Automatic or Standard
 

I have just put a deposit down on a 2002 P5 with automatic transmission. I would like to find out what tranny any other P5 owners went with and the pros and cons for both. I think that for a compact, sportier car with a smaller engine like the P5, a standard transmission is good but I live and work in Edmonton and will spend a lot of time in rush hour traffic where an automatic transmission would also be good.

What do you all think?

5speed Manual!

if it's a new p5... it should have the sport automatic so you can still shift if you want. i prefer manual, but if auto's your thing... just get the sport automatic version. :)

Re: Automatic or Standard
 

In your situation, unless you plan on racing it in your spare time, get the Automatic tranny. 5 Speeds completely suck in traffic (trust me, I know). Yes it will be relatively slower than the 5 speed, but I am sure your not buying to race everybody/everything on the road ;)

Gotta go STICK!

im going to completely disagree with travis here (kinda new!, lol, we usually agree).... but really i dont think the manual is any more of a hassle in traffic if you are experienced with driving one....just a thing you do with out thinking...

and you know you will have by far more control over this car with the manual.... another rule i think of is that most 4 cylinder automatics suck.... the trannys never seem to do what you want. but thats just my experience. I took the auto p5 out first when i was test driving, and that just felt aweful.... i knew it was not where i wanted to be, even if i hadnt learned to drive a stick yet (i learned after i bought my car).... so i bought the stick trusting my father that i could drive it.... now i love it!

Go with the stick

STICK

yeah, go with stick :rolleyes:

just dont misshift and dont be too rough with the tranny


"break a shift fork!! ask me how!" :D

good way to put it.....

oh yes, your quote that i have in my sig fits this well!

stick. I'll point out other benefits of having a stick.
- cheaper
- will last longer against abusive driving
- cheaper to repair

if yo do go with auto get the sportmatic and have FUN driving.

Thanks for all your feedback.
I'm definitely going to get a stick.
I was leaning in that direction, but I had a lot of people pulling me in both directions. Just needed a little shove from you guys to convince me (and them). I should have it by next Tuesday...can't wait.

My last car was manual and because I sat in Toronto traffic when I bought my p5 i went auto. I am now kicking myself for it. If you know how to drive stick, stay with it. Auto is sooo boring.

Indeed. This is what people usually don't consider when they're deciding auto or manual. Even thought manual's are inherently quicker, get better gas mileage, etc., it is also much more fun. I can't remember the last time I drove an automatic car and had fun driving it. Hell, I had fun in my '86 mazda B2200 with 200k on it just because it was manual.

If you're hell-bent on getting an auto, that's cool, but you might regret it in the long run. I know I'd never trade my 5spd!!!! :D

i say go auto if you want. my (wifes) car is an auto and it is one of the best shifting autos i have ever driven. if you give it 3/4 or more throttle it will redline in each gear before shifting. i like manuals better also, but if you are lazy or just don't want to hassle with it, the auto isn't bad.

Hey man, I was in the same sitution as you. Everyone in my family drives auto, my current car is auto but I'm getting my protege next week, and guess what? it's a manual! I made the decision after my uncle taught(sp) me how to drive a stick, it's so much more fun and you get the most out of your car. I dunno why some people avoid manual tranny's as if they were a decease or something, it's not that hard.