Since you drive in traffic, let me offer you a different perspective.

In most cars, you're constantly shuffling gears. In the G, due to the tuning of the engine and VVEL, you can stay in gear at VERY low RPM, and accelerate without lugging the engine.

E.G., you can sit in 3rd gear at 4 mph, clutch fully engaged, without having the engine stalling out, and press on the gas at ANY time, and start to accelerate without lugging.

This is (at this time), unique to VQ37 cars. 3rd gear will effectively give you a range of 4mph to 90mph. 2nd will let you get down to 2.5-3mph before you have to depress the clutch. 1st is generally not a good option, as you'll have drivetrain lash, and an unsmooth ride.

Unless you come to a COMPLETE stop, you will never clutch in. Given you experience in traffic, I'm sure you know how to coast, so that even in stop and go traffic, you're never actually stopped.


I'd be more than willing to demonstrate the technique to so-cal locals; this is also one of the techniques used to get 18.7MPG over a sustained 2 hour period of bumper to bumper traffic in G37Rider's car when I was delivering it to him. Trip computer was reset AFTER getting into traffic, for demonstration purposes to another forum member.

 

I second on Mike with his post...

I can hang in pretty much any gear and coast in traffic with no problem of constantly having to switch gears. Just pace yourself in traffic and avoid constant stopping and you won't have a problem.

If you're new to this tranny and clutch, give yourself 2-3 months to perfect your shifting and rev-matching and you'll be in love with this car.

I know I won't have it any other way.

 

Thanks guys for all the comments (if anyone has others, please chime in). I intend to test drive the ONLY manual available in the city early this week and then will decide. It's a S sedan and not a coupe but I presume they use the same, or very similar, manual trannies.

I'm really torn on this. Part of me wants to go back to a manual badly. Part of me likes the convenience of the auto *sometimes* when I want to be lazy. Also, although I said it is relatively neutral price wise, it isn't exactly even and it will cost me a little (a couple of G's... no pun intended ) to go to the manual. And, like I said before, I worry that if I trade now, I will be looking to trade again in a year or so if they change the G (motor, rev matching, etc) in 2010 or 2011... decisions, decisions.

 

I don't understand how driving stick is such a chore... it has never occured to me to question the stick based on my wanting to be "lazy". Anyone can be lazy with the stick, I mean I'm sure half the time we all shift without thinking about it.

It's when you ruminate about the stick that you get these feelings of driving an MT to be a chore. However, I doubt you'd regret getting the MT once you do. It's just going through the motions most of the time, even in traffic.

Like the poster above you said - stay in 3rd gear and you can easily bypass most traffic crawls without the need to shift unless you slow down to near 0.

 

That sounds good and all but the problem with it is you need distance to convert stop and go to crawl and if you give that it's usually usurped by cars looking to move out of the slower moving lanes into yours and your crawl quickly becomes another stop.

I feel your pain, it's too bad we don't have manual with an auto mode vs auto with a manual mode. My take on auto is that it adds personality to the car. You have another brain and set of sensors working here you need to get to know to truely appreciate her. Now that's something a "driver" absolutely doesn't want, however as a tech freak and just plain car owner that's been a really fun experience. Granted she's not a smart as I'd like, but then the smarter chicks cost a hell of a lot more.

 

The G has held its resale value better than any car in its class since it has been in production.

 

OK... need some more help!!!

I drove a 2009 G37s sedan today in 6MT format. There were no coupes available to test. Overall, I liked the feeling of the shifter and I could easily get used to the clutch engagment. What I can't get over is how much more noise and vibration I hear in the cabin?!??!! First, when accelerating in first gear (or any gear really but I notice it most in first) I can hear a mechanical type of whine coming from the transmission. Thiswas very noticeable to me as the 5AT is absolutely quiet and refined. Also, the shifter vibrates a TON!! Way more than any of my previous MTs.

I really, really want to like the 6MT but my impression is that the NVH levels are significantly worse than the 5AT. One thing I really enjoy about the G is that it is a performance AND luxury car. The 6MT seems to take away a lot of the luxury part...

Can those with 6MTs please chime in and tell me what I'm missing here? Is the sedan rougher than the coupe (can't imagine that as you would think it would be the exact opposite)? Did I just get a bad car? Is it because it is SOOO new (15 miles)? I need help with this... want to get the 6MT badly but am nervous that it will be too rough around the edges. I have found various conflicting reviews on this in car mags... some love the 6MT, some (usually after a long term test) hate it and point to the 5AT as the better option.

Help...

 

The NVH is definitely worse in the 6MT than in the Auto. However things start to smooth out once you get past 2K miles; the shifter vibration was never an issue on my car.

 

I've had my 6MT coupe for about 11 months/9,000 miles. I can hear my exhaust, but that's about it. It's a pretty darn quiet ride. An occasional rattle pops up here or there, but when I'm listening to music, I can't hear anything, not even the noise from the exhaust.

I don't have any experience driving the 6MT sedan, but I a quite pleased with the coupe. YMMV

 

the clutch is on the 37 is much better than the 35 but the 37 clutch is pretty heavy. The catch point is very early to. Also, on shifting you can either ride the clutch a tiny bit shifting or you can push in the clutch and let the rpm drop and shift up.

 

OK... a little update. I went back to the dealership AGAIN to drive the 6MT sedan. When I first started to drive the car and would push the clutch in to shift to second from first, there was a definitive noise/rattle from the tranny. Almost like marbles rattling. After about 5 minutes of driving, this went away or became less noticeable... not sure really. Went back to the dealership and took the sales guy out with me so he could hear it. He did hear something even though it was faint now (getting better). He wasn't sure whether it was normal or not.

So, he is going to have a tech drive in the car tomorrow and listen after it sits tonight. The car was on the lot for a month or so before I test drove it. I wonder if the noise is because the car is SOOO new. Anyway, it is this noise that I believe I am associating with the NVH issue. Has anyone else had a noisy/rattle in the tranny?

My problem now is that this is the only 6MT with 2 days drive. If the tech says something is wrong with the car then I will order the 6MT coupe. If he hears the rattle and tells me it's normal, then I need to rethink the 6MT thing.

 

There have been some folks who have complained about noisy clutches primarily when the car is cold. There have also been others who saythat their's are quiet.

If you do a search for 6MT rattle or clutch rattle, you might fine some extra opinions on it. The 6MT has a raw feel to it. For some that's great for others its annoying.

 

I must have gotten a "Wednesday" car as I have NO Rattles or vibrations from my shifter or tranny. This is coming from a person who is meticulous with his vehicles as well as everything else. The car is extremely quite with no rattles, and I can barely hear the exhaust, and that's only if the windows are down. (That's changing tomorrow, as my Stillen Exhaust arrives.)

If I were you I would try and drive a different 6mt, or give the other a shot one last time. That's just a strange issue you're having with that car.

 

You have to remember, NVH is relative. The G will be quiet to someone coming from a Civic, while it'll be loud to someone who had an Audi.

 

So after days of agonizing, test driving and discussions with many on here (thanks to all), I decided to go with the 6MT.

In some ways it was a lose/lose decision. I really miss the 6MT often when driving the 5AT... especially when the weather is nice. The 5AT is truly a great option and is fun in its own right but is still not as involving as a 6MT. Having said that, there will be days in the winter when I'm sitting in traffic and the 6MT will be no fun at all and I will wish I had the 5AT. Either way, there will be times I wished I had the other tranny.

I guess the bottom line is that I am a 6MT guy at heart and the 5AT never quite felt right to me. This is a personal thing and not a shot against the 5AT. It is a great option and the faster of the two for all but near professional 6MT drivers. However, it's not about racing for me, it's about fun, driving involvement and enjoying the car.

I also decided to accept the slightly higher NVH that comes with the 6MT. I spoke to the Infiniti service manager, in addition to a ton of research, and have decided it is the nature of the beast. The clutch/shifter is designed for a sports car feel and it's heavy duty design results in a little less refinement than the 5AT. If you know this going in, it isn't a problem. It's funny because some people LOVE the 6MT and don't mind the extra NVH... others don't. I personally believe some people have had bad experiences while others have had different expectations.

I currently have an Ivory Pearl car and will either buy another white car or maybe liquid metal gray (amethyst graphite I think it is called south of the border). I love the IP but the new white is more of a pure white and I have found that the accumulation of orange brake dust contamination, etc is a pain with white. I think the gray is the best compromise relative to looks and maintainability (BO being the best looking/hardest and silver being the least best looking (IMO) but easiest to maintain.)

Anyway, again, thanks for all of the comments and discussion. It was greatly appreciated. I will post picks when the 09 G37 arrives.