i own a MT. i didnt know how to drive manual very well when i purchased it 3 months ago. the manual is definitally worth it, just take a few days and you'll be fine with driving the manual. traffic is not that bad with it. you'll get used to it.

So you bought a car with less power, less revs, more weight, and lower resale value because you can't deal with inching your car forward with the clutch? I guess the real question is why you bought a sports car if you're always stuck in traffic anyway.

if stop-n-go traffic is an daily serious issue, an rx-8 is not the car. You should consider a CVT Nissan Versa.

true sports cars don't even have trannies.................

rootski, he's right, all the sports cars now adays barely even have the manual trannies that we do, they all have moved on.........the rx8 is still stuck here with either a manual or an auto, lets face it, mazda aint giving us a better tranny........

I'd take the bus before I decide to buy a nissan (unless its a skyline gt-r)

Maybe you would?:lol2:

True, I have a bad back that goes out on me once in a while. MT is brutal at times like that.

My vote is obviously for manual. Even for a first car. Gotta do it eventually so might as well learn now and have an amazing first car.

No. Manual is always the way to go. DSG's and SMG's heavier and disconnect the driver from the car. I'd always rather shift gears myself than flick a lever and have it done for me. I don't care if a DSG can have you in the next gear in half a millisecond, it's still not a "better" transmission in my eyes.

Excellent summation. A sports car is not a race car. Race cars are for the track, sports cars are for the road.
Part of the roadster/sportster experience is manual shifting. Knowing what gear to use for the circumstance, and when. It's a conscious decision to take an additional element of control out of the realm of instrumentality and do it yourself.

But really, this argument is kind of like "tastes great/less filling", if you know what I mean. It's OK to prefer one tranny over another, everyone has their own reasons for having what they have.

what kind of transmission do you own Jethro?

6-speed manual in the RX-8.

5-speed manual in the Explorer.

5-speed manual in the Subaru.

^^

You forgot to add: Autos are for pussies!


You're welcome..

^^Yeah, my cat has an AT in his Cougar.

LOL :lol2:

the come back i use for that when someone says that to me is. "you know what they say, you are what you eat" :rolleyes:

the new skyline GT-R only comes in AT rightt?
i was like :Eyecrazy: when i read that somewhere

^ its not really an AT, i think its a dsg or somethin, apparently, we're the only ones that value "great feel" than "faster faster" if you know what I mean, at least now I know for sure that the 8 will be around for a long time, just like the s13 and the rx7 and the supras, people that drive these cars have to love them, and the manual tranny too.....even though the new ones coming out will probably rape them (in prices also) its ok, I actually like manual tranny, as for why I got an AT? who knows? could be anything, I still didn't realize what I did until about 2-3weeks after I got the car..........

Even if i lost my legs i would still drive a 6speed power shifting like a mad man - lol i like to be able to control the car when i want just cant do that in a automatic. hell my first stick shift i couldnt drive stalled out 16 times before i got home

Someone, kill him.

stick.....if auto...........why bother?

Nice car! Sooo you're sticking with the auto?:lol2:

If you are getting an AT in a sports car because it is easier to drive in traffic, you are doing it wrong. You do not drive sports cars because they are good in traffic. You drive them because they are good on the open road.

The true beauty of this car is the way it becomes a part of you when you drive. Part of that is having control over what gear you are in. Yes the autos have the flappy paddles you can use to change gears, but it really isn't the same. The automatic gets in the way of the union between car and driver by thinking for you. I don't want my car to think it knows what gear i should be in.

Manual transmissions also discourage bad habits, such as tailgating, talking on the cell phone, eating, doing makeup, reading the newspaper. One hand on the wheel, one on the shifter, one foot on the clutch and one on the gas, keeps your mind on the road where it belongs.

It took me about 2 weeks to become competent at driving stick, most of which was learning the bite point of the clutch and developing the fine motor skills in my foot to use the bite point effectively.

However, if this is your first car ever, I wouldn't recommend a sports car. People may say the 8 is slow and even underpowered, but it has more then enough power to get you into serious trouble very quickly. Peoples first car should be a nice little honda with 90hp. It will keep you out of trouble while you learn the basics.

Buy a Manual. While some will argue that an AT makes it easier to drive in stop and go traffic, I don't see why anyone would buy an AT sports car. Even with the paddle shifters, you can't experience the thrill of 9,000 - 10,000 RPM's.

All my sport cars I've owned have been MT and I've never regretted it.

Fail.

is an rx8 good as a DD kind of car? [MT]

I just picked an auto.. I really wanted 6 spd but this is for my fiance to DD.. she can drive stick but likes uto better.. We found an auto at an wesome price so here we are... Its not near as bad as I expected and the steering wheel shifters are kinda cool

You can either get an MT and enjoy the total driving experience that the rx-8 offers or get an auto and come on here to justify why you got an AT.
Some cars are just as good if not better with their MT counterparts. Case in point is the 997 Twin Turbos or the M5. However the rx-8 is not one of those types.