LMFAO, hahaha thanks for a good laugh

 

What a bunch of morons - this thread gets my vote for highest "noise" ratio when compared to quality signal strength...

The peaky manual engine is "weaker" at the top end compared to the auto engine - it just runs out of breath? Yet it makes more horsepower - ALL AT THE TOP END AND DOESN'T HAVE THE DRIVETRAIN LOSS? Ugh.

Drag racers switched to autos because they are faster than a manual in all situations? (No. They switched because when you have 1000s of horsepower, the limiting factor is traction, not power, and a little drivetrain loss doesn't matter compared to consistent, slam-bang shifts of a purpose-built drag auto - nowhere near the shift style of a regular consumer car auto.)

Anyhoo, the only FACTS that we have at this point are the published output numbers, and according to those published numbers and the fact that the manual has less drivetrain loss, it should be faster. Other than that, everybody else's opinion is pure speculation, using cutting-edge testing procedures such as "sound" and "feel" and the infamous "butt dyno"... gimme a break.

If the numbers are anywhere close to the published figures, and I doubt Infiniti would lie, than the manual is faster. Period.

In day to day driving, where RPMs are kept low, the increased 10 ft/lbs of torque of the auto is going to be negated by the increased drivetrain loss, so it still wouldn't be faster in even those situations. At the upper end, where racing occurs and acceleration tests are affected, the increased HP of the 6MT and the decrease in drivetrain loss will ensure quicker times.

That's the only comments in this whole thread based on facts - published figures. Until testing is done, all we have is the published numbers and the fact that a manual has less drivetrain loss. And if you think future testing will show the auto to be faster, then I'm afraid you're in for a disappointment.

As somebody stated, just becuase it feels or sounds faster, doesn't mean that it is.

 

my car's faster! No MY CAR'S FASTER!, NOOOO My Car's Fasttterrrrr....hmmmm ok children., time for bed.

 

Hello,

I am new here, as i have only had my G for a few days. But let me say one thing. The automatic cars FEEL faster because you just hit the gas, and the car launches forward. Since there is no clutch slip, or throttle modulation required,the car seems to have a quicker take off. However, lets not go crazy here and start thinking that the 6M is slow. Since i recently bought this car, i had the opportunity to drive both the Auto and Manual back to back. My impression was the same at first. I agree, the Auto FEELS very quick off the line, but once you start to squeeze the power through the gears in the manual, you realize that there is alot more power, and none of it is being soaked up by a power-robbing slush box.

 

It seems that there are smany who do not know how the auto tranny and the TC in the G works or its performance characteristics. This subject has been beaten to death for over 2 years now on this forum and it always invites a flood of underinformed posters. If the output numbers and drivetrane loss were all about what it is then the listen numbers that the suto G is able to obtain would be rediculous. You also have to also account for gearing as well as the variables that come to play with the TC. 10ft pounds of torque is not negated by drivetrane loss in this car. Is this comment also based on "FACT" or speculation???
For those who also say that you can "feel" the power difference. You may "feel" different performance characteristics but there is hardly a noticeable difference in the two cars that can be detected on the street.

 

let's steer this back............my original post was just a summary after a test drive in an 05 auto and 05 6mt and my impressions afterwards........i can't comment on drag-car set ups or auto vs manual tranny loss cause i'm no expert.........all i'll say is this.............go drive these two back to back........draw your own conlusions.......and let's see what the mag's tesing reveals, or better yet, real life numbers would be better.........and lastly, peace to all.......

 

Test drove both. Bought the auto. Auto felt faster, but of course I didn't flog the demo within an inch of its life in either case becuase that isn't how I drive day to day.

I ran the 6 speed through the gears and enjoyed it. Shifted nice and smooth, good feel in the clutch - seemed like it would be easy and a pleasure to drive. Then I got caught up in San Antonio traffic and got to ride the clutch through traffic for about 20 minutes. That reminded me of why I didn't originally plan to buy a manual.

I ran the auto in both modes - the 'D' mode and manual mode. Really enjoyed it as well. The odd thing for me was getting used to the 5 speed auto - my last car had a 4 speed and I hadn't driven that many cars with a 5. Seemed to shift early to me first - kept having to remind myself that there was an extra cog down there waiting to be used. I'm over it now - drives great. As for manual mode - for me it's the best of both worlds. Love the rev-matching downshifts and the quick, snappy upshifts. For my driving style it works great.

In the end I bought the auto - both because it suited my driving environment better (traffic) and because it delivered nearly the same performance as the manual. Given the two cars at the strip I would imagine the auto would post more consistent times than the manual, depending on the driver. That's been my experience anyway. Note that I didn't say faster times, just more consistent. In the day to day driving of the people you meet on the street I think it would be a driver's race. I imagine you'd win some and lose some just as you would with any other closely matched car. I doubt either will 'walk all over' the other...

I won't ever know because I gave up driving like an idiot on public streets years ago. But anyway...

My .02.. Both are great cars depending on what you use them for. In my case the auto made more sense, made my wife happy (although she can run a manual tranny with the best of 'em god bless her..). No regrets at all over here.

 

GeeWillikers, eloquently said. I agree whole heartedly. The 6mt and auto are wonderful machines. Most of us bought the G for everyday driveability and the power when we want or need to use it. And of course, the style!

 

It doesn't need to be a comparison of drag racing. Simply you gave your input and I gave mine by saying how I felt about the different cars and engine hp ratings. I've driven pretty much every G except for the 05 coupes, and I've driven everything in 5at and 6mt. The differences are minimal in speed when it comes to stomping on the gas pedal. They are all somewhat equally matched cars. They make autos better these days and they can shift almost as quick or quicker then a manual tranny car (many variables here). I gave my opinion on how I felt about the different HP setups, I still feel my 298hp feels weak up high and the 260hp/280hp autos pull smooth throughout the whole power band.

 

I bought my G in San Antonio about 2 months ago. I got the MT6 sedan with the "sport tuned" supension. My WIFE wanted the 6sp! She loves to shift. I love to shift. However the driving we do is mostly highway. It's 45 miles to the nearest big city (Corpus Christi or Victoria), so we have lots of fun and after all, that's why we drive our G's.

 

The addtional power losses of the 5 speed auto aren't near as large has many 6 speed owners would like to believe. The auto seems to soak up an additional 10whp/10wtq or so. One major advantage of the auto, and probably why people "feel" the auto is quicker, is it's relatively high stall torque converter and decently stout gearing which makes for some serious torque multiplication that is actually better than the 6 speeds hence the reason the auto does indeed feel stronger, intially. From 0-60mph the auto is pretty stout assuming you launch it with the VSC off. As the acceleration Gs taper off in the higher MPHs, it's harder to "feel" which car is accelerating harder. I would put money on the 6 speed at speeds above 80mph. Better gearing and more WHP take the prize in this battle. In the 1/4 mile, these cars are pretty close with the nod going to the 6MT assuming the driver can get off the line and wrap off clean shifts.

I bought the auto because I was tired of shifting for the past 6 years and I felt the G's auto was just about perfect for what I desired. I consider myself a decent manual driver too because I was able to get low 2.2 and high 2.1 60 foots on street tires with my eyes closed in my Maxima (14.4s). I'm not some "lazy" driver that's clueless about performance. I like being able to take off from a stop or roll at a moments notice. With a manual and in town driving, you don't get that kind of instant response. It takes second for your brain to talk to your hand and left foot to execute a perfect downshift or quick launch. Also, Nissan trannies aren't the best trannies to grab a quick downshift. They're often very resistant going into 2nd and 3rd gears on a downshift.

As for the 05 298hp 6MT models, it doesn't surprise me that they feel a bit more tame around town. Nissan traded low to midrange power for more topend punch. From 0-70mph or so, the 298hp motor might actually be fractionally slower than the 280hp and supposed 260hp 03/04 motors. As the MPHs increase, the higher rpm powerband starts to take over and will slowly pull away from the lower HP varients. In the 1/4 mile, there may be no change. The 298hp motor appears to be more tuned for road racing (higher rpm power) than pure grunt (around town). I am surprised to hear people complaining of it's lack of topend power because that's where the new power is suppose to be (5500-6500rpms), hence the reason for the extended redline.

 

DaveB: I wouldn't call it complaining, just dissapointing. It's not like its slow, just not as fast as it could/should be.

 

I have a 6mt and have driven a few of the 5AT loaners. I have driven both within an inch of their life and this is what I find.

The AT is fast as the TC slips enough to get the motor in a high enough rpm to start makin power. The launches are dissapointing as there is a slight bit of lag between the time you stomp and it takes off. On the highway acceleration is nice, just stomp the throttle and go.

I like the 6mt better and I feel more in control. I actually prefer it in traffic as I use the gears to slow down, I think it's more of a pin to keep switching my foot from the acelerator to the brake all the time. A clutch dump launch on a 6MT is far more impressive than with the 5at.

 

I'm in Corpus, where are you?

 

Good Lord!! So much talk about what transmission is faster. I bought the 6mt because I prefer to drive a stick, not because it's faster than the auto. If I wanted an automatic cruising sedan, I would have looked at an AcuraTL, Audi A6, 300c or a Toyota Avalon. In my opinion, there's nothing "sporty" about driving at automatic transmission. It's press and go.

BMW 3-series has long been considered the sports sedan that all others are measured against. It's not the "fastest" car out there, nor does it have the biggest engine or greatest amount of HP. It's a combination of handling, refinement, luxury, style, and RWD. If you want a car that's fast off the line, save some cash and purchase a V8 muscle car. I didn't care how the automatic performed. I test drove the automatic first, and bought the 6mt. I control my 6mt. It changes gears when I decide, I rev the engine how and when I decide, and I shift/downshift into/out of corners when I decide. That's why I bought the 6mt sedan. That's the "sport" aspect many of you are missing.