Auto vs Manual

[suzook]

Originally Posted by JR 1

It all comes down to preference, your skill level, and what you want out of your car. Are you skilled at driving and shifting? Do you want to drag race or autocross? Do you want bragging rights? Do you just want to have fun?

I have a manual, and this is my first daily driver that is a stick so my shifting skills aren't the greatest yet. I'm sure I would get beat by an automatic. I also drive in stop and go bumper to bumper traffic frequently. That said, I still wouldn't trade by stick for an automatic. I drove my father in law's Camaro for a couple of days. His is a V6 RS like mine, but his is an auto. It completely changes the character of the car. I felt like I was driving any old car with his, it took the fun and the character out of the experience. I suppose if you had the V8 it would make up for some of it, but for me it killed the Camaro experience.

While I'm not bashing the v6......you really can't compare it to the v8...even an auto.

[JR 1]

Originally Posted by suzook

While I'm not bashing the v6......you really can't compare it to the v8...even an auto.

Well I've driven a couple SS autos as well, but it was before I owned mine so I'd have to drive one again to really say. I thought the point of the thread was manual vs. auto, but why do you say you can't compare V8 to V6? Is 324 vs. 400 hp really so great that they can't be compared? I notice you also just say V8 not SS or ZL1. Is 400 and 580 hp basically the same and not worth distinguishing?

[suzook]

Originally Posted by JR 1

Well I've driven a couple SS autos as well, but it was before I owned mine so I'd have to drive one again to really say. I thought the point of the thread was manual vs. auto, but why do you say you can't compare V8 to V6? Is 324 vs. 400 hp really so great that they can't be compared? I notice you also just say V8 not SS or ZL1. Is 400 and 580 hp basically the same and not worth distinguishing?

Oh no, BIG difference between ss and zl1..no doubt....we are getting off topic though. I love my auto, wouldn't trade it for a stick. That'sjust me though.

[Lord Ryan]

Was in for service this morning. The ZL1 is still the only manual they have on the lot. I tried 2 dealerships before I bought mine. The first one had a $29k bare bones LS manual and a +$40k SS manual. First was just to dull. Second was out of my budget.
Second dealership only had a $65k ZL1 manual, way out of my budget. I guess they just don't sell around here, or they go so quick you never see them.

The first salesman said 50% can't learn to drive them. 25% don't want to learn. Doesn't leave a big market for them.

I miss my manual! Only regret about buying the Camaro. Almost wish I bought the BRZ limited I was planning on.

[Rob3D]

A manual adds to the fun factor for me. Not much worried about which is faster...

[Ksmoke]

I purely choose an automatic over how much I drive. I drive quite a lot and as my daily driver I don't feel like being stuck in stop and go, which I constantly am and driving a manual. If I only had the cash I'd just buy an automatic and a manual camaro! Haha

[steph09]

Based on my commuting, the automatic is for me. I guess when I graduate from college I can start saving for a manual corvette for that fun factor. Although I still think the automatic camaro is a hell lot of fun already.

[abaucom21]

Manual vs Automatic, think it depends on where you are located. When I see a thread like this there might be a difference between urban dwellers and not so urban dwellers. Preference between manual and automatic might be based on your daily drive.

I learned how to drive a floor shift when I was 15 years old in my older brothers MG roadster back in the 1960s dark ages. My first new manual floor shift was a new 1970 Nova SS, and loved manual floor shift, "learned how to speed shift just by sound of engine".

Over the decades (45+ years) I have been driving in urban city stop & go traffic (Miami, Richmond, Houston, NYC twice, Philadelphia, Dallas, now Ottawa) and found an automatic transmission a good option to have in city stop and go traffic.

Admit I like manual speed shifting but the manual trans less then fun if daily driving in urban stop and go traffic and your max speed might be only 50 mph between stop lights and you continue to clutch between gears.

Love my 2LT, I am an urban driver so a manual shift is a -, same reason a SS V8 is a - because I have few to no opportunties to experience the V8 hp. My three year old daily driver (winter/summer) 2011 2LT, ordered my way is only at about 5,400 miles mostly driven in urban stop-in-go traffic. V6, A6 perfect for my daily driving.

I paid cash for my "made my way" preorder Camaro 2LT, A6. Could have paid cash for an SS with RS & with manual. I preordered my 2011 2LT back in May 2010 to fit my driving. A poser is one who buys a high performance auto just because it is high performance but driving habits does not warrent all that HP or use of manual floor shift.

Let the hate responses begin.

[RayTheRat]

Real rods (cruisers, muscle cars, sports cars...whatever) have 3 pedals.

(Some exceptions may apply, ymmv.)

When I went looking for Camaros, an automatic automatically (bad pun) excluded that car from the list of possibles.

I took a friend for a ride last nite...he's a German photographer who made it into the 200 mph club on the salt flats last year. I offered to let him drive my Camaro. He confessed that he didn't know how to drive a "standard-type standard" (another bad pun) and that the car he drove on the salt had a motorcycle transmission and it was the only stick he'd ever driven. And he's not a young kid. I just don't unnerstand that. I learned to drive a manual trans in a 1949 GMC truck with a "crash box" (non-synchronized gearbox) that required double-clutching when shifting up or down. Once ya learn something like that, any other setup is a piece o' cake.

[gajagfan]

I am confident that a stock manual will outperform a stock automatic in any form of competition, as long as the driver is up to the task. The performance gap will be smaller at the drag strip, but when it comes to a road course, the manual will show a greater edge. As far as ones choice for themselves, it depends how much the performance edge / fun factor is important vs the comfort level afforded with the automatics in certain driving situations like bumper to bumper traffic. Keep in mind, every statement I just made is based on the manual transmission driver being skilled and having the ability to up shift very quickly and efficiently at the correct RPM, and downshift matching RPM as to not upset the car. If this is not the case, then the automatic may very well gain the performance advantage in any form of competition.

[steph09]

Originally Posted by abaucom21

Manual vs Automatic, think it depends on where you are located. When I see a thread like this there might be a difference between urban dwellers and not so urban dwellers. Preference between manual and automatic might be based on your daily drive.

I learned how to drive a floor shift when I was 15 years old in my older brothers MG roadster back in the 1960s dark ages. My first new manual floor shift was a new 1970 Nova SS, and loved manual floor shift, "learned how to speed shift just by sound of engine".

Over the decades (45+ years) I have been driving in urban city stop & go traffic (Miami, Richmond, Houston, NYC twice, Philadelphia, Dallas, now Ottawa) and found an automatic transmission a good option to have in city stop and go traffic.

Admit I like manual speed shifting but the manual trans less then fun if daily driving in urban stop and go traffic and your max speed might be only 50 mph between stop lights and you continue to clutch between gears.

Love my 2LT, I am an urban driver so a manual shift is a -, same reason a SS V8 is a - because I have few to no opportunties to experience the V8 hp. My three year old daily driver (winter/summer) 2011 2LT, ordered my way is only at about 5,400 miles mostly driven in urban stop-in-go traffic. V6, A6 perfect for my daily driving.

I paid cash for my "made my way" preorder Camaro 2LT, A6. Could have paid cash for an SS with RS & with manual. I preordered my 2011 2LT back in May 2010 to fit my driving. A poser is one who buys a high performance auto just because it is high performance but driving habits does not warrent all that HP or use of manual floor shift.

Let the hate responses begin.

I respect your decision on your car. I have driven the V6 A6 version of this car for about a year and now that car is my sisters car. Honestly the V8 A6 too me feels like a completely different car.

I'm not sure how that makes people a poser for driving an automatic v8 but everyone has there own opinions. I thought there would be more love here in the Camaro family.

If anything I commute 5 hours between my school and home monthly so I get to experience the car at high speeds on the highway. Much love to you brother

[Mikamaro]

Originally Posted by snaphappy

This was my first manual. Bought it at 31 years old. It was tough to learn. But it's changed my life. Driving a manual is a poetic experience. Like all great things its difficult to describe

Nicely said ‘’poetic experience’’
It's funny how you read so many automatic owner get the back hand comment: Oh, it's an Automatic!'', in my case my family and friends were like: ''Why did you get a Manual? lol

I got my first manual and my first new car at 35 years old. It is really a soul fulfilling experience for me.
Having a manual Camaro is really an extension of your feelings...there is a lot more possibilities to change your driving style with a stick.
My shift patterns can go from standard upshifts to:
1-3-5
1-4
Start in 2nd
Leave it in 2nd, 3rd or 4th at 4000rpm to hear the burbles when release the gas pedals
The best part is compression downshifts with rev match...the sounds of the burbles…. Sweet music to my ears. Some can be done with automatic but it’s not has fun, especially on road course.

Automatics have their reasons, my Dodge Magnum is auto and I would not want a stick for that car. But my manual Camaro is a driving fulfillment every time I get in it.

[Angrybird 12]

I had my last daily driver manual car in 2008. I bought it new in 2006, in the spring of 2008 I went on a 2 day get together with other Skys and Solstices driving The Tail of the Dragon and surrounding mountain roads. When I got home I could barely walk for 3 days because of my left knee. As soon as I recovered I went and ordered me a Automatic Sky. Since then I have only owned Autos and never thought anything about needing a manual to have fun driving. I still have fun, and now don't have to suffer afterwards because of it.
I do have a Manual transmission in my S10 truck, but since I don't drive it much that isn't an issue with it.

[suzook]

Learned how to drive on a stick at age 14, had many vehicles after that with a stick. At this point in my life, i will NEVER buy a stick again UNLESS its a track car.