Will AFM drive you to learn stick?

[Txturbo]

That is one of my dilemmas. I would like to have the manual and the ease of modification, but the auto would get me other things I want like the remote start and better mileage and easier for DD.

[theholycow]

I'm getting a manual, though if the V6 automatic offered AFM I'd have to consider it. AFAIK, AFM doesn't pose any of the problems described in the first post.

Originally Posted by MerF

I've been dead-set on a SS Convertible 6-speed since the concept vert was released...

Manual, or automatic?

My point is that saying "5 speed" or "6 speed" no longer works to describe what type of transmission it is, and that habit should disappear if people intend to communicate clearly.

but with the onset of AFM (awesome!) and even the badass 6-banger we're gonna get, I may just have to [...]

The V6 won't have AFM, last I heard.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by 2KZ28_For_Now

2) Do you plan on economy, or "spirited" driving?

I don't think those will be defining issues for this question. If you plan on economy you can get more from the manual by working at it, but if you don't want to do that the automatic will deliver. If you plan on "spirited" driving, both will deliver that in spades.

6/10ths of Camaro owners will prolly opt for the Auto. And, that's

Some others will just feel the need. the need for speed.

With the auto faster than the manual, the need for speed will be served to the automatic drivers. Not to mention that in daily driving, unless you want to beat on your car, an auto is usually faster even on cars where the manual wins in a drag race.

A manual makes a higher performance (SS and above) vehicle "FEEL" more ---- like a higher performance vehicle. For those, nothing else will do.

Much more fun. And cheaper. And if you want to save gas for most of your driving and just kick it up a couple times per day, the manual will deliver better.

You may be better-served by learning a "stick" with something --- else, first.

EDIT: Well, I may be obtuse here, but the LS or LT may be a good model to learn "clutch-in, clutch-out" for the first time. I welcome other opinions.

As someone who until recently had little experience driving stick and recently tried to teach my wife, I'd say that as long as you're not afraid to operate the shifter and not afraid to keep your RPM relatively low (both easy decisions to make if you've ever paid attention to what your automatic was doing), the feel of the clutch is what makes a car good or bad for learning.

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by clm7214

On another note, dont expect the auto to get better gas mileage. The manual will be better, for the simple fact that i can start in 2nd and cruise along at 50mph in 6th on the freeway. With an auto what ever mileage it gets, you are pretty much stuck with. Mileage in a manual depends on the driver. The AFM is almost never active, this was the case on the AFM Silverados also.

It's supposedly going to be programmed to be pretty obedient with the paddle shifters. Starting in 2nd wears your clutch more in the manual but doesn't wear the auto more at all unless you thrash it. Mileage can be very strongly affected by the driver in either one, especially if the auto obeys the paddle shifters. If not, the manual offers more ability to increase your mileage. I've heard that same thing about the AFM, though.

[TFord]

Man I know nothing about manuals except how to stall em', never had the need to know living in chicago. Ive posted before about my ability to stall manual cars in my driveway...lol. But I really want a manual when I get my Camaro, and everyone that could have tought me to drive one is in Georgia! But seriously the AFM is the main reason to learn to drive manual.

[clm7214]

Originally Posted by theholycow

It's supposedly going to be programmed to be pretty obedient with the paddle shifters. Starting in 2nd wears your clutch more in the manual but doesn't wear the auto more at all unless you thrash it. Mileage can be very strongly affected by the driver in either one, especially if the auto obeys the paddle shifters. If not, the manual offers more ability to increase your mileage. I've heard that same thing about the AFM, though.

I'm sure the auto will be ok for most, but it cant be programmed to perform like a manual. Remember it is just using electronic solenoids instead of the shifter in paddle mode. It is still the same tranny just shifted on the wheel and not by a handle. There will be no way it will be more responsive than the manual, that technology doesn't exist in that tranny. The computer will ALWAYS control and limit your shifting options. That tranny can only handle X amount of line pressure, will always take X long to shift and the TC will always lock up at X load and speed no matter how good of a driver you are.
And taking off in 2nd is not bad, you just cant hammer it.

I have programmed my 6500lb 6.0L HD 4x4's ECU and trans to get 20mpg on the freeway and on my 62mi commute, but that the best it'll do because its an auto.

[Chevyrocker]

learn stick?!? I find it funny that so many people don't know how to drive it already.

AFM is a nice option that works fine in everything it's currently in.

[DGthe3]

Originally Posted by clm7214

The AFM is almost never active, this was the case on the AFM Silverados also.

but silverados are much heavier and have to work harder to push through the air. coupled with a less powerful engine, it makes perfect sense that AFM wouldn't kick in with them much. A better source of comparison would be the G8.

[TRIXXTERR]

Originally Posted by TAG UR IT

I I control my car. My car does NOT control me. I love stick and will continue to buy stick until my legs won't let me anymore.....or I move to Austin. Stop and go rush hour in Austin sucks.....bad. That deserves an auto.

Soo you're saying Austin traffic is worse than SA ?? I beg To differ.SA seems worse to me BUT i rarely get down that way, but when i do. seems Less STOP-GO but more Crazies,not paying attention..

[dvnt88]

Originally Posted by fastball

With all the talk about AFM and the detuned L99, I was curious, what ranks higher on your list of priorities:

Performance and ease of tuning/modifying the standard LS3, but you have to drive (or learn to drive) stick

or

Ease of driving an automatic with the complications of AFM and possible limited performance modifications.

I know I'm all about the stick, and wouldn't have it any other way. I know there are some who won't drive stick, but in years past have always had just as easy a time modifying their cars since everything was pretty much equal, whether you opted for the stick or auto.

Is the possibility of complications to modifications enough to push you to learn how to drive a manual?

My current '97 is a stick (6 speed Z-28) and would never go back to an auto just 'cause I like to decide how the car reacts to the pedal and not the PCM. ")

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by TFord

I really want a manual when I get my Camaro, and everyone that could have tought me to drive one is in Georgia!

We'll be happy to help you here. You could also go to standardshift.com but beware that there's a lot of Camaro haters there, might be better if you don't tell them what you drive.

Do you pay attention to what your automatic transmission does and always know how many RPM your engine is turning now? Can you choose gears well? That seems to be the big problem for most people. For me it was the opposite, I was already great at gear choice and shifting quickly whenever necessary, I was just bad at operating the clutch, specifically at starting from a stop ("launching").

Here's the secret I had to learn to launch well:
It's not just something you have to get done and over with. You're not merely using it to engage the engine to the transmission, you're using it to accelerate the car, and it doesn't work like the gas pedal where you hold it at a spot and wait. Instead, as the clutch comes up, the car goes faster; once you get it near where it engages, you have to match your clutch movement to the speed that the car goes. It helps to think like the clutch is directly driving the wheels for the first 1mph, where each 1/8 inch of clutch travel is another tenth of a mph. Ever since I began to look at it that way, I stopped stalling so much. I think most people just use a lot more RPM and more clutch slip for launching and don't stall because of that...I do it at near idle speed.

I still stall occasionally, and this over-engineered VW requires you to turn the key back to "Off" before restarting, which I always forget now that I'm not stalling so often. I almost got destroyed by a speeding pickup last Friday while I struggled to start the car...I wasn't stalled for THAT long, I suspect he would have run the red light if I wasn't there.

[TAG UR IT]

Originally Posted by TRIXXTERR

Soo you're saying Austin traffic is worse than SA ?? I beg To differ.SA seems worse to me BUT i rarely get down that way, but when i do. seems Less STOP-GO but more Crazies,not paying attention..

Austin traffic is HORRIBLE!!! We were pretty unlucky when driving through and hit rush hour at the south end of Austin and had pretty much stop and go traffic for the next couple hours just trying to get out of north Austin. It was really bad.

In SA, the highways are getting closer and closer to completion. 410 is really coming along and my commutes are so much faster.

[GameOv3r]

I went with "Yes" as my answer. Even though I already know how to drive a stick and have never had automatics. Plus, stick shift is more fun! That goes to show, the stick is fun to use in AND out of the automobile...if you know what i mean...

[davidcroft]

I went with no because I already know how to drive stick. That question could work both ways. This time I'm real torn between auto or stick and not because AFM, but because I have always had stick cars and never had an auto. Luckily I will get to try both when they come out.