Looking for some insight...auto or manual?

[shinzon]

if you have to ask this question, get the Auto

[Zeraphicus]

Go manual!

When I bought my 98 SS the only manuals I had driven were tractors. It's got a huge cam in it and is tough for even veterans, but on my fifth drive out I had it down pat, and I haven't looked back ever since. Now all my cars will be manuals, I love them!

I bought a 1985 Honda Prelude with a 5 speed and that was fun! No matter what car it is, it's more fun to drive manual!

[Thrillz]

Driver shift mode and paddle shifters are lame. Not even close to the experience u get driving a manual.

[SicSix6]

Depends on if you can drive a manual or not.......

[mutant chicken]

Ok, I didn't bother reading all the posts here... but I assume they have all the good adivce.. follow your heart, use your head...

Here is my two cents.....

Think about a couple of things.. Is this your daily driver ? How much time are you going to spend in traffic ? How comfortable are you going to be ? What is going to make you happy ?

I drive a stick all day long at work, so my commute vehice is an auto, I like to have a bit of a break during my commute. My commute vehice also has other ammenities that my work vehicle does not, power steering, air conditioning, power brakes, power windows, a ( killer ) stereo, heater, etc. , I think you get the point.... but the Camaro is going to be a second car for us, and all fun. It will be a stick, but we are both very comfortable with a manual transmission.

Now that I have rambled on too long... : )

I would say that if you are buying this as a daily driver and you are not comfortable with a stick, then stay with the auto, it is still going to perform great, you should be very happy. If you are comfortable with the stick and don't have a lot of stop and go traffic to deal with and that is what you want then why not ?

Don't feel the need to get a manual transmission just because someone else tellls you to get it, if you are not comfortable with it you may not drive the car as much. Go with what makes you happy ! I really enjoy driving a stick ( at least when I'm not at work ), I actually test drove a completely different car last week and tried an auto ( that's all they had ) and hate'd the fact that it was an auto, it just wasn't any fun to me, but if you are not comfortable with a stick you won't like the car and won't drive it as much, or worse yet, you'll end up selling it....

[Thrillz]

I remember my first manaual very clearly. In 1992 i bought a 82 trans am with a stick that i had to have my dad drive it home as i didnt know how to drive one. Before that all my cars i always made sure it was auto i didnt want anything to do with a stick. After getting a standard i hate auto now with any fun cars i own now with a passion. You wont know if u like a stick until u own one for the first time im afraid.

[Restroom]

The auto hooks up and shifts well enough to shave a couple of tenths off of times to sixty compared to the manual, which is only (C&D March) one-tenth faster through the quarter. However, if you think you can feel a couple of tenths of a second, remember that if you do in fact drive it balls-out frequently enough to see the difference, you'll be buying clutches every time you get groceries.

Used to be a lot more advantages to buying a stick in a sports car, and in several cases there still is. I don't think the SS is going to be one of them; the auto gives you a newer engine and throws in DOD on top of a solid, high-performing, better-geared, six-speed transmission. It's not like your other choice is a rock-crusher anyhow, the damn manual is still slower in the hands of people who tease the tree for a living. Personally, I went auto because I got spoiled with a string of decent manumatics and I just don't get any pleasure out of rowing it around a parking lot feathering 420 ft.-lbs. of torque, dealing with that goddamned first-to-fourth crap, or even enduring the occasional lethal takeoff when I'm a bit fatigued and (though I can't imagine the scenario) not feeling like bawling the tires for a block leaving the parking garage. Besides, all that gets worse proportionally the more you build, tune and bolt-on; an auto just winks at you and handles business. That rear end'll probably handle 800 without balking, and if I start to think I need more than that, hopefully someone will stop me.

[NYCLS3]

Driving in the nut-house of New York with all it's 100 billion cars and bumper to bumper traffic=Auto for me. That and the fact I have crap for knees and my left ankle is shot; too many years on steel ships. I'd say go for stick if you don't live in a dense metropolitan area, and if you have good joints...standards are just too much fun to not get one.

Hmm, one thing I've never paid attention to about the car...has anyone that has a stick been able to heel-toe it? Have heard the pedals are too far from each other.

[NYCLS3]

Originally Posted by Xmicro_SS

Manual would have been smarter and more fun. I drive my manual cars in New York City 5PM Bumper to Bumper EVERYDAY, it becomes second nature and you even forget you are doing it. All the traffic excuses are BS, people are just lazy.

Yup, we're all lazy for not driving sticks in the madness of NYC Traffic.

["prima"Donna]

Originally Posted by Xmicro_SS

Manual would have been smarter and more fun. I drive my manual cars in New York City 5PM Bumper to Bumper EVERYDAY, it becomes second nature and you even forget you are doing it. All the traffic excuses are BS, people are just lazy.

I totally agree with you...always loved driving a "stick"...best compliment i could ever get was from my son, who is a "car guy" and he said i was the best "stick" driver ever...i never minded driving it in traffic...it gives you something fun to do...HOWEVER, that being said, i did get the V6 Auto this time, much to my son's dismay, but i told him that if i was 10 years younger, there would be "no contest", but i plan on driving this car until i DIE and my knees are not what they used to be, so i got the Auto, and it does come with the tap shift...i know that's not the same, but i had to do what's right for me at this stage of my life and i LOVE this car soooooo much, that it doesn't even matter about the Auto at this point, cuz i keep saying, "IT'S A ROCKETSHIP", and that's good enough for me...

[jr_hoyt]

I totally agree that driving a stick would be much more fun when I'm on an open road. I CAN drive stick, I just don't prefer it because I've never been able to get truly comfortable with it. I went with the automatic because I have a LOT of hills in my area, plus there tend to be a lot of traffic jams when I travel up to OKC. I'm not trying to use all of that as an excuse, because I don't need an excuse for choosing something that I want.
Thanks to (ALMOST) everyone for all of the positive replies, lol. Nah, I'm just kidding, everyone is entitled to their opinion, just some of them are less valid, lol!

[BrianGriffin78]

I took my car in for a NY state inspection. When I pulled in the guy said to me they have been waiting for me, since I made my appointment on Thursday and told the receptionist it is a 2010 Camaro. The guy asked if he could take the car on the road, I said no problem. He cut the price down to 5 bucks for the inspection, to just pay for the sticker I guess. He said the car rides amazing. He then pulled the magic question. Why did you get Automatic?

I looked at him, and said I don't want to be jerked around going up hills and in city traffic. He started to laugh and said, "I hear ya, and with a car like this you will enjoy it either way just as much." I then said I tried driving stick in the past, not very good at it. I tried to drive my friends Shelby GT and just got fustrated. I just want to hit the f'ing gas and go without any delay on my part. lol. He said at least you are honest that you cannot drive stick well. I talked to my dealership and he said their orders are about 50/50. So at least I am not the only one out there.

[BrianGriffin78]

Originally Posted by jr_hoyt

I totally agree that driving a stick would be much more fun when I'm on an open road. I CAN drive stick, I just don't prefer it because I've never been able to get truly comfortable with it. I went with the automatic because I have a LOT of hills in my area, plus there tend to be a lot of traffic jams when I travel up to OKC. I'm not trying to use all of that as an excuse, because I don't need an excuse for choosing something that I want.
Thanks to (ALMOST) everyone for all of the positive replies, lol. Nah, I'm just kidding, everyone is entitled to their opinion, just some of them are less valid, lol!

I have a lot of hills in my area as well. I also live 20 miles from NYC. So I tend to get that stop and go traffic now and then. I don't live upstate or in the middle of nowhere. I feel once I am cruising over 65 on the highway, there really is no difference to me. I am not looking to race anyone, and I am not looking to smoke the tires. I wanted a car that is fast and flashy at the same time. With this car I can get over 100 MPH very fast with or without Automatic. But you bring out a good point, it is preference. I just feel that there is no more fun way either way. It is just personal preference.

[jr_hoyt]

Originally Posted by BrianGriffin78

I have a lot of hills in my area as well. I also live 20 miles from NYC. So I tend to get that stop and go traffic now and then. I don't live upstate or in the middle of nowhere. I feel once I am cruising over 65 on the highway, there really is no difference to me. I am not looking to race anyone, and I am not looking to smoke the tires. I wanted a car that is fast and flashy at the same time. With this car I can get over 100 MPH very fast with or without Automatic. But you bring out a good point, it is preference. I just feel that there is no more fun way either way. It is just personal preference.

I totally agree! We all gotta do what makes us feel right on the inside!