jeeper78

Am I a fool for wanting the 5AT? My first car was a 5-speed MT Altima. I sold that for a 5-speed MT Jeep 2 years ago (I would have gotten a '04 350Z at that time, but I needed something that could tow quads, snowmobiles, jet-skis, etc). If I had gotten a Z at that time, it would definitely have been a 6MT (AT's don't belong in sports cars! ). So now the college loan is almost paid off , and it's time to start thinking again of adding a Z to my garage.

Originally, I was dead set on getting the 6-speed, but now the thought of the 5AT with manual shift mode is really growing on me. There are times when I'm rowing the tranny in my Jeep during the daily commute that I wish I had an AT. The thing I always hated about AT's is waiting for the downshift. Rolling stops are horrible - never in the right gear, and there's that lag when you floor it to pass someone on the highway. But the manual shift mode seems like it would take care of that, by allowing you to downshift at will. I don't necessarily need a "direct mechanical connection" from my hand to the engine... I just want to be in the gear that I want to be in.

So I'll still have the Jeep with the 5-speed MT for towing, 4wd in the snow, and top-down commuting on nice summer days, but I think I want my 2nd car to have an auto for those days I don't really feel like shifting, or my right hand has something better to do (phone, food, holding hands, flashing gang signs , all those bad driving habits ).. yet the 5AT still has the manual mode for downshifts or those (many) times I feel like really spooling it up. Seems like the best of both worlds, but the thought of an AT in a sports car still ruffles me a little.

Can you tell I'm conflicted?

Any advice on pro's and con's of the 5AT is appreciated. I've done the search and read some of the threads here on it, but they always seem to degenerate into name-calling from the 6MT crowd (they don't usually give any reasons for hating the 5AT, so I have to assume it's either because of an infiriority complex - they can't operate the clutch as fast as a computer, or they just get off on dumping the clutch and smoking the tires). Between the lines, I think I've read some good things about the 5AT. I've only driven a 6MT 350Z at this point... It'll probably come down to driving both back-to-back at the dealership, but since it's an adaptive tranny, I don't know if the test drive will be enough for me to tell if it gives me the level of control that I want out of it.

hypeiv

iTrader: (2)

This topic has been covered a lot and normally ends up in a flame war. The hardest part about owning a 5AT is the trash you are going to hear from everyone.

I got the 5AT b/c it was right for me and I have gotten used to feeling like a black sheep amoung Z owners and sports car lovers. I even get jeers from people who dont drive sport cars who often tell me "if i ever got a sports car I would get a stick". These people will never change their view and you will have to live with that. So that is something you should consider before buying an automatic Z.

I know lots of people who would never drive an automatic no matter what and I have no problem with that. Driving a standard is so natural to them they don't mind doing it in traffic and they obviously love it when they get out and do some spirited driving. I think in their eyes they see driving the standard as a right of passage to owning a sports car, and they think it is lame that people who don't want to deal with the 6mt in traffic are kind of crashing the party w/o paying their dues. Another argument they have is that anyone can simply mash the gas down and go fast if they have an automatic while driving a 6mt fast requires you to do correct shifts. Again the autos get to enjoy the speed of the car w/o having to worry about that... so this goes back to crashing the party.

I understand why the 6mt guys think us 5at guys are lame but I really don't care (anymore). The 5at was right for me there are enough of us on the forum to support each other.

MrKaira

iTrader: (87)

I was originally set on a 6MT too, until I found out about the manual mode on the AT. If it had been a traditional automatic, there would have been nothing that could have convinced me to get it. Since getting the 5AT there have been times where I wished I had a 6MT, but there are even more times when I am glad I dont have to worry about shifting. That is probably the biggest advantage(for me anyway) of having the AT, not that I don't really enjoy a MT, its nice since its my daily driver. The manual mode is not what I had hoped for though. Its nice because it is definately better than a regular automatic, but it definately is not that same as a 6 speed. In all honesty, if i went and did it over again I would have gotten the 6MT and just dealt with the difficult times. Mind you i still love my car a lot and it still preforms well, sometimes i think it would be nice to get the 6MT. Hope that helps...

jeeper78

I've been known to utter the exact same words. But, I'm only concerned with getting what's going to make me the most happy at this point. Besides, I already have one MT vehicle.

Can you elaborate on that at all? I'm interested in exactly what the shortfalls are, and what about it makes you miss a MT.

Thanks for the input so far

hypeiv

iTrader: (2)

When you use the autostick mode I don't think it feels as responsive for upshifting as a 6mt. When I drive a car that is stick hard and I am changing gears at high rpms I like that firm feeling you get when you change to the next gear. The autostick changes the gears very smooth and so you don't get that jerk that you would expect if you were tearing through the gears. I think that is what he means by it not being a very good 6mt substitute.

I think it handles downshifting very well and thus makes the Z even in auto form very street raceable... i.e. if I was in a normal automatic car trying to race from a roll when we honk it off while rolling at say 30mph I might be in 4th or 5th gear with no way to drop it down. When the race starts and I punch the gas it takes a second for the automatic to drop down to second and by that time you have already lost the race... in my Z i can take it down to second on my own at 30mph and then punch it while I am already in the right gear... after I punch it i can click it back over into Drive or upshift on my own... which is about the same since I never race all the way through 3rd gear... that would be going too fast

MrKaira

iTrader: (87)

yeah, i agree with what hypeiv said... it is nice and its good enough to make it raceable, it just doesnt have the same jerk to it or the same feel with the clutch, ya know? The nice thing about it, my favorite, is that you dont have to let off the gas, that is one advantage to it. You just keep your foot slammed the whole time and let er rip. i dont know if its really that much of an advantage, i havent taken this car to the track yet and i havent "raced" anyone on the street thats even really been notable. Maybe someone has more experience with this?

kpiskin

iTrader: (5)

I'm another one who was deadset on a 6mt, but found a very good deal on a 5AT that I felt I couldn't pass up. In a sense I compromised, but after living with it for awhile I really think it's the best of both worlds. Shift when you want or leave it in full auto during heavy stop and go. I find myself shifting all the time. Honestly, when in manumatic (or whatever it's called) because the computer does all the work, I think it may actually shift faster than if you had to push the clutch in and let it out.

sentry65

iTrader: (11)

i had a 5AT 350Z before I got my 6MT....sometimes I miss the 5AT. Was a quick smooth ride. You can get a 6MT pumkin and get something like .5 sec faster in the 1/4 mile for $600 or less.

When I had the 5AT though, I felt like such a wannabe doing the manual shifting though with it. When I'd use drive, I felt like I should be shifting or something.

Really though, the 5AT is probably the nicest AT's I've ever driven - i'm sure there's better ones out there, but it's NICE for AT. The 6MT is notchy and hard to get into 1st and reverse, you get occasional gear grind, and you're wearing out the clutch when you drive. The 5AT wears on the brakes more, and you can't rev your engine easily or do full out burn outs so easy. Also the newer 5AT's have 287 hp with the older engine. the 6MT's have the 300hp engine.


I've already decided I'm not going to buy a new car unless it has the F1 style shifter tabs on the steering wheel and they actually work well. Want something different

BillZ_Fan

I am one of those that believes that a manual transmission in a sports car is absolutely necessary.

If you enjoy the exhiliration of driving a fast car than why not drive it rather than deferring to the vehicles transmission to do so for you.

Just my two cents. Good luck in your purchase, whatever the transmission choice.

The Brickyard Rat

iTrader: (1)

Go drive em both & choose the one that suits your needs best.

Who cares about what others think.

I've never seen a post complaining about the AT (other than the usual blather about how sports cars HAVE to be MT).

jeeper78

I know what you're saying about shifting a MT. There's that satisfying burst of power when you hit the next gear and come back off the clutch... when you start accelerating again after you've been essentially coasting for the previous second with the clutch in.
I think this is definitely the most important part to me... the ability to be in the correct gear at all times. It sounds like the the 5AT allows you to do that rather well in manual mode.

I guess I'm just going to have to drive the 5AT and probably a 6MT again to refresh my memory... and see if the 5AT is satisfying enough to accelerate with.

As far as the points that have been made by others, I'm not too concerned with doing burn-outs or reving my engine.. I don't have to show off for anyone Also, it's my understanding that peak hp of the 300hp engine is at a higher RPM, and it produces less torque than the 287hp engine. I think I'd rather have more torque, won't that give more of that low end grunt off the line? What exactly did they do to the engine to swap HP for torque - different cam shaft or something?

hypeiv

iTrader: (2)

That is right... I talked to a guy at work about that who drives an automatic corvette (and drag races it... i think he has 4.10's in his 4AT) and knows a ton about cars and he thinks that Nissan put the 287hp engine in the autos b/c it had more torque and the way the mechanics of the automatic work it is more important to have more torque than more HP... but the way the torque curve is for the 300hp engine (based on stock dynos I found) he said it looks like the 300hp engine has more usable tq across the powerband. He seems to think the 287 is better for the auto and the 300 is better for the 6mt...

I didn't understand him enough to make up my mind but logically I have to agree since I am sure Nissan does it for a reason.

There was a thread awhile back where a guy at performance nissan (mynismo.com) was going through the parts and said the entire upper and lower plenum was different. I have also heard the 300hp engines have stronger internals but that was based on side by side pictures not on any kind of stress to prove it could take more FI than the old engine.

davidv

iTrader: (2)

If you are a manual transmission person, you know it intuitively, and shouldn't have to ask. The automatic is fine for some people, while the manual is good for others. Both are 350Zs. Both are great sports cars. You’ll be pleased with the automatic.

GhostFace

iTrader: (1)

test drive both cars and see what you prefer yourself

dont worry about other people's opinions when you make your decision, you're the one paying for it, not them

personally i'd just take the 5AT too

350ztoronto

iTrader: (10)

if your ok with people bashin your car just cause its auto then go for it, forget what they think its your ride ^__^
goodluck on ur choice

Paul350Z

iTrader: (1)

I have a 35th with the AT and I'm proud to say that the US tax payers are paying for it - every dime due to my Navy retirement

The Navy left me with a good retirement check (12 months finance on the Z) and a pair of bum knees. Driving in stop and go traffic ... which we get a bit of in LA would be as joyous as bamboo sticks under my fingernails. There are days where I'm good and days when I'm bad.

I gave up street racing 30 years ago after losing one friend to a Honda 1300 and a tree, nearly another to a Mach I Mustang, a Harley, and a rather deep drainage ditch, and a felony charge or two on my driving record. So the extra 0.5 seconds the AT costs me in the quarter mile races I'll never race will never be missed. Any where but on the drag strip and I really doubt you'll miss the extra work - if you beat it like a rented horse you can up grade the AT's valves with one of the few upgrades available from Stillen and a couple of others.

GreenEnvy

I have an AT and I'm not ashamed of it. I drive 60 miles a day to go to work and I don't want to have to deal with shifting. I love driving my Z, it does all the work for me and I can relax. I figure one of these days I'll buy a cheap car so I can learn how to shift better and not worry about killing it. I've had one crappy car that was MT and it broke down on me after driving it twice (not my fault! lol*). Sorry for babbling... I'm sure you'll make the right decision. Don't let anyone make it for you, after all... it's your $$$$$.