I should have learned!!


I had an 350z manual coupe for 2.5 years. Then traded it in for an AT 350z roadster. I love the car, but the AT is not the same.

My next car will be 6mt no matter what.

Tony

 

Yes you can hold the gear as long as you want. When you slow down to stop, it will automatically downshift for you if you don't do it first. But it is best to allow the car to downshift when stopping normally- it does it much smoother. But whne performance driving the gear you select is the gear it stays in.

 

In my last post, I meant "SOLD" me, not Told me.. lol.

I'm really considering the AT now. Again, I was out driving, and I was thinking, right now i'd love to have a manual transmission.. But on the way home I was enjoying my AT so IDK.. wtf

 

oh yeah I understood .. Like I always say to folks- test drive for yourself to see what your personalpreference is. You can't go wrong with either choice though.

 

Any other reasons

 

I have been driving a stick for a long time now so I think I just got tired of it. I know I will get another manual transmission car in the future, but for now I really enjoy the AT.
Besides, if its good enough for the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti it's good enough for me!!!
(not really the same...I know )

 

I am enjoying every moment I drive my car with AT. If I want some fun, I flip it over to DS mode. If I just want to cruise, I leave it in drive and enjoy the smooth, quiet ride and awesome sound system.

 

Daily driven 2006 G35 Coupe 6MT and loving every shift.

An AT isn't even on my mind. Atleast not at this stage of my life. Maybe when I get arthritis or something

.

 

The 5AT in the G37 has been greatly improved compared to the G35C. The Gear ratios in the G35 were
5AT 6MT
1st 3.540 3.794
2nd 2.264 2.324
FDR 3.357 3.538
So in 1st gear 6MT has 13% more torque available bacause of the higher multiplier and in 2nd gear it was 8.2% in favor of 6MT. The 5AT wouldn't stand a chance against 6MT in a straight line 0-60.
Now in G37:
5AT 6MT
1st 3.841 3.794
2nd 2.352 2.324
FDR 3.692 3.692

5AT has 1.2% torque advantage based on gear ratios in both 1st and 2nd gear. With this and the high stall torque converter the 5AT more than compensates for the auto transmission. Performance wise (0-60) the gap has been closed. Now it's just a matter of personal preference. In real life (street) scenarios the AT now will be just as quick as the MT in 5-60. You would have to launch at 5,000 RPM in the MT and are really quick at shifting gears to gain that small 0.1, 0.2 seconds advantage. I would say that an average MT driver will be challenged by an AT guy in a G37 in a normal street race if that's what you're after, of course. The 6MT has a (60-100) 1/4 mile advantage because of the closer gear ratio in 3rd but to a guy like me who has never been on the track and don't remember the last time I was doing 100-120 m\h on the highway and uses the car as a DD the 5AT will be just fine. For all practical purposes, the 5AT is nice and smooth, and nippy when I need it. I just don't see the performance benefit anymore to justify the pain of shifting gears manually especially in central NJ traffic all the time, day after day, year after year.

 

I forgot to mention trade-in value ... the 5AT might be "worth" more than the 6MT (smaller pool to buy from). If you're going to trade-in to a dealer, the 5AT will be worth more than the cost of the option when new compared to the 6MT (depending on the supply/demand of the car). If this were a sports car like a Corvette or a Z ... might be a different story. However, this is a 'luxury' car so it might work out the opposite. Dealers don't care about things (ie how rare a 6MT is) like that -- they worry about how quickly they can flip it for.

Of course ... if you sell privately, you might be able to sell for more (on an equally equipped car + miles) since the 6MT might be more "rare".

 

I'm going for more test drives later this week. Guy's getting a 6MT G37 in.. and I'll drive the auto and check out those paddle shifters...

 

I test drove a g37 6mt yesterday and a 5at on a prior visit. I have still not decided on what to buy. My impression of the g37 6mt was very good. Clutch is smooth and easy and no noise from the tranny at high RPMs. The shifter was very smooth and was easy to find gears. The car was very refined and had quality feeling at all RPMs. So, to me, all of the issues with the tranny and clutch have been answered.

One initial impression I had was a 2nd gear acceleration on the g37 6mt seemed weak. I was going fast enough that I would not have selected first gear from the stand point I felt it may have been abusive on the syncros and tranny, but from a performance stand point, first gear was the only choice. In this case I believe for real world driving and unplanned acceleration the AT may have an advantage. So my impression is the AT seemed torquer and quicker than the MT but that is due to the AT's ability down shift without the driver feeling abusive or looking like an overly aggressive race driver when first gear is what you actually wanted.

I currently drive a 300ZX MT and a Honda van AT and I am 51 years old.

 

As someone who is in to day 2 with a G37, let me say just one thing - WOW!

This car is the tightest car I have ever owned. The structure is amazing - no rattles, shakes, or shudders.

I'm blown away by the audio and nav systems.

The point of this rant? I don't think you can go wrong with either a 6MT or a 5AT. The car is that good!

BTW - I was glad I got the 5AT as I crawled home in traffic last night. Pick the car you want beased on your driving environment.

 

Ok guys, another question just came to mind. How much does it cost to replace the clutch on a G35, guessing it'll be the same or close to on the G37. And under moderate driving, and some fun and go driving..how long does the OE clutch last?

 

A clutch should last a long time if you don't drive wrecklessly. My brother has a '95 Integra and he hasn't replaced the clutch ever. I've had my '91 Prelude for about 5 years now and I have yet to replace my clutch as well.