Agreed, I currently have GTO with the manual and do 90% of my driving in the city. It is getting old, i will be going back to an auto next purchase.

manuallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll........... ........enuff said....but please dont learn on the new camaro.... if you cant buy a beater car first.... then go take like 3-4 lessons on a stick car as is you were taking driving lessons..... as long as you get a hold of it.... your set.

All this talk.. Have you made your decision on what to get yet? :O

Peh' my first car was a '79 accord hatchback, I wish I could've had a Camaro for my 16th B-day.:smoking:

Ok, being as young as you are I'd say go for the automatic, that way you can keep both hands on the wheel.:D Seriously, it provides improved control. I however am getting a 6-spd and recommend a 6-spd to you once you get some good driving experience under your belt.

Someone commented on city driving growing on their nerves in a manual? I love being in traffic with my manual :) I rarely need to touch the brakes, and I know that the second I need to change lanes or jump into faster moving traffic that the power is there. With an automatic you can't be as pedal-happy, you may have to wait for the car to gear-down.

However it being your first car, automatic for sure, again, not just because of the ease of learning on an automatic, but definitely because for the first few years it's probably a good idea to not have to worry about anything other than traffic. ESPECIALLY in a gorgeous new car, that will undoubtedly get you tickets.

...I normally cruise the city in 4th gear, I wonder how fast that'll be in the new Camaro...

I commented on city driving getting on my nerves. Actually, it was the rush hour stop and go traffic w/a stick that got on my nerves. I wouldn't trade my 6spd Hurst short throw for anything. But, I would have taken an auto any day over a manual in that Austin rush hour....more like 2 hours we sat in stop and go traffic. My left leg actually was tired after all that clutch action. It was horrible. Driving city streets w/ my regular manual is the only way to go, though.

Totally agree. My mother insisted that my first car be a manual and I thank her every day. Most of my freinds when I was younger could only drive an auto so it was good that I liked to drive since none of them could drive my car. :D

I was reading a British author recently, and he wrote that when he traveled to the U.S., he rented a car with an automatic, and put a look of horror on their faces when he told them he didn't know how to drive a car with an automatic transmission. I would have thought that learning to drive with a manual transmission would allow you to drive anything, but apparently for some Europeans it doesn't.

i bought half of my first car which was 2200. and thank gawd i did. i dont think any new driver should have a nice expensive car. i wrecked mine twice once in the snow. both were my fault and no one else was arround but if i did that to a new car i would be so screwed right now. so get a beater and drive that for a wile then get some thing nice.

I prefer Automatic for the Rush Hour traffic, that said, I do love my RX8 with the racing pedals on the stearing wheel. When I want to play manual I just use them for downshifting and such.

manual!! my first car was a 99 brand new red camaro. unfortunately it was auto and a v6 but it had t tops. i wish i had gotten a manual and z28. but i made up for it 3 years later when i got my 99 6 spd trans am.

I'm not even gonna lie; Auto all the way! You guys can shift your own gears if you like, good luck keep'n up.:headbang: I sure hope they included paddle shifters with the Auto in the 5thgen. Man o man..... can't freak'n wait!

to me its not about going faster in a auto than a stick . its about the fun of up and down shifting. and im not planning on losing any power ill probably be adding about 150-200 more anyways.

It's not about going faster for me either, but what the heck...

As long as the auto has paddle shifters, I'm happy.