Manual v Automatic question...

jetsaholic · Sep 28, 2004

I'm planning to get the V6 deluxe stang hopefully by December.

I noticed the car comes standard in manual and it costs nearly an extra grand to have it in automatic. My question is, if your not a particularly good manual driver, would it wear down the engine sooner than an automatic? If so, by how many years? Also, does it make insurance cheaper by going with the auto?

I'm 19, so my insurance is probably gonna be gazillions of dollars.

66Satellite · Sep 28, 2004

jetsaholic said:
I'm planning to get the V6 deluxe stang hopefully by December.

I noticed the car comes standard in manual and it costs nearly an extra grand to have it in automatic. My question is, if your not a particularly good manual driver, would it wear down the engine sooner than an automatic? If so, by how many years? Also, does it make insurance cheaper by going with the auto?

I'm 19, so my insurance is probably gonna be gazillions of dollars.

Your only real risk is burning out your clutch faster, but I'm sure you'll learn quick. No difference in insurance that I know of. I think the 5 speed would be the way to go with the V6.

Matt Gruber · Sep 29, 2004

1st find out if the warranty covers the clutch.
if not, check the price of a clutch job.
compare to the cost of the auto., it is a 5 speed too!

scottie1113 · Sep 29, 2004

I've been a licensed driver since 1964 and my insurance companies have never asked about the type of transmission my car had. Just to be safe, call your insurance company, or the one your parents use, and ask them. I think you'll find no difference.

Don't worry about not being a good stick driver. We all had to start somewhere, and most of us got better in a short period of time. Unless you really abuse it, your clutch will last a long time. I had a 1977 BMW 320i that I got rid of after 350,000 miles in 1994. It had the original clutch. My 1984 Alfa Spider, my next car was good for 160,000 but since I bought the car very used I don't know what kind of abuse it suffered before I got it. I got rid of in 2002 when I bought my Mustang with an AODE, my first auto.

I didn't buy it because I was worried about clutch life but becuase of heavy Southern California traffic where I lived at the time. Under ideal conditions, sticks are more fun, but 90% of all cars sold in the US today come with autos because of practicality, and yes, driver ineptness. I doubt that I'll ever have another daily driver with a stick. A 5 speed manumatic would be my first choice if available. More and more cars offer that today and to me it's the best of all worlds.

Learn to drive a stick. You'll never regret it.

jetsaholic · Sep 29, 2004

Thanks for the info, guys.

My biggest concern was wearing down the engine, but so far none of you repliers mentioned that as a problem. So thats good news for me. I'm fairly confident i can learn to drive stick better in time, but i just didn't want to do it at the expense of killing the engine.

I live in New Jersey, and there is a fair amount of traffic in my area. My friend (although not the best stick driver either) tells me that its annoying to use in traffic and up hills and whatnot.

peyotesands · Sep 29, 2004

jetsaholic said:
Thanks for the info, guys.

My biggest concern was wearing down the engine, but so far none of you repliers mentioned that as a problem. So thats good news for me. I'm fairly confident i can learn to drive stick better in time, but i just didn't want to do it at the expense of killing the engine.

I live in New Jersey, and there is a fair amount of traffic in my area. My friend (although not the best stick driver either) tells me that its annoying to use in traffic and up hills and whatnot.

engine wear is less with a manual transmission...

jetsaholic · Sep 29, 2004

peyotesands said:
engine wear is less with a manual transmission...

Awesome! Why is that?

willy_sc5.0 · Sep 29, 2004

Get some to teach you to drive stick before getting the stang. That way you don't have to worry about all these things.

rich8566 · Sep 29, 2004

Leaning to drive a manual with this car will be simple. The engine produces so much torque that all you need to do to get moving on a level surface is slowly release the clutch with the engine at idle. The car will move forward and will not stall even though you are not giving it any gas. Once you have let out the clutch, now, give it a little gas and rev to maybe 3000 RPM, then push in the clutch and shift into second gear.. and so on..

From that point on, it's easy!

OSU05stangfan · Sep 30, 2004

jetsaholic said:
I'm planning to get the V6 deluxe stang hopefully by December.

I noticed the car comes standard in manual and it costs nearly an extra grand to have it in automatic. My question is, if your not a particularly good manual driver, would it wear down the engine sooner than an automatic? If so, by how many years? Also, does it make insurance cheaper by going with the auto?

I'm 19, so my insurance is probably gonna be gazillions of dollars.

If you decide to get the V6 with manual transmission, dont count on getting it in by december, first day of production for that combo is 11/29/04. I am also 19 and surprisingly the mustang hardly affected my insurance at all. Only went up about $100 for a 6month period, and i have an explorer

jetsaholic · Sep 30, 2004

OSU05stangfan said:
If you decide to get the V6 with manual transmission, dont count on getting it in by december, first day of production for that combo is 11/29/04. I am also 19 and surprisingly the mustang hardly affected my insurance at all. Only went up about $100 for a 6month period, and i have an explorer

Ugh, 11/29? That sucks! I thought i saw somewhere on the site that said Mustang should be in all lots by mid Nov. I was really crossing my fingers to buy myself a Mustang for Christmas.

Insurance in New Jersey is pretty crazy. To get anything at a decent price around here, you have to make a deal with the frickin' devil.

OSU05stangfan · Sep 30, 2004

all dealers are supposed to have mustangs on the lot by mid november(I think). But, the V6 with manual transmission was delayed due to a sensor problem or somethin, so the start of production for the v6 manual was pushed back til 11/29...or at least that's what i've heard from my dealer and brad's site. And on my dora, it just says Hold til 4th Qtr.

storm_sentinel · Sep 30, 2004

noob question, but would a manual v6 have more horsepower than an automatic v6?

Smitty · Oct 1, 2004

the ENGINE is what creates horsepower, not the transmission. So there is no difference (boy thats a newbie/jafo question lol)
I switched my 7up LX convertible to 5 spd & will never go back. They are more fun & make the car faster actually because the auto trans eats up about 15-20 HP due to the torque converter & other components. Plus its really easy to smoke em in 1st & bark the tires in 2nd with a stick, even with a V6. Just don't tell your parents that lol. It makes the car seem more powerful cuz the 5 spd frees up more available HP. Good luck.

MrMorden · Oct 1, 2004

Smitty said:
the ENGINE is what creates horsepower, not the transmission. So there is no difference (boy thats a newbie/jafo question lol)
I switched my 7up LX convertible to 5 spd & will never go back. They are more fun & make the car faster actually because the auto trans eats up about 15-20 HP due to the torque converter & other components. Plus its really easy to smoke em in 1st & bark the tires in 2nd with a stick, even with a V6. Just don't tell your parents that lol. It makes the car seem more powerful cuz the 5 spd frees up more available HP. Good luck.

So the answer is YES in practical terms. A manual transmission eats about 15% of engine power in frictional losses, where an auto eats around 20%. Not a huge difference, but every rwhp counts.

04ShadowGT · Oct 1, 2004

You might need VINs to get your quotes... depending on your company.

SWortham · Oct 1, 2004

I bought a Mustang with a manual tranny before I knew how to drive it. As soon as I bought it I had a couple lessons from my older brother and from my Dad. On the 2nd night I drove it by myself, and it was a blast. It's so much more enjoyable to drive a stick and just to have complete control of your shift points.

Here's how I see it. With a manual you get all these advantages:
- more fun
- lower initial cost
- lower repair cost:
On the downside, the clutch will eventually have to be replaced. But going by Ford's running record for Automatic transmissions, the Automatic tranny would have to be replaced or rebuilt at some point as well and I guarantee you that'll cost A LOT more.
- better gas mileage
- better performance (less drivetrain loss with a manual & more control over shift points & launches)

That pretty much sums it up. I'd never get an Automatic Mustang. Oh... by the way I had to sell my Mustang a couple years ago. And guess what -- I bought another car with a stickshift.

Manual v Automatic question...

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