It's not always what something is worth it is a matter of what you prefer. I prefer manual when you are looking at something like the Mustang GT. If I was to buy a V6 I would go with the automatic, but that's just me. It would be interesting to see what people prefer when buying a Mustang automatic vs manual.

 

The sticks are in more demand in the GT thet are indeed selling faster than autos, years ago I ever seen a book value for GT stangs that deducted for auto, the new GTO charges 695.00 more for the six speed manual car.

 

In the black book there is no deduct for a manual transmission on a GT. From my experience at the auctions I would rather have a sports car in a manual anyday to resell. I get vette's with automatics and they are harder to sell because the people who can afford them want them solely for summer fun and enjoy the six speed.

 

There is a deduct for a manual transmission in a v6 model

 

TRADITIONALLY Mustang GT's have valued exactly the same wether auto or manual, which is of course out of the norm where auto is almost always higher. V6 models are higher resale value with auto. Sometimes you will see a minor resale bump for an auto if the GT is convertible. Check KBB.com yourself.

 

Looking at the trends in all cars moving towards automatics, especially with the 5 speed and 6 speeds on the way in some models, I would expect the future to hold a higher resale for an auto over a manual. When I traded in my '99 a few years ago, I did very well. Anybody can drive an auto, but not everyone can or wants to drive a stick. On the other hand, purists may prefer a stick in a sports car as mentioned in the above topics. I have noticed that over the last few years in the numerous sporty cars I've had, I've heard the following comment a lot less "why didn't you buy a stick in this car?"

 

Don't worry about the resale, just try and figure out what you'd be happier driving. If you sit in traffic alot though, you may wanna consider the auto. Personally I live 8 minutes away from my work with no traffic and mostly highway so I would get the stick - Mustang GT with an automatic wouldn't be as fun to drive. Have they tested the stick vs manual for quarter mile times? I would imagine the stick would be a faster car.

 

Fastest time documented so far is 13.25 in an automatic; see other thread for details.

Also, in Mustang Times, October 2004, page 18-20, editor Josh Bolger writes after a 175 mile one way drive in each of the maual and automatic:

"As much fun as we had with the excellent 5-speed manual, we found the automatic to be even more fun; I say this as a dyed-in-the-wool believer in cars having three pedals. Team Mustang, programmed the automatic with a great shift profile. Keep your foot on the floor while watching the tach and you see and feel shifts that are strong and positive, yet not brutal or harsh. I found myself waiting to catch red lights just to be able to accelerate from a stop again. The beauty of the automatic is a great match to the torque curve of the 3-valve engine...".

 

I never even considered an Automatic and did not think it would even be an issue with the early buyers. I thought that those willing to pay a premium would be true enthusists. I live in Chicago and commute all over the city and suburbs in traffic each day. I still enjoy driving a stick.

I think at the end of the day you are paying more for a auto, the delta between what you pay at the dealership and what you get as a delta between the two in a resale value would be a wash.