I need help guys, the story is moving back to the states in Feb
Moms getting a new CX-9 and at the same time im looking to get a used RX8 from the same lot to get a good bargaining price on the car and walk out with my first car seeing we are buying both cars from the same place.

My question is, What do you think is better? Paddle Shifters or Manual Shifting?
They are basically the SAME thing but you cant double clutch obviously on Paddle Shifters. Is there any down sides to paddle shifters besides that? Or are they basically the same.

I don't care if the car i get is Manual, but seeing ive never driven manual im worried it might be to much for me to compinsate with the fact im moving back from Australia with all my driving experience with driving on left hand side. But seeing im very car savy, im not worried about learning manual as much as i could.


Thoughts? Suggestions?
Whats better? Paddle Shifting or Manual Shifting

P.s- will only have the car for 4 years, so im not looking to do SOO much work to the car besides adding on Universal Parts
ANd i love to go fast as well, will there be much of a difference between Paddle and Manual Shift??

 

Go w/ the manual transmission.
Others will agree on this too.
You're limited on rpms in an AT(6,500?) forgot. w/ the MT you get to go up to 9000rpms!
blahblahblah
just search. theres been a million threads on this already. including mine when i was a n00b

 

stop watching the fast and the furious.
seriously though, search, or you will get flamed...
if you were really "very car savy", you should already know the answer to this question.
auto 8s are just traditional slush boxes with paddles... there is a huge difference, not only between the auto and the manual, but between the two auto trannys.

universal parts? lol
and was it really necessary to underline that you like to go fast... makes you sound like you're 15 or something

 

This also is HP difference between auto and manual. Manual being more HP.

Take care,

Brian

 

Ill spoon feed it:

Manual:

238 bhp
0-60 5.8-6.5 seconds
1/4 mile- 14.5
Redline- 8500 RPMS
Pros- better power, ability to launch, higher redline of 9500 rpms

AUTO
0-60 7-8 seconds
Power- 212bhp
1/4 miles- high 15's-16's
Redlind- 7500 rpms
Pros- easier to drive, same great handling.

Cons- INABILITY TO LAUNCH which makes the car seem 'slow' especially when looking at raw numbers, lower redline which cuts power a bit.

Both auto and manual have the same great handling as long as the AT has the sport suspension and brakes and 18" rims. The MT is a far better performer in straight line performance than the AT.

Hope this helped, it was the simplist explaination I could think of

 

Paddle shifting is effectively just manually holding the automatic transmission in a particular gear. I've never understood the appeal.

Get a manual, unless you're daily in allot of bumper to bumper traffic.

 

the 8 is not a hard car to learn how to drive a stick on

 

the Rx-8 "paddle shifter" is not a formula 1 style gearbox. It's an auto with shifters on the steering wheel. It's kind of cool in a way, but it's not a true "paddle shifter" car.

 

Buy the manual unless you know what you're getting into with the ATX.
But honestly test drive both.

There are limited performance options for both. Buuuut large gain upgrades (turbo or s/c tuning) with the manual are less limited and less costly then with the auto.

If you'd still rather have an 8 without a clutch, then if you want the best performance your best bet is to get a 2006 or newer ATX.

 

Actually to extend that post a bit further. If you have your heart set on purchasing an auto 8 then you should maybe only test drive auto 8's and no manuals. lol...

 

MT!!!! ALL THE WAY!!!! so much FUN + the SHORT SHIFTER... OMFG!!!! its the best...

 

As others have said, there is no reason not to get a manual transmission, unless you physically cannot use the MT. From my experience in an Audi with DSG (The double-clutched automatic), Paddle Shifting isn't anywhere close to the same thing.

 

Basically the same in that they transmit power from the engine to the wheels by using rotating gears. Beyond that, they're completely different beasts.

This car was meant to be driven with a manual transmission. Unless you have a physical handicap preventing you from operating a clutch, or a mental handicap preventing you from moving your hands and feet at the same time, get the manual. Yes, it has a learning curve, but for that week you spend stalling the car, you will gain a lifetime of appreciation for what an MT can do for you.

Did you know that with an Automatic transmission your engine isn't physically connected to your drivetrain? Thats why you can sit in gear at a stop light and the engine won't stall.
Theres a device called a torque converter which uses what is basically a propeller to slosh transmission fluid around to spin another propeller attached to your transmission. These devices are evil. Avoid them.

 

[QUOTE=Socket7;2724275]
Theres a device called a torque converter which uses what is basically a propeller to slosh transmission fluid around to spin another propeller attached to your transmission. These devices are evil. Avoid them.[QUOTE]

This.

 

If you have the choice and ability go with the MT. Reasons are clearly covered in this thread already.

 

something tells me that is where he learnt all his "car savy"

 

Rx8's in AT is pointless.

 

lol he prob thinks you have to shift ever 5 seconds now

 

One of the things I never understood about that movie, why do they keep shifting, I mean they are going like 40 and already on the 10th gear.

 

Anybody who thinks they are car savy and doesn't know how to drive a manual is misinformed, deluded or both.

As far as the auto RX8, I know there are people who are very happy with the AT RX8 and even a few forced induction folks out there... that being said, the car is somewhat underpowered even in the MT version. The AT version is just sad. Limited redline, crappy transmission, and even less horsepower is terrible.

"ANd i love to go fast as" ...yeaaaah.

 

Because according to the first two movies, every time you shift you get a huge burst of power like a kick from behind. Who wouldn't want to keep shifting?? The only thing that even comes close to that kind of acceleration is NOS!

 

this thread is making me laugh

 

GO MANUAL! This is one of the easiest manual cars to drive, so learning won't be a problem. You will only be disappointed after a while if you buy automatic. Manuals have more power, more fun, and are faster all around because you can control where the car is in the RPM range. You will be faster because you will be able to keep the car in its power band.

Oh, and automatic is for Nancies!

 

The Manual is definatly extremely easy to learn.

Before my 8 I only drove 1 other manual truck for about 15 minutes, that was a 2005? Nissan Frontier. The RX8 Took me about 3 hours to get decent with it, since the day I bought it I went out driving for awhile hehe. But really it took about 3 hours then I did fine, for about a month an a half afterwards I had a few hiccups with the manual driving but nothing too bad. I've had it about 4 months now and i'm loving every minute of it.

Manual FTW