Dilemma: Auto or Manual 5.0?

[OhIIICobra]

I am picking one up in the next week or so. I drove both cars today and they are awesome. Normally I would go hands down manual...no questions asked.

Manual: I like the option for 3.73's. Didn't care for the non-existent clutch feel, would take some getting used to. Just so used to on/off feel of the other mustangs I've owned.
The recent clutch pedal sticking issue concerns me a little, but I don't plan on raising the rev limiter or shifting at 7K...should I even be concerned? :shrug:

Auto: Is 3.15 the only gear available? Even if so, it didn't feel significantly slower than the manual really, I've heard the trans is geared really well from the factory. $900 extra.

Any of you switch from a manual on their old stang to an auto this time?

Auto people, what sold you on the auto vs. manual?

The car will not be my daily driver and I don't intend on doing gears or anything major for awhile so I'm stuck with factory ratios...etc.

:shrug:

Never had this problem before...

Have a week to decide.

 

[AmnDucky]

I didnt even consider the auto, I hate autos. I dont like that auto's reactive while a manual is proactive. In other words, an auto has to react to how you are driving because it cant read your mind. With a manual, you know when you are going to pass someone and can downshift. You know how fast you will take a turn and what gear you should be in. The mustang is a drivers car, and nothing surpasses a manual for driving experience and involvement. Of course there are the facts that manuals put down more power and get better fuel economy. I went from an 06 V6 to my 11 GT. The clutch and tranny feel completely different, but after a few days I got used to the new clutch and dual mass flywheel and fell in love. Its so easy to use, and it grabs so hard. I could chirp 4th bone stock, down to the paper filter.

 

[OhIIICobra]

I didnt even consider the auto, I hate autos. I dont like that auto's reactive while a manual is proactive. In other words, an auto has to react to how you are driving because it cant read your mind. With a manual, you know when you are going to pass someone and can downshift. You know how fast you will take a turn and what gear you should be in. The mustang is a drivers car, and nothing surpasses a manual for driving experience and involvement. Of course there are the facts that manuals put down more power and get better fuel economy. I went from an 06 V6 to my 11 GT. The clutch and tranny feel completely different, but after a few days I got used to the new clutch and dual mass flywheel and fell in love. Its so easy to use, and it grabs so hard. I could chirp 4th bone stock, down to the paper filter.

Cool. Did you drive both before you bought yours? The auto I drove seemed pretty responsive.

 

[chrisheltra]

Do you ever plan on taking it to the track? Strip, auto-x or road course?

 

[OhIIICobra]

Do you ever plan on taking it to the track? Strip, auto-x or road course?

Strip maybe...auto-x or road course probably not.

 

[OhIIICobra]

Also, anyone know if all the cars optioned with 19's are all season tires only? I could have sworn I read somewhere that some were summer tires as an option.

 

[AmnDucky]

Cool. Did you drive both before you bought yours? The auto I drove seemed pretty responsive.

Nope, like I said the auto was never a remote possibility. I ordered my car and it was the first one to great falls, so no cars were available to test drive. I do not like automatics, no matter how responsive they are. They still take more power, and still remove a lot of the involvement in driving. Anybody can punch the gas in an auto and go fast. Its takes skill (and is therefore more enjoyable) to really drive a manual well. But I guess in the end, it comes down to personal preference. Some people choose auto's because they drive in a lot of traffic, and I can understand that.

 

[DIB5.0]

These threads are useless when it comes to wanting our help in deciding. Stick guys are going to tell you auto's suck and they are pussy's and auto guys are going to say most stick drivers suck and can beat them 99% of the time. So its up to you. I have an auto and love it. Auto's are running just as fast as the stick even if losing more hp through the drivetrain. 3:15's are not holding this car back. A tune will really help this car as the shift points will be adjusted. Brenspeed is really making these auto's respond and adding 40hp.
I bought an auto because i like it. No bad knee's, no heavy traffic, no wife cant drive stick ect. Because i wanted it. So go the direction you want and dont listen to us.

 

[bssmith1220]

To be honest I have always been a hardcore no auto guy....but the new one seems to run just as well at the track and probably faster once you start getting more mods done. I don't think with this particular choice you will be disappointed either way. That being said I bought a stick car for the fun factor of feeling like I am in control and being able to bang gears.

 

[Black Talon]

The automatic tranny has come a long way no doubt about it. You can have a great automatic DD that performs just as well as a manual. I would get the stick though. I like to bang gears.

 

[1HUBCAP]

When i was considering both,i was going with the auto,simply because of dd comfort,and aftermarket tunes for the trans.they really like a 3.73 gear set.I have never had an auto mustang in my 22 years of owning them,but the new trans is sweet.:beer:

 

[OhIIICobra]

These threads are useless when it comes to wanting our help in deciding. Stick guys are going to tell you auto's suck and they are pussy's and auto guys are going to say most stick drivers suck and can beat them 99% of the time. So its up to you. I have an auto and love it. Auto's are running just as fast as the stick even if losing more hp through the drivetrain. 3:15's are not holding this car back. A tune will really help this car as the shift points will be adjusted. Brenspeed is really making these auto's respond and adding 40hp.
I bought an auto because i like it. No bad knee's, no heavy traffic, no wife cant drive stick ect. Because i wanted it. So go the direction you want and dont listen to us.

I figure it never hurts to get other opinions.

 

[chrisheltra]

Strip maybe...auto-x or road course probably not.

If thats the case Id say auto. They will always be faster and more consistent while eliminating driver error.

 

[Driver72]

The auto in the 2011 Mustang is as boring as autos were 20 years ago.
They did not put ANY of the modern upgrades for autos in that thing.
There is no paddle shifters
There is no floor mounted "slap stick" feature.
There is no sport mode button
There is no rev matching down shifts
There is no holding the revs at higher rpms and banging it off the rev limiter

Nothing.

Just a PRNDL selector. Lame for a performance car.

The current base Mazda 3 rental car I have with a 2.0 liter I4 has a "manual" mode with the 5 speed auto. This car is $15k for fk sake.
On top of that, the redline on this car is 6500 rpms and in auto mode it shifts around 6300-6500 rpms, but stick it in "manual" mode and it revs to 7250 rpms and WILL NOT SHIFT automatically. It will sit there banging off the rev limiter until you change gears.

Again, this is a $15k econobox with 4 doors and has a more driver involved automatic.
It's inexcusable for Ford to give the 2011 Mustang GT an auto with absolutely ZERO modern frills to it.

Sure the auto may be more consistent in a drag race and equals the 12.7 times stock that manuals seem to be getting, but what about the other 99% of the time you are driving your performance car??

 

[Bob Cosby]

These threads are useless when it comes to wanting our help in deciding. Stick guys are going to tell you auto's suck and they are pussy's and auto guys are going to say most stick drivers suck and can beat them 99% of the time. So its up to you. I have an auto and love it. Auto's are running just as fast as the stick even if losing more hp through the drivetrain. 3:15's are not holding this car back. A tune will really help this car as the shift points will be adjusted. Brenspeed is really making these auto's respond and adding 40hp.
I bought an auto because i like it. No bad knee's, no heavy traffic, no wife cant drive stick ect. Because i wanted it. So go the direction you want and dont listen to us.

I pretty much agree with this - especially the last line.

FWIW...I've been a stick guy forever. Even had some reasonably-good success drag racing a stick. However, the A6 in the 2011 is the first slushbox in a Mustang that I am actually giving at least semi-serious thought to.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[OhIIICobra]

I pretty much agree with this - especially the last line.

FWIW...I've been a stick guy forever. Even had some reasonably-good success drag racing a stick. However, the A6 in the 2011 is the first slushbox in a Mustang that I am actually giving at least semi-serious thought to.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

Yeah, I know ultimately I need to decide. Just curious to see if other strictly stick guys (thought I was one too) are on the fence with the 2011 and it sounds like a few are considering it over a manual.
:beer:

 

[03Cobra1979]

So you already own an auto V6 and you are going to buy a 5.0 on top of it? Damn.. I need to get a better job.

 

[351inside]

get the auto! if i could do it again i would get the auto LOL

 

[radaman]

2011 autos are equal to it's manual counterparts whereas that wasn't the case before. I bought my car with drag racing in mind and it cost me plenty just to run with a stock manual Mach. A few of my friends with manual mach's have driven my car and was impressed with it's off the line performance, but still prefer manuals...I now believe that a converter/dr's/3:90's/full exhaust will net 11's in new 2011 auto's for sure.

 

[OhIIICobra]

get the auto! if i could do it again i would get the auto LOL

Did you buy a 5.0 manual and your not liking it?