Manual or Automatic

[Seabee1973]

Oh - yeah I really wish the manuals had remote start. Just leave it in neutral and use e-brake? Seems like they could have made that work.

Most people have the habit of putting it in gear... I do in public or in my driveway but in the garage.... just ebrake

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[Pie]

I also had this dilemma. I have never owned a manual and for some reason I relate them to white cheap commercial vehicles with steel wheels. Ha! Having said that, I'm always shifting my own gears via manu-matics, so there's something in me that likes manual shifting. I guess my fear is getting stuck in traffic, geting tired of it in a couple of years, having to shift first gear on a hill or having to brake suddenly. I know with practice one will master this concerns. There has also been signs. I have seen a lot of girls lately driving manuals (mostly mini coopers btw) and I kind of felt emasculated, ha! Take it easy girls. Where I come from, women are allergic to manuals and it's considered a men's transmission.
From my perspective, a Mustang V8 has to be manual and that's where I am leaning towards to.

It's not that bad in traffic. I think this is typically blown out of proportion. I driven on the 805 in when it was jammed in San Diego. I usually leave the car in first or second gear. You have engine braking, so you dont need to be on the brakes as much

 

[e30og]

You both lose this argument because nobody has any clue about the reliability of the new transmission. A one day review by a magazine certainly isnt going to find every little problem.
Check back next year when there is actual data to argue about.

the MT82 was favorable except for early models and some shift linkage issues, but those issues have been addressed.

More concrete evidence for durability is the fact that every single Mustang gets a standard transmission oil cooler (100% sure for the manual), as well as the Stick gets more durable gears or syncros cannot remember which. Its in the full dealer guide

 

[Fletcher]

I think with the huge advancements in drivetrain tech, we are possibly looking at the end of mass produced, manual performance cars within 7-10 years. Things like hybrid drive, dual clutch transmissions, and direct shifting 10-speeds will not only offer all the good numbers the government wants to see, but also present actual alternatives/improvements to the driving enthusiast crowd (at reasonable prices).

Oddly enough, this is what swayed me to order a manual GT. I will probably have this car for at least 7 years, and would love to keep it in the garage after retiring it from daily driving. I see my window of opportunity to 1 owner a classic American V8, that I can really connect with, as closing.

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