Would you get the Stick or Automatic

[MrMike]

I'm ready to get pooped on for this response, but if you even have to think about it or ask this question then the answer is auto.

You know if you want manual. If this is your only car, and you get auto when you wanted manual, you will regret it. You will attempt to rationalize it and keep the car for years when it was a mistake from day 1.

...not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.

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[lo-fi]

It's like the Savage Geese comparison between the Dark Horse (manual), C8 (auto), and M2 (auto) the other day, guess which car all three reviewers chose for driver experience? Hint, it wasn't the automatics, all while acknowledging the DH was the slowest car. I always end that statement with the following caveat: I do understand an automatic if you are commuting in heavy big city traffic, otherwise it's a manual for the win. I will never own a GT500 or a new corvette, ever. Why? No third pedal is a compromise I'm not willing to make for a daily driver.

 

[MrMike]

It's like the Savage Geese comparison between the Dark Horse (manual), C8 (auto), and M2 (auto) the other day, guess which car all three reviewers chose for driver experience? Hint, it wasn't the automatics, all while acknowledging the DH was the slowest car. I always end that statement with the following caveat: I do understand an automatic if you are commuting in heavy big city traffic, otherwise it's a manual for the win. I will never own a GT500 or a new corvette, ever. Why? No third pedal is a compromise I'm not willing to make for a daily driver.

C7 GS was peak Corvette

 

[wingnutt]

Happy wife...

lol or my personal fav…

happy wife, happy life sure

but happy husband, suspicious wife

 

[NGOT8R]

OP, in case I missed it, can you tell us what your plans are for the car (daily driver, roll racing, drag racing or tracking)?

 

[GTP]

...
If I was most interested in road circuit track driving, it'd probably be a DCT for the rapid shifts, consistency, smoothness, and keeping the chassis settled.

I understand your point but with my A10 on track the chassis never is unsettled regardless of when or where I shift. For one thing since the trans is sequential the gear ratio change is not even that abrupt.

But I did drive a GT500 on track for a few laps and the trans was amazing in how it was always in the perfect gear during full auto mode.

EDIT: Yeah, my car will step out when downshifting in a corner on track. Not in a worrisome way.

 

[coyote550]

Not sure if someone has had or driven both manual & automatic. Which one did you look the most for a daily driver?

For a daily drive, I say auto. I used to drive a manual daily, in new york traffic, where a 10 minute drive will take up to an hour. Especially the kind of traffic where you'd walk faster so you're stalling in 1st gear so its constantly 1st to neutral, non stop, for an hour or hold the clutch and burn up the bearing. It also increases wear on the clutch. I did it daily, till I turned 30.

Then, I said screw it, i hate this crap and the manual car became the weekend/road trip ride. For daily traffic, nothing beats daydreaming while simply modulating the brake pedal. No fuss, no drama. Peaceful and boring. Traffic already pisses me off, having to do a right hand/left foot workout while stuck in it is not my thing. Too old for that lol

That being said, I still love manuals more than anything else so if I could go back to those times when I was in my 20s, I think I'd still choose the 6 speed and do it all over again. If I choose with my heart, its a 6 speed all the way. If I actually use my brain, an auto for daily is a no brainer. In the end its up to you.

 

[Partsjockey]

OP, in case I missed it, can you tell us what your plans are for the car (daily driver, roll racing, drag racing or tracking)?

DD

 

[NGOT8R]

DD

Okay, well with that being said, I suggest considering the traffic patterns in your daily commute and see if it’s doable to run a manual. Something else you could do is rent a manual car (any make/model) from Turo or some place similar and drive it on your daily commute in rush hour traffic to see how you feel about it. That should be enough to help you make the right decision. I think it’s better to spend a couple of hundred bucks to rent something and test it out for a few days than to buy and regret your choice of transmission later.

 

[Garfy]

I have the auto, but, prefer stick. Wasn't buying an mt82.

I prefer the auto just from the maintenance standpoint. Years ago, hydraulic clutches had the slave cylinder mounted outside the bell housing, activating the throwout lever for the clutch release bearing. Then Ford began putting the slave inside the bell housing starting with the Ranger. This meant that anytime you had an issue with the slave, you'd have to pull the transmission. OTOH they got rid of the trans dipstick tube under the hood and stuck it under the car near a hot exhaust pipe so that's not much fun either, but probably easier to do than pulling the transmission (or not having any way to measure trans fluid like many other brands that got rid of the tube like Toyota Tacoma for one).

 

[CarmeloS]

Manual is the answer, the question is irrelevant

 

[NGOT8R]

 

[MACHtobers Very Own]

This is why I make sure I have a relative chill cheap low maintenance non fun Toyota based box on wheels daily driver and my "fun cars" are all manuals.

cheap car for heavy work days or dirty days. I'll be first to admit that some days I'm just not in the mood to shift gears when I have basic bitch errands to run.

 

[Free Spirit]

Not sure if someone has had or driven both manual & automatic. Which one did you look the most for a daily driver?

Daily driver? Stick all day longer. Better antitheft. Better mpg. MUCHHH MORE reliable than the shit 10 speeds they got and significantly more fun to drive. Grab some op mustang fluid, mgw shifter and a steeda clutch spring and it's effortless to drive. (Coming from someone with really bad knees I can use the clutch just fine in my 2017)

 

[Tripp051420]

I’m surprised by the amount of people saying manual if you will be on the track and auto for daily. My thought process is different. The 10speed is proven to be faster. I don’t care about being a little slower in my daily, I enjoy rowing gears in my daily commute

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