I realize that but Im just stating that the inability to launch is probably 70 % of the problem

 

By "iganant" I mean stuff posted like this...and yes this website is full of them

 

AT pros/MT cons
traffic
AT cons/MT pros
launch
gear ratios
redline

enough said, you choose...
this whole AT vs MT is getting so old...

 

I don't know why people hate on ATs so much. When i first test drove an RX-8 I drove a 2008 6spd MT Sport (they didn't have a AT version in my town at the time). I had drove MTs before, but I was still new to it all. I stalled that Mazda so much I could only drive a little distance till I messed up so much that my dad test drove it for me.

I wanted the 8 since it first came out (even though I didn't get to have a great first experience with it) so I still got a 2008 RX-8 in Phoenix, but with an AT with a Semi-Manual option (It was a 40th Aniversity Edition =DDD)

I got that mainly for when I started to drive for college and I'm very happy that I got an automatic. When your in that morning traffic jam late for your exam, that last thing you want to worry about is shifting correctly. Lets be realistic here, not EVERYONE plans to race their 8, AT 8's are for those who don't have racing always as their "Top Priority," but want the style and appeal of an 8. Either an MT or AT RX-8, your STILL going to get the girls checking out your Mazda and the dudes envying you for having there girls fixed on your car than their POS. (I have yet to meet a girl that said they liked my car better if it was an MT) People will still appreciate your car no matter what.

Overall, I say don't hate on AT's or StyleRide for asking the question and he being "car savy." We all aren't born with this knowledge so don't be snobbish and act like you know it all by hating on others that are ignorrant about this topic (I'll be the first to admit that I am very ignorrant about my Mazda) because quite frankly we all are ignorrant. Just in different things than others.

MTs=Awesome
ATs=Pretty Awesome as well

 

4 month bump
i think it was better dead, there are enough of these auto vs manual threads

fact is there are people who like both
the end. let me kill the thread again please!

 

no ...

 

pleasseee?

 

nooooo, happy saint patricks day everyone. by the way, r-magic races a silver automatic.

 

WAIT WAIT wait guys :P we've been talking about Automatics and Manuals.

but this thread is talking about PADDLE SHIFTING specifically against Manuals.

There is a difference, but I'm interested because in my 40th it can go manual but it doesn't have a clutch.

So is there really a big performance difference between 8's using paddle shifters against manual?

I don't know much because I haven't tried racing my 8 yet :P or know much about cars. Can someone please explain?! is the launch still going to kill my semi-manual 8 in a race against a manual 8??

 

lol omg

 

I never understood the "stick shift is SOOOOO HARD" mentality that seems to be wildly popular, at least among Americans. I've been stuck in traffic with an MT car a ton of times, and it took me two seconds to learn that I don't need to be riding the clutch the entire time I'm sitting there. I don't need to keep creeping forward inches at a time with all the automatics. Further, I don't even need to use the throttle if I just need to move the 7 feet ahead with traffic, that can be handled with a quick half-pop of the clutch and letting the car roll. In daily driving without traffic, shifting doesn't even occupy my mind - it's completely muscle memory. I can understand that some people need their cars to run smooth since they're ferrying people all over the place (realtors), but I think the "it's too hard" is a poor excuse - it's hard for about a day when you're first learning, then it's simple.

Oh and automatic paddle shifter downshifts make me lol - they fuss around for about 20 seconds before executing the shift (which feels like dropping the entire rack of weights at the gym). I never understood why they can't make them faster, they can do it for the dual-clutch boxes. I imagine it has something to do with the way torque converters work.

 

i just bought my 8 two weeks ago.. and i've had experience driving manual since 15 years old.. i must say the 8 is really easy to drive ( you wont stall if thats your problem) but you have to be easy on the clutch .. the cars agile .. so it may jerk from 1 up till like 3

 

You've missed the point.

You don't have a "semi-manual". You have an AUTOMATIC with another way of shifting it into gear, instead of using the stick to lock into a gear, the paddle shifters will do it. But it is NOT a manual, or anything close to it. It's an AUTOMATIC transmission, hence the reason people have discussed Auto vs. Manual.

Plain and simple, your paddle-shifting automatic will get out-accelerated by any manual RX-8, because of 1) your engine is RESTRICTED because the AUTOMATIC transmission can't handle the higher horsepower (your engine won't rev as high because it will damage the transmission), and 2) gear ratios are better in a manual.

So whether you use the PADDLE SHIFT levers, or the stick lever to go from 1-2-3-4, or just leave it in AUTO "mode", doesn't really matter; at the end of the day, you have an AUTOMATIC transmission, and yes, it will be SIGNIFICANTLY slower than the MANUAL transmission version of the car.

 

I think a little more research on your part is needed.

 

I have been driving manual only cars for the past 8 years. Once you get it down, driving in traffic is easy as hell. Hearing complaints about "oh well manual is such a pain in traffic compared to auto.." Ya, wow, if anything auto is harder for me because, when I rarely drive one, sometimes i accidentally slam my left foot on the brake coming up to a stop, which makes me look like a moron. haha.


The problem with the 8 is that the transmission is not as direct with the auto. Shifting gears, no matter how many mods you do, won''t be as good as it can be with MT. With Mt, as long as you are competent, you can make all the decisions regarding shifting, and that puts you in control and gives you instant feedback/direct connection to drivetrain.

 

I agree with Easy E1, a bit more reseach is needed, but it was very helpful though. I just know that when I paddle shift instead of leaving it in auto, my car feels less restricted =P

 

hey my 8 makes a weird sound when entering first .. it sounds actually kinda cool lol but idn its liek its dropping into first .. i dont think its a problem .. i have a 6spd .. any1 have same?

 

its called a 370z.

manual is being pro by yourself.
automatic is like being pro like a noob.
370 is so pro with cheats.

 

I guess if I beat an MT with my automatic then they should be so disgraced


that they should just bend over next time cuz they just got spanked!!!!

 

it just means they're not pro at shifting and you're pro at steering and keeping that foot steady to the floor

 

Lol i completely forgot about posting this XD

I got a manual now hahaha

Autos so **** LOL

 

you just have to think of your situation.
-do you really care about the extra power?
-can you see yourself living with a manual or an auto?
-if price in issue also think about that.

both models are nice i had a 6 speed model and i liked the hole 9k rpm and the 6mt but after a while it was just turning into my car by that i mean i drove it from point to point a lot
living in Los Angeles having to give it more then a little bit of gas to get it to go during traffic because of the low torque and the bumper to bumper on the 101 started to get to me it didn't bother me so much once i did a short canyon run hehe but then i would be doing the same thing every week it got to the point that i started to drive my gf car (auto) the 8 still got love with some autox and canyons but as for me i could still do all that in an auto no prob unless i ever planned to get serious in racing i could have lived with an auto 8 just as good as my mt 8 so think about your options also a lot of this people telling you that the auto 8 is slow not sure how they got there info i seen plenty of auto 8 have fun and keep up most manual drivers dont down shift at a pro level they make mistakes and cant heel-toe properly and often dont know or wont admit that they got passed by an automatic having to heel-toe takes skill and not to mention u cant be a new to it or you will hurt your Mt more then you think i did take a drive in auto 8 the other day just for kicks and the paddle shift do not take for ever to shift like people lie and say it takes for ever it takes less then a sec for it to happen well hope this helps a little sorry for the long post with no spell checks using my phone I hate my samsung instinct lol as for my 8 its gone i do miss it but a suby came a long for the right price i am how ever looking at new auto 8 or the 370 both nice but one is a 2 seater hmmm lol

 

pretty sure phones can use them -_-

 

yeah pretty sure i would not waste my time clicking on options just to fix it for you u guys.

 

cant believe this is alive. Congrats to you styleride for taking MT over AT.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUhLj...eature=related

That AT isnt that slow.