auto or not to auto that is the question.

[Tanreall]

Ok so I'm just about ready to buy my vette it will be either an 89 or 90 but I'm not sure if I should get a manual or not. I do like to race around and give a little rev here and there at the ricers, so give me your input.

Thanks in advance

 

[Moonunit 451]

Auto's ROCK :L

 

[01TriBlack]

There are trade-offs with either one. I've had both now and, if I had to do it over, I'd go automatic again. Hehehehehe....now that I said that, though, I'm not so sure - I'd be missing out on a major fun factor if I went back. :cool

 

[DWS'03Z]

both my Z and f-body are M6......for pure fun factor, manual is the way to go IMHO

 

[jedi]

You know you guys are getting too old. Even though my Vette is auto, I would rather have a stick any day. I looked at 30 Vettes before I settled on Scarlet. Not a one was stick. Apperently Stick Vette owners will never get rid of them, there too much fun to drive.


Tanreall,
If I had it to do over again I would deffinitly get stick not auto, but either way, your still getting a mean machine.

Stick or Auto, these cars are still the best on the road!
Jedi

 

[Tuna]

This isn't a popularity poll issue.

You're the one that's going to be driving the car.
Do you like the idea of shifting gears all the time or would you prefer the car to take care of that for you most of the time?

With that said, both the Vettes in my garage are 6-speeds. My wife and I like shifting gears.

 

[amledford]

I think it depends a lot on your temperament and location.

If you live where there's traffic jams and you get stuck in traffic a lot, then a stick sucks. And if you have little patience for gridlock, then a stick really sucks.

I got an automatic specifically because I don't have the ability to control my impatience when stuck in traffic jams. Used to have a stick (Mazda MX6) and got REALLY irritated when stuck in gridlock.
Mike

 

[Skant]

No automatics on the speed channel. Race cars don't use auto trannies. The vette is a street legal race car. Therefore, it shouldn't be auto.

If you're looking for a cozy automatic sedan to get from point A to point B, why are you buying a vette?

I don't mean to bend anyone. I realize I have an opinion on the extreme here. Obviously, others will disagree. But my personal feeling is... well, I'm actually a little bothered that automatic vettes even exist... much less outnumber the manual vettes. To me it's missing the whole point of a vette.

Just my opinion.

PS: I live in the bay area... home of gridlock. That doesn't stop me from loving my 6 speed. Sure, an auto would be easier when the traffic is at its worst. But I don't drive a vette for a superior enjoyment of gridlock.

 

[tyrel]

In my experience, sticks are more fun to drive because you're more in control of how the car is responding; there's something to be said for the human input factor when you're driving a sports car. However, I became an automatic fan years ago because my corvette is a daily driver, even though I have two cars. If I lived out in the country and hardly ever got stuck in stop-and-go city traffic, I would want a stick.

 

[Vettefan87]

Sticks are great, sometimes i wouldnt mind having one. My 87 is an auto and for all the joy rides i take i could not stand shifting that much. And i can always drop into Low 1 if i feel the need, i know its not the same though.

 

[vetteboy86]

Well since everyone else has there opinion i might as well add mine. My corvette is an automatic, and it is no less of a car then anyone elses even if it is an automatic. I like the automatic because it makes things simple. I dont race my car all the time, however when i pull up next to a ricer at a light i can either hammer it with it in drive, or drop the gear selector in low 1 and shift manual.

I also have a 73 Trans Am that is an original big block car. It has become my weekend driver more less, and it is a 4 speed. I wouldn't have this car any other way. It just fits.

I guess what i am saying is that dont listen to what everyone has to say, it is going to be your car and your money so get what you want. Drive both the automatic and the stick and decide. Whatever you do though dont let anyone bully you into a 6 speed because they tell you that an automatic is less of a car. Personally i am a little offended by some of the other comments made above. A corvette is a corvette, it wears the same bowtie as the next corvette. What makes each one special is there driver and the bond between the two.

 

[jon6535]

hi, i have a 86 automatic. I prefer a stick, but when I was shopping for my vette, there were hardly any sticks for sale. I dont know why so many people ordered vettes with automatics. Anyways, I have grown to like the automatic, its just as fast, and a lot more convenient. With all that said, a vette is a vette, no matter if you get a stick or a auto, I am sure you will love the vette.

 

[Grizzly]

I have one of each. Everyone is right about the daily driver bit. Sticks are a real pain and the clutch life suffers. Bought the 92 to tour with. If you do that, can your companion drive stick to get you home when you are sick as a dog from bad grub? Mine can't. Think about it!

On the other hand running through the gears with side pipes and then letting them back off down a steep hill is the nearest to Heaven I'll ever get.

Just get a Vette, that's the important thing................

 

[garycr14]

Stick or not to stick?

Hi,

I have a 94 auto. The only regret that I have for buying the car is I didn't go with a manual. The 6 speed would be much more fun to drive, and it's easier to go to lower rear end gears, and not suffer wuel wise, as 6th gear is way up there.

If you do a lot a lot of heavy traffic situations the auto makes sense. Also it depends on which type of racing you are into. If you drag race, the auto with a higher then stock torque converter will beat a manual, all other things being equal, and working properly. No matter how well you learn to shift, you'll always loose a little time in the shifts with a manual, and depending on the gearing you be in third or fourth when you hit the quarter mile mark. If you auto cross, or road race, the stick is the only way to go.

Bottom line is there is no wrong decission, go have some fun!

 

[Moonunit 451]

Well Gary pretty much just hit it. The auto's win at the track. My exhaust will sound AT LEAST as good as yours when I jump in it or downshift it. I've owned many sportscars with standard shifts, yup I guess I'm just old and tired, but I don't need to rev the car at the light. If someone thinks they can do me, well if I feel like it, they will have a big surprise, otherwise I just smile and get 21 mpg taking it kind of easy

Oh yea, the first test and tune is next Sunday. It'll be my first trip down the track since I put the 383 radiator back upgrades in. I'll post some #'s from the old granny, but she won't be in top form for anothrer month or so. I don't really think I miss all the shifting and chattering and messed up clutches.

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

AUTO Yeh, I’m old. Unless I am on a road course I hate shifting. What I really love is watching the frustration on the BMW / Audi / Porsche drivers face when they are franticly down shifting trying to find a gear that will keep up with the Vette. They always miss a shift. The sound of their rev-limiters saving their A$$ is annoying so I use the right hand which is not busy shifting to turn up the stereo and adjust the climate control.:eyerole

One idiot with a M3 followed me to the track accusing me of using NO2. I let him have a look under the hood. Then I took his owners manual out of his car and showed him the Torque curve. ¨Yes Antonio, you’ve got 321 HP but it is all at 7900RPMs, if you want to race a Vette you need to launch at 6000RPMs¨. The fool tried it and the clutch blew into a thousand pieces.

 

[tlong]

This auto trans in the '96 is the smoothest operating unit I've ever driven. I rowed gears in the '63 for many years. A stick is better control and involves you in getting down the road. My Zs were stick too.

I don't have to worry about buying a ZF or blowing clutches. I think the drive train stays intact much better over the long haul with auto. I run in D (not overdrive) at 50 on the twisties and get great control, as it NEVER downshifts for pulling power unless I ask it to.

A 6 speed would be more fun every now and then, but I don't miss it. Some say a Vette must be manual. I'll leave 'em in the dust while they're stomping and jerking.

 

[Rogue]

My 'Vette is a weekend fun car. So yes. I wish I had the 6-speed. I love going under bridges and revving up to hear the engine. I also like twisty roads and a manual is made for that. Finally, I hate it when my 4-speed auto shifts to overdrive when I'm climbing a hill. There's enough power to climb a hill in overdrive but it just doesn't feel or sound right to me.

Having said that, my automatic has been flawless most of the time. It's very convenient in traffic or when I'm feeling lazy. It's also nice to have the tranny shift just at the right time to accelerate away from a persistent car.

But still. I love manuals especially in a sports car. I had no choice in my car. I chose the best car for the price range I was in and it happened to have an automtic.

BTW, I went to my local Chevy dealer who stocks a lot of 'Vettes. They had no less than 8 new Corvettes. Only 3 where sticks. One of them was a Z06 (stick only). Salesman says most buyers prefer automatic on 'Vettes.

 

[pvtpilot]

Ok so I'm just about ready to buy my vette it will be either an 89 or 90 but I'm not sure if I should get a manual or not. I do like to race around and give a little rev here and there at the ricers, so give me your input.

Thanks in advance

Just like the old saying "All Corvettes are RED, the rest are mistakes".. I think the same "mistake" label applies to automatic Corvettes. Plus, IMHO, manual transmissions add another level of "grin factor" to the experience of owning and driving a vette. Also reminds me of the recurring discussion about CAGS annoyances... seems to me if a fella drives a vette like it should be driven, the CAGS thing is never an issue... However, all that being said, I guess if the vette is a daily driver in high traffic areas, the auto will probably be more practical..

 

[XS650]

Drive a stick, young man, there will be plenty of time later in your life for automatics when you are no longer able to handle a stick.