Hmmm Im not that sure about it being faster in full auto mode, if you are going for 0-60 flooring it than yes it probably is. But any other way the manual mode has more control, at least for me. For example driving on the highway and passing, you can put it in 3rd in anticipation of having to gas it. The auto has no idea of what is happening on the road, while you can get yourself prepared by being inthe correct gear.

 

G35Gnome, I think what MrElussive means is that in full auto mode, the computer picks the shifing points and optimizes the cars quickness.
As you say tho, in other situations, the manual mode is much more effecient and useful, and makes the car more versatile.
I suppose the same is true when arguing the vertatility of the 6M/T over the 5A/T, except that you'd have to be a good shifter to beat a computer.
To my mind, both trannies have their merits. It all depends on how involved you want to be.

<font color=red>GSM</font color=red> <font color=black>Silverstone Coupe</font color=black>

 

Its not the same, trust me. Whithout actually driving it you wouldnt know, and i dont think you have.

 

umm.. i'm drving AT and i feel a lot better responsive and faster acceleration when i put on manumatic mode... and in order to feel this, you need to own a AT car for certain of time(cuz i didn't feel any difference for some period of time).. just driving short time won't tell anything... maybe it's just me..

 

From my experience with Autos and Manuals, the Manuals are slightly quicker and put down more horsepower to the wheels. I recently purchased an 04 G35 coupe AT and as much as I would love for the AT to be equal to the MT coupe its just not realistic. Sure Manumatic mode on the AT helps the AT make up some what in the performance category the Manual Trans is still gonna be able to take more abuse and not to mention power.

I used to have a 2001 Honda Prelude AT that was supercharged. All the MT Preludes with Superchargers were putting down 15-20 hp more than me to the wheels due to the fact that the Manual Trans allowed for less driveterrain loss.

I myself know how to drive stick and love it but, I bought my G35 coupe AT for a reason. No one needs to diss each others car because of the transmission. I mean lord its just an issue of preference and we all here because we enjoy the same car.

 

Manumatic mode of course is gonna allow the car to accelerate quicker because u build up power in each gear similiar to a MT. You also don't have the AT shifting automatically for you which allows you to go to higher rpms.

 

Hey jp007 let me reiterate. I was in the same boat as you (actually, even a bit longer). Before my 5AT G35C I was driving an Eclipse Spyder manual 5spd for 8 years. Before that I was driving a station wagon and before that a toyota mr2 (both stick). About 12 years total straight driving stick.

The decision between the 6mt and 5at was the hardest decision I had to make in terms of this car. Everything else was already decided (color, options, financing). Do yourself a favor and test drive both before you make any clear cut decisions. And then ask yourself if you can live with certain people looking down on you (whether they are right or wrong for doing so doesn't matter, it's their opinion and they are entitled to it) for resting your left leg. Weigh in the "wife factor" if you are lucky (or unlucky) enough to have one (I've taught her how to drive stickshift, but I wouldn't let her near my car if I got the 6MT -- strike that, I still don't let her near the car period except on the passenger side). Are you really self concious? By that, I mean, would you feel really bad pulling up to a G35 meet, or showing off your car to your buddies without the brembos and clutch?

You're already "considering" the auto transmission so I'd take a guess and say you aren't one of those die-hard have to drive stick type of people. So it basically comes down to whether or not you can live with the decision of *those* types of people laughing at you or saying "that's too bad".

Either way, buy it, and enjoy it! Never regret!!

-T

 

Regarding "Manumatic" vs. Automatic, I agree that the conventional wisdom is that AT mode is faster than MM mode, but that's definitely not the case with the G35 Coupe.

Including myself, there are at least 3 people here who have much faster times in MM mode than leaving it in AT. My MM quarter miles are consistently about .2 seconds faster on any given day. Someone else has a .4 gap between his best MM and AT times. Whether that indicates a good MM system or (more likely) that this car's frustrating ECU is holding the AT back, I'm not sure. But I have full confidence that, in *this* car, MM is faster than AT.

-Jack
Obsidian '03 G35 Sports Coupe
Titanium '03 MX-5 Shinsen #532

 

JDMan- Interesting results bro. Thanks for the feedback.
I would think that the ECU affects the Auto and MM mode equally.

<font color=red>GSM</font color=red> <font color=black>Silverstone Coupe</font color=black>

 

People MM mode allows you to shift a lot later while AT mode shifts automatically at a lower RPM. Its that simple. Anyone who gets a better AT mode time than MM mode is just a bad driver plain and simple.