Standard VS. Auto
 

I am on the road to getting a 2014 MY BRZ or FR-S. I have little experience driving stick..less than an hour in total time and have driven three different manual cars. To be honest, manual gearboxes do not appeal to me on a daily driver, which my BRZ/FR-S would be. I do plan on making significant mods to my car..would it be worth learning manual because of the costs that would come along with beefing up the auto transmission?

If you're intent is to get the full enjoyment out of the car, I would go with a stick. The BRZ/FRS is very easy to drive... even on a stick. The amount of money you would spend on an Auto, just to make it as quick as a stick, is considerable.

Is the standard gearbox faster than the auto? I was actually referring to money I'd most likely need to spend on the transmission as I plan on going with a turbo or supercharger.

So far the auto seems to holding very well, so I'm not sure how much beefing up you'll need to do.

No one can answer this for you. Personally I would never even consider an auto, ever. It's a waste of a car to me. But plenty of people prefer them. If I were you I'd learn to drive a manual on a beater and then decide.

I guess time will tell. What kind of car would you suggest for learning stick? As of now the stick in my car is my father's Porsche and I definitely don't wanna learn how to drive on that..already got a headache the last time I drove it.

I'd be willing to sell my VW for a beater..so something cheap.

Standard is indeed faster than an auto.

AUTO ACCEL MAN
3.3 30MPH 2.3
4.6 40mph 3.3
6.3 50mph 4.7
8.1 60mph 6.3
10.4 70mph 8.2
13.2 80mph 10.4
16.3 90mph 13.2
21.4 100mph 16.4
27.8 110mph 21.2
35.3 120mph 26.6
16.3 1/4mile 14.9
Info is based off of car and driver Test sheets. Auto is from frs/man is from brz

Sports Car ->>> Manual.

It's how I see it :\

You have more control and fun with a 6 speed.

A neon. Easiest manual I've ever driven. The engine has a really flat torque curve (not that there's much of it) so you don't have to be picky about what RPM you start out at. The clutch is easy to modulate with sufficient feedback and no one's gonna care if you kill it.

Thank you.

What MY Neon should I be looking at?

This really is a personal choice, if you are not interested in learning to drive a stick, then you will miss some of the essence of what a great sports car is about.

It's more than just turning the steering wheel and mashing the gas and brake as necessary. It's about feeling a real connection to the machine; getting all that feedback and glorious information that the car conveys while you dance around the pedals and snick through gears on a track or twisty road. To me, gear selection is not a nuisance or a means to an end, it's actually part of the enjoyment.

If that doesn't interest you, then yes, get the auto. You will still get a great driving experience along with all the convenience from having a box that shifts for you. I've heard great things about how well the auto responds, but it's still not my preference. Not too sure about it's power handling, either, but I *think* it's the same base unit from the IS350, don't quote me on that but it's worth looking into, I'm sure it's been discussed ad nauseum here on the forums. Some exhaust options are limited to the manual due to clearance issues.

I believe the manual may be a bit faster off the line due to the auto having some sort of reduced rev limiter when the vehicle is stopped...

np