I've heard two schools of thought on this and I am in the market to buy.. so thought I'd see what your openions are..

Is a manual quicker than an auto.. or vise versa?

I've heard the auto feels quicker... and then the exact opposite. Weigh in and tell me your opinion.

 

i've never driven a stick until my 07/06 box, and i haven't driven an auto box yet, but when i was looking into buying a box i remember reading about the stick doing better keeping up on the freeways than stick.

i'm guessing it's quicker if you're shifting the right way.

either way, i put in an INJEN RD2105 intake, and now my stick box is quicker and more powerful than before.

 

Lol...... manual v auto. Well in the case of the xa/xb the manual tranny is much quicker. Y? Because the gearing is alot shorter in the stick than on the auto, the really low gearing(higher numerical number) of the stick allows for very quick acceleration and is perfect for around town driving as well as sporty/spirited driving.....the auto is much better suited for the highway since it has a much taller gearing(lower numerical number). The auto revs between 400-500rpm lower on the highway than the stick.

I have driven an auto xa, an auto yaris, and an stick shift xa back to back and the auto xa is very slow and hunts alot to be in the right gear. The yaris has the same tranny but a different final gear ratio and feels very lively and willing to move for an automatic. The stick shift xa is just sooo much faster. I got the stick shift xa and in stock form the car is very peppy and fun to drive. And with my cai, exhaust, and lighweight rims the car just really wants to go. The manual tranny really makes use of the power the car makes.

Now I'm not putting the auto down, if ur just a laid back driver who just makes ur daily commute and does alot of highway driving than the auto will do the job just fine. Its a very nice unit......but if your thinking of doing any performance oriented driving, or a spirited driver the auto will be a big letdown. But if you really want an auto then I say get a yaris, much better setup than the xa/xb and is something I wouldn't mind living with on a daily basis.

Now comparing an auto to a manual....there's alot of variables that affect one being quicker than the other. First is the gearing....autos usualy have 1-2 gears less than most manual trannies. This is a big dissadvantage since the manual can use a shorter first gear for acceleration and a taller final gear for highway cruising while the auto can't since it needs to compromise for the lack of gears....this is becoming less of a problem with all the new 5speed autos on the market as well as other multi-geared autos. Stick shift you have more control, u can launch the car at certain rpms, keep it in a lower gear longer.....whatever you need for the situation at hand. Auto just slops around at predetermined intervals and usually I find that they tend to take a very long time to downshift and are mostly in the wrong gear at the wrong time. Now an advantage of an auto is the torque conveter which actually multiplies engine torque and makes for quicker off the line acceleration in an everyday situation than the stick. Also a properly set up performance automatic/full blown racing automatic will outperforme a stick in a drag race....they're more consistant, and don't run the risk of missing shifts........but that is not always the case as the biggest factor in a manual tranny is the driver. A damn good driver will outrun an auto but the auto is idiot proof and is mechanically or electronically controlled so there is no error in operation.

Personally.....be a man/woman and row ur own gears. They're cheaper to buy, maintain, are quicker than an auto, get better mileage, plus the cool factor of driving a stick.....and if ya ever go to europe u don't have to worry about rental cars or anything cuz you can drive a stick and all they drive there are sticks. Also if ur friends r anything like mine they can never ask to borrow ur car since they dont know how to drive a stick. And u won't have to put up with the frustration of an automatic that won't shift how u want it to. Manual tranny ftw.

 

I agree..
Manual all the way.
I asked the question to see what info I would receive.
My argument was that you loose more power thru the drivetrain in a auto than manny, but a guy I know who has one and has been into customs for a long time, says the auto is quicker than the manual... based on a comparison from driving both.

I still felt like a stick would be better, and that is why I have continued to look for a manny.. but thought I'd just through it out there and see. You all proved me right.

Thanks.