fastmover05

I am going to get a new mustang gt within a few weeks. But I still cant decide on stick or auto! I have never driven stick and live in a stop go city. Alot of people have told me that a stick in this type of driving is hell. Im not going to be racing or anything but all my buddies think that if i get this bad boy and its an auto im a puss. So what do you think? Any info on the 5 speed transmission and how it handles and what not would be appreciated.

SchatzieII

You'll love the 5 speed...My wife hates it. Had to buy a second car for her. 5 speed is fun to drive but driving off smoothly in first gear is a challenge. I have to put the GT in neutral at every light as my legs get tired depressing the clutch to the floor. With the 5 speed you must depress the clutch to the floor each time which also puts my knees close to dash. 5' 9"

Mustangfreak

You cant say 5 speed and mean just manual anymore with the S197's. You have to specify which 5 speed your talking about

theedge67

Drive an Auto and decide if you like that or not. The auto on the new Mustangs is a 5 speed as well, and it does a remarkable job of getting your butt moving!! Stock for stock, even an experienced manual driver would have a tough time beating the autos in this car.

On the other side, if you have never driven a manual, this car is super easy to drive. I have driven plenty of manuals in the last 10 years, and this one takes the cake for easiest to drive. As long as you know the fundementals, you will be fine within 10 minutes of driving it.

mjbarnet

I agree, taught my 17 YO son how to drive mine last week. Within 20 mins he was doing fine, although despite his pleas I did not let him out on his own

mitch

Glenn

you will not miss the stick in traffic. There is another thread on this around here also.

crucut

Yes, do a search and you'll find this debatead. I went through the same dillema and ended up with the auto. Not disapointed at all. Just as fast, easy on the crowded freeways, and I can drink coffee and cruise to work without jockying my hands around. Even better, get a good tune/cai also and yoiu'll love it.

RobK

If you're in a lot of stop and go get the auto. There's nothing worse than crawling in traffic constantly having to eek the clutch out ever so slightly so you can move the car 3 feet. Who'll be the puss when you're driving away in your new automatic stang and your buddies are waiting at the bus stop?

NYNY53

Driving a 5sp manual is chills and thrills. Running up and down the gear range is 2nd to none. I have a 5sp manual................

But if you use the GT as a daily driver and are stuck in stop and go every day............... a 5sp manual might get old.

Guess the question or the decision comes down to how much time is spent in the GT driving in brutal S&G traffic and how much is spent driving free and ***** to the walls.

Good luck on your decision.

RobK

I should add to my post above that 7 of my 12 cars/trucks are manuals. I'm not in stop and go very often, but when I am it's major suxors.

zaghloul

I beleive that an auto will outperform a manual at the strip, especially if you get the auto tuned to optimum shiftpoints. You'll need one amazing stick driver to keep up with the Auto. In city driving the stick will get annoying, especially if there are any hills or inclines where you live. As someone mentioned above, these S197's come with a 5 speed auto, which is a true delight.

Cheese302

stick shift: to quote a good friend
"Ron Belmont kicks kittens, eats steak, drinks a lot of beer, and loves his clutch pedal" (he doesnt really kick kittens, he was trying to prove a point)

the only proper transmission has no opposing fans, no bands, no clutch packs, no planetary gears..... all it has is some helical's, a clutch disk, a hydraulic line for the clutch and a SHIFTER.

poldrv

I'd get the automatic. I have one and am quite happy with it. There will be others that will say the exact opposite. But what it comes down to in the end is what will make you happy when your behind the wheel. There are several posts on this subject on this forum.

awakeinAZ

Unless you plan to squeal tires at every stop, slushbox baby!!!!

nynvolt

If you've never driven a stick before, get the auto. You probably won't be comfortable driving your car in heavy traffic if your unfamiliar with manual trans. although you'll learn fast. I've driven stick my whole life and with only one exception, a '89 ranger I had briefly, this was my first auto. I love it! I live in southern CA and I never really had any problems with the stick but wow auto is nice in a daily driver.

Don't let anyone bully you into getting a stick if your not comfortable with it, get what you want.

kevinb120

I am die-hard about driving manuals, but the newer autos by no means feels like any sort of penalty like the old 4-speed auto in the SN-95. If I was in a city or drove in a lot of traffic I would get an auto(I commute 5 miles to work against traffic). You can tweak it with a tune and its just as fast if not faster then a manual. The S197 clutch is as easy as a focus in pressure, nothing like the old cable nightmare in the SN95. I drive my fathers 06 auto every now and then and it always impresses me how EASY it is to just drive the **** car and still fully enjoy it. In the city-and never owned a stick-why bother? auto 100%.

They drive nice when they are new on the lots, but after they are broken in they get even better.

don_w

I'm a puss...

NYNY53

Somehow I don't think that label fits Don

slipnotovk

the guys at work and my good friend talked me into my 5 speed and im so glad they did. im 24 and it was like i just got my liscense all over again. i never drove a manual transmission car before i got my mustang but i drove her home like i had YEARS of experience (granted i also have a bike 02 kawasaki vulcan). if your still on the fence, fall over to the manual side of the yard.

now one of my friends is getting a new car and because of watching me and seeing how much fun i have with mine, his is going to be a manual too. my brother too!!! he just got a 5k settlement check from sewing the city (NYPD thankyou!) and he said his will prob be a manual as well.

Mongoose

Some guys think shifting is some kind of macho thing. I have owned both and I would not go back to a manual. I enjoy drinking my coffee and diet pepsi while driving