Manual vs Automatic in SoCal?

[whataboutbob]

How strong is your left leg? If you get the manual it'll get a workout around here.

My AT is very nice though.

[Fallen hero]

Originally Posted by Estey

Penske toyota in RSM. The have a lot of FR-S's on their lot right now.
Just beware of the dealer add-ons. Although im sure youre aware since this is your second time buying now.

I was just at Penske they have two Manuel's and three automatics

All base price

[Gaiakai]

@OP What everyone up there said - you mentioned that you really would like to get the manual, so I would say don't worry about the commute w/ hills and just do it. I bought my car with no previous manual transmission experience as well, and it's honestly not bad at all. And the first (and only) FR-S I test drove was the AT, so I am in no way ragging on the AT at all.

You get a much better feel for it after driving a few days, and it becomes second nature after a few weeks. Then you get into the fun stuff: rev matching, heel-toe, feeling like a hero whenever you shift.

I'd say get the manual, otherwise you'll end up wondering "what if".

[Jared0934]

NOOOOOOO dont get this is Automatic it'll zap half the fun rite out of it >_< They honestly shouldn't have even made them in AT!


/troll/troll

[SC David]

Originally Posted by Norkoastal

Big hills like SF with daily traffic would be my only dis-qualifier from standard as flat traffic cruising isn't too crazy with the light clutch and short gears.. Other "normal" hill driving is perhaps the most fun with this car...

Meh, hills shouldn't be a reason not to get a manual either. Manual is a bit tricky at first, but only takes a couple days to get used to, and is so much more fun and involving over the long term. I personally couldn't imagine having this car in an auto. It's very easy to drive in manual form with the light clutch and short and light shift gate.

[Norkoastal]

Originally Posted by SC David

Meh, hills shouldn't be a reason not to get a manual either. Manual is a bit tricky at first, but only takes a couple days to get used to, and is so much more fun and involving over the long term. I personally couldn't imagine having this car in an auto. It's very easy to drive in manual form with the light clutch and short and light shift gate.

Having to park on hills and maneuver around SF is not for the feint of heart.. You might be used to it, but i'd say most would regret DD'ing and tight parking in Noe Valley, Glen park, or Fell trips downtown.. Look at most of the bumpers in SF and you'll see more reasons not to lol.. I'm in the relatively flat part of the East Bay, so I have none of these issues myself..

[qijian]

i picked the manual > auto because i already had 2 autos at home.. i agree that it got me frustrated the first 5 times i drove the car.. now i have about 100 miles on it and i can drive fwy and locally with confident. Get the manual if you want it, you'll learn to love it!

[SC David]

Originally Posted by Norkoastal

Having to park on hills and maneuver around SF is not for the feint of heart.. You might be used to it, but i'd say most would regret DD'ing and tight parking in Noe Valley, Glen park, or Fell trips downtown.. Look at most of the bumpers in SF and you'll see more reasons not to lol.. I'm in the relatively flat part of the East Bay, so I have none of these issues myself..

Yeah, if you're street parking regularly you can definitely count on your bumpers getting nicked. People park by feel around here, but that's the same in any big city. And your transmission choice will do little to save your bumpers anyway.

The only time having a manual sucks is if you're in stop and go traffic up a steep hill, since you'll give your clutch a beating regardless. But usually there are ways around the crazy hills ...point is, manual is fine regardless of where you live. It becomes second nature.

[frs23]

Dude, buy a MT then practice in a parking lot and on a quite street with a hill. If you do an hour a day, you'll have it down in no time (maybe 1-2 weeks). Best if you can get a friend who drives MT to point out what you are doing wrong during practice.

[caliboy15]

MANUAL!

autotragic?? psss

[that_one_guy]

Originally Posted by ziggz501

if you haven't driven a manual before, it would be best to just stick with an auto. the manual will infuriate you initially, especially in traffic. the manual is by far more rewarding to drive, but unless you already have the experience of one under your belt, it's just gonna be a nuisance (plus the clutch will be crying)

I really hope you meant to say something other than what you wrote because you just said if the OP has never done something before, then he should never do it....

To the OP, this car is not about speed, its not about 50+mpg, its all about the driving experience so why take any of that experience away. I promise there will be at 3 times in your life you will be in traffic and your left leg will be hurting. But there will be 1,000 times every day you will LOVE shifting through the gears, blipping the throttle to rev match, or simply putting it in 6th gear to cruise at 35mph to get great gas mileage in the city (something the auto won't do so no, i don't believe auto gets better mileage).

Like most here, I can tell that you want a manual so don't worry, I'll even teach you heal/toe. Most auto drivers have never driven a manual regularly so their arguments are all guess work. The auto in this car is good for an auto, but the manual is firm, confident, and has better feel than some cars costing 4 times as much. If you buy the manual, all of your wildest dreams will come true

[ziggz501]

Originally Posted by that_one_guy

I really hope you meant to say something other than what you wrote because you just said if the OP has never done something before, then he should never do it....

To the OP, this car is not about speed, its not about 50+mpg, its all about the driving experience so why take any of that experience away. I promise there will be at 3 times in your life you will be in traffic and your left leg will be hurting. But there will be 1,000 times every day you will LOVE shifting through the gears, blipping the throttle to rev match, or simply putting it in 6th gear to cruise at 35mph to get great gas mileage in the city (something the auto won't do so no, i don't believe auto gets better mileage).

Like most here, I can tell that you want a manual so don't worry, I'll even teach you heal/toe. Most auto drivers have never driven a manual regularly so their arguments are all guess work. The auto in this car is good for an auto, but the manual is firm, confident, and has better feel than some cars costing 4 times as much. If you buy the manual, all of your wildest dreams will come true

if anyone is dead set on achieving something, then they will probably gladly learn something new. my suggestion was just knowing that the general population isn't patient enough to try new things and adapt to change in general. it totally depends on your attitude toward the situation.

the manual is going to be more responsive than the auto and is going to give you more control over the drive when its needed. it is NOT going to give you better gas mileage. this is 2013 people, not 1999. there is no manual transmission built for a modern car that will give you better gas mileage than the automatic version. if u can manage to find a low speed straight road with no stop lights/signs, then maybe, but otherwise, no. the frs/brz automatic transmission is taken from the lexus IS-F, which is nothing to scoff at.

i would personally much prefer a manual transmission no matter what the living situation is, but like i said in paragraph 1, it isn't for everyone. i think you should get a feel for a manual on a friend's car. everyone has a friend with some crappy MT base model toyota yaris don't they? no dealer is going to let someone with no experience go drive their frs/brz. maybe their baseline civic? give that a try.

[gmookher]

adding more power feels safer with MT

[NS]

I'm in Aliso Viejo fairly often and the hills there are very manageable. I've been in parking lots with steeper inclines than the hills in AV. You'll get used to it in no time. I live in LA and have gotten used to driving in traffic. It's not so bad.