Automatics are not for me, when i have family and i'll get have an auto in our minivan. But my vettes will always have a manual. I had to look and look and look untill i found mine but it was well worth the wait. Unless you have some sort of injury and cant hit the clutch or something, i dont see getting an auto. People always use the traffic excuse, i'm stuck in rush hour all the time and i never even notice that i'm driving a stick. Once you get used to it, it comes as second nature.

 

1) manuals are capeable of getting better gas mileage. not in a corvette. people dont shift at a low enough rpm range to save gas. it will probably get worse.
2) no matter how fast you can shift gears the auto trans can shift faster.
3) once you consider the price of a clutch every 80 to 100k, it will cost as much to maintain the manual.
4) the one big advantage of having a manual is you always get to choose what gear it is in, ok. thats a big deal to some.


they build 80% of corvettes with an auto beacuse thats what sells. to get a zr-1 or a grand sport or an lt-4 you have to get a manual because thats the only way they come. manuals are out there you just have to look. you will find one if thats what you want. if you are going to drive this car in traffic or in town you might want to consider an auto. i have had both and its so much easier and more enjoyable to me not to have to worry about changing gears. i am a cruiser not a racer. i like to go fast as much as the next guy but im never in a position to need to down shift to save the brakes. i also dont really care what gear the car is in at any given time but thats just me. i have other things i can do with my right hand then shifting gears, phone, cold drink, another persons hand, whatever. either way you will have fun with a corvette auto or manual.

 

There aren't many really nice Vettes that come up for sale in my town and the C4s that are nice are WAY expensive. I wasn't going to travel 1000 miles to buy a car so after looking at a few local beater Vettes, I found my 89 Convertible Automatic which was way too clean to pass up. I would have liked a 6 speed but I'm just happy to own a Corvette!! :yesnod: :auto:

 

I wanted a 6 speed when i bought my current vette. However i wanted a convertable more. It is VERY difficult to find a decent deal on a late model C-4 vert that is a 6 speed and in good shape. I looked and it was hard enough just to find 6 speed verts, the ones i found were either beat to hell (90%) or way overpriced (10%). I settled for the auto because the car had everything else i wanted, (Color, Convertable, options, etc). I had an 84 vette with the 4+3 and i will admit it was a tad more "fun" to drive but this one is a blast too and there are many times i am happy to just hit the gas and go. Makes burnout a little more difficult though:)

 

The only answer is look at the ZR1 dubbed "king of the hill". NO ONE disputes this, and guess what, they are only sticks. Auto is for traffic people, all else drive a clutch and be done with it. As for dragging, if you know how to REALLY drive then a 6 spd is just as consistant as an auto I don't care what anyone says. All things being [/b]equal[/b] both and auto and a stick should pull the same times on a 1/4.
I drive a stick and love it in both traffic and all else......i'm only 30 so I guess that makes me enjoy it no matter what

kitt

 

* Wife paid for 1/2 and she don't drive sticks
* 3 years looking at Vettes the transmission was the least of my issues (I coupld take either or)
* less expense not having to change the clutch every 30k miles (You know you drive it hard :yesnod: )
* better for traffic, mileage, overall fun end enjoyment
* car cheaper to buy
* less inclined to get tickets

Sure in the mountains it is fun to pick a gear and go but with all the other old folk tooling around on the weekends it is still hard to find much open road to really have much fun.

I used to have the same theory a sports car had to have a manual and could not have AC because that robbed you of HP. That was when I was a foolish 20 year old. I will never have a car without AC again and the manual issue isn't one now.

My father wont buy anything without a manual.
I have my 5th 4x4 and it is an auto. Blowes away the manual when off roading in the woods.

All comes down to what you personally like.
I don't think there is a wrong answer

 

I chose the auto because I wear a size 15-16 shoe and I couldn't fit my feet down there w/ 3 pedals. So if I wanted to drive a Vette it had to be an auto. Later c4's I don't have the same problem with though.

 

I agree with Jackyl...my feet just don't fit down there on a manual!
:(

 

I had to choose a automatic due to damage in my right arm.
Right arms doesn't work well if at all. Sooooooooo auto was my
only option. One good point about it is I would think that resale
is easier with an auto. :cheers:

 

It seems GM is the primary sports car builder that pushes the automatic. I would think their marketing people took a hard look at the buyer demographics and realized that new vettes were primarily sold to us old folks who prefer the auto. My 93 was an automatic. great car but more of a cruiser. My 94 has the 6sp and in my opinion is more of a driver. Having had both, I prefer the stick. Nothing like rowing an LT1 through the gears. Of course my street rod has a flathead motor with a T5 behind it where most guys would have used the Ford C4. point being, I'm very partial to gears. I doubt you will have a problem selling your 6sp when the time comes. The manual seems to be more sought after than the auto. Dan :steering:

 

It's funny, after driving both sticks and autos in both high performance cars, and mundane commuter cars, and trucks, I came to my own conclusion that I would never own a manual transmission in a pick-up truck or in an underpowered fuel efficient, Honda, Toyota, Nissan etc..It was just NO fun to shift. I also came to the conclusion that I would never own a high performance (sports car) with an automatic. When I started looking at Corvettes a stick shift was a must. It is not really my daily driver and I love going through the gears.
On a side note I too think that for the average driver out at the drags, an automatic will provide better holeshots and more consistant times.

.02

Dennis

 

____________________________
Quote:
"Automatic? just push a pedal and the car moves, what fun is that?"
____________________________

Sometimes you need both hands just to "hang on". :auto: :hurray:

Seriously, I've had my share of 5k clutch plates. At 61, I'd just as soon push the pedal and go.

Karl

 

in a bracket race of best out of 10 the auto will win 8 times due to cosistency plane and simple an auto is like a fine clock at the drags and consistency wins more races a good reaction time does too but thats another subject :cheers:


[Modified by CORKVETTE1, 6:10 PM 2/4/2003]

 

i think that either are good what ever you like better

 

It wasn't my preference - I just fell in love with my C4 and had to have it! :steering:

 

Good point, i wear 18s, I have trouble fitting mine down there already.

 

I have owned and drove many 4WD off road trucks over the past 25 years. Been way off road and in some real rough stuff. Most hard core guys will choose the auto 4X4 over the manual. An auto and air lockers are the way to go in 4X4.

I bought my A4 Coupe because I knew I would be 4 wheelin' it offroad! :jester

No not really - I knew that I would be driving over 24k miles per year with it. I drive it to work every day in traffic and I remember both of my Z-28's being a PITA in traffic.

m2cents
:cheers:

 

Auto - mainly due to the traffic in Houston. When I bought mine I had my choice 93 auto or 94 stick, both clean and in great shape. Bought the auto because of my wife and the traffic.
However, I wish that I had both.. :steering:

 

What are you talking about? The Vette was born with an auto!

 

My wife loves driving the 6 speed, gives her the feeling of being (in control) me I just prefer manuals. It's a matter of personal taste but a Vette is a great car 6 speed or A4 :yesnod: