpated to each other the control is sort of Borg-like if I can steal a term from Star Trek. You can control the transmission from the throttle without even having to use the manual function on the lever. The driver and the car sort of become one and if that isn't control enough for you I don't know what is. You'll just have to take my word for it because unless you have one of these advanced adaptable trannies and drive it properly it's hard to explain. The MT is a lot of fun too and for most people I would tell them to test drive both and just choose what they like better. But, since you said that you have to have an AT, the 5AT in the Z is one of the best around and easily modded.

 

Auto G coupe > Auto Z Coupe
6spd Z coupe > 6spd G Coupe

 

id get IS350

 

Lexus makes really great cars

 

I owned a m3 (e46) with the smg transmission for almost 4 years and now I have an auto 350z. Do I miss the paddle shifting and power of the m3...of course I do. However the automatic Z is still fun enough with enough ***** to put a smile on my face.

On a separate note, I do not miss the frequent trips to the BMW dealership for service/repairs.