Getting a BRZ.. AT or MT? - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

BlueFire · 08-01-2014, 07:10 PM

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?

Createddeleted · 08-01-2014, 07:23 PM

Smoothly shifting my notchy gears.

I should have test driven an automatic, mainly due to the gearing of te car and getting better highway milage. But that's personal preference. For fun, I'd say get a manual.

Another benefit to auto is that my SO would have been able to drive it of need be.

Ganthrithor · 08-01-2014, 07:28 PM

Get the manual unless you live somewhere that has constant bumper-to-bumper traffic. And even then, I'd still probably get the manual...

The clutch is light and the gearbox is easy to work-- even when I'm stuck in LA traffic, it's really not the end of the world. Would an auto be lazier? Yes. Would it be worth not having the manual when I'm doing fun driving? Absolutely not.

giorgi0424 · 08-01-2014, 07:40 PM

regardless if I'd be living in a place with a lot of traffic or no traffic, as long as I have a passion for cars, I'll always choose a manual over an automatic due to a manual being significantly more engaging and fun. With a car this "slow" in terms of performance, having a manual transmission to stir around makes it so much more exciting, and really delivers the full BRZ experience the best

Lunatic · 08-01-2014, 07:41 PM

I bought the automatic and love it.

BlueFire · 08-01-2014, 07:42 PM

Thank you guys for the replies..

Gunman · 08-01-2014, 07:43 PM

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.

dbrandt01 · 08-01-2014, 07:52 PM

There's a lot of stop and go traffic here in Alabama during the summers. A lot of tourists come down here to the beach. I wouldn't have it any other way being in a manual. I never drove the automatic, but this was my first manual and I'm glad I made the transition to learn how to drive it. It's fun for me at least.

It's notchy, but it's also fairly easy to shift smoothly in my opinion. Clutch is light compared to the camaro I driven that was a manual at least.

Havsie · 08-01-2014, 07:54 PM

I've driven both and I wouldn't want to own this car with the automatic. It's not fast, efficient, or comfortable enough.

If I was going to buy an automatic car, it wouldn't be this one. The automatic transmission itself is pretty mediocre in terms of feel and performance. If I was buying an automatic cheap performance car I would probably get a GTI with the DSG. That has an excellent automatic.

BlueFire · 08-01-2014, 07:56 PM

Nice information, thank u guys.

radroach · 08-01-2014, 07:57 PM

The auto is very good, buttery smooth and accurate, but doesn't have as much fun potential as the MT.

BlueDubbinTDI · 08-01-2014, 08:32 PM

Manual for a little more fun, auto for everything else.

/thread

Draco-REX · 08-01-2014, 08:56 PM

MT.

TestaRossa · 08-01-2014, 09:03 PM

Does your routine commute include more stop-n-go traffic or freeway? if it's mainly freeway commute then I'd really consider getting the manual.
I went through this myself, and although the car's used for pleasure/spirited driving less than probably 10%, that 10% is where it counts, for me at least

08-01-2014, 07:10 PM	#1
BlueFire Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Drives: 2014 BRZ- Blue Location: AR, USA Posts: 19 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Getting a BRZ.. AT or MT? 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?

08-01-2014, 07:23 PM	#2
Createddeleted Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Drives: 2014 BRZ - 2004 GLI Location: Texas Posts: 328 Thanks: 255 Thanked 228 Times in 122 Posts Mentioned: 4 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Smoothly shifting my notchy gears. I should have test driven an automatic, mainly due to the gearing of te car and getting better highway milage. But that's personal preference. For fun, I'd say get a manual. Another benefit to auto is that my SO would have been able to drive it of need be.

08-01-2014, 07:28 PM	#3
Ganthrithor Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Drives: '13 BRZ, '06 997, Other Things(TM) Location: Santa Barbara, CA Posts: 1,078 Thanks: 1,715 Thanked 670 Times in 351 Posts Mentioned: 9 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Get the manual unless you live somewhere that has constant bumper-to-bumper traffic. And even then, I'd still probably get the manual... The clutch is light and the gearbox is easy to work-- even when I'm stuck in LA traffic, it's really not the end of the world. Would an auto be lazier? Yes. Would it be worth not having the manual when I'm doing fun driving? Absolutely not.

08-01-2014, 07:41 PM	#5
Lunatic Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Drives: 2015 Raven FRS Location: Indio, CA. Just an Old Fart in a Automatic!. Posts: 1,614 Thanks: 7 Thanked 1,056 Times in 488 Posts Mentioned: 40 Post(s) Tagged: 2 Thread(s)	I bought the automatic and love it.

08-01-2014, 07:42 PM	#6
BlueFire Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Drives: 2014 BRZ- Blue Location: AR, USA Posts: 19 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Thank you guys for the replies..

08-01-2014, 07:52 PM	#8
dbrandt01 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Drives: none Location: N/A Posts: 411 Thanks: 185 Thanked 229 Times in 140 Posts Mentioned: 16 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	There's a lot of stop and go traffic here in Alabama during the summers. A lot of tourists come down here to the beach. I wouldn't have it any other way being in a manual. I never drove the automatic, but this was my first manual and I'm glad I made the transition to learn how to drive it. It's fun for me at least. It's notchy, but it's also fairly easy to shift smoothly in my opinion. Clutch is light compared to the camaro I driven that was a manual at least.

08-01-2014, 07:54 PM	#9
Havsie Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Drives: 13 FR-S Whiteout 6MT Location: NJ Posts: 96 Thanks: 1 Thanked 88 Times in 30 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I've driven both and I wouldn't want to own this car with the automatic. It's not fast, efficient, or comfortable enough. If I was going to buy an automatic car, it wouldn't be this one. The automatic transmission itself is pretty mediocre in terms of feel and performance. If I was buying an automatic cheap performance car I would probably get a GTI with the DSG. That has an excellent automatic.

08-01-2014, 07:56 PM	#10
BlueFire Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Drives: 2014 BRZ- Blue Location: AR, USA Posts: 19 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts Mentioned: 1 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Nice information, thank u guys.

08-01-2014, 07:57 PM	#11
radroach Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Drives: car Location: usa Posts: 2,162 Thanks: 1,028 Thanked 867 Times in 530 Posts Mentioned: 35 Post(s) Tagged: 1 Thread(s)	The auto is very good, buttery smooth and accurate, but doesn't have as much fun potential as the MT.

08-01-2014, 08:32 PM	#12
BlueDubbinTDI Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Drives: 2013 FR-S, 2012 MCS Location: Jax, FL Posts: 1,975 Thanks: 943 Thanked 570 Times in 356 Posts Mentioned: 4 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Manual for a little more fun, auto for everything else. /thread

08-01-2014, 08:56 PM	#13
Draco-REX Corner Junkie Join Date: Feb 2012 Drives: 13 BRZ, 11 STI, 99 RS Location: Ohio Posts: 2,908 Thanks: 129 Thanked 1,520 Times in 702 Posts Mentioned: 11 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	MT.

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