Automatic vs stick.

Im looking for some feed back on transmission choice in a Legacy GT. Im looking to pick up a nice used 2005/2006 Legacy as my everyday car. Im a college Professor in CT and i put about 10,000 miles a year in a combination of city/highway. Lots of Subarus in the family; my son drives an STI, my daughter in NY has my old 98 Legacy GT wagon with stick, my wife has a 2004 automatic Legacy GT wagon and Im banging around in a nice 1999 2.2 automatic wagon; great car but too slow. I also have a Nissan Z car which is my everyday summer car. The basic decision is simple..(I have always preferred standard shift cars and the automatic in my 99 is not exactly terrific.) Ive been told that I will LOVE the automatic in the new GT, that there really isnt much performance difference between it and the standard shift car and that the clutch action in the new car is a PIA. Quite frankly Ive been too busy to drive either one; I plan on doing so shortly but I thought I might get some feedback from owners of current GTs. Thanks.

Welcome:)

I know you say you have not had the time but go give them a drive. The 5EAT is leaps & bounds better than your 99's 4EAT.

 

As with all things though, it could be better .....

I drove both before buying the 5EAT. I think driving that stick in town would get real tiresome.

I have the 5eat and have been really pleased with the performance, was great in the storm we just had

There both nice. Its all personal preference, drive them both. I love the 5sp.

oh I forgot to say, the 5sp, is quicker.

i've got an MT and it took a little bit of getting used to. the clutch was a little hard to operate, but the 5EAT was still really quick on the test drive (and alot smoother too lol)

I have the 5spd, and I find it a bit difficult to drive the car smoothly(the clutch). When I commute by myself, it's not a big issue and I don't really care. When my wife is in the car, she makes wise cracks about the lack of smoothness with my shifts and starts, and I see my dog has a hard time standing up as I go through the gears unless I accellerate slowly.

 

Somedays I wish I got the 5EAT, other days I realize that I really am a stick shift guy and I wouldn't be happy with a Auto for long, and I'd probably would have gotten rid of the car by now.....

i have the 5EAT. going on almost 2 yrs, this is about the longest I've owned an Auto. actually the only auto car i've owned ever. I'm on my 8th vehicle now. THough i do miss my 6MT, i don't miss it in the middle of traffic. the 5EAT is quite peppy and you always have the option of the manual shift mode (albeit it not exactly the same as there is a slight delay). still, i'm pretty happy with the car. since you have your Z as the summer car, i'd probably say go with the 5EAT. go test drive it and the 5MT and see what you think. only you can really decide that.

I have the 5spd, and I find it a bit difficult to drive the car smoothly(the clutch). When I commute by myself, it's not a big issue and I don't really care. When my wife is in the car, she makes wise cracks about the lack of smoothness with my shifts and starts, and I see my dog has a hard time standing up as I go through the gears unless I accellerate slowly.

 

Somedays I wish I got the 5EAT, other days I realize that I really am a stick shift guy and I wouldn't be happy with a Auto for long, and I'd probably would have gotten rid of the car by now.....

 

Funny...

My wife has commented on how much smoother it is when I shift in this car compared to my Accord. I can easily accelerate and shift without upsetting the body, very little "shift shock".

I've gotten similar comments from other people who drive a manual as well, they're all amazed how smoothly this car can shift.

 

 

Anyway, obviously both transmissions have their pros and cons. The 5MT is quicker, but the 5EAT seemingly starts to close the performance gap the more power you add.

Some people have a problem with the 5EAT hitting the rev limiter, and there's a couple hundred RPM delay in manual mode. There also seems to be a larger potential to break from the large low end torque.

The 5MT certainly isn't without faults. Some people have a problem with clutch stink (not sure if this was fixed > '05 models) and clutch wear. I'm fully anticipating a clutch change at around 60k miles on my car, some people have even had a clutch change while under factory warranty! The dual mass flywheel is expensive to replace, next to impossible to resurface, and leaves very little options for 3rd party replacements.

Clutch stink is very present in '07 model.

 

I didn't encounter it until I tried holding still on a hill with it; less than 3 seconds later I smelled a unique burning smell.

 

Same when trying to slowly go over ice so you don't rocket out onto a busy street.

 

I've managed to shift pretty smoothly in it. Just takes a bit of getting used to, like with any MT.

 

I hear that the MT allows a lot more engine responsiveness than any of the ATs - but I haven't tried any ATs so I can't vouch for what I heard.

test drive both, it sounds like in this case either a 5EAT or a 5MT would be fine with you and your needs.

 

Ed

I've spent some time with both now. It sounds like you are perfectly comfortable with manual transmissions. if that's the case, unless you spend the majority of your time in the car in stop and go commuting traffic, I can't possibly see why anyone wd chose the auto over the manual. sure the manual is not the best - sometimes tricky clutch point, the usual drive-by-wire annoyances. but the 5eat is a distant second, you'll probably never really use or enjoy the "manumatic" shifting option, it's slower, it feels slower, and it's heavier. even in sport mode it's too slow to make shifts. I guess it's ok as far as autos go (short of a dsg or some sort of flappy-paddle gearbox), but it is simply not as enjoyable to drive as an MT.

clutch engagement and clutch stink, stinks!

 

I still rather have MT than AT tho...

I've spent some time with both now. It sounds like you are perfectly comfortable with manual transmissions. if that's the case, unless you spend the majority of your time in the car in stop and go commuting traffic, I can't possibly see why anyone wd chose the auto over the manual. sure the manual is not the best - sometimes tricky clutch point, the usual drive-by-wire annoyances. but the 5eat is a distant second, you'll probably never really use or enjoy the "manumatic" shifting option, it's slower, it feels slower, and it's heavier. even in sport mode it's too slow to make shifts. I guess it's ok as far as autos go (short of a dsg or some sort of flappy-paddle gearbox), but it is simply not as enjoyable to drive as an MT.

 

I dont know what your thinking but my 5eat does not feel slow at all, the car takes off nice, yeah there is a shift delay, but it tolerable. Overall the 5eat is a good automatic and the extra wieght is not that much. The automatic is not that much slower either. Sure in the stick you may pull 0-60 in 5.3 and 5.8 in auto, but still it not like the auto is at 8 secs.

 

Chris

Thank you all for replying. I drove a nice 16k GT with automatic yesterday. it felt really quick and the difference between it and my 99 2.2 really is night and day! Im going to look at a manual wagon hopefully this week. Thanks again.

I drove both before buying the 5EAT. I think driving that stick in town would get real tiresome.

 

The MT isnt too bad in traffic, lots of torque = less shifting. If you must have the quickest acceleration MT is the way to go, test drive both and it should be clear what you prefer. The clutch is finicky though and takes some getting used to. Oh and roll-on the throttle rather than mashing it regardless of which you drive, it makes a world of difference.

I think we've all asked outselves this queston at one point. Although I wanted the 5MT, my girlfriend answered it for me. She gave me 1000 bucks to get the 5EAT. No way I was going to deny that.

 

I'm probably going to get flamed for this one.

Doesn't the 5EAT add about $1,300 to the sticker price?

^ Something like that

 

Also and auto car generally has a higher resale value. I have the 5EAT for daily driving and the motorcycle for when i need some good fast manual fun!

The MT isnt too bad in traffic, lots of torque = less shifting. If you must have the quickest acceleration MT is the way to go, test drive both and it should be clear what you prefer. The clutch is finicky though and takes some getting used to. Oh and roll-on the throttle rather than mashing it regardless of which you drive, it makes a world of difference.

ya til you go TDC stg 2. then it's just about equal.. up til 4th gear when you're limited by the 5EAT top end. but for every day driving, when i had my VF40 stg 2 set up, the car hauled off the line. no, i have the STI swap and i have DEFINATELY lost my low end power. but the top end is great. for daily driving, to be honest, i miss my low end torque no doubt. oh well....

I have driven both the 5EAT and the manual (albeit my 6-spd) extensively. I'd be content with the AT if I was looking for an auto, as it is indeed quick, smooth, and has a "manual" mode. I only drove the 5-speed MT on a couple of test drives, but it didn't feel too bad.

again?

 

mt ftw, period.

5MT FTW!

 

I live just outside Boston and have never regretted getting the MT even when I've been crawling down Rt. 2 at <5mph in traffic. The long, open, winding roads will more than make up for the commute.

 

Clutch stink is annoying but extremely rare once you've gotten used to launching with minimal throttle. I noticed a little stink during the storm when I had to rev and feather the clutch to get out of my driveway but otherwise there hasn't been any since the first couple weeks of ownership.

 

You should also look into how the AWD systems are different between the MT and AT. I like the elegant simplicity of the fixed 50:50 torque split with the rear LSD. (I don't like the computer telling me what to do!)

I have the 5spd, and I find it a bit difficult to drive the car smoothly(the clutch). When I commute by myself, it's not a big issue and I don't really care. When my wife is in the car, she makes wise cracks about the lack of smoothness with my shifts and starts, and I see my dog has a hard time standing up as I go through the gears unless I accellerate slowly.

 

Somedays I wish I got the 5EAT, other days I realize that I really am a stick shift guy and I wouldn't be happy with a Auto for long, and I'd probably would have gotten rid of the car by now.....

 

Wow!! I feel exactly like you. I thought it was just me as far as trying to be smooth with the shifts. If you are like me you get pissed if the shifts aren't smooth. When I drive by someone on the street I want them to think I am driving an automatic. Bottom line, I am also a stick shift guy.