kevintari

Waddya think?

Can I have an auto and still get a fun to drive sports car?

Can't deal with LA traffic in a 6-spd...

___DJK___

iTrader: (2)

silver&black

I have driven so many manuals in my day, I have had it with a stick, it is a known fact that any one driving a manual, just does not realize the smoothness and realiabilty of an auto. Just remember,throw out bearings or clutchs are not covered under any warranty. I can smoke any stock manual driver out there, and my car is completely stock.
peace

ViZion

that may be your experience, but in my experience there's just too much drive train loss with an auto.

perhaps the ppl you've gone up against don't know wtf they're doing. *shrugs*

however, the auto is nice if you're going to have to deal with tons-o-traffic and don't mind the auto lag.

ZU L8R

iTrader: (84)

considering all the problems people have been having with the six speeds I'd say it's also a little safer to go with the auto. It's gonna be your car though, buy what YOU want.

ZDevil

iTrader: (4)

IMHO go with the 6-spd

I went 10 months driving the auto all up in down the 405-110-101 freeway and finally traded the car in for a 04 manual. Dont get me wrong, driving the auto was so much fun. You didnt have to worry about anything in the world, but it just didnt feel right. The manual just feels so much better(Dunno know but it just gives me a big grin when im blasting through all the gears ) You get used to after a while with all the traffic but then again its your on opinion and you make the overall decisions.

I agree with silver&black about the smoothness of the tranny(very crisp) but (Stock vs Stock) the 6-spd would win, unless the driver cant shift correctly.

My .02

NzZ

While both are great, neither one is perfect. I've seen probs for both listed on this board. The manual is more engaging to drive, no one can deny that. The automatic has convenience. My way of rationalizing it was this: the Z is not about convenience...it's about fun. So I opted for the stick.

my $.02
NzZ

ragtopz

the manual mode in the z is not as good as my acura tl was. at half throttle, the gear changes seem a bit sluggish. maybe i dont have enough practice using the manual mode. it isnt as noticeable at full or near-full throttle.

i still like the car very much and wouldnt want to own a manual tranny car again.

PATB

My 04 DB Touring Coupe is my first auto in the 20 years I have been driving. I have always opted for the stick as it is a "real driver's" car. However, I am glad I opted for the auto and would do it again. Stick is more fun in the open road, but sucks big time as a daily driver. I am seldom in the open road. You will regret driving a stick during rush hour traffic, which is a regular occurance even in the bay area. Today it took me 45 minutes to drive from San Jose to Los Altos -- which is less than 19 miles. I just sat back, listened to the Bose stereo and lifted my right foot once in a while. For me, the auto is as much fun as the stick. BTW, I have met more than one guy with a supercharged Corvette auto for drag racing -- just because a car is automatic doesn't mean it can't hold its own.

zmann

Hands-down I prefer the manual transmission driving experience over an auto. However, I traded out of my 6 spd to an auto for reasons other than my preference for one or the other. I'll put it like this, I would never purchase another auto that doesn't offer the manual shift mode. This car is my first with that feature and it is a fantastic feature to have access to. I use that mode of driving about 2/3 of the time. However, having the ability to choose to manually engage or let the compute decide is much appreciated, especially in bumper to bumper traffic, like I was in just today. I was so thankful for the auto. Then, when I take a detour down a nice twisty backroad, I kick it over to manual mode and enjoy rowing the gears myself. No, it isn't just like shifting a stick, but under full throttle acceleration, it is pretty darn close, and I'd say that I can shift quicker in this than I did my stick. At the end of the day, you have to decide. But for the real world of daily driving and other issues I had, I have the best that I can get of both worlds. I may ultimately go back to a manual transmission if my next car offers a better seating position, but for now, I'm content with the manumatic in my Z.

phatvspec

Hey (my 1st post here )
But i myself am looking at getting a Z from what I have now, 02 Spec V and stick is great but when i test drove the auto it felt liek so much power. IMO if a car has that much power even at a 20% drivetrain loss there is still a lot of power comming out. (or is it 15% auto in the z? ) Not to mention auto is cheaper then stick

EL Diablo

I thought like you too. When I first moved to LA I couldnt believe the traffic.I bought an 04 TOURING auto.

but I regretted it from the first day. I always drove stick
what was I thinking. Well know what I did.
See me sig

get the 6MT it feels so much more evil shifting

swizzle

I'm sorry, but anyone who buys an automatic sports car is a *****... It seems like a waste of money. Go buy a kia...

lowtempo

The Manumatic Rocks!!! And engaging enough for me at the moment.

The automatic is there for when your drinking coffee on the way to work, through heavy traffic, getting into the tight parking spot, rainy weather, and when the local cop is eyeing you waiting for you to messup so they can pull you over.

anyone who feels overly passionate about what transmission another person chooses to drive enough to call them "pu@@@y" has majior insecurity issues which not even owning a Z can fix. IMHO.

LFR1Legend

well i look at this in this way.......the z is bad...i love mine..but if you drive in trafic like me (college) you need the auto. If you want power get a cobra.....but ill take my Z because all the ladies like it over some "mustang"-L F

iwalktheline

Me and Mine have one of each and we see very little difference beyond lower RPMs for the 6 speed. I drive the Auto from S.F. to San Jose everyday and the tiptronic is awesome when traffic gets tight 'cause you can pace without constantly tapping the breaks or making the car jump to pick it up a bit.
Oh yeah, I'm over 35, probably old as s--t to most of you and this is my first auto tranny; no letdowns here.

maserom

iTrader: (2)

I too have always driven manuals until now! The auto with the trip tronic is just as fun as a manual. Same power, just as fast as the 6speed without the grinding 3rd gear that so many have gone in and had replaced by the dealer. Throw someRoyal purple auto trans fluid in there after 5k miles and the shifting becomes even better. Just my 2c.

oscarmayer00

Be careful with Royal Purple auto trans fluid, not sure if it's compatible with Nissan Matic-J

If the automatic transmission in the 350Z (Z33) requires service, a new type of automatic transmission fluid MUST be used. The new fluid is Nissan Matic-J. See TSB for detail

http://www.nissan-techinfo.com/nissa...8.asp?mscssid=

Hey Ya

First of all, you should be banned because your name looks too close to skidazzle, and you could end up giving him a bad reputation. Second, do you know how to read? Reread this thread and note all of the satisfied auto owners, myself included.

That's all I have to say. Good day, good sir.

MY350Z.COM

iTrader: (2)

I think you should apologize or begone.