Getting a BRZ.. AT or MT?

[Swaggrenox]

There had been plenty of posts about auto vs manual tranny already. If you want advice from a professionnal, check out :
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6485

This guy posts amazing things in this forum.
I ended up getting an AT, because this is my DD and I don't live anywhere near the mountain roads.. You should check out both and see for yourself. I find this AT amazing though, it rev matches, it is very responsive, and I don't think you'll regret getting it over a manual. I suppose they are both really fun

[rs999]

Test drive both but sometimes I wish I got the auto. I daily my MT frs and have autocrossed it as well.

I have not seen any advantage to having the manual transmission. It's more of a novelty and you'll be as fast with either car.

And don't believe the people saying manual is more engaged. Sure you get to row gears but there really is no reason to do so these days unless you're piloting the car from the gear shifter instead of the steering wheel.

[Envirotech]

MT for fun. AT for practicality for me. Its a DD and while I love MT I would get tired of the constant shifting as a DD in traffic

[BlueFire]

Yea the big thing is, this is will be my DD.

[B-R-Z]

Originally Posted by BlueFire

Yea the big thing is, this is will be my DD.

You really can't take other peoples preference into making your decision. I drive 500 miles a week commuting to work with a good 30 minutes each day in stop and go traffic and still would never, ever, buy an automatic. Some in my situation may hate the MT while others like me still prefer it.

[BlueFire]

Originally Posted by B-R-Z

You really can't take other peoples preference into making your decision. I drive 500 miles a week commuting to work with a good 30 minutes each day in stop and go traffic and still would never, ever, buy an automatic. Some in my situation may hate the MT while others like me still prefer it.

I agree..when it comes to that stuff, personal preference always wins..well it should.

[skye67]

Having owned both MT and the AT. And being a road warrior traveling 400 to 500 miles in a day. The MT will keep you busy and fell more at one with car. But the actual dental down shift into second gear when passing somebody gets annoying. And if you're like me, and receive numerous phone calls, having reply to texts and emails while you're driving it's not the best thing to have. No I'm not texting while driving I use voice texting.
The AT in sport mode at times feels very aggressive. Especially when its down shifting on its own. And sometimes stuck in heavy traffic and seeing that opening to pass. Stabbing at the throttle and have it down shift in the third gear. It passes like a rocket. But yes, the 5th and 6th over drive gearing is way to tall. But gives me a chance recoup the miles per gallon when I'm not passing people.
The AT holds you in the right gear for the speed your going. Sometimes to long, the car feels like it wants to race. The only thing I do miss about the MT, is being able to cherp the tires and doing burnouts.

[BlueFire]

Originally Posted by skye67

Having owned both MT and the AT. And being a road warrior traveling 400 to 500 miles in a day. The MT will keep you busy and fell more at one with car. But the actual dental down shift into second gear when passing somebody gets annoying. And if you're like me, and receive numerous phone calls, having reply to texts and emails while you're driving it's not the best thing to have. No I'm not texting while driving I use voice texting.
The AT in sport mode at times feels very aggressive. Especially when its down shifting on its own. And sometimes stuck in heavy traffic and seeing that opening to pass. Stabbing at the throttle and have it down shift in the third gear. It passes like a rocket. But yes, the 5th and 6th over drive gearing is way to tall. But gives me a chance recoup the miles per gallon when I'm not passing people.
The AT holds you in the right gear for the speed your going. Sometimes to long, the car feels like it wants to race. The only thing I do miss about the MT, is being able to cherp the tires and doing burnouts.

Thank you sir. Im usually kinda busy when I'm on the road as well.

[poptart]

Originally Posted by BlueFire

I have always owned automatics, of course i can drive manual as i learned on one lol and have drove a few others as well, aside from my owning motorcycles the past 10 years. Anyway I'm kinda wondering if the BRZ would be more fun as the MT over the AT. I do a bit of traveling from time to time so I'm kinda thinking i may be worn out with the manual at some times. I test drove the AT BRZ a week ago. Can some guys with some experience chime in for me please? Is it a chore to shift? Is it nice and smooth?

If you ride motorcycles, shifting a manual car all day long is not tiring. I ride them too and used to daily drive a 2nd gen Turbo DSM with a manual and it was no big deal at all, even in traffic.

If I get a BRZ/FRS, I'm 99% sure I'd get a MT, but I wish it got the MPG of the AT. The paddle shifters might be kind of fun. But in this type of car, I would prefer another manual and many reviews say it has good feel for a budget sports car. I haven't driven one yet.

[BlueFire]

Well just got back. I may be possibly getting a Black Mono FRS. It seems i may get the better deal. But right now subaru has 0% interest for the life of the loan on the 2014s.

[sactownbwoy]

Manual all the way. My BRZ is my daily and I commute about 70 miles a day, drive to work no traffic, but on the way home there is a bit of traffic. But still for a sports car I will take a manual 100% of the time. For me I wouldn't care if the automatic got 10+ better miles per gallon. There is nothing like shifting the gears yourself.

[strat61caster]

I've done stop and go rush hour in LA (405, 5, and a few others) and SF (101, 280/680 others) with a MT both in this and my truck. Sure there were times I got out with a stiff left leg but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's been done before and will be done again.

Get the car you think you will be most content with, nobody here will know if the defining trait of owning this car will be you sitting in traffic going "should have gotten the fucking automatic" as you bump along in first gear or you apexing through one of the best driving roads in the state going "should have gotten the fucking manual" as the transmission downshifts with no drama as you tap a button. Only you can prevent fore- I mean answer this question.

[Jaden]

Originally Posted by Gunman

I got the auto, best of both worlds in my opinion. Stop and go, or running around town it's in auto. Wife can drive it if she needs to. Paddles for spirited mountain drives. If it didn't have the paddles, I would have been very tempted to go MT.

Without the paddles, I would've gotten a MT for sure, but I'm eventually planning on putting in a sequential manual transaxle in the back to better even out the weight distribution and to lower the weight so the AT works for that too...

Jaden

[kavanagh]

I love how people who have never tried the AT always tell someone to get the manual.

It's like if I had never tried Brussels sprouts and just believed everyone when they said they're gross. Guess what, I tried Brussels sprouts and likes them.

Drive both. Choose the one you like.

For my two cents:

I've driven manual sports cars since 1984. I've driven in heavy traffic in a manual, it's no big deal. I and my wife both ride sport bikes (CBR1000RR for me and GSXR 750 for her).

We drove both and bought the auto. And we track it. And we do road trips. And we commute 70 miles a day. And I drive like an asshole sometimes and do slide around corners. In manual or sport mode it sounds like an F1 car when it upshifts and I love the autoblip downshifts.

Test both, buy your favorite, can't go wrong with either.