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Spacemane969 · 03-02-2016, 07:33 PM

A couple of people were asking about OP's final verdict. I can sort of answer from my POV having been in the same situation and test driving the MT for the first time a couple days ago.

A lot of this is just common sense but it really is just going to come down to your experience with manual transmissions and the initial gut feel you have when driving.

The test drive for me competely satisfied my curiosity and solidified my initial decision to go with AT. With very little experience practicing on my friends manual transmission I definitely came out of the test drive just feeling disappointed and not really encouraged at all to learn manual for the first time with this car. The used fr-s i drove seemed to be a bit of a beater, thrashed on and not maintained very well. First thing to notice was the gears just feeling so close together that i missed probably a quarter of shifts, not sure if the shifter in the 86 takes getting used to but the movement just felt so sloppy. Also the dealer noted that there might be some clutch wear in effect...I couldn't really feel a catch point at all. The experience driving a brand new one might have been better or worse, who knows...but for a beginner the whole process of shifting just feels so absolutely outdated and ancient. I completely understand that the mechanical involvement attracts people, but personally I just kind of find it an unnecessary process that really only could be rewarding with time and perfection.

There are really only 3 elements of the manual that are left to be desired in the AT:
1) Aggressive launching
2) Clutch kicking to drift
3) Rewarding downshifts

Out of the 3, the second is probably the biggest. It seems tricky sometimes with anything but all Trac/VSC off to get the car consistently sideways without it violently kicking back the other direction. I'm sure a lot of AT owners have no issues, again an area of learning for me but I can only imagine clutch kicking could provide more control going into a drift.

The other 2 are obvioulsy availale in the AT. The revmatching downshifts do feel a little bit of a cheat at first in the auto but they become really, really satisfying once you become familiar with the speeds and gears and can really use it to your advantage coming into turns. The engine sound is just so raw too and its exactly the same every time, a computer can do it better

And launching in the auto is very easy all be it probably not as aggressive as the MT.

Finally a lot of people will say that MT drivers can be more focused because of the involvement and engagement. I'm sorry but I just don't buy that. I can take it to the track and pull the same lines and times as an MT but I get to keep BOTH hands on the wheel at all times, and I don't need to use a portion of my brain to operate a clutch, or worry about what revs I need to be at, or even what gear I'm in(digital readout).

In the end I'm happy with the AT. For those beginners in the future test driving both....just ask yourself if you feel the eagerness or willingness to learn stick. It might not be as awesome as people say it might be, and the way the fr-s is setup you can have just as much fun in both.

03-02-2016, 07:33 PM	#84
Spacemane969 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Drives: 2013 ARGENTO A/T Location: Hampton Roads, Virginia, US Posts: 346 Thanks: 150 Thanked 136 Times in 68 Posts Mentioned: 3 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	A couple of people were asking about OP's final verdict. I can sort of answer from my POV having been in the same situation and test driving the MT for the first time a couple days ago. A lot of this is just common sense but it really is just going to come down to your experience with manual transmissions and the initial gut feel you have when driving. The test drive for me competely satisfied my curiosity and solidified my initial decision to go with AT. With very little experience practicing on my friends manual transmission I definitely came out of the test drive just feeling disappointed and not really encouraged at all to learn manual for the first time with this car. The used fr-s i drove seemed to be a bit of a beater, thrashed on and not maintained very well. First thing to notice was the gears just feeling so close together that i missed probably a quarter of shifts, not sure if the shifter in the 86 takes getting used to but the movement just felt so sloppy. Also the dealer noted that there might be some clutch wear in effect...I couldn't really feel a catch point at all. The experience driving a brand new one might have been better or worse, who knows...but for a beginner the whole process of shifting just feels so absolutely outdated and ancient. I completely understand that the mechanical involvement attracts people, but personally I just kind of find it an unnecessary process that really only could be rewarding with time and perfection. There are really only 3 elements of the manual that are left to be desired in the AT: 1) Aggressive launching 2) Clutch kicking to drift 3) Rewarding downshifts Out of the 3, the second is probably the biggest. It seems tricky sometimes with anything but all Trac/VSC off to get the car consistently sideways without it violently kicking back the other direction. I'm sure a lot of AT owners have no issues, again an area of learning for me but I can only imagine clutch kicking could provide more control going into a drift. The other 2 are obvioulsy availale in the AT. The revmatching downshifts do feel a little bit of a cheat at first in the auto but they become really, really satisfying once you become familiar with the speeds and gears and can really use it to your advantage coming into turns. The engine sound is just so raw too and its exactly the same every time, a computer can do it better And launching in the auto is very easy all be it probably not as aggressive as the MT. Finally a lot of people will say that MT drivers can be more focused because of the involvement and engagement. I'm sorry but I just don't buy that. I can take it to the track and pull the same lines and times as an MT but I get to keep BOTH hands on the wheel at all times, and I don't need to use a portion of my brain to operate a clutch, or worry about what revs I need to be at, or even what gear I'm in(digital readout). In the end I'm happy with the AT. For those beginners in the future test driving both....just ask yourself if you feel the eagerness or willingness to learn stick. It might not be as awesome as people say it might be, and the way the fr-s is setup you can have just as much fun in both.