trading auto FRS for Manual

[Braces]

This debate will never end. No right answer. He's my take. Having AT gives choices. You can have fun with the paddles or relax in traffic with the auto. I'm not sure, but I would predict a lot of AT owners would start to increase the time they are in auto vs. paddles because it is more convenient. Maybe not.

The point I'm making is that a person driving a manual doesn't have a choice. They need to be constantly aware of the gear they're in, engine speed, aware of traffic situations requiring gear changes, etc, etc.

Ones a little more engaging than the other whether good or bad.

As for the OP. Have you considered trading with someone who desires a AT?

[bcj]

It won't be your last car unless you fail the "Did not Crash" test.
Give it a year or two and work the manual mode.
You can get a stick car later on if others opinions are still more important to you.

[RichardsFRS]

Originally Posted by Braces

This debate will never end. No right answer. He's my take. Having AT gives choices. You can have fun with the paddles or relax in traffic with the auto. I'm not sure, but I would predict a lot of AT owners would start to increase the time they are in auto vs. paddles because it is more convenient. Maybe not.

The point I'm making is that a person driving a manual doesn't have a choice. They need to be constantly aware of the gear they're in, engine speed, aware of traffic situations requiring gear changes, etc, etc.

Ones a little more engaging than the other whether good or bad.

As for the OP. Have you considered trading with someone who desires a AT?

Ehhh
Not really, all that shit becomes just something that happens after you drive a manual for a while.You are rarely thinking about which gear to jump into because it just happens. The only time really a manual becomes a pain in the ass is 1st gear traffic. If you can get into 2nd and stay then better but if you are in puttering along stop/go traffic, get to know your clutch and first gear well

[CatScan]

Originally Posted by FR-Sky

This car isnt about fast,its about handling.

Which, for most, the transmission has nothing to do with. The AT owners always seem to have at least some rational argument for their choice, and the MT dudes always quickly get to "but muh involvement!" as if driving an AT in manual somehow requires less thinking about gear choice for whatever you are doing.

Clarkson, as always, is right.

OP, there is no right answer to your question. Learn how to drive YOUR car better than your buds who sneer at you for your AT.

[VTEC]

Originally Posted by Kendallkab

I made the noob mistake of getting an Automatic FRS and want a Manual now. This was my first car. I think I'm going to trade it in for a Manual FRS maybe even a BRZ soon but want others opinions on if its worth the trade. I want it just because I know it would be more fun and fun to learn. Ive only drove a manual twice and did alright ( they said ) Would a manual feel quicker then auto? Is it really more fun? And would the trade be worth it especially if I plan on aiming for 250whp in the future in this car. All opinions and statements welcome!!!

I say go for it. It's a dumb move financially but fuck it. We bought these cars for fun, not financial investments. YOLO

The auto takes about 8 secs to go from 0-60, which is about average for most cars on the road. The manual can do it in 6.5 seconds. (But even at 6.5 seconds people still bitch that its "slow" for a sports car.)

But anyway, the extra acceleration aside, the real fun of the manual is that extra control. I can rev up the RPM separately and control how hard I want to connect the clutch with every shift. I can let it up slow for leisure driving or I can snap the clutch up and send the tires spinning. It's fun to do that in mid turn and send that ass sideways (when no one is around you of course). It's also great when you nail that perfect 7400 RPM upshift and chirp the tires into the next gear. Even if this car had one of those fancy dual clutches that are faster the 6MT (like on a BMW M car) I would still get the slower 6MT

[CatScan]

Originally Posted by VTEC

Even if this car had one of those fancy dual clutches that are faster the 6MT (like on a BMW M car) I would still get the slower 6MT

Non-smug personal choice. Winner!

[FR-Sky]

Originally Posted by CatScan

Which, for most, the transmission has nothing to do with. The AT owners always seem to have at least some rational argument for their choice, and the MT dudes always quickly get to "but muh involvement!" as if driving an AT in manual somehow requires less thinking about gear choice for whatever you are doing.

Clarkson, as always, is right.

OP, there is no right answer to your question. Learn how to drive YOUR car better than your buds who sneer at you for your AT.

I am saying it is "more" fun to drive with MT with this car. Because you can do alot stuff with MT.

"if driving an AT in manual somehow requires less thinking about gear choice for whatever you are doing."

Thats not true,driving a manual is a second nature once you get used to it.
If you tell me to drive an AT in manual now, I probably need to think when I shift.

[iag48st]

"The auto takes about 8 secs to go from 0-60, which is about average for most cars on the road. The manual can do it in 6.5 seconds. (But even at 6.5 seconds people still bitch that its "slow" for a sports car.)"

From a dig yes. From a roll no. Look up car and driver auto brz test.

[jg7]

If possible borrow or rent a MT and see what you think, got to watch out for the grass is greener syndrome.

I’ve got an MT and love it. I’ve never owned an AT. That being said, sometimes when I’m in bumper to bumper traffic for an hour, the idea of an automatic sounds pretty good.

It’s not an insignificant financial hit to swamp, and not worth it if you only want to keep the car a short period of time. But if you’re going to keep it for many years, then I’d say go for it. You don’t want to get up every morning getting into the car and thinking you wish you had an MT.

In the end only you can decide what’s best for you.

[Joyride86]

The auto vs manual debate comes up so often on this forum it's almost comical. There are so many factors to take into consideration that a stranger won't be able to decide for you. Only a potential owner or actual owner can really make the decision.

All of the answers I've seen before and here are always the same. I'm not sure if I ever see an OP come back and tell us what they did. It's like a movie with a to be continued ending...

[CatScan]

Originally Posted by FR-Sky

I am saying it is "more" fun to drive with MT with this car. Because you can do alot stuff with MT.

"if driving an AT in manual somehow requires less thinking about gear choice for whatever you are doing."

Thats not true,driving a manual is a second nature once you get used to it.
If you tell me to drive an AT in manual now, I probably need to think when I shift.

True of the AT as well, I suppose. I can't recall the last time I looked at the tach, speedo or gear indicator. Speed, feel and sound are about all you need.

Everyone should learn to drive an MT, it will make you a better driver whatever you are in.

[RichardsFRS]

Originally Posted by iag48st

"The auto takes about 8 secs to go from 0-60, which is about average for most cars on the road. The manual can do it in 6.5 seconds. (But even at 6.5 seconds people still bitch that its "slow" for a sports car.)"

From a dig yes. From a roll no. Look up car and driver auto brz test.

But 0 60 isn't measured from a roll. To say your car post a faster 0 to 60 from a roll doesn't make much sense. 0 to 60 means 0 mph to 60 mph not rolling at some variable to 60mph

[Cole]

I'll put in another little gem here, for why I have no regratz about an AT 99% of the time. Summer of 2014, I snapped two ligaments in my left ankle. I was at my ex-girlfriend's house, and it was her, her 2 room mates and myself. Her and her 2 room mates didn't know how to drive stick. So, what did I have to do? I had to drive my fucking car to the hospital, labouring and in the worst pain of my life operating a clutch with an ankle swollen to the size of a softball.

Had I owned an auto at the time, I could have driven relatively pain free or had her drive me. Or, I could have swallowed the cost of an ambulance, but my injury wasn't that bad to warrant an ambulance.

Regardless of any other argument, I still made the right choice for transmission at the time. My situation was different when I bought my FRS and it was a daily back then. Now, it's a weekend/vacation time car and having a clutch wouldn't be too bad. I don't let not having a third pedal get in the way of my enjoyment of the car. Because, really, what do I lose out on? I lose the ability to launch the car from a dig, but that's not what this car is about. And I lose the ability to clutch kick to initiate a drift, which I don't have much interest in.

[Kendallkab]

Originally Posted by shiumai

I have an AT BRZ, and I have fun driving it. However, my dad taught me to drive in a manual when I was 14/15 years old; my first car was a manual, and I've driven a manual for over 30 years (and ridden motorcycles for 20 years).

I think that learning to drive a manual and getting relatively good at it is mandatory if you're a car enthusiast. It's just one of those skills that's always good to have. When I first started to learn how to drive, besides learning all the rules of the road and trying not to crash into other drivers, much of my attention was focused on not stalling the engine when starting from a stop, or hill. How to make a smooth shift, at what RPM, etc. Basically, the mechanics of driving a car (how to make it go vs, how to drive it in traffic).

Do you remember when you first started learning how to drive you had to concentrate on keeping the car centered in the lane? Do you still struggle to keep between the lines? I don't even think about it now. It's second nature. That's how shifting gears became. Yes, in the beginning, driving a manual was fun because I was learning how to shift smoothly and at the correct RPM. Each successful shift and downshift was a little victory. But, eventually, I just didn't think about it anymore. I shifted when the feel and sound of the engine told me; almost automatically. I had become the automatic transmission.

When I no longer thought much about how to shift, my focus turned to the other 'fun' aspects of driving, like what line to take in a curve, braking points, apexing, limits of traction etc. When you look at good drivers/riders in racing or GP (motorcycle); they're not congratulating themselves every time they make a good shift; it's not 'fun'. They've already mastered the mechanics of the gear shift. They're focused on strategy and tactics. Like being aware of their environment; the track surface, their competitors etc. Something you can still do in an AT.

Learning how to drive a stick (to me) is like learning how to balance on a bicycle. Once you've learned how to do that, you just 'do it', and you can now focus on endurance, control in turns, cadence, what gear to use etc.

I think that having driven a manual transmission for as long as I have, has allowed me to appreciate the auto transmission. I'm not sure I would appreciate it as much if I were just starting out and it was my first car, or I had not learned how to drive a manual. I'd probably feel like I was missing out on an important aspect of learning how to drive. I don't miss not having a clutch. I don't do any sort of driving like drag racing or drifting where a manual is necessary. I drive in traffic and canyons. I use my paddle shifters to change gears when I want to. I have fun every time I drive. I don't miss having a manual one bit.

I'll also mention that if the car did not have paddle shifters as a way of changing gears, I would not buy it. Not having the ability to change gears when I want would definitely detract from the fun of driving, but not having to use a clutch to shift gears doesn't detract from it at all (for me).

So, if it were my first car, or first sports car, I'd probably go with a manual. You are missing out by starting out on an AT; you're missing out on the fun of learning how to drive a manual.

That was a great read. Thank you for sharing your experience. Im leaning towards trading for a manual just for the experience and for some of the points you made in your post. I've always loved cars and feel since my first car happens to be this great sports car I should of got a manual.