Auto trans vs. Manual- Manual much faster?

[hink12341234]

I have a 2002 Cavalier with the autotrans. The autotrans in these cars are very good performance wise. There shifting points are very well calibrated. No lag in between shifts like other transmissions. How much quicker are the Cavaliers with the manual transmissions? Also is the clutch action and the shifting of the manual transmission pretty smooth? I use to own a Toyota pickup and you could drive that truck all day and never get tired of using the clutch or shifting the transmission. That made it very fun to drive. Is the Cavalier the same way? Thanks!

[jakegday]

a manual is a hair faster, not because of the shifting ability but because of the gear ratios, most manuals are 5 speeds most autos are 4 speeds, with a 5 speed you have an extra gear so you can have a little higher of a gear ratio in each gear giving you a little better acceleration, its not MUCH faster but it is a little bit, my 98 5 speed shifts like dogshit, it always has, the clutch presses in easily, its just the way it grabs, hope this helps...

[JStumpalump150]

this is going to turn into a nasty argument just like it always does

[shakewell]

A driver who doesn't know how to use a manual trans to his advantage will be a lot slower than an auto. That is the biggest difference there.

[JStumpalump150]

let the flaming begin. lol

[hink12341234]

Correction my Cavalier is a 2004. The reason I ask is I use to own a 2000 Neon and it had the 3-speed autotrans and the manual was much faster. The 3-speed auto was a good transmission but it's shift points made the acceleration somewhat slow. The autotrans in the Cavalier is the complete opposite. This makes the car much more fun to drive. As far as making the 5 speed shift better I also owned a 1992 Dodge Stealth R/T with a 5 speed. What really helped the shifting was to use full synthetic gear oil in the manual transmission. I don't know what kind of oil the Cavalier's gearbox takes. The Stealth's gearbox took 85-95W oil. Have any of you tried the synthetic gear oil?

[tchavez71]

well i have driven both and i own a 2000 5 speed. cavaliers
(or mine atleast) tend to have an amazing first and second gear in the manual trans. but they (mine) really sucks in third its the longest gear i stay in when racing. i have beaten every automatic cavalier i have raced by more than a car with little mods (cold air, short throw, b.s. ebay 10 dollor chip) its all up to the driver. i just think manual is much more fun to drive.

[Classicrocjunkie]

Invest 40 bucks into a B&M shift plus and your right on par with a manual no matter what. Mind you the auto will go into gear a lot quicker and harder than before. Just gotta hope the guy running the 5-speed misses a gear.

[Lefix]

Boosted auto = Faster

[Classicrocjunkie]

Originally Posted by Lefix

Boosted auto = Faster

true, but i am just curious how much the 4t40e can really handle without an expensive build to one. I have a strong feeling i am going to break mine since i'll have boost right out of the hole and not waiting for jack to spool up...

[Schister66]

My arguement against automatics is this:

1. I can't preload an auto like i can my GSR. If i wanted to, i'd have to buy a high stall convertor and kiss drivability goodbye.
2. Since Automatics use a torque convertor which is operated hydraulically, there is a good amount of fluid in the tranny that must be moved. The extra gallon or so is added resistance which increases powertrain loss...meaning less power at the wheels
3. Most factory automatic trannies are for cars that are meant as daily drivers; therefore, they are weak and the gearing is for fuel economy rather than acceleration.
4. If something breaks, and since there are about 1000 more pieces in an auto its a real possibility, it is more expensive to fix.

Bottom Line: Learn to drive a manual (if you dont know how) and you'll never go back. In fact, all of the tuner(ish) Honda cars are ONLY available in manual because lets face it, who wants an auto?

[Lefix]

There is boost lost difference between a auto and a manual, in an auto you lose barely any boost, because you keep your foot on the pedal, comparing to an manual where you gotta let off the gas then shift and then gas again, and in that little amount of time, the compressed air will ALL run out from the blow off valve, it leaks out so fast that even if you shift as fast as you can and even you are a really GREAT AWESOME driver, you will still lose alot more boost than an automatic. THis is the best advantage for an auto.

And for Cody, my turbo starts at around 2500, which is almost right after i step on it, and its been running fine for over 2 months now that i been boosted, HPTuner can adjust almost anything you want on the tranny, its such a great tuning program, and with a good sized tranny cooler, the tranny will go for at least 400 hp.. I know a guy has an ecotec 2.2 with forged rods and pistons and he ONLY has a tranny cooler for the tranny and he is pushing around 400 HP no problem..at around 18 PSI

Just in case the auto tranny break, guess it is time to switch to a manual then huh? If my auto breaks then i will buy a 5 speed manual for the new solctice or if not, just go with a not too old sunfire manual tranny, and its pretty easy to swap over, and i must say, 5 speed is way more fun to drive, but if you wanna know which one is faster? manual is before boost and after boost they are probably the same..

But for you Cody, if you can choose between an auto or a manual with your build, i would choose manual because it is more fun to drive, but i still think my auto would be faster..

[jakegday]

Originally Posted by Lefix

because you keep your foot on the pedal, comparing to an manual where you gotta let off the gas then shift and then gas again,

you dont have to, i dont take my foot off the gas between shifts, its called "power shifting" and for me, it works like a charm

[Schister66]

A turbo will fall out of boost during shifts, but if you dont have a shitty turbo, it will recover fast. This shift from no boost back into boost is called the "transient response."

Granted, my car falls out of boost when i shift, but if you learn to shift, a manual is still faster than an auto. Not to mention i have closer gearing w/ my 5spd than your stock 4spd auto.

The power train loss coupled with the inability to preload during launch negates all of the minimal "gains" of running an auto.

[Classicrocjunkie]

I have everything for a manual swap sitting in NJ, just no Tranny. But that's the easy thing to find compared to all the shit needed for the swap.