Dumb idea to get auto tranny?

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

...If you want to deal with a manual transmission on a daily basis, I think you will be rewarded more when you go out to tackle some curves.

<--- And this purist snob won't call you a sissy

Yea, I think we've beaten this horse, and the next 12 generations of its offspring, to death.

In the end, its personal choice. Honestly, when I entered the 1st86 contest, I selected auto but I was really going back and forth until I got to test drive it at the Long Beach event. I have specific reasons for selecting it that have nothing to do with me, but was ready to change to MT if I didn't like the way it drove.

In the end, I really liked the way the paddles worked, and the transmission is "that good", at least to me.

[86'd]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

Yea, I think we've beaten this horse, and the next 12 generations of its offspring, to death.

In the end, its personal choice. Honestly, when I entered the 1st86 contest, I selected auto but I was really going back and forth until I got to test drive it at the Long Beach event. I have specific reasons for selecting it that have nothing to do with me, but was ready to change to MT if I didn't like the way it drove.

In the end, I really liked the way the paddles worked, and the transmission is "that good", at least to me.

That's good to hear. It's all about personal choice. Although that snob in me was glad that the S2K didn't offer an automatic in all of those years.

I've only ever driven sloppy automatic paddle shifted cars. Miata, Mini Cooper S, and even (not paddle) Triptonic (or whatever it was called) transmission in a 98 Prelude.

They were all horrible. I've yet to drive a good auto trans, like the ones in the GTI's or GTR, or Ferrari. I'd like to take the auto 86 for a spin, but if the manual is as good as people say it is, then it's no contest.

[tinnyms3]

Even the one in gti is no sub for having that 3rd pedal so I'm not expecting too much despite what some are saying. I am at least thankful that wife has ok'd brz as one of the options.

[RYU]

I suspect over the years the percentage of customers choosing the auto will increase. Right now, the safe bet is the manual and most of the die hards who have put their deposits down will get a manual no matter how good the auto is anyway.

I'm still on the fence but all i've read about this particular auto is that it's pretty damn good. It's actually a really good implementation considering its still a torque converter auto.

There's only two reasons why the auto isn't a slam dunk for me.
1. If the price premium for auto wasn't so expensive i'd have chosen the auto already.
2. I'm not sure how noticeable the taller gearing will be in real life driving. It will be noticeable on the track for sure but how much will I care about it driving to work 30 miles a day sitting in LA traffic half the time vs. the 5-8 track days a year i'll see.

[Turbowned]

Originally Posted by RYU

I suspect over the years the percentage of customers choosing the auto will increase. Right now, the safe bet is the manual and most of the die hards who have put their deposits down will get a manual no matter how good the auto is anyway.

I doubt it, or at least I should say I hope not:


"Automatic transmission. It’s what separates drivers in the U.S. from the rest of the world. An estimated 95% of all cars sold in the U.S. have automatic drive, versus less than 20% in Europe and Japan, where stick-shift is the overwhelming transmission of choice.
Things are changing in the States, however, as indicators show that the trend towards automatic driving has slowed, and may even be going into reverse.
According to Edmunds.com, the number of manual transmission cars sold in the U.S. in the first quarter of this year has nearly doubled to 6.5%, the highest number sold since 2006.
Last year overall, only 3.8 percent of all vehicles sold in the US used manual transmission, a number that had fallen in the two previous years from 4.4% in 2009.
The rise, according to USA Today, could be linked with the surge in small, fuel efficient cars in the US, with the publication noting that smaller vehicles yield the most power from manual transmissions, which are also normally cheaper than automatics.
One particular model affected by the resurgence appears to be the new Ford Focus, with Ford telling the U.S. newspaper that demand for manual models is running close to ten percent, far higher than the four to 4.5% Ford expected.
Interestingly, the firm also notes that one in four Focus buyers comes from a household with an annual income of over $100,000 -- Americans who are far more likely to have traveled overseas and experienced a manual gearbox on vacation.
AFP/Relaxnews

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/autos/ame...#ixzz1u1c1DN9m"

[bigbird83]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

Everyone is squeamish about learning to drive manual at first. I had a friend who bought a manual Accord, tried driving it twice and gave up. He let the car sit for months while people drove him around, then finally he needed a car, and had no choice but to take manual up again. Once he learned, and I mean, really learned, he said "now I know what you've been talking about all along! There's just no comparison!"

Both my current g/f and previous g/f drove stick, so I count myself lucky

I was the same way, got my accord last year and it being my first took a little getting used to but it feels great now. Even traffic is more fun.

Anyone have any data on the weight of the auto Vs. the manny? That would be my biggest hesitation to getting the auto since they usually pack on pounds.

[Turbowned]

It will be heavier, but I don't think significantly more so. The lightest car of the bunch will obviously be the FR-S 6MT.

[bigbird83]

I've spent most of my my car life in Toyotas and Hondas, which have pretty weak auto trannies. How strong are Subaru autos?

[TRD_07]

I believe that the AT was a second slower than the MT at the track in japan
So, with this in mind I'm sure that the extra weight and torque loss is not a negative. I also can't decide on which transmission to get.

[blu_]

Dumb idea to get auto tranny?

yes

[Sport-Tech]

I am test-driving an auto Monday, and am seriously considering this tranny even though my current car is a manual. Not for the usual traffic or family reasons, but because of my many hours of experience with racing sims. Using the paddles or the shift lever on my G25 wheel, it's great fun to trail brake at 10/10ths into a corner while executing perfectly blipped downshifts prior to the apex. I know my limitations, I doubt I can ever master that in real life in a manual car, and the need to brake, cease braking and downshift, rinse and repeat prior to corner entry in my "real" car seriously interferes with my enjoyment of hooning it around corners compared to what I experience in sims.

I still prefer upshifting with a clutch. Too bad you can't have the best of both worlds - my one wish for the twins (besides a bit more low-end torque) would have been for Toyota/Subie to license or imitate Nissan's auto rev-matching system for fully manual transmissions.

[bigbird83]

Found an answer to the weight question, according to the spec sheet on Scion's website the auto is only 50lbs heavier then the manual.

http://www.scion.com/cars/FR-S/specs/

[DEnd]

Originally Posted by Turbowned

so if you think your left leg won't be able to take too much Dallas traffic, get the auto.

<--- And this purist snob won't call you a sissy

I will. Seriously the clutch is bound to be featherweight in these cars. If anyone thinks its heavy I'll let them borrow my jeep.

That said I am seriously considering an auto for this car...

[russv]

I'm very impressed with the auto in my car, it's very responsive and the relatively low torque figure isn't noticed at all. Again, as Dadhawk noted, it's up to personal choice and there are no bad decisions on which transmission to get.