# Auto or Stick



## furgburg (Jul 24, 2005)

I am a newbie here, looking at purchasing an 05. I really would rather have an automatic. How is the performance in an auto vs. a stick. Also how is the milage. Thanx


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## 05_HUMBLER (Jul 18, 2005)

Put it this way, If you get the auto you have to pay another $1200 bucks ave. in "Gas Guzzler" tax!!!!!! :willy:


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2005)

furgburg said:


> I am a newbie here, looking at purchasing an 05. I really would rather have an automatic. How is the performance in an auto vs. a stick. Also how is the milage. Thanx


The manual trans is the performance transmission. The manual transmission is lighter, runs cooler and is more efficient than the automatic. It also, unlike the automatic, provides the driver with full control of gear selection. Now, some GTO ads/reviews claim the automatic provides a better 0-60 time but this is undoubtedly due to driver error, probably those unfamiliar with shifting the T56. Every other ad/review you see for any other car on the market has a manual version always being faster than an auto. 

Mileage, of course, is better with the manual tranny, also. Pretty much the only advantage an automatic transmission provides from a performance standpoint is the fact that an auto generally provides more consistent ETs for those into bracket racing but for pure performance due to less weight and heat you cannot beat a manual transmission. Look at what race cars in almost any class of racing besides bracket drag racing use- manuals.


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## furgburg (Jul 24, 2005)

I am not really lookin to race the car, just wanna be able to hold my coffee cup in one hand and steer with the other.


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## SJAndrew (Sep 28, 2004)

The biggest knock on the M6 is the "driving in traffic" argument.

I drive in TERRIBLE Denver traffic everyday and have not once regretted getting the M6.

The Manual is _driving_ the car - no frustration waiting for the downshift. You are in control.


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## Goatacular (Jun 24, 2005)

No disrespect to my left hand steering brethren...but Auto is wonderful and yes it is a little quicker but manual gets better mileage...so get the auto and the coffee :cheers


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## RiceEater (Jun 21, 2005)

I will say the tremec in these goats is quite amazing. There really is almost no difference in actuality between the A4 and the M6, other than the obvious one has a clutch and shifter while the other does not. The two really have the exact same speed times its just of course the auto doesn't require the skill in shifting to get a faster time. The gas mileage on the two is really abot the same, except if you're going on long trips... then the M6 manages to come out ahead by 2 or 3 mpg. 

I currently drive an A4 05, and got one just because I don't always feel like wanting to shift. I have driven the M6 model frequently though (a friend owns one). We both agree that either way you go, you can't make a wrong decision. It's simply a matter of if you get a lot of enjoyment out of controlling the gear your car is in and shifting it yourself, or whether you enjoy just pressing the gas and enjoying the ride. As much as some people with give the classic argument that the manual is always better (other than being able to control your downshifts), or whatever reasons they may present for the auto being better, those rules really don't apply to the goats. One truly is quite equal to the other.

I will say however that when I get my next goat (most likely an 06 sometime seemingly soon) I will get it in an M6 version, jsut to have a fun choice between the two. Although I'm trying to decide between another goat or a MB SL65AMG


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## Wing_Nut (Mar 6, 2005)

If you don't mind paying the gas guzzler tax to big brother and you can live with 20% higher gas bills, by all means get the auto.

The Tremec T56 is not the slickest or quickest 6M by far. It's actually clunky and slow. I've got 6,500 miles of experience with it in the GTO.

The 4L65E on the other hand is a very smooth and reliable auto. I've got the same transmission in my 2002 Denali with 50K miles on it and I love it.

As for the real man who thinks that an automatic is only quicker due to driver error... 



> Now, some GTO ads/reviews claim the automatic provides a better 0-60 time GTO ads/reviews claim the automatic provides a better 0-60 time but this is undoubtedly due to driver error, probably those unfamiliar with shifting the T56. Every other ad/review you see for any other car on the market has a manual version always being faster than an auto.


........HoHoHo. :rofl: 

De Nile ain't just a river in Egypt. An auto will beat 97% of the schmucks out there who think they can drive, real men included. An auto will never miss a shift. An auto will never stall or slip the clutch too fast or slow.

If it weren't for the mileage and the guzzler tax and the fact that I live in an area where I can enjoy a manual transmission (zero traffic jams), I would be driving the auto.

If you like it, go for it. You won't be giving up any performance. Especially if you're one of those wimps that can't drive like a real man.


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## 2005GTO (Jul 17, 2005)

auto 0-60* 4.6*
manual 0-60 *4.7*

auto is quicker by .1 sec even in 1/4 mile runs auto gets 13 flat and manual get 13.1 

but i got manual cuz it more fun


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## fergyflyer (Apr 18, 2005)

RiceEater said:


> I will say the tremec in these goats is quite amazing. There really is almost no difference in actuality between the A4 and the M6, other than the obvious one has a clutch and shifter while the other does not. The two really have the exact same speed times its just of course the auto doesn't require the skill in shifting to get a faster time. The gas mileage on the two is really abot the same, except if you're going on long trips... then the M6 manages to come out ahead by 2 or 3 mpg.
> 
> I currently drive an A4 05, and got one just because I don't always feel like wanting to shift. I have driven the M6 model frequently though (a friend owns one). We both agree that either way you go, you can't make a wrong decision. It's simply a matter of if you get a lot of enjoyment out of controlling the gear your car is in and shifting it yourself, or whether you enjoy just pressing the gas and enjoying the ride. As much as some people with give the classic argument that the manual is always better (other than being able to control your downshifts), or whatever reasons they may present for the auto being better, those rules really don't apply to the goats. One truly is quite equal to the other.
> 
> I will say however that when I get my next goat (most likely an 06 sometime seemingly soon) I will get it in an M6 version, jsut to have a fun choice between the two. Although I'm trying to decide between another goat or a MB SL65AMG



:agree


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## RookWV (Apr 9, 2005)

The chances of getting the attention of the LEO's goes up exponentially with a manual......at least for me  

I would get in all sorts of trouble with a manual, so the $1200 gas tax is a bit cheaper than the tickets I'd probably get and parts I'd have to replace.


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## Pennsylvania Goat (Jul 22, 2005)

The M6 is a must for me. I need gears to grab!


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## JMVorbeck (Jun 1, 2005)

Pennsylvania Goat said:


> The M6 is a must for me. I need gears to grab!


 :agree 

Somehow, it just didnt feel right to drop the car into D and go. Its all driver preference, and if you came from a stick you are probably going to "stick" with a stick. Oh, and that paddle shift crap they invented (I know the GTO doesnt have it), the "Manumatic" what the hell is that? If you are going to want to shift gears yourself, there is no better replacement for the clutch under your left foot and the shifter in your right hand. Its a driving style, and I dont know what to do with those appendiges when I'm driving the minivan!


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## SJAndrew (Sep 28, 2004)

That sums up how I feel too. 

I like the seat-of-the-pants feel of driving the M6. I like feeling the engine through the stick, I like choosing the gear, I like the 6-3 downhift, I like being able to goose the throtte without powebraking, and I just plain like banging gears. 

Call me weird, but I LOVE driving a stick. It makes a corrola tolerable and makes driving the GTO so much fun it ought to be illegal.


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## 6QTS11OZ (Mar 27, 2005)

furgburg said:


> *"just wanna be able to hold my coffee cup in one hand and steer with the other".*


Well you won't be able to do that with a stick. No matter what advice you get here it look like your mind is already made up to get the auto.


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## 04gtolover (Feb 10, 2005)

if you get a stick then you have to worry about the clutch too if you talk to gtodealer half the time he loves his and the other half the time hes trying to get me to switch him trans. i love my auto and i have driven a stick in a car every day and just didnt like it the fun factor doesnt outweigh the driving it every day. :cheers


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## anmracing (Feb 9, 2005)

M6 all the way!!!!!! 
arty: :cheers arty: :cool arty:


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## Ultramatic (Jan 7, 2005)

*Daily driver*

In todays traffic an (auto) is a must...
If you are driving for fun on the weekends....stick!

Gotta Love It!


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## GTODEALER (Jan 7, 2005)

04gtolover said:


> if you get a stick then you have to worry about the clutch too if you talk to gtodealer half the time he loves his and the other half the time hes trying to get me to switch him trans. i love my auto and i have driven a stick in a car every day and just didnt like it the fun factor doesnt outweigh the driving it every day. :cheers


Hehehehe, very true....... I'm so indesicive......


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## 05_HUMBLER (Jul 18, 2005)

I think that's why we had a "his and her" shifter back in the day........my $.02


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

Love a manual because of the control. This car has so much torque -- it's not that bad to drive in traffic. 

That said, if you commute on the Dan Ryan in Chicago or have to go into Manhattan everyday, you're probably better off getting an auto. While the 6 speed manual's a good box, I'm surprised the automatic is still a 4-speed. It still drives very well, though -- even though the new Mercedes box has 7-speeds.

Too bad the GTO doesn't offer a good paddle shifter set up. I've only driven one, in an F355 Ferrari -- and I'd have to say it was better than any manual out there. Just bang, bang, bang with no need for a clutch pedal. Amazing. 

Of course, having prancing horsies all over the car is going to cost you another six figures over the price of a GTO -- and no car is worth that.


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## RiceEater (Jun 21, 2005)

A car can be worth that much to some people... it's just a matter of how many "0's" do you have on the figure sitting in your bank account


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## 05_HUMBLER (Jul 18, 2005)

:agree I'm one of them. When I grow up I will have a Lambo :cool


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## Xcommuter (Jun 30, 2005)

Both the A4 and M6 are lots of fun. I'm still waiting to see the "A4 abuse mode"
message come up . Not sure how you get it , but the HPtuners 2.0 will turn it off as well as Torgue Management off (so I read)...


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## b_a_betterperson (Feb 16, 2005)

RiceEater said:


> A car can be worth that much to some people... it's just a matter of how many "0's" do you have on the figure sitting in your bank account


The wealthiest guy I know drives an 80's Corolla with a billion miles on it and is the cheapest SOB you'll ever meet. I'll bust his chops on it every once it a while -- and he always says the same thing: "Spending lots of money is easy. Making lots of money is hard."


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## SasdawgGTO (Nov 10, 2004)

I would have to say that having a stick in my GTO definitely makes the car. If i didnt get to rip through the gears myself, there goes all the fun. I suggest the M6, you'll love it!

SasDawg


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## RiceEater (Jun 21, 2005)

b_a_betterperson said:


> The wealthiest guy I know drives an 80's Corolla with a billion miles on it and is the cheapest SOB you'll ever meet. I'll bust his chops on it every once it a while -- and he always says the same thing: "Spending lots of money is easy. Making lots of money is hard."


Making lots of money is definately hard and requires lots of work and time. I personally am a stock trader... so I have a nice little idea about the whole "work time vs money earned" thing.


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## Goatacular (Jun 24, 2005)

Are the manuals able to squat the rear-end via a little powerbrake at the line?


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## nitrogirl (Jul 4, 2005)

furgburg said:


> I am not really lookin to race the car, just wanna be able to hold my coffee cup in one hand and steer with the other.


I got the M6 and use the cup holder. :seeya:


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## 05_HUMBLER (Jul 18, 2005)

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :agree and that cup holder works great!


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## JMVorbeck (Jun 1, 2005)

Goatacular said:


> Are the manuals able to squat the rear-end via a little powerbrake at the line?


Oh yeah!


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## Goatacular (Jun 24, 2005)

Fred Astaire....I would hate to race you LOL :cheers


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

05_HUMBLER said:


> :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :agree and that cup holder works great!


I find that when I have a bottle of whatever in the cup holder, my arm bangs it when I am shifting. And if I'm using a straw... ouch.....That don't happen in an automatic does it? 

I remember something my father once told me as he was teaching me how to drive stick........ In an automatic; you aim the car.... In a stick; you drive it.

As I said before, My wife refuses to learn stick........That's A-O-TAY wit me buckwheat.


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## JMVorbeck (Jun 1, 2005)

GTO judge said:


> I find that when I have a bottle of whatever in the cup holder, my arm bangs it when I am shifting. And if I'm using a straw... ouch.....That don't happen in an automatic does it?
> 
> I remember something my father once told me as he was teaching me how to drive stick........ In an automatic; you aim the car.... In a stick; you drive it.
> 
> As I said before, My wife refuses to learn stick........That's A-O-TAY wit me buckwheat.


My wife does not know how to drive a stick either. I am deeply saddened by this.


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

JMVorbeck said:


> My wife does not know how to drive a stick either. I am deeply saddened by this.


 :cheers :rofl: :rofl: Looks like I ain't the only genius out there. :willy: :lol: :lol: :rofl: :cheers


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## Pennsylvania Goat (Jul 22, 2005)

Hey judge - I pick up my Goat saturday morning. I plan on drivin out to Marietta, PA to show my brother-in-law. I'll honk as I pass Lancaster. Look for the black blur on Rte 30!


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## GTO JUDGE (May 14, 2005)

Pennsylvania Goat said:


> Hey judge - I pick up my Goat saturday morning. I plan on drivin out to Marietta, PA to show my brother-in-law. I'll honk as I pass Lancaster. Look for the black blur on Rte 30!


You will be very close to me.... infact you'll be going past the road I live on ...... I live close to Marietta. PM me maybe I can check your ride out.


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