Daily driver..Heavy Commute.. buy a MT?
 

I go through about 2 hours of commute a day, stop and go traffic. After trying the MT FRS, I noticed the soft clutch and thought this wouldn't be too bad for a daily commute. Anyone else make the plunge to MT knowing about their own daily commute?

Yup - I daily into the Houston Metro and bought a 6MT. But I have done it here and in LA and Orlando and S Florida (all high congestion areas) with various manuals and it has never bothered me.

The AT gets better gas mileage so it might be better from that standpoint

I have grown up driving manuals my whole life. When we lived near Washington DC, my wife talked me into getting my first automatic (for my car, the traffic there is horrible) and I regretted not getting a manual every time I drove that car. Have not bought an autormatic for myself since, and shifting gears in traffic is so second nature to me I don't even think about it.

Yeah ive been dealing with the 2 hr LA commute, i'm just used to it already. Also its not so bad with the FRS.

I like having the manual in traffic. It gives me something to do and keeps me from becoming bored out of my mind.

I've got an 80-mile round trip, and I got the MT.
 

I've got a pretty long commute (45min to 1 hr each way), and I chose to go MT / Whiteout. It was a fun choice, and I don't mind the fact that I saved $1,100 and got the more popular option.

Coming from a 97 civic , the soft clutch gave me a bit of confidence. Is the feel of the clutch one of the more softer ones that you guys have tried?

mmm...my commute is 15 mins max...on a bad day...maybe 20 mins, one way. so 30-40mins from home to work to home. Heheheh.

The clutch is pretty light compared to my Legacy 2.5gt. Which is weird by the way. You'd think that a family sedan would have a lighter clutch than a sports car. Oh well, not complaining.

Me and Leavingnormal have basicaly the same commute. I would agree with him. Having drove both gearboxes in the FR-s both are strong for different reasons.

Go for automatic for better mpg and a very impressive paddleshift.

Manual for a little more overall control and enthusiast feel.

I drove the manual, it was up the 405 to santa monica and got caught in gridlock for about 20 mins it wasnt that bad. I would prefer a little more cabin loose for the car in general but thats here nor there.

The first day I had the car I drove in gridlock for 100 miles around... in LA. You get used to it. I have a bad habit of resting my right leg to the right and it hurts a little if I leave it there...

i changed my mind at the last minute after i had a chance to drive both back-back in CA traffic -- i figured i can relax and enjoy the car and my coffee drink when cruising up and down the mountain passes -- so i chose AT. it runs very nice.

The only points thats pulling me to an automatic is the better mileage and i can rest my left leg after all these years of MT.

But the MT was soo fun to drive though. Light clutch, and better resale value, though less mileage and shifting in LA traffic daily.

I chose the AT for the traffic. DC traffic sucks. For me, the AT is more versatile - I can drop into manual mode when I can focus on the road and the car, and leave it in Camry mode when I'm commuting.

I would bet that if you were used to driving a manual it'd be fine in traffic, but I haven't driven one in over a decade.

I live in socal and I'm going manual for sure, traffic be damned!!

Just my opinion, but I would never buy a manual if I had to sit through that kinda traffic each day.

I think auto makes a lot more sense for a daily driver as opposed to a manual. Rules are meant to be broken though - so it all comes down to what you're comfortable.

My question to the OP. Did you try driving both cars? I drove the MT and AT back to back when I picked up mine, and I must say I was very impressed with the AT. The shifting was super quick and it would hold gears in Sport mode. This combined with the paddles and rev matched down sifts make the AT a great choice also.

I did end up getting the MT, but I live in a small city (less than 120k people) with no grid lock or stop and go freeway traffic. If you are worried about traffic I would say the AT isn't so bad.

I would still go manual, for those fun runs away from traffic.

On a slightly unrelated note -- I couldn't handle two hours of traffic every day. I don't know how you guys do it.

Just bought a MT FR-S in nyc, drove home in stop and go traffic (construction work -_-) if your use to driving a manual, i'd say get it. light enough and you sit comfortably enough.

I did indeed try both. Tried the AT twice, MT once. Had way more fun the MT than the AT. However, similar to you, was impressed with the paddles and rev matched down shifts. Its as true to manual as it can be without a clutch and a stick.

I like the MT for the cheaper price, the feel, and the uber-soft clutch compared to my current DD (97 civic). The only cons are the difference in mileage and shifting in traffic daily (which I already do on a harder clutch).

I like the AT for the mileage, and the true-to life manumatic. I would get bored in traffic with an AT and possibly doze off if anything, the price difference is a factor but not an issue.

I used to go through 30 min of traffic and complained about that, i guess you get used to it lol

Try audiobooks. They keep me sane on my daily commute.

Still digging the manual for the daily commute. I love this car!

I commute between Philly and Wilmington, DE every day, and the stop-and-go can be brutal coming back into Philly, or leaving Philly when I head west from the city. (The Schuylkill "Expressway" is just as bad as the freeways around L.A., if not worse.) Even so, I always go MT, and I would with the FR-S/BRZ too. Shifting is second nature, so it only bugs me on the worst traffic days, which is a small price to pay for the added enjoyment the rest of the time.

That said, I tested an FR-S yesterday with the auto, and it is an outstanding example of the breed for all the reasons stated above. I generally dislike autos, but I could understand getting this one. I can't believe how well it matches such a pure driver's car.

2hrs commute? For how many miles OP?

In Hawaii we eek out about 2 more hours of sitting in traffic per year than LA. I hit around 1 - 1.5 hrs for 10 miles during peak times. Hopefully you get farther than I do.

Oh and I think the manual is fine for traffic. Enjoy the car always!

Must have man pedal.

I've had that (RHD so left leg) in all my Toyotas, WTB knee pads. :bonk:

28 miles 1 way.

I'm goin manual, soft clutch and can't stand driving auto:party0030: