TMaloneJr

Hello everyone. Iam purchasing a 2015 Mustang GT very soon. I need to know if i should go with a automatic or a manual...... I know manuals are fun and is the cool thing, but i do alot of traffic driving and never really had a manual car. Also which is faster and which can be modded more?

NC14GT

Everyone has an opinion on this but you are the only one to know how the GT will be used. My GT is a 5 speed manual as I enjoy shifting, and live in a rural area with many 'twisties' in the mountains. On the other hand, I rarely take the GT into Atlanta due to traffic and constant clutch use. NO FUN!! I take my Trans Am (automatic) into the cities just for that reason. If I lived in a city with lots of traffic, I would have an automatic. That's me.

TripleBlack14

I also have a manual, but I'm retired and rarely get caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic, although it does happen on occasion. Nothing is more tedious and tiring than driving a stick in rush hour traffic twice a day, every day.

As far as faster, the question should be which is quicker. If stop light drags or the strip are your thing, an automatic is the way to go. Otherwise there's not a whole lot of significant difference in everyday driving situations.

But there is a major coolness factor with 3 pedals.

tony2014mustang

I love my '15 GT automatic; the paddle shifters still let you have some fun!!

TMaloneJr

Do you have any mods ?

Joeywhat

I like my manual, and I don't mind driving in stop and go with it.

I can't wait until I replace the flywheel, however. Possibly the clutch as well since I hate the clutch feel on these cars.

laserred38

You mean lack of clutch feel? Lol

tony2014mustang

Magnaflow catback exhaust (love it) and I put on the 19" performance pack wheels and tires - couldn't be happier!

TMaloneJr

Sounds amazing. Does that exhaust have that rumble sound ? How much was it ?

Cavero

How bad of traffic driving? Like inching along for most of the drive? Or hitting pockets of high traffic along the way?

I'm the latter - and have no problems driving the manual. In fact, I love it. My DD is a manual Focus, my wife has a MazdaSpeed3 (only comes in manual). Rarely do we ever find it less convenient than an auto. It's pretty much second nature.

But I've also been in cases where I've been inching along for 45 min, an hour. It SUCKS. I'm in the DC area, and Wednesday night when we got that dusting that crippled the area -- it was actually because a layer of ice formed under the light powdery snow. I'm originally from central NY, so I know snow, and let me tell you those roads were SLICK. I was trying to get home for about 4 hours in the Mazda, and there were many starts, hills, etc that I was able to make it up because I could feather the clutch and get just the right amount of power to the ground.

On the other hand, even though it has a MUCH lighter clutch than the Mustang, my foot was uncontrollably convulsing by the end of it, and you could smell clutch pretty bad. I was miserable. If I had to sit in that kind of traffic every night of the week, I would (a) never buy a manual, and (b) probably put myself out of my misery, or (c) move out of that area.

tukatz

I have a '14 V6 Automatic and have never regretted that choice. I can shift it when I want (e.g. during autocross) but I don't HAVE to shift it if I don't want to. I replaced a Honda S2000 with my Mustang. I loved to drive the S but it got tedious in traffic.

TMaloneJr

Well the highways around here are pretty uncluttered but we also have the ones that are iching along every few minutes. I also commute to school and to other events where traffic is pretty bad. I think the automatic would be best but all my friends have manuals, and its the "cool" thing. I know driving a manual is way cooler and much more fun.

SpectreH

Purchase what you really want. If you want an auto, get it and don't worry about being "cool". If you want a stick, get that. It's a great car either way.

NC14GT

^^^ Can't emphasize that enough. Agree 100%

Mustang Freak

You get what YOU want! But automatics are for pussies...!

tukatz

Get the auto and meet Mustang Freak at the drag strip. Then you can tell him he's been blown off by a *****.

Cavero

Test drive them both and see if you can live with the manual, or still have enough fun on the auto.

I've driven my buddy's '12 5.0 auto before, and despite it being custom tuned with more aggressive shifts, it still feels comparatively slow and sluggish to my pitiful 4.6L in my '06 manual, despite the 100HP advantage. Sure, you whomp on the pedal and the '12 throws your head back into the seat and keeps it there, but thats the only time it feels faster. Every other time, you touch the gas pedal you're just waiting for the slushbox to do something. With the manual, it responds immediately.

That all said, Ford's had a few years to recalibrate the auto transmission, and it's all personal preference anyway.

Check out this article from Car and Driver. They seem to like the auto just fine, although they point out its more of a cruiser. It sounds like if you want handling, you should opt for a track-pack car, or go aftermarket.

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...ic-test-review

SpectreH

My '13 5.0 auto has never felt sluggish, even before the supercharger.

sid719e

Must be the lack of a roof. Mine is definitely not sluggish either.

Cavero

It's a coupe, but it could just be his car.