j1n

iTrader: (1)

I dont get why everyone says oh manual is faster then the auto..... i mean the GTO the auto is faster and 370z auto is faster then the manual.

why does everyone say that the auto TL is so slow compared to the manual?

i just read in another thread that with bolt on mods you can get up to 330hp with manual and maybe 300-310 with auto... how does that make any sense?

20hp difference just cause of the tranny? does the auto tranny suck that bad?

lusid

All I know is that the AT is heavier than the MT. Other than that... ppl say the MT is faster. I like AT because I sit in traffic everyday.

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

I smoked my friends auto TL by about 2 cars to 100mph (we went from a dig)

Any roll race I immediately start pulling and it's over.

Yeah, it's faster. The gear ratios are different and 4th gear on the auto is pretty bad, sorry

blkaspec

loss of power due to the torque converter, and the 5speed compared to the 6speed gearing also makes a huge difference as far as racing goes. there are a number of factors and they all result in the AT being slower.

andrew070489

it kinda depends on what car your racing if your modified and also the other person's specs. with an auto there's more drivetrain loss. regardless an auto will ALWAYS shift faster then a manual unless your some kind f1 driver

TimTim

iTrader: (4)

From my personal experience, People who said they've tried to keep up with me in my 6spd, say they have a harder time than with a TL auto.

LoveMyTL-S

MT > AT for speed.

<{Kris}>

Really?

We're not talking about a dual clutch tranny here, many people can shift faster than a conventional automatic...

OP, 99% of the time a manual car will be faster due to less weight, less parasitic loss in the drivetrain, and more favourable gearing.
I'm assuming the 370Z comes with Nissan's new 7 speed auto tranny? That *might* explain why it's a bit faster than the manual version, although more gears definitely doesn't mean it'll be faster.

lldknyll26

lexus is-f comes in auto. lexus claims their auto shifts faster than manual. i believe the gears shift in 0.1 sec which is quicker than being manually shifted by a human.

alexSU

iTrader: (3)

Even if the auto does shift quicker, you still gotta keep in mind the gear ratios.

Bearcat94

... and weight and Drive Train loss.

07tl-s6spd

iTrader: (1)

6spd manuals rule!...but either way a TL is still a sexy ass car...even an automatic

shtewps

iTrader: (1)

I have a car set aside that im in the process of buying.. a 5AT.. this thread is making me depressed.

NAiL05

Every manufacturer has a different program/gearing in there trans... Saying oh a 370z auto is faster is comparing a different car and manufacturer. 370z is also a "sports car" not a luxury sedan. I can say oh look a ferrari can shift blah blah blah milliseconds, but who really cares?

Everyone already covered the basics...Every manufacturer has different intentions in there cars. Just because one manufacturer has a fast shifting trans doesnt mean the other auto manufacturers are the same.

Just to add to the others peoples post auto is good for bracket racing it is more consistent and there is no such thing as a missed shift only rev limiter bounce.

TCM TL 05

It shifts very, very fast when put into sport mode. Otherwise, it's really smooth and the only way to tell that it's switched gears is by listening to the engine.

As others have said, automatic transmissions are almost always slower than manuals. The 5 AT is great for everyday driving shtewps (great name, by the way), so don't get discouraged. If you want a car solely for speed, don't get the TL; it's quick but I don't think that I'd ever call it "fast."

shtewps

iTrader: (1)

Appreciated

And thanks for the rational insight, sometimes its too easy to get caught up in the performance mindset and forget everything else. Especially with threads like this.

Babnik

Where do CVTs figure in all this? eg nissan maxima

NAiL05

CVT's technically dont shift lol. They just constantly change gear ratios. Honda used to use it in there old CVCC civics and people would complain about the car not shifting lol. So they purposely engineered a miss into it as I recall. As for nissans CVT I am not sure how it works but it should be similar. I tore down a civic CVT and its pretty much has gears and a big metal band lol and lots of lube tubes everywhere. I need to tear out my notes but I have a pdf on how the cvt works somewhere.

Cerezo

Some new auto transmissions (BMW for example) are actually manual gear box with computer shifting. They are fast and smooth.

SouthernBoy

The manual is considerably faster than the automatic.. as in around 26 MPH. I believe the automatic is governed to 127 MPH while the manual is not governed at all and is capable of around 153 MPH.

What I suspect you really mean is "quicker". In that regard, the manual still leads.

SouthernBoy

While there is a HUGE difference in the final drive ratio between the two tranny configurations (the automatic is far lower than the manual), the manual's transmission gear ratios make up for this and in every gear, the total drive train ratio favors the manual with lower gear ratios. This results in greater torque multiplication with the manual transmission to the drive wheels.

SouthernBoy

For what it's worth, I dusted a G35 manual coupe last Sunday morning. Not only did I leave on him, but I out-shifted him and pulled on him in first, second, and third gear when we ended it. I left my VSA on so I wouldn't spin the tires all the way through first gear, too.

BTW, we didn't do anything crazy or nuts, nor did we put anyone else in danger. Also, we didn't go too fast.

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

Anyone know if the 07/08 Type S's RL derived auto tranny has different gearing than the 04-06 auto TL?

James

rockyfeller

iTrader: (6)

I have AT and am appalled how SLOW it shifts in manual mode. I always have to plan 2 seconds in advance, I hate it. Don't be like the many of us who regret the decision. Get a MT and do it right the first time.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

The 6 speed will be slightly faster.

Just as a comparision:
Manual.......5 A/T....'07 5A/T
1st - 3.93...2.563...2.70
2nd -2.48...1.552...1.61
3rd - 1.70...1.021...1.07
4th - 1.25......666.....69
5th - 0.98......480.....49
6th - 0.77
Final drive - 3.293..4.428..4.31

However the overall ratio:
1st -12.84/11.358/11.647
2nd- 8.17/6.87/6.94
3rd - 5.59/4.52/4.61
4th - 4.12/2.95/2.97
5th - 3.23/2.13/2.11
6th - 2.54

As you can see the M/T has quite a lower overall ratio in each gear selected for more grunt.
Actually the A/T has a higher overall ratio in high gear 2.11 compared to the 6 speed 2.54, so at the same RPM, theoretically the A/T is going faster, therefore a higher top speed if it had enough grunt to keep it going.

AD-TL04

The AT in manual mode does have a really bad response time especially from 1st to 2nd. Now i wish i got a manual too

Burnricers

I got the 5AT on this car because it's my daily driver and I don't want to deal with shifting all the time, and i've got the RX8 for when I want to have fun shifting. Neither are fast though, i've had fast cars before and you need to know going into buying a TL that it's not a fast car(AT, MT or even MT TL-S) so if that's your main factor in your purchase you'll want to look into something else.

It was quick enough so I don't feel like I have to keep up with traffic which was my main concern, otherwise I got it for a nice semi sporty luxury sedan. Take it for what it is.

Burnricers

*Edit* I realized I didn't respond to the OP's question lol. Yea, 99% of the time the stick shifts will be faster but for reasons stated above the auto can sometimes be faster. Example, the newest M5 is faster in the auto than the manual.

94eg!

Don't forget that ATs & CVTs also sap power to run their hydraulic system. This is why they can never match the effeciency of a manual. Of course I'm not talking about some fancy Ferrari (etc..) Electronic clutch system or anything like that.

BTW: Driving manual means you are actually DRIVING the car. Not simply riding in it. My wife is about 100 times better driver w/ manual cause it forces you to think & plan ahead. You become part of the car. This is why we own four MT Hondas (civic, crx, element & TL). I will take MT in stop & go traffic any day over an AT (no offence intended). Too bad my type of driver are a dying breed. Almost NONE of the new Honda & Acuras are offered with manual Transmissions now...

PS: AT or CVT on a car like an Insight is just silly to me. AT can NEVER match the mpg's possible with MT. I had an 09 TL AT loaner once and I couldn't get the thing over 29mpg where my 6MT gets 31...

94eg!

On a side note, my best friends brother totally regrets buying his VW GTI w/ the DSG 6-speed auto (featuring super fast electro clutch blah blah). He going from his previous 5-speed manual GTI to this one, is a total 180. Driving manual is way more sporty fun and involved. Plus the DSG trans is still an AUTO that has NO IDEA WHEN YOU WANT IT TO SHIFT. And there is always lag between pressing the paddle and the time it actually makes the shift. Annoying...

Burnricers

^ I too agree those that enjoy driving a stick are a dying breed, and 100% agree that you are more a part of the car when driving a stick and drive it vs just ride in it. I have one of each so I can really enjoy driving when I want to and just relax and ride when I want to.

lldknyll26

although our TLs are not fast, its quick enough to still rape majority of its competitors such as Lexus is 250, bmw 3 series except 335i, MB c350. But i'm not sure about the new nissan maxima. Can TL or TLS take on the new maxima?

Burnricers

Yes, this is true minus the is350, m3, last year G35 sedan is slightly faster than TL-S and G37 I believe is faster too. So yes it is faster than what you listed but again none of those are fast nor are they meant to be. I dunno, everyone's definition of fast can vary quite a bit and I don't consider something fast unless it's in the 11's, I mean my last car was a 12 second maita for a point of reference.

lldknyll26

what i consider fast is the new m3, nissan gtr and porsche turbo. other than those high end performance cars, cars such as lexus is, bmw 3 series or our TLs are all in the similar range. They are only quicker by 0.5 sec.

Dktran31

there are exceptions as to auto cars being faster than manuals as mentioned by others here, but most of the time manual cars are faster, again it depends on the driver, but manuals weigh less and good drivers are able to shift faster

JTS97Z28

iTrader: (4)

God I miss my Z06

But I do enjoy the TL-S even if the car does the shifting for me.

TheChamp531

iTrader: (3)

The only advantages over the Manual for a Automatic is if they want to slap on a Turbo. Now if we're talking about a DCT transmission, that is better than Manual times 1000. Basically a Automatic Transmission that has no torque converter, and can shift to "Manual". Best of both worlds!

ballerjai

OP, like you mentioned it kind of depends on the car. If you look at BMW's sport shifts, there faster than manual. However, they have a well built transmission unlike our TL's auto's.

SouthernBoy

I'm also one of those "dying breeds" who, as long as the necessary body parts work, will never buy an automatic for my personal driving machine. The most common excuse I hear from people who decide to go with the automatic is driving in traffic (heavy). That never enters my mind. I breathe. I see. I hear. I process. Therefore, I operate a manual transmission. It's all just a natural thing with me.

ray-ban

....but really, who gives a shit which one is faster? They are both fast enough and fun enough for daily driving and spirited weekend driving.

if you want zoom zoom, buy a mazda?