Manual or Automatic?

I am thinking about buying a G35 coupe in about 3 months. The only question I have now is whether to get a manual or automatic. I know manual is faster and more sports-like, but I don't really care about the <1 sec difference. My question is: how many of you have tried both manual and automatic? and is the difference really big? And any recommendations for colors?

Originally posted by ckg35
I am thinking about buying a G35 coupe in about 3 months. The only question I have now is whether to get a manual or automatic. I know manual is faster and more sports-like, but I don't really care about the <1 sec difference. My question is: how many of you have tried both manual and automatic? and is the difference really big? And any recommendations for colors?

Yes I've tried both but in reality you've already made your choice because you're not looking for the sportslike character of the manual.

Sticks do have another advantage and that is fuel economy, not to mention most look pretty cool.

Go with your instincts and get the automagic. The difference in speed isn't really big just feels more that way do to selecting the gears on your own instead of being fed through a torque converter.

As far as colors there's really only one IMO that does the G coupe its' ultimate justice and that's black.
Good luck with the car though.
Peace

Your very question suggests to me that you're really not a manual driver, so I'd say that you're better off getting the automatic. The automatic version comes with an armrest and cup holders in a decent location.

Why doesn't the manual come with the same arrangement? If you look at the placement, any drink you'd have there would probably get in the way of shifting. Plus, you'd probably end up banging your elbow if the same armrest were there. The manual has a short shifter, and it is smaller in height compared to standard shifters.

The automatic version comes standard with 17" wheels versus 18" standard on the manual, which means the ride on the automatic will be a little smoother.

For me, the manual version is a joy to drive and I really don't care about not having an armrest or the fact the cup holders are way in the back. The car is solid on the road and handles like a dream! If you want to have fun driving, get the manual. If you don't really care, get the automatic.

interseting thread.. i wish there was a way you could get a manual with the option to switch to "automatic mode." rather than what they've tried to do w/ auto and optional "manual mode."

i told myself i was buying an auto.. i test drove the auto and loved it. the idea of not having to worry about shifting was great. then, i did what you shouldn't do if you really want an auto and drove the manual. i just couldn't go back.. the extra power and feel of the road that i just couldn't get w/ the auto & tiptronic.

keep in mind the demand for manual is very high. only 10% of the coupes are manuals and most of them come presold. with higher demand comes better resale value as well. also, although the manual is more expensive, it adds the sport tire package, bigger brakes, and limited slip differential.

now, all that said.. there are plenty of times i wish i had auto. i probably only want the extra feel of the road and power about 20-30% of the time. so, i'm willing to sacrifice convenience for the extra fun when i want it.

as for color, i LOVE black and went back and forth about black vs diamond graphite. when i had a black car i wished i had a silver / charcoal color.. now that i have a charcoal color i wish i had the black.. maybe i should see a shrink. :confused:

Thanks for your help guys. Some of you mentioned that the manual is harder to find. But when I went to an Infiniti dealer in Southern California last month, they had at least 2 manuals there and no automatic and I am pretty sure that the two manuals were available at the time (red and white). And I think black is the best color for the coupe too.:)

If you care about safety a litte then I would go with the manual because it comes with the Brembo brakes. The standard brakes are really good but I have been hearing good things about the brembos.

I don't think making the brakes an issue here when it is clear he's only concerned about stick or auto. You can buy the car with one or the other (stick or auto) and upgrade to bigger brakes. Besides it'll cost more from a dealer than aftermarket.

I'd say go with the auto because you're not really interested in the little bit of extra performance you get outta of stick. Besides you're the one who has to drive the car not us.

Your obviously leaning towards the auto and most people would be glad to have the dilemma you are in as far as auto or stick when it comes to purchasing a G. That is as hard as the color choice you have.
Good luck

Originally posted by bk2kmax


Yes I've tried both but in reality you've already made your choice because you're not looking for the sportslike character of the manual.




Agreed...if you don't care about the performance difference, and you're not a gear-shifting enthusiast, get the auto. Most manual drivers will just KNOW they want a manual. If you don't know or don't care, get the auto.

That said, the Manuals are harder to find, and sometimes more pricey. The Brembo brakes look cool, but in reality, they don't stop the car much, if any faster. They reduce brake fade (loss of braking power when heat builds up from excessive braking, read: racing) If you're racing your G35, you'd have already decided on a manual, so the Brembo's don't really matter to you. The standard brakes will stop the car fine. Besides, you can only stop as fast as the tires will allow you to anyway, and stock brakes can lock-em up just as well.

One word though, get the 18" wheels if you can. Not to bash the 17" guys, the 17's look fine, but I think the 18's are amazing.

18"s do look nice but 17 is more optimal and a fair size for the car besides you have less rotational mass in 17's than 18's, plus there's less a chance of offsetting your speedo with the 17's than with the 18's.

If you are going for looks go with the 18's my favorites but you seem to be more on the non racing side, so I'd say stick with the 17's they look cool as well just not as good as the 18's.

i'm pretty sure the 18's have a lower profile tire, so i dont think the speedo is an issue here. i'm quite sure the rotational mass you were speaking of is nominal.. wouldn't you say? the 18's are wider, so from a performance perspective you get a bit more traction and stick better around turns.

i do agree, the 17's really do look nice and you can't go wrong one way or the other. do you live near snow? if so, then you're goign to need another set of wheels/tires for the winter if you buy the 18's. sure you could put better all-round tires on them but not sure you'd want to do that.

i am moving to seattle where it doesn't really snow (just rains a lot), so i figured i could hang w/ the 18's. however, right now i'm still in virginia where we've been pounded with snow this year. it's crazy to try and go anywhere with my car and those wheels. as if RWD wasn't enough, the wheels/tires DEF don't help in the snow.

Good point VR6punk re. the snow.

I live in VA too, and my coupe goes NOWHERE in the snow. NOWHERE. The Pilot Sport tires are like skates. If the coupe will be your only car, either get the 17" rims or get the 18's and a second set of tires for snow. DO NOT DRIVE on the pilot sports in the snow if you value your life and your car. I have the fortune of having an off-road equipped Wrangler in the garage for big snows, so the coupe can stay warm. If you don't have a similar option, get the 17's.

Re. the speedometer, if it's coming from the factory w/ 17's or 18's, I'm sure the factory has the car's speedo calibrated appropriately for the equipped wheel size, so that doesn't matter.

I heard from another forum that the Bose system has problems with CDRs and CDRWs (CD jams inside). Has any of you experience the same problem?

Originally posted by ckg35
I heard from another forum that the Bose system has problems with CDRs and CDRWs (CD jams inside). Has any of you experience the same problem?
I don't use CD-RWs, but I haven't had a problem with CD-Rs yet.

ditto.. its actually a clarion cd changer w/ bose speakers so i doubt there'd be a prob w/ cdr's. then again i haven't tried cdrw's yet.