With all the issues surrounding chattering flywheels, broken transmissions and rev-up OC issues...i'm so glad i didn't buy the '05 coupe I almost bought several years back.

Not that I still don't want to buy a nice 6MT sedan if i transfer to a place with no snow, but i just don't have the time in life to deal with those sort of issues even if the chances are slim.

Anyway, i prob drive in MM mode...maybe 1% of the time really. Most of my driving miles are commuting on the highway. I rarely get "fun" time in this car although tomorrow we are supposed to get 8-12 inches of snow during the rush hour traffic. It's amazing how good the X is in the snow to the point where I love driving in it when it snows and will look for excuses to get out in it

 

^Video or it didn't happen

 

Well, I'm going to keep playing poser on the street with my paddle shifters, doing double and triple downshifts as I approach entrance/exit ramps, open roads, etc. I'll do the same on the auto-x when beating many more expensive and powerful German makes and with manual transmissions. BTW, I've owned and raced sticks for over 13 of my 20 year driving career.

For those that experience major lag with your 5AT, go out to the garage, disconnect the negative terminal of the battery, reconnect in 2 minutes, and then drive, relatively aggressively on occasion, in manual mode for about a week and then report back after a week of driving. I think many of you are failing to realize these 5ATs have fuzzy logic and adapt to your driving style.

Why didn't I buy a 6MT in this car? Because I loved the car, it was affordable, HATED the way the 6MT felt (lots of vibration, on/off clutch, noisy flywheel), and the 6MT has horrendous reliability with regards to the syncros. I also knew the $1,700 clutch/flywheel could not remotely stand up to the abuse I unleashed on my 5MT 1996 Maxima for 6 years and 250 1/4 mile passes with 4500-5500rpm clutch slip launches.

 

After my TS reflash, my shifting became a bit quicker to upshift. An indirect result yes but it was a nice side benefit

 

I have had my 2004 5at coupe since July of 2008. I drive in manual mode 99.5% of the time, the only time I drive in auto is when I'm sick which is only once a year. I have never had a problem with my tranny. I have put about 30,000 miles on my car and I've seen no difference in shifting.

 

Actually, quicker shifts has an added benefit. The quicker the shift, the less time the trans "slips" and the less wear.

Unsure if the 5AT uses a design thatg would follow this "rule" but for the most part most auto's i've dealt with have benefited from quicker shifts in terms of keeping the trans cool.

WHICH brings me to ask, has anyone added an auto trans cooler to their cars? Heat is the #1 enemy of Autos, and the coolers work. I was debating adding one when my powertrain warranty is up

 

^I've also wondered about that. Too lazy to search though