Hello All,

Being a Corvette fan all my life, I have been saving a long time to buy this great car. I finally have enough, and I'm planning on ordering my 2003 coupe as soon as the specs are available.

My one big uncertainty is whether or not to get an automatic or a manual transmission. I grew up on automatics, and never really had a manual car. But I've always heard that a stick is a must for a Vette.

My current ride is a 90 Honda Accord Sedan. Recently, I started borrowing my friend's manual 94 Honda Accord Station Wagon to get some experience with sticks. I've taken it out a few times, stalled it many times, and now feel like I could drive a manual if I had too. But I didn't really feel like having a manual gave me that much more fun a ride then I could get with my own automatic. And the clutch required a lot of leg work that I wasn't used to.

So my question to all of you is, what are the real advantages of a manual transmission? I know that power transfer is more efficient, but it seems to me right now (having watched others drive manuals and having had a total of 2 hours experience with manuals myself) that the quickness of automatic shifting makes the automatic a more responsive system. Am I just not good enough yet? Is the power loss really noticible?

What are all the real differences in performance between automatic vs. a manual transimission?

I believe I could get used to the manual if I were driving that all the time. But I'd really like to make an informed choice before I spend $50,000 dollars on a car that I know is going to make my leg ache if I ever get caught in traffic.

Any info or experiences that you can give me would help a lot....

Thanks......

 

I agree, I can't shift as fast as the A4 can. However, I also use the other gears to help when I am "playing" in the corners. If you are in any traffic the A4 is a whole lot better :seeya

 

This has been beat to death many times. Do a search on the archives to start. You have to ask yourself what you plan on doing with the car to pick the tranny that's the best for what you want. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. :cheers:

 

Since you've always driven an automatic, I'd suggest you stay with the automatic in your new Vette. I don't think you'd be able to tell any difference in the power. For around-town driving, the automatic will suit you just fine. If you want to run the car on a road track for lapping or competitive driving, then the manual transmission would be much better because it won't overheat as quickly as an automatic and you can precisely control when the car shifts so that you aren't surprised by an automatic shifting when its not wanted. Some people enjoy the experience of shifting their own gears and some people don't. Its really a matter of preference. Don't buy one transmission over the other because some people tell you that it's a "must" for the type of car. If you get the wrong tranmission, you'll regret it every time you drive the car.

- Mark

 

My suggestion: it will be hard, but see if you can find a dealer that will let you test drive a 6-speed vette, even if you have to go to a used lot and check out one that's a few years older than what you plan on owning.

I learned to drive 22 years ago on a stick, and I've owned nothing but auto cars since then. My wife and I went on vacation last summer and I rented a stick Ford Focus, with the same notion you have of getting a feel and thinking about what I was going to do with my plans to order a vette. The Focuss reminded me that I can still drive a stick, so I at least didn't rule out the notion of ordering the manual Vette. So, after debate and driving a friend's more powerful stick VW, I figured I'd try a change, and I went for the 6-speed. While the Ford and the VW revived my recollection of the process of shifting, they in no way gave me the fun factor of the torque/hp which, of course, is tons greater than an econo-box. So, with your friend's Honda, you're getting the same "half" story.

Since getting the stick, I've had NO regrets. :)

 

If I had to do over again I'd get an A4 just for the shear ease of cutting awesome 60's and lower E.T.'s at the track, and NO CLUTCH problems with added power. Plus, no more practicing launches (not NEAR as much) for lower 60's and E.T.s :D.

Immediate Mods to A4: 3300 Stall, LS1 Edit programming for torque management, etc and BLAM, low 12's NA all day.
Already got the 3.42's :smash:
Anyone interested in a swap? :D :D :D


[Modified by C5Noir, 9:52 PM 2/4/2002]

 

I was in the same boat as you... I bought an Automatic because I thought it was a more logical choice since my car is my daily driver and I get caught in traffic...

When it comes to power... the Automatic can be made "better" with a Torque Converter and gears....

If you get an Automatic... the the performance gears (3.15) or if its an option in 2003 (3.42)??? ... that will make you car quicker off the line...

Overall... there are as many fast Autos... as Sticks...

Sticks require a better driver, or at least better driving skills and the weak point is the clutch(stock) when you play with high HP...

Automatics require no driving skill but are more consistant... the weak link is the Torque Converter and Gear Ratio, and the stock shift points....

Both are great and have their flaws.... if you plan to race in the true sense of racing I think that a stick is better and has the "racer" image...

I race...but I like the Vette more for the looks than the power...(as you can see by my sig...1 performance mod vs. a lot a appearance mods...)

I dont hang around a lot of racers so power is not important and the only competition is V6 and V8 Stangs and F-Bodies...

I know this was a long rant....


GOOD LUCK...

 

with every automatic you get your choice of Gray or Blue hairnet, Free!

 

:lol: :lol: :lol:

If you get an auto, get ready for two things: (1) abuse like the above and (2) giving the manual guys and gals a ride home from the track. :D

 

As noted above, it depends on how you will use the car. A4s are better for heavy traffic and they work pretty well at the strip (straight line acceleration). It also appears the A4 is slightly more reliable than the manual, at least judging from what I've seen. Finally, of course, the a4 is cheaper.

I haven't had an automatic-equiped car for about 10 years. The main thing I miss is being able to choose and hold the exact gear I want, especially going into a medium-speed corner in the twisties. I'd say the MN6 is a must for any real performance road-racing type of driving.

Steve Levine--Fabulous looking fuel rail covers!

 

I enjoy selecting the right gear for whatever driving situation I encounter. With an automatic there is always the chance that the transmission will downshift abruptly just when you do not want that to happen, like in the middle of a tight curve.

Maybe the auto can shift faster than I can but I don't care because I would probably already have the manual in the gear I want before the auto decided to shift. It is all about CONTROL.

For highway cruising the manual trans gives a lower engine speed for better mileage and a little less engine noise.

 

If you want 1/4 mi speed, get the A4. Then let them watch your tail lights. If you want a sore arm and left leg, get the M6. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I love the tranny war!

 

I enjoy the manual in sporty cars and bikes, prefer the auto in light trucks. With whatever you choose the performance ratio will be the best choice. Stick with what you enjoy the most. ;)
:yesnod: Z 51 :yesnod:

 

i agree with you FastLane.....I would prefer stick for sport car

 

As you can see there are as many opinions as there are people! All of them are right. In deciding what you want, you have to drive both to get an idea what each feels like. And believe me, both the MN6 and the A4 a world away from Honda's and the like. I have a MN6. This is not my first stick, but it is my first in about 10 years. I was not sure I could live with a stick, given the horrible SF Bay area traffic jams, and my 140 mile daily commute. My Vette is my daily driver!

After 6 months of driving, I can say that the MN6 was the best choice for me. It's a pain in traffic, but it's manageable. And after reading post after post in the Forum, I can paraphrase some unknown Forum author by saying this: "If you want to ride in your Vette, get the auto, If you want to drive your Vette, get the stick". This is no flame on automatics! But I think it best illustrates the difference in the two. The stick takes a lot of driver involvement, and you really do drive differently with a stick. In bumper to bumper traffic, it sucks, but when the road clears a bit, it all becomes worth it. In terms of performance, I'm sure there are no real world differences between the two, and you can Powerload the A4, get a transgo kit, etc. and make it a hoot to drive as well.

So the question is, do you want alot of driving involvement or a little. Good luck on your purchase, and remember to DRIVE BOTH. And drive both in traffic, up and down hills, around corners, etc etc.

Sorry for the length..........

 

Get the Z06. It is worth the extra dough. If not get the 6 speed coupe. I LOVE the 6 speed! I have always chosen manual transmissions for my sports cars. The Corvette is one of the few sports cars that are even offered in automatic. If you look at the cars set forth by Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche and the Dodge Viper they are not even made available in auto (semiauto/tiptronic being the closest to auto and all the major auto publications favor the traditional manual transmission to the Tiptronic Porsche and The F1 paddle shift Ferraris, because they are faster and handle better).

Furthermore the Auto being faster is simply not true. Every major C5 tuner uses the six speed transmission option for the C5 to show off their newest mods. I do not remeber ever reading an article about an automatic Lingenfelter/Callaway/Mallet/Breathless/Doug Rippie car. (Sure they made a few autos for customer cars but they where never used as a company flagship model. Every one of these modified cars that showed up on the cover of car mags has always been a standard shift going back 15 years to the 4 speed Callaways of 1987.)

It is a challenge to learn how to use the six speed correctly and then it is much faster than the auto. I used to drag race in high school in my c4 vette, with the ZF 6speed, against 911's, Mustangs, Camaros and 300zx's and even a few GNX's. It was a challenge to learn how to hook up correctly at launch. But when I got it and beat the other driver it was an extra sense of accomplishment. I made the car shift just at the right time to beat a guy in a GNX that is just stomping on a pedal. Isn't that what owning a sports car is about? Feeling the car respond to your input.

I have had mine for two weeks and I cannot express the amazing feeling of shifting gears as you blast through the curvy roads up in Malibu canyon. Conversely I have been stuck in traffic almost everyday and the clutch is not bad. It actually feels lighter than the 1990 6 speed I used to drive. Trust me once you master the six speed you will love it and you won't mind the minor inconvenieces.

The C5 Corvette is one of the greatest Sports cars ever made and should only be had in Manual. Don't neuter it.

PS you get better gas mileage in a stick that will offset the price of a new clutch down the line. :yesnod:

 

:lol: :smash:

 

Manual cars are faster - its the drivers that are slower. Takes more skill to get a 6 speed down a quarter mile fast, but a skilled driver would be faster than an automatic car (all other things being equal).

 

I like the manual transmission, but ordered the automatic in my 99 Coupe. It is more practical in the type of traffic I have to drive in.

 

6 Speed for a vette Rocks!! But do what you are comfortable with!