Manual or Automatic - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

P1no12 · 03-22-2005, 01:44 PM

Wasshup Everyone.. I'm planning on buying a tC this year and deciding wheather to get Manual or Automatic. First of all, I live in New York City and traffic is a daily occurance over here. I was wondering if anyone have trouble driving in traffic with a manual.

JnL · 03-22-2005, 03:12 PM

It really depends on you. If you are an excellent driver on manual and love shifting every time, then get the manual for your tC. If you go through a lot of traffic every day and get really pissed off when you have to shift every 10 seconds, I recommend you get the automatic. Automatic and Manual drive well on the tC. It's your decision if you like to shift so much in traffic.

fufu · 03-23-2005, 01:39 AM

I live in Seattle. No one I know drives a stick. With congested traffic conditions, Seattle isn't flat like New York and we don't have the luxury of a subway system. Automatic is Seattle's priority choice for daily driving.

tCpez · 03-24-2005, 02:47 PM

automatic makes the ride feel more luxury

manual is a pain the the arse, especially when you're trying to talk on the cellie or smoke a cigarette and shift at the same time...

JSVH · 03-24-2005, 08:01 PM

Manual Advantages:
-More Power (less drive train loss)
-Faster (shift closer to the optimal time, not when the auto wants to)
-Cheaper to buy
-Cheaper to repair
-Better gas mileage
-More fun to drive
-More Control of the car

Automatic Advantages:
-Can be lazy
-"Ride feels more luxury"

91MR2quickNA · 03-24-2005, 08:15 PM

The ride in the automatic is NOT luxurious. When you're under 20mph and you step on the gas, the computer harshly downshifts into 1st gear, lunging you and everyone else in the car forward.

If that's what you mean by luxury, I think you guys are mistaken.

Contrary to popular belief, the manual DOES NOT get better gas mileage. The differential gear ratio is much shorter for quicker acceleration and higher revs on the freeway and that translates into less MPG.

I think 80mph in the manual is about 3500rpm vs. the automatic's 3000-3100rpm.

xrs22 · 03-24-2005, 08:27 PM

hell i can eat, drink and drive at the same time and get an occasional hummer too. I've only had 1 automatic and it wasn't really that great. It depends on the enviroment that your living in a lot of hills and such compared to flatness.

fufu · 03-26-2005, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSVH

Manual Advantages:
-More Power (less drive train loss)
-Faster (shift closer to the optimal time, not when the auto wants to)
-Cheaper to buy
-Cheaper to repair
-Better gas mileage
-More fun to drive
-More Control of the car

Automatic Advantages:
-Can be lazy
-"Ride feels more luxury"

In a std. car that would be true, but the tC AT gets better gas mileage than the MT. Only argument you have is cheaper to buy... $600 and that's it!

***silver04rollas*** · 03-26-2005, 03:29 PM

If you want to have tons of fun while driving your car, seek tons of adrenaline rush while driving and be involved in the control of the car then get the manual. If you like to sit back and relax, enjoy the scenery outside while having to do minimum effort more or less like sitting in a TV lounge then get the auto.

p.s you can see I am an ex-auto transmission owner and I would never go back to an auto unless I have a 2nd stick shift car that I can enjoy from time to time.

WhiteRabbit · 03-26-2005, 06:26 PM

definitely get the manual, youll thank yourself later.

i so wish my car was a friggin manual, would do a swap, but whats the point??? ill just buy a manual when the time comes.

JSVH · 03-28-2005, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fufu

In a std. car that would be true, but the tC AT gets better gas mileage than the MT. Only argument you have is cheaper to buy... $600 and that's it!

The only reason the MT tC gets a 1 mpg less on the highway is because the MT tC is geared significantly more aggressive then the AT. The tCs 5th gear is shorter then the 5th gear on some 6-speeds. Basically it does not have an over-drive. This results in the MT being that much faster then the AT. If both the AT and MT had about the same gearing the MT would be more fuel efficient because MT are inherently more efficient.

But regardless of the MT being a negligible 1mpg worse on the interstate, it is still $800 cheaper to buy, cheaper to repair, faster, more efficient, more fun to drive, and gives you more control of the car. The AT still only offers the ability to eat a Big Mac, talk on the cell phone, and doze off while on your commute.

Ofcourse if you are still worried about how much that 1mpg difference will cost you with these rising gas prices consider this. The MT will only eat an extra gallon about every thousand miles. With the $800 you saved you can cover that extra gas cost for the first 320,000 at $2.50/gal. After that you may have to cut back on Big Macs to cover the gas costs.

91MR2quickNA · 03-29-2005, 11:22 PM

1mpg difference at 55mph on the freeway. I doubt the tC 5-spd can manage 29mpg at 80mph nor can the auto manage 30mpg at 80mph. We had an auto tC and the gas mileage was pretty much the same as my 91 MR2 5-spd which isn't that great. 25mpg combined ... or 20mpg combined if you have a lead foot.

Drive like grandma and you might get the figures on the sticker.

JSVH · 03-29-2005, 11:47 PM

I have averaged 31 mpg on a tank before doing 80 on the interstate; I usually get at least 29 on any freeway tank.
The EPA mileage estimates are usually not very accurate and very from car to car.