Auto or 5 Speed

in the 05 and up both auto and manual are 5 speed.

to me the main reason i have an auto is i live in a city. so anywhere i go is crazy stop and go. the only problem with the auto is the hesitation. an sct tuner gets rid of most of that.

to me a manual has more maintenance. say you burn a clutch or what not thats a pricey thing to replace. the manual car i had needed a clutch and flywheel. cost over 1000 to get fixed.

In the auto there is a bit of hesitation when giving it gas some times. I think people here have said Ford refers to it as torque management. It can be kind of annoying, but it is disabled in most of the tunes you can get. I believe the people with autos that have done that are very happy (I haven't yet, but I plan to)

When I was shopping for mine, I drove the manual around the block and that was more than enough for me.

dodi said:

I hope this topic hasn't been beaten to death....I just joined the forum and have decided to buy a 2005 or newer v6 coupe or convertible. I live in the Northwest near Seattle where it rains a lot but summers are beautiful. I have owned sport cars,sedans and suv's in the past.Some auto , some stick. I am 52 years old and commute to work about 30 minutes of stop and go traffic....no freeway. I have 5 years of commuting left before I can retire. I know that a 5 speed can be more fun, lower purchase price, and more control of power and probably less maintenance. Also in traffic an auto is certainly easier and more relaxing. My wife's truck is an auto nissan xterra so buying a stick would give us one of each. Any opinions or thoughts from 5 speed owners and auto owner's to help me make up my mind. Not to be too much trouble while you are at it any comments re convertible purchase . Thanks in advance for your replies.

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Seattle traffic ? Worse than Portland's. I have a manual, but just because I wanted the car and didn't really care either way which trans I got.

When the very first Mustangs were reviewed, the auto trans was a tick quicker to 60 than the manuals. Not that I care about that, but maybe some would. I like to shift for myself, but man it gets to be a drag in traffic. The V6 is pretty torquey so it's not a real chore with a clutch. Either way you'll be happy, it's a nice car to be in. I'm your age, if that makes any difference. My wife and I trade off cars, we also have a automatic sport ute. Go for the car you like the best as far as color and options. Then drive it with whatever tranny it has.

I love a manual but at 55 with arthritis and other problems I had to go an automatic. It's still fun.

ditto what stan said I had a 2002 gt with five speed and loved it but my knees just wont take the pounding anymore.

Ford T-lok

No matter which one you choose ...... get a 'posi' rear end installed.

the improvement in handling and confidence is instantaneous and sustained.

i can attest to the tune helping alot. on my v6 auto. i have duals, intake, and tune. for a t-lok and gear just not installed yet. doing that when tax return comes in. anyways. with the tune u can choose 3 differant tunes. one of the tunes i have is a race tune. i get on the higway hit the gas. and you feel the shift like it was a manual. also i have chirped 2nd and 3rd with that tune.

Man, I gotta get that done.

Ken04 said:

Seattle traffic ? Worse than Portland's. I have a manual, but just because I wanted the car and didn't really care either way which trans I got.

When the very first Mustangs were reviewed, the auto trans was a tick quicker to 60 than the manuals. Not that I care about that, but maybe some would. I like to shift for myself, but man it gets to be a drag in traffic. The V6 is pretty torquey so it's not a real chore with a clutch. Either way you'll be happy, it's a nice car to be in. I'm your age, if that makes any difference. My wife and I trade off cars, we also have a automatic sport ute. Go for the car you like the best as far as color and options. Then drive it with whatever tranny it has.

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WHAT???????????????

I don't know what's in your coffee over there.

Car and Driver V6 MANUAL 0--60 6.4 seconds

automatic tranny .5 seconds SLOWER at 6.9 seconds

stock HP to the wheels

manny around 180-185

auto around 165-170

please don't say CAI/tune closes the gap because put one into the manny and the gap is still there

I must correct myself

0-60 manual tranny 6.5 seconds

0-60 automatic tranny 6.9 seconds

Car and Driver reporting and that would be about right with the difference in power and the way the stock auto shifts.

Either choice, you have a Mustang which is a good thing but it's good to begin with actual facts

If you drive in stop and go regularly may want to think twice about a stick....the clutch is light but the shift is not the easiest especially 2nd and 3rd.

I like the stick myself since it's a weekend driver/2nd car. Both are fast enough for me, I rented a v6/auto last summer for work and you can definitely chirp the tires with it!

torque_is_good said:

WHAT???????????????

I don't know what's in your coffee over there.

Car and Driver V6 MANUAL 0--60 6.4 seconds

automatic tranny .5 seconds SLOWER at 6.9 seconds

stock HP to the wheels

manny around 180-185

auto around 165-170

please don't say CAI/tune closes the gap because put one into the manny and the gap is still there

Click to expand...

didn't say V6, said Mustang. And this was very, very early in the 2005 Mustang's premier. Before the actual Mustang models were for sale. I was reading about the new Mustang, and 1 of the mags had a brief road test w/both tranny's. They were extolling the smoothness and virtues of the new 5 spd auto.

I'm 45 and last year I was having some problems and wished I had an auto then, somebody said it wasn't cheap for a clutch, well it is cheaper than an auto rebuild.
My next car may have an auto cause I have only heard good things about these autos.

like its been said, if you're going to be driving in 30 minutes of stop and go traffic everyday, auto would be much less of a headache, unless you want to stay awake while driving. But also, i decided on getting a stick because every once in a while it just feels great to be in total control.

If you're looking for comfort, go with the auto, otherwise, stick is the way to go.

I purchased the car with manual because I wanted to shift the gears! I live 4 miles from work so driving in stop 'n go traffic is not an issue unless I have to go down town (Phoenix) then it can be a pain. The drive train is noisy. There are threads posting about that you can read about. The car was cheaper to purchase with the manual tranny and that was another reason I got it. I have had auto's for the last 20 years and missed the days when I drove my Porsche 911's in my youth. I wanted a inexpensive NEW sports car and having one with an auto was just not sporty enough for me.

As far as having a convertible, it came down to two reasons; never had one and I don't like the looks of the fastback design. I have a friend who is a big Ford fan and has several vintage stangs and cougars and always complements how tight the top fits. It is like having a hard top when it comes to wind leaks. I have had none in the 9-months I've owned the car. You do notice some road noise that comes from the rear sides expecially as you pass trucks on the freeway. Just odd hearing it come from that area because if your use to hardtops its a new place from where it comes. Nothing bad.

I'm still trying to get use to the live rear axle and the hop going around corners hard, not use to that after driving Volvo's for years with independent suspensions. Also notice some shake on rough roads. That maybe also a convertible thing some of which can be taken away with mods. None of this is a problem for me as long as I drive the car like the old fart that I am (56) and stop acting like 25 and in my 911. Just understand the limitations and capabilities of the car. It is a blast to own and have not regretted it one bit. I love it and it's RED!!!!

It just depends on whos drivin how long it takes to get to 60mph