Automatic FRS
 

I get a lot of flack for it at work. I'm personally not that great at shifting, and I like the freedom the auto gives me - while still allowing me to have fun. I love ripping around corners with my paddle shifts.

Problem is it's slower though

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qde3TcynFAI"]6 speed auto vs 6 speed manual FRS - YouTube[/ame]

and that's with mods even. So how much slower really is the Auto? This is already a pretty slow car to begin with, I raced a friends older civic and he was right on my ass the entire time. He later laughed at how under-powered he felt this car was. I at least managed to also beat another guys older v6 lancer though which felt nice.

I haven't done a 0-60 run yet, but it feels a hell of a lot faster than the apparent "8" seconds people have been saying on the auto that I've been hearing. I know I'm at least consistently getting around 7-7.5 if I'm doing the shifting myself and with traction/stability off but I haven't fully tested it yet. With a good launch it really doesn't feel that slow to me. I know having another person in the car (due to weight) can reduce the times. Performance also seems somewhat inconsistent, car feels faster at times to me then at other times (though it might be in my head)

So I was wondering what you guys thought? Outside of the better MPG, how much slower is the Auto really compared to the manual? I have trouble believing the official times as 8 seconds to 60 just doesn't seem right to me.

Did I #$# up in getting the auto? I tried test driving the standard but stalled it like twice so I kind of caved and went with the auto (I've been away from the clutch too long) I love shifting but cant stand dealing with a clutch - seems to take the fun out of driving for me. How do you auto drivers feel? Any of you get flack for buying the auto version of this car too?

Off topic but I heard turbo's worked better in auto's but I'm not sure if that is true or not or just some myth. I would like some clarification on that as well if possible. Thanks

i've only had like an hour of seat time in a manual so i'm really not that good.
during that time, i didn't find it as fun as people say. i like new technology and the freedom of not having to manually shift if i don't want to.
who cares if those people make fun of you for driving an auto.
if they really want to be purists, tell them to go shovel coal or use a steam engine or something

Dude, you bought your car already, stop thinking about whether manual or auto is better. You even said, "I'm personally not that great at shifting, and I like the freedom the auto gives me - while still allowing me to have fun. I love ripping around corners with my paddle shifts."

Sure it's slower than manual, but at this point it doesn't really matter. And who cares if a Honda was riding your ass, your friend is driving a civic (lol).. this car isn't meant to be a speed demon and yes that statement includes manual transmission.

Btw, try taking your friend on some curvy roads and see if his shitbox can keep up with you then!

My FR-S is the first manual car I've owned, although I've driven sticks before, and I was definitely rusty when I first got it. Still am, since it's only been a week and a half. lol But the progress I've made in that week is very good. A 5 hour drive that turns into 7 hours due to dead crawl holiday traffic will force you to get good at it. ;) lol This is actually the easiest/most forgiving manual gearbox I've ever driven.

That being said, it's to each their own. Some guys like the comfort and driving ease of the automatic, and that's good for them. Personally, I couldn't buy this car with an auto transmission. However, your car isn't mine and mine isn't yours. If you like it then that's all that matters, enjoy it as it is. If you do look at another in the future though, keep in mind that this manual transmission is very easy to learn on and get used to/good at.

This car isn't going to win many races, even with the manual transmission. Also, I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as a v6 lancer, I could be wrong though.

Even with a turbocharger there will be a lot faster cars on the road that are a lot less modified. If you wanted a car for highway races you bought the wrong car.

I don't mean to sound like your dad, but filming youself while you're racing on public roads is pretty lame.

You mean track. It's more fun there and you can't make lame excuses like omg there was a wet leaf I didn't want to die.

Tracking my car really dropped the FI I wanted down the priority list.

LOL wet leaf DKM me man :lol:

I used to drive autos. When looking at this car at the dealer lot, I stalled it twice. It didn't matter to me, I knew what I wanted and I took the leap. Sure, the next 2-3 weeks of stalling in traffic sucked, but it builds memories. Struggling for a bit is part of the learning experience and makes for funny drinking stories.

I still stall from time to time, but I haven't regretted buying the manually nearly as much as I thought I would. Be happy with whatever choice you made and don't try to justify it to anyone - as long as you're glad with what you have, that's what matters.

haha somehow I managed to not stall it on the test drive. I had some casual experience driving my ex gf mt Si, but other than that my first MT car. As I drove it out the dealer lot into traffic, someone gave me a pass to enter traffic and I stalled exiting the dealer driveway haha :lol:

No, sounds like you bought the car you wanted to buy and you care too much what other people say, you can't hear them when you're at 7,000 rpm carving through a corner.

Like was said above, go to a track or autocross, a turbo will be the last thing on your mind unless you're secretly a super experienced racing driver and a great troll.

I can top that. I had learned stick ages ago on a janky '67 Beetle. Shift springs were worn/broken so the stick constantly leaned left while in neutral. Therefore, as far as I knew, getting into first was just pushing the gear straight on. Nope.

Left the dealership, stalling in 3rd about a dozen times. Got myself stuck in the middle of an intersection in the left turn stalling in 3rd. Didn't know about the reverse lockout because I was too eager to get my car home, so I didn't know how to get it into reverse. I was actually throwing it into first over and over again. So further I crept into the intersection as I stalled over and over again. Cars honking. Palms sweating. Feverish cursing.



And to this day I do not regret getting the manual. :bonk:

No true car enthusiast who is worth there time talking to would make fun of you for buying whatever car you did or which ever transmission route you went.

They sure will have there opinion on what is best, and might tell you why they feel MT is better or why there FRS is cooler than your BRZ blah blah blah. But if they look down of you for you being a car fan and choosing something that fits you best there not worth your time.

I have the AT, love it to death. Taken it to the track, take it out into the windy roads for weekend drives at least every other week. I normally am in manual shift mode but when LA traffic hits I can just chill in auto mode and not care. Its not a straight line car and you shouldnt look at it like one. I dont care if other people think its lame if I went AT, its not there car so who the fuck cares what they think.

If you wanted straight line drag race speed you should have bought American Muscle, not a Japanese Import.

This is my first automatic.

It's also my first new car.

No regrets.

I want to drive the wheels off this thing, which probably means at least 200k miles and twenty years. I'll be fifty in twenty years. I don't want to struggle to commute with a cup of hot tea in my old age. I've already had one kidney transplant.

The automatic is only about a second-or-so slower. Even the slowest of our cars would have been a supercar thirty years ago.

As far as bragging rights go, anyone who would put someone else down (in person) for the car they bought is a ****. Most people who brag about how quick their car is is usually compensating for something else. Or jealous. Or lying anyway.

I like my "slow" car just fine. :-)

This isn't a 0-60 car, it's all about the handling. Really, you made an awesome choice in some scenarios with the auto because sitting in traffic with this car is THE WORST.
If you're talking braking and corners you don't have to heel toe, rev match, etc. Maybe a small dip in acceleration if anything. Both autos and manuals have their setbacks. The fact is you bought an awesome car which can destroy most of its competition with a tire swap.

If you are happy with it and it feels fast to you that is all that matters. Don't let other people influence about how you feel about your car.

And no, there is no such thing as a V6 Lancer lol

I deal with shitty traffic, shitty drivers, and sciatica in my legs on a daily basis, so I'm happy with my AT.

I'm glad that people are passionate about the MT, and it fits the car very well, I just can't deal with it as a DD anymore.

It's not a 0-60 car anyway, I honestly couldn't care less about those kinds of stats. If I did, I'd have bought a 5.0 Mustang.

Toyota and Subaru made automatic versions of the car for handicapped people and women.

every woman (including me) in my family knows how to drive mt.......and so does every idiot that lives in europe....knowing how to drive mt doesn't instantly make anyone a better driver

my other car is a mt station wagon, and my frs is at........go figure lol

Dude, I was a stones throw away from getting an AT. The speed difference is really negligible, this car is a turning beast.

If people give you shit about your AT just throw these back at them:
"the GT-R is a paddle shift AT"
"if you do an NASA event in the beginner class, only paddle shift drivers are allowed to shift in the turns to the optimal gear they need." (this helped my buddy with a modded golf GTI mk5 take out porches at Roebling Road, GA)
"the AT will probably have better resale value in the future as MT drivers are a dying breed, and the way an MT was driven can really hurt its tranny/clutch etc..."
"you don't have to deal with stop and go traffic"
"or roads that are basically speed bump mountain ranges"

I was given a loaner auto FR-S by the dealer when my car was in the shop.

The paddle shifting was fun for, oh, 30 seconds or so. I actually ended up leaving it in automatic mode after. It was very boring to drive.

Just my opinion.

I enjoy my Auto. I was close to getting the manual but the idea of driving in heavy Southern California in a stick didn't seem fun to me. I know there are plenty of people who do it and I'm sure I would be fine either way, but the auto seemed to fit me better.

Same here I was on the verge of buying stick but living in LA and having to deal with traffic is killer. But lately I've been regretting it.


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I love my automatic, every time I pull a paddle I feel like Lewis Hamilton. BG
Seriously though, I have done several 0 to 60 runs with very accurate timing equipment and the best I was able to do was 8.27. But who cares, it's as much fun on the track as my turbo-ed Minibusa, 40 mph slower, but just as much fun.

I love my automatic as well and don't have any regrets about it - although I can understand why some people prefer a MT.

That being said - does anyone with an AT use the shift nob while it is in manual mode to shift? I know that it's not quite the same as a manual seeing as there is no clutch, and you simply move the knob either up or down to upshift or downshift respectively, but I still find it to be a lot more engaging than using the paddle shifters when I'm not driving it in auto.

I use the shifter quite a bit. I've never been too fond of where they stick the paddle shifters on most cars. My old MKV GTI had paddles as well and I rarely touched them. I don't drive in the "10 and 2 O'clock" position so it's very counter intuitive for me to use the paddles. I'm more of a "8 and 4 O'clock" position driver.

Enjoy your purchase and the added MPG.

i drive the auto, and i muist admit it does kill the experrience for me, as im all for manual.

That being said it is one of the most pleasant and sporty boxes out there, this side of a DSG, quick changes and the fact that it will allow you to rev till the limiter is refreshing.

PS: the car is my fiances hence its an Auto.

I always get a chuckle out of these debates.. I have been a long time standard driver. I ordered my 2013 whiteout in manual and while the dealer was doing up the paperwork took the auto out just for a laugh. Upon my return we cancelled my order and switched it to Auto. I honestly had just as much fun in the auto. Also on days when traffic is standing still on the highways just reassures me i made the right choice. Who cares if its auto or manual, enjoy your car for your own reasons you bought it.

Stop using Torque.

Absolutely. I generally only use the paddles in D mode to take temporary control. If I'm running in full manual mode, I don't use the paddles at all, just the shifter.

Right, I suppose I don't have two manual cars and two autos. The auto in the 86 is light years ahead of the 2 manuals and even more so than the other AT.

Drive one bro, not a single person with that mindset still had doubts after trying out the AT.

Keep it at 9-3. You will be able to leave your hands on the steering wheel even for 90 degree turns. If you must, learn where to shift your hand as it comes back around.

Or just don't shift during a corner being such an amateur.

I'll probably be buying a FR-S this week. I am getting the 6MT version. The reason being is I already have a DSG GTI whose gearbox is light years ahead of any standard automatic with torque converter.

This will be the first manual car I've purchased and the most I've ever driven manual regularly is moving my friends' cars from parking spots and driving an ex-girlfriend's car home.

I think I still have the clutch gas thing down but I am a little heavy on riding the clutch especially when getting out of first.

If the FR-S was offered with an automated manual, I might have chose that over the 6MT version.

Automatic FRS
 

Kudos on a very well-mannered thread with healthy discussion and rational insight 😁. I'm happy with my auto, and like any FR-S/BR-Z owner, I just care about getting rid of the torque dip.


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I was going to get the MT (cheaper, more fun, yada yada) and I've driven manual before, but I just moved from a town of 5,000 people tops to Cleveland, OH. My first week in Cleveland traffic made me want to slaughter everyone including myself even in my AT Pontiac.

Long story short...I bought the AT and have gotten some slack for it, but I dont care. If other people want to waste their time talking about how I made a bad choice that's their decision.

You virtually owned him.

Honestly, the most annoying thing from re-learning stick has been getting used to the slight bump with every gear change. I know of a handful of stick drivers that can make their car feel like an automatic, but as of right now, I'm nowhere near that proficient.

Once I got over the hurdle of "GAH!!! WHY CAN'T I SHIFT SMOOTHLY!" and just accepted that I can't make every shift as butter smooth as a modern A/T... I've had a blast.

I definitely considered the A/T for a while, but I knew that if I didn't start driving stick again while I was young, I wouldn't bother with it when I'm too old and too lazy to deal with it. Inevitably, knee issues will take away my ability to DD a manual transmission, so I wanted to get some good years before that happens. Plus, even if A/T is by far a more practical choice in SoCal, I'm glad to know how to drive a standard car (a dying skill in the US).

At the end of the day, I'll still have my gripes when stuck in SoCal traffic, but for those Sunday drives with clear B-roads... I wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Like others have said, Manual or Auto, this car is something special. Don't worry about people who rag on you for driving an automatic. It's just technological progression. It'd be akin to people driving old crash boxes looking down on a modern manual transmission for having synchros.

I have the AT BRZ, primarily because my wife does not drive stick, and we needed our 2nd car to be an auto in case she needed to use it in an emergency. i've driven stick for 30 years, so it's not a 'novelty' to me or a feeling of being more engaged - it's just another way to change gears with its pros and cons. i don't even think about it when switching back and forth between manual and AT, except that my left leg reminds me it's getting more tired in traffic when driving manual.

i have a short daily commute in traffic, so an AT is much more convenient for me to use. the paddle shifters are actually still a 'novelty' to me and i like using them; more so than the shifter. the whole advantage (to me) is not having to remove my hand from the steering wheel. most of my shifts done are before or after turns. the locations of the paddles are fine for me - i use a 9-3 hand position.

other than being able to launch faster from a stop with a manual, i don't find any practical difference between the AT and manual - i can upshift or downshift at will; either from the steering wheel or with the shifter (if i want to simulate more of a stick shift feel), quicker and smoother than i ever did with a manual, and all without using my left foot.

the only time i see anyone given flak for owning an AT is on this forum. no one else i talk to in person cares, or argues different, as there are good reasons on both sides, and it all boils down to personal preference.

if i want to feel fully engaged with my vehicle, i hop on my motorcycle, which basically demands full attention at all times.

Whatever helps you sleep better at night. :)