Standard VS. Auto

[RT87]

This is my first manual car, had it for about 5 weeks now. I'm pretty comfortable driving it and I don't mind driving in rush hour too much (drive through it every day). I will tell you that I am definitely happy that I went with a manual. It is so much more fun to drive than an automatic.

[Celica00]

you mention wanting to 'significantly' modding your car, so manual would be the way to go. some mods have better results w/ a manual as well as the $1000 dollars you save by buying manuel you could put towards an exhaust system or something.

[hyper4mance]

This is a driver's car and should be treated as such. It is intended that you feel the bumps, the responsiveness of the steering, the clunk when you shift, etc. Even if you aren't well versed, it doesn't take long to learn. IMO the whole experience of driving involves YOU and should include a clutch pedal, the feel of throwing the shifter, and yes even errors if you misshift. I think there are great rewards in manual not even talking if 6MT or auto is faster, just the overall feel and being connected to the car.

[gmookher]

I've driven both manual and auto in our car and yes the shifts are more consistently faster than a human yes, but certain things suck- like the auto telling you that you can not shift into 2nd, u must stay in third till your revs drop
in the manual, you just clutch and shift and if youre a bit high in the revs, oh well, maybe you chirp,rev match or slow down whilst shifting

Unless youre buying a streetcar only, if you plan to track you want the manual
racecar=manual
l

[GenkiElite]

[Calum]

Originally Posted by WSK

What MY Neon should I be looking at?

Any really. They all used the same engine and trannies. The 95-99 had an optional DOHC that wasn't available on the later years and there were minor running changes to things, but nothing that would matter to a beater.

Edit, the 95-99 were much more fun to drive. And if you do get any neon to learn to shift on I'd almost insist on one mod. They're cheap as hell and pretty easy to install, but will help a ton with shift feed back. http://www.modernperformance.com/pro...on_drivertrain

[DSTL]

If you are talking about heavy mods the only reason not to go manual is if it's due to a physical limitation, where you literally cannot shift a manual. If you are able bodied you will kick yourself later for taking the easy path just to not have to learn something new. The clutch is so light in this car that even long drives in heavy traffic won't be an issue.

Edit: Here you go, this links to the appropriate search to help you decide. Lots of threads.
http://tinyurl.com/9arc7lv

[whaap]

Before my FR-S I owned two Miatas at different times. One was a manual and one was an automatic. I enjoyed them both and each had an advantage over the other. Part of the Miata story is the company president referring to driving the Miata as "being one with the horse". That would describe manual to a T. You are definitely a part of the driving experience and between the two the manual is more exuberant. Driving the automatic is more laid back like "smelling the roses". It doesn't change the fact that manual or automatic you're enjoying a neat little coupe that makes you feel good about being in it. I would not buy an automatic because I felt I wasn't that good with a manual. The skill of using a manual doesn't take that long to learn. I would buy an automatic if that's what I really thought I wanted.

My FR-S is a manual but if I had two FR-S's the other would be an automatic. Word of caution here: buy the one you really want. Don't buy the one you think someone else thinks you should get.

[YourFearlessLeader]

From someone who was dead set on never driving an automatic car for the forseeable future, the FRS auto is not bad! the paddle shifters are great and the sport mode is good. There really is no shame in owning this car in automatic at all. And yes, it can still be fun to drive.

As far as power, typically a manual transmission (a simpler design) can handle more power than an automatic. For a car that comes from the factory with 150lbs of torque I really cant see an extremely strong auto in the car. However, I could see the car handling 250lbs of torque daily depending on how its driven, and maintained. Anytime you add serious power to an auto tranny you want to at least think about a transmission cooler. The jury isnt out yet on exactly how much power it can handle, but as always maintenance and abuse are big factors in reliability.

[WSK]

Thank you everyone.

[JDMenrique]

I am a little embarrassed to say this but I'll keep it simple, I learned to drive stick the day I bought my FRS. It took less than an hour with a friend in an empty parking lot to get the gist of it. You'll be fine.

[usptwins]

Well, for one, an auto is faster at shifting than a manual.... specially if you have it in auto mode and not paddle shift mode... they shift alot quicker than you can on a manual... But, like stated before, its a personal choice and people are driving with the AP turbo kit making over 300wheel if im not mistaken.. But its your decision.

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by WSK

To be honest, manual gearboxes do not appeal to me on a daily driver, which my BRZ/FR-S would be.

Is this because it feels too busy? I think that feeling goes away once you get used to it. The thought processes are still in the back of your head, but everything becomes intuitive and stops annoying you. I remember the first maybe 5 hours I spent driving manual on the street I got so annoyed when for example traffic stopped moving, because it meant that I had to do more starting. Now I just feel a little sorry for my clutch when I need to come to a full stop, but nothing more. I'm not even a true veteran yet, as it's only been a bit under 2 months since I got my M/T car! I think that at times I'm still bothered about needing to downshift but the feeling is going away for sure.

I think the coolest thing about M/T is that you develop a sense of speed and learn the engine's sound, so that you can actually tell what gear you're in just be looking at the road and listening, and how many revs you need to match when shifting.

[cuddefred]

Get a cheap rental for a few days. Beat their car up to save your own later.

Originally Posted by WSK

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.