I had to buy a stick because it was available and had all of the other options I wanted. The car I ordered (which got turned into an '06) was going to be an automatic.
The thing is the performance of the stick is basically the same as the automatic because the auto in these cars is a 5-speed. Yeah I could make the argument if it was a 4-speed auto vs. a 6-speed stick. But I don't know if the old age argument holds here. Don't I basically have to shift perfect to get the same performance as just gasing an auto.
But the thing is I don't shift perfect. I don't know how to launch the car perfect everytime. I find myself focusing on shifting instead of the road and driving the car. When I need to gun it in a hurry it feels that I have to put pre-thought into what gear I need at what speed. I have to move the gear into the right place before I can start gunning it. That hesitation costs me sometimes when I need to make a move.
In stop light racing I can't always launch from reved RPMs. You don't know the exact moment to rev it up and drop because the light has no yellow light (drag tree). So it turns green is it better to then rev and dump. Or just shift in and go. Cauz the other guy will be gunning it the second it greens. Now if you can watch the yellow of another light or know the light, you can anticipate, but not always.
I used to own a A4 Z28 and I beat people in sticks all the time due to bad shifting. Even Z28's that were M6 of the same car I beat. Even the magazine guys are probably not perfect everytime. They get to launch the car over and over in a controlled condition.
Then again, the stick can be fun. Maybe it is just my I don't want to get beat or not overpower someone taking over.
Thoughts???
The thing is the performance of the stick is basically the same as the automatic because the auto in these cars is a 5-speed. Yeah I could make the argument if it was a 4-speed auto vs. a 6-speed stick. But I don't know if the old age argument holds here. Don't I basically have to shift perfect to get the same performance as just gasing an auto.
But the thing is I don't shift perfect. I don't know how to launch the car perfect everytime. I find myself focusing on shifting instead of the road and driving the car. When I need to gun it in a hurry it feels that I have to put pre-thought into what gear I need at what speed. I have to move the gear into the right place before I can start gunning it. That hesitation costs me sometimes when I need to make a move.
In stop light racing I can't always launch from reved RPMs. You don't know the exact moment to rev it up and drop because the light has no yellow light (drag tree). So it turns green is it better to then rev and dump. Or just shift in and go. Cauz the other guy will be gunning it the second it greens. Now if you can watch the yellow of another light or know the light, you can anticipate, but not always.
I used to own a A4 Z28 and I beat people in sticks all the time due to bad shifting. Even Z28's that were M6 of the same car I beat. Even the magazine guys are probably not perfect everytime. They get to launch the car over and over in a controlled condition.
Then again, the stick can be fun. Maybe it is just my I don't want to get beat or not overpower someone taking over.
Thoughts???