Kicker774

Has anyone here gone from a full stick shift (Stick and clutch pedal) to an Automatic with the AutoStick or Manual Shift option?

I went from plain auto to Stick a good year ago now it feels so weird to drive anything that's fully automatic. I feel like I have less control over what the car is doing. When I test drove the Mazdas I always used the AutoStick option to Manually select the upshift/downshift.

While the 'fun to drive' factor still wasn't as high as with a normal stick I coudl still see my self driving one as a daily commuter it woudl be an extra bonus in heavy rush hour stop and go traffic.

Has anyone else here gone from plain stick to the AutoStick featured on the Mazdas?

Just interested in peoples feedback on it and their gripes/praises/opinions etc.

Thanks!
-- Brian

Rupes

If it doesn't have a clutch it's not worth driving. :p

kraeji

dont do it.. if you think about it almost all automatics are "autostick" i can put my shitty saturn in 1, 2, 3 and Drive.. what's the point? Using the clutch is so much fun

rodmeister

I drove an MT RX-7 for 10 years. Loved it. Great fun while I was younger, until commuting from West Los Angeles to downtown beat me up everyday. I'd come home tired. The commute home was like working on a lightly set nautilus leg machine; while peak physical effort was low, repeating it a hundreds times per hour just to travel a few miles in congested traffic got to me.

I use my AT RX-8's full auto in heavy traffic, which is actually regular traffic here, and switch to autostick in the rare event of light traffic or when I'm feeling frisky, full of energy. I'd say I use full auto 80% of the time.

Autostick gives back some control of the RX-8, like downshifting before a turn, before acceleration, or maintaining high revs to stay in the power band... all impossible in full auto.

If you are young (20's, 30's), with no health issues, you should get MT, even if you live in heavy traffic areas. Have fun while you're young, you can get AT/autostick when you're old or injure yourself.

Kicker774

Yes I know the clutch is alot funner to drive, but not the most sensible thing to drive in rush hour traffic and such.

I don't plan on going this route myself anytime soon.
I'm a new Mazda Salesperson and trying to find some real life statemetns so to speak about people using the AutoStick.

Of course it would be much nicer if the dealership stocked more than 3 sticks on the lot. But that's out of my control for the time being.

No More Oldsmobiles

Kicker774, I think the biggest hurdle to going autostick is the feeling that AT is not legit. If they're willing to look at an AT, then they're already past that hurdle.

I've driven sticks before but wanted the 8 as a daily commuter, hence autostick. Autostick is handy for revving high and redlining now and then to blow out the carbon. Downshifting is annoying though, because you can't control engine braking as well as with a clutch. Maybe the biggest selling point is for couples where one doesn't drive a stick.

Kicker774

Yea I think the AutoStick is great for a daily commuter w/o loosing that feel of still having a sports car.

Just a matter of trying to convince a couple that's been driving stick to at least get into a car w/ the AutoStick see how they like it.

Sigma

Personally I don't think you'd get a lot of converts. The AutoStick is a nice feature, but only if you're considering an ATX in the first place. Almost everyone I know who regularly drives stick just uses full auto when in an automatic-equipped car.

AutoStick to me is like driving MTX in a video game. And even video games thesedays provide more feedback than an Autostick does.

And trying to get someone in an RX-8 ATX is so much harder. Mazdas are oriented towards MTX drivers anyhow, with Mazda making 4 to 6 times as many of them per model than other manufacturers. And RX-8 shoppers are even more geared towards MTXs. Couple that with the significant power difference between the ATX and MTX and you make it pretty hard to sell an ATX to someone who is looking at an MTX.

khtm

What about convincing people about the loss of 40 horses? That's a hard pill to swallow...

Kicker774

This is in a Mazda 3 actually, not an 8.
I tell everyone of the extra HP with the Manual 8

khtm

Oh ok lol...I guess I missed that part. Maybe you should post the question on a 3 forum?

Kicker774

Yea I meant in general overall, not specific to any paticular car.
That was just to mention the specific situation I came across.

Defintly wouldn't recomend the AutoStick in an 8 unless they wanted it as a daily driver and we didn't have any Manuals in stock ... and I was desperate for a sale.

I'd think fo the AutoStick best suited for something like the 6 where it's primary market is daily commuter sedan owners, not paticuallry the sport compact car enthusiasts that may be drawn to the 3 or the 8.

DreRX8

You sound like the perfect candidate for a SMG unit. They are manual transmissions without a clutch pedel essentially. I drive an auto now but plan on my next vehicle being a M/T; however a BMWesque SMG unit or Audi style DSG unit make compelling options.

Sigma

Ohhhh. For the Mazda3.

I have AutoStick in my Mazda3 (it's the wife's daily driver) and it's not bad at all -- for an automatic anyway. In fact I find it a lot more fun to throw around in the curves without worrying about the transmission. My MTX Mazda6s with it's big v6 up front plows like a pig in the corners and the stock clutch leaves a lot to be desired.

The ATX 3s is a more than capable transmission. As is the same configuration in the Mazda6i. I had a rather.... "spirited" drive with a buddy who owns a 6i ATX. Once off the line I was very surprised with what it was capable of.

But, I still don't drive AutoStick when driving the Mazda3. It's just so detached andboring.

Hey now, don't dis on the Mazda6. It's an extremely capable car for tuners. Does well over 200whp with minor bolt-ons. As they say, no replacement for displacement. Hell, I can beat an RX-8 in a straight line stock-to-stock. And it'll hold its' own in the twisties too long as they're not too sharp.