It's my first post, but I have been lurking for several weeks now. I'm loving the site, so thanks to those who put in the effort!

Before I can start my own love affair with the G35C I have to get rid of my old '55 Chevy Bel Air 2-Door Hardtop (468ci.), but I'm determined to have my butt planted in my own G35C before the end of the year.


Questions / Survey:

I'm having trouble deciding between the 5AT and the 6MT. I'm a manual kind of guy, but we all know the benefits and downfalls of both choices so let's skip that.

I want to know how satisfied most of you are with your tranny choice. I know the 5AT guys didn't expect the granny-mode/ECU reset issue, and I'm assuming there are 6MT guys out there with similar disatisfaction. So let me know how happy you are with your choice... ...ESPECIALLY if it was a hard choice for you to make in the first place.

I've read a bundle about the 5AT operation, so it's the 6MT owners that I'm most interested in. In particular, I'm wondering how the clutch in the 6MT feels. How far is the pedal released before the clutch grabs, does the A/C draw enough power that it causes you to nearly bog the engine when you pull away from a stop, are the pedals too close together for you, does the clutch feel week, etc.

I know these questions may seem ridiculous to some of you, but help a fellow enthusiast out by passing along your knowledge so that I might make the choice best suited for me.

And don't let the lack of G discourage you. You guys will be seeing me around here a good deal.







Future G35C Owner... ...Never too soon to think about modifications!!

 

The loaner car service is nice...but I dred having to drive the automatics. I love my 6mt and I hate not having any control over the shifts, even in manumatic mode there is a hesitation before shifts. If you are just wanting to cruise the automatic is nice, but I have having feedback and control over the car. Either you drive the car or the car drives you...

Northface

 

Thanks for the reponse. Now how about answering some of those 6MT owner questions above?

Again, I do appreciate it!

Future G35C Owner... ...Never too soon to think about modifications!!

 

I've driven sticks for the last 7 or 8 years, a BMW and an Audi. I chose an Auto this time and after 2 months no regrets. It takes time for the auto to shift, yes, and it also takes time for a human to shift. I have no "granny mode" issues and when I want to race around I just go to MM mode. I've never reset my ECU and never will.

My decisions was based, in part, by where I live. In the midsouth there is no market for a MT luxury car. I learned that the hard way, twice. I've had many autos and many sticks, and here's my advice to you:

Unless you are very disciplined, DO NOT DRIVE THE 6MT, because when you do, you will HAVE to have it. It's like crack. I had to remind myself of why I wanted an auto to begin with over and over. I did not drive the 6MT until after my purchase and thank goodness I didn't. Having said that, I have no regrets because the Auto fulfills my mission 100%.

Define your mission and when you do, there can be only 1 correct answer. After you've defined it you won't even need to drive the other, but I'm warning you, if your mission is to have work free driving for the 98% of the time you want work free driving (that was mostly my mission), then don't drive the 6MT or you will fail in fulfilling your mission because you will have to own one. If your mission is to use it for mostly performance type driving then there's no question, the 6MT is the way to go. The only better one I've felt was in a BMW.

2004.5 Coupe/5AT/Ivory/Everything but chin spoiler/Z Tube-Popcharger/Crawford V5 Plenum on the way

 

The 6mt is different than my other cars...its a little grabby and took some time to adjust to. After adjusting the clutch travel you can tap the clutch and have it engage...I like the direct connection to the tranny, gives good feed back. The a/c doesnt bog...go test drive the auto first than the 6mt...you can feel the difference...

Northface

 

I've owned the 5AT sedan and now I have the 6MT coupe.

AT:
The 'Intelligence' is stupid. Most of my driving is on the highway and the AT probably thought I was a granny. When I got out into the city streets, it never held the gears long enough and didn't want to downshift unless I pretty much floored it. Then it would downshift 2 gears instead of the 1 that I only needed. That was one of the reasons that I traded for the coupe.

MT:
The engagement point is fairly high for the clutch as many will respond but I actually don't mind where it is. Clutch effort is a little on the higher side but not out of proportion to the power it has to work with.

Shifting is notchy most of the time. Sometimes it's like butter but I can't explain why in terms of warm-up, outside temp, etc.

Gate definition: not bad if you're just rowing up the gears. However, in spirited driving, I've missed too many shifts going from 5th or 6th to 4th and from 5th or 6th to 3rd. When I try to downshift, I take it out of gear, and pretty much let go of the shifter so it will re-center itself in neutral. From that point, one should be able to either push directly up to get 3rd gear or pull directly down to get 4th. At least that's been true with every other manual I've ever owned. However, sometimes when going from 6th to 4th, I've gotten 2nd despite pulling straight down on the shifter. Luckily I felt the lurch and pressed the clutch in right before the redline. When going from 6th to 3rd, same thing except I'll get 5th every once in a while instead of 3rd.

Hope this helps.

 

Got a 5at because I didn't feel like waiting for a 6mt to come in off of the truck (6 week wait at the time). Last week I busted my left ankle up pretty bad and the auto is coming in real handy. I'm happy with it. Nothing is ever going to feel the same as a manual, but the auto is real nice. Also you may want to take a look at the brake issues that the 6mt guys have been having.

 

Just bought an AT after trading up from an 04 350Z Track model with the MT. Also 2 Z06 Corvettes before that and a RSX Type S that I AutoXed. Point is I've had some experience with manual Xmissions and the 350Z is the same tranny, I think in the G. In any event I am completely satisfied so far with the AT. Getting used to the manumatic. Just broken in so I have lots to learn, however I find that it's all a matter of timing, just like the MT. Hold the revs till about 2-300 rpms under redline for the shift up and the slight lag puts you right on the bubble for near redline upshift. I'm getting better. Also I've found a good sweet spot for MM downshifts. Again it's a matter of timing. Most AutoXes are run in 2nd to 3rd gear max, so not a lot of up/downshifting involved. Should be pretty constant max redline in 2nd for a lot of the tighter runs so it's just concentrate on the driving anyway. I'll find out soon enough when I do my first AutoX. In any event the AT driven properly will certainly compete with just about anything on an AutoX course. Hell, I've seen a 32 valve AT Lincoln Mark IV beat half the field before. Excellent driver. Best thing is learn to drive either car well, the differences are slight and dependent on the situation. That said,for the purist I would still say that the MT gives you the most control if driven to the limit, however the differences are marginal and often the consistency of the AT will win out in straight line acceleration runs. Can't beat the AT for convienience though, and I can tell you it's still a blast to drive. I am quite impressed with this car.

 

>>I'm wondering how the clutch in the 6MT feels. How far is the pedal released before the clutch grabs, does the A/C draw enough power that it causes you to nearly bog the engine when you pull away from a stop, are the pedals too close together for you, does the clutch feel week, etc.<<

Clutch take-up is somewhat high; you'll stall once or twice before getting used to it. With 280hp on tap, there's not a chance that the A/C will bog-down the engine. Pedals are set just right for proper heel-and-toe, although some may disagree. The accelerator is drive-by-wire, so it is very responsive to the touch. The driveline (engine, tranny, clutch, brakes) feels very robust. I have race-tracked the car for an entire day, and there were no weaknesses in the drivetrain. The G may not be Lexus smooth, but then again, it is a sports car, and in my book, a proper sports car should have 3 pedals.

RainMeister
'04 G35C 6MT, diamond graphite, premium, nav, aero

 

Well, I guess if you are going to keep a car for nearly 50 years, you want to make the right choice on your second one :-)

I went back and forth on the auto vs. manual. Was the hassle of stop and go driving with a manual 95% of the time offset by the 5% of driving where I wanted to feel like Emerson Fitapaldi. taking the back "S". The answer after 6 month's driving is (drumroll) yes. I have the 6MT coupe and it was the right choice. The added benefit is the Brembo brakes, which stop the car so fast you're eyes will pop out of your head.

Clutch is very smoth. Point of comparision is the '86 MR2 w/ 5speed I drove for the past 16 years. Much smoother than Mister 2. Take-up has already been answered in other replies, nothing to add. As far as power, launching in 3rd gear is not that difficult (should you be so inclined, or make a mistake, as I do on occasion) - you aren't going to notice if the A/C is on or not. Pedal placement is great. Effort is not a problem in consistent morning commute 30 minutes of stop-and-go driving. Of course, I have the body and leg muscles of an Olympic bicyclest/skater/swimmer....well, that may be a bit of an exageration.


You can't go wrong eith way.

 

I have a 6-speed and while I gave it enough time to get used to it, I'm not too thrilled about it (it's much harder to drive than other manual transmissions). In my opinion, it's definitely not refined, the shifter shakes a lot, and above 4.5K RPM you feel bad vibrations in your hand when shifting. However, in its defense, there are people on this forum that like it a lot, so you should just test drive one and make up your mind for yourself (BTW, the clutch can be adjusted to grab lower or higher, so that should not be a problem).

 

Thanks guys. You've made the choice as clear as mud for me. lol

I do appreciate the feedback and I still welcome more of the same.

Fast revs aren't a problem. My '97 Mitsu. GSX was modified to produce about 325-350HP and, as you can imagine, 6500rpm in 1st gear would take about 1.5 seconds to reach.

Even with the power, the A/C would bog the engine just enough that high revs were required to pull from a stop. Of course, the AWD might not have helped any.

The 5AT would be an easy choice if it weren't for my irrational, emotional side. Having complete control over gear selection is great, but my continuing preference for manual trannies does stem from less rational desires. I like to have the most control over wheelspin as possible, be it to reduce it or induce it.

I prefer manual... ...unless it's sub-standard and frustrating.


Future G35C Owner... ...Never too soon to think about modifications!!

 

GOOD choice. i got the 5 AT and i am regretting it so much

04 5AT / TB / Willow / Premium / clear corners / Z-tube