this is obviously becoming a more " I have an automatic and I'm going to stick up for it!" thread. Its your personal preference man. I drove an automatic WRX for my first car for 4 years. I regretted it after a month man. I had hesitations about learning and if I'd be any good at it. Well when i finally got rid of it and got the Gcoupe last month, i knew for sure this time I was getting stick. I drove my friend's 5speed volvo around for 20 minutes and then went to pick up the G. Needless to say, the clutches were extremely different and I stalled 3 times in the dealership's parking lot! Talk about embarrassment! Anyway, after the first couple days, it became like second nature. I've had it for a month, and driving a manual really engages you in the car, you listen to the rpms of the engine, think about what gear to put it down into...its really alot of fun and adds a ton to the G. Everytime i drive one of my friend's automatics now im SO bored. Yawwwn. Traffic isnt THAT big of a deal by me..you'll be shifting in and out of first without even realizing it. Go for the manual.

Ps. do a search as there are a couple threads like this that i have posted in.

 

I have an auto and wish I had gotten a stick.

 

Thanks a lot for your posts...it was really helpful...I also read some other related threads (about 7 pages long!)....

 

I had a 03.5 5AT sedan and traded it in for an 06MT coupe. Let me tell you I love standards but the one in this car is trash. Any other car I recommend the manual hands down, but with the G35 go for the auto. It's a really nice automatic transmission.

 

get the 6mt.

 

6MT is the only way to go.

 

i bought the 6mt and dont mind driving it through traffic, its so much more fun when u want to have a little spirited driving as well.

the automatic is by no means slow, just less fun and less involving...

i would suggest the 6mt, u also get the sports package included

 

the 6mt tranny is NOT trash... it is a strong, robust transmission that puts being strong before being nice. it has good mechanical feedback to what is going on in the transmission and is a bit more picky about being shifted correctly than cheaper transmissions usually found in front wheel drive cars or less robust transmissions.

if you know how to drive a manual properly, there's nothing wrong with the 6mt in the G. if you don't understand the mechanics of what is going on in your manual transmission, you might be confused, but it is rewarding when you learn and get it right. The synchros in this tranny expect you to get the input/output rpms fairly close..

if there is one thing i might complain about is the weight of the dual mass flywheel... it carries a lot of energy and thus makes the engine take longer to unwind from high rpms. It is not a big deal but makes shifting quickly a bit trickier in some gears and also it makes it so the engine drops RPMs differently at different RPMs (affected by how much energy the flywheel is carrying, which is related to RPMs), and thus is harder to predict when it is time to engage the next gear for a smooth jerk-free shift. HOWEVER... this is done for a reason -- to make the car ride smoother and less prone to shudder/jerk while in gear due to your throttle inputs (letting off quickly while in 2nd gear, or coasting in 3rd) because the flywheel will "smooth out" the engine's power delivery. if you don't like it, you can change it I suppose, but I've gotten used to it and am satisfied to leave it like the Infiniti engineers wanted it.

 

The G is the first AT I bought in 15 years and for the first year it really didn't bother me but after a year I did some twistie runs with a few of my G buds up by West Pointe and that's when I really started missing the MT ( I was the only AT running that day).

I would love to do Auto X but I don't even think about it with the AT. My MT withdrawls aren't too bad since I still have my Spyder which is MT.

 

Trying to stay out of the pissing contest here, but I believe a lot of your decision should be based on how/where you see yourself driving this car.
What kind of traffic will you be in? For how long?
Can you see this being fun to drive or more a Pain if you had a 6MT?

I love my 6MT, would not buy a 2 door car that was automatic, but i might change my tune if i had to drive in bumper to bumper traffic for extended periods of time...riding the clutch in first gear all the way to work. I live in Canada and the 6MT is no better or worse in snow (assumming you have the same winter tires) if you know how to drive relativley well. (could be tricky for a beginner i guess)
With all that being said....It is a personal choice....So you choose, and let us know what you decide and why....Good Luck

 

i have 5at and i regret it everyday.........get 6mt, or you will regret it big time

 

u guys gave me plenty of feedback...thank you

 

auto's dyno less than the Manual's... but the performance difference is negligible...

 

That is the truest thing i ever read

 

6mt