Quote:
Originally Posted by mit_peid
I realize I may be turning in my man-card by asking this question, but how good is the BR-Z/FR-S automatic transmission? As much as I like to get a stick, for the other 90% of the time that I would care less for one, this is actually quite a difficult decision for me. I hear the technology is borrowed from the IS-F, but I've been thinking REALLY? I live in Los Angeles and this will be my primary car. I understand it will be a bit slower going from 0-60 compared to the manual, but I won't be drag racing. Honestly, I probably won't spend much time on the track either.
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I occasionally autocross my automatic. If you won't be racing or drifting, don't get the manual. You'll be kicking yourself in the horrible stop and go LA traffic jams. Been there, lanesplit that. The paddles shift just about as fast as I can in my 05 STI, if not faster, and much more reliably.
You'll never miss a paddle shift or grind gears. You won't be burning up your clutch trying to stop/start up hills. Honestly, the only downside to the automatic is that it doesn't launch nearly as fast. Otherwise, it autoblips downshifts and won't let you downshift to a gear that'll put you past the redline. It just beeps at you. You can use the paddles in auto or manual mode. I've also gotten as good as 34 mpg on the freeway during the jammed-up 4th of July holiday weekend.
IMO, unless the person is a stupid-fast autocrosser, I laugh at people pissing and moaning about the auto trans. The auto is the perfect lazy man's race car. Makes me wish my STI had a rally sequential trans with paddles. Might be a future investment.