hey guys, do you think I can get some opinions on which I should get? what are the pro's and cons of each? Thanks.

 

I chose the auto.

Here in So. Cal, you are either doing 10mph or 80! The auto moves really well and you do not have to keep clutching and rowing it through rush hour grid lock. I'm sure that others have a differing opinion and different reasons for getting the manual shift. Also, the auto makes for a better cruiser, imho, because it revs a lot less @ freeway speeds. In fact, I am doing 85 @3500 rpm compared to 70 on a manual. 70 mph is only 3000 rpm on the auto. It will easily run 80~85 all day. A lot less noise and slightly better mpg.

Try both and you decide. Either way, you will love the box. A $hitload of fun to drive!

Just my $.02

 

I love manual transmissions. It breaks the monotony of just sitting in the seat moving your foot. It makes you part of the tC driving experience. It is a lot more fun and feels very sporty when you get to choose what gear you are in. I won't go back to an auto until my knees are so bad with arthritis that I can't work the clutch anymore. Go manual!

 

which has more pick-up speed? Im not a top speed kinda guy, but I like jumping the gun, and my mazda truck is 5 speed and that damn thing has no pick up on it whatso ever lol.

 

the auto xb has no pic up what so ever un modded so if your lookin for the get up the manny is you choice

 

Well im planning on getting a new exhaust and a CAI, will that give it more go?

 

Manual

Pro: Quicker off the line. $900 cheaper to buy. Likely cheaper to fix if it breaks. You can customize the shifter ****.

Con: Noisier at highway speeds due to higher rpm. More fatiguing and annoying in stop-and-go traffic. Could reduce resale value of car or make it harder to sell. Requires more period adjustment.

Automatic

Pro: Quieter at highway speeds. Potentially better fuel efficiency (due lower rpm at highway speed). Will work better with cruise control (cc can shift gears). Easier to sell a used car with AT. "Smart" transmission learns your driving style and shifts as efficiently as possible. Less hassle in city traffic. Requires little routine maintenance (check the fluid).

Con: Costs $900. Weighs 50 pounds. Slower off the line. Shift lever is bulkier and hard to customize. Repairs likely to be expensive.

We bought ours as aa second car for around-town commuter/errand use. We're very happy with the AT.

RichC

 

Main things....

1. "Neither'' is a fast car, but both are fun (I know, because I have many miles of experience with "both")(It pays to have fellow XB friends with manual and auto's and have road-tripped in both types many times)
2. The manual can have synchro problems and can be hard to shift when cold for various reasons and there are documented clutch problems,,,but it is fun as he.. to shift it when it is 'right on'. On the automatic you have to let it warm up before it shifts into 3rd gear and overdrive,,,not good if you are in a rush...but it is a 'great' easy, smooth driver.
3. The manual revs more at highway speeds which equals "sporty",,,the automatic is more relaxed which equals "cruiser".
4. In the manual, you control when to change gears. In the automatic the computer controls you.
5. But again''',,,,,Both are fun, they really are and it all depends on what kind of traffic you drive in most and what you are going to prefer to do over the next many years.

When I pay off my ThunderCloud Auto in a few years, I am going to go right out and buy a used 05' or early 06' Camo five speed and have the best of "both worlds" together. I like both that much! They both do drive great in their "own" respects!

 

I absolutely LOVE the auto tranny. Never even considered the manual. The main reason is traffic, I live in the SF Bay Area. I also drove an auto Echo for a few years so was familiar with this tranny and how it performs. I think they've actually improved it since then even.

It's hard to judge the auto based on a short test drive. The VVT-i hasn't been trained, the engine still needs to break in a little so most people are wary to hammer it plus there's often a salesman with you to make people even more wary.

I've got the Injen CAI and the PrecisionMuffler.com axleback and think the power is way more than adequate, maybe not optimal but the only times I felt like it really needed more was when we were at way beyond legal speeds anywa. And that was more of a want, not a need...

They weigh slightly more and cost a little more to start with, but that pretty much evens out at the first clutch replacement on the manual. Resale on an auto gives you a wider base to sell to.

I'm a jackrabbit starter off every line and you've got to be ready to keep up with me. On the ball and really getting into the pedal if you're going to beat me. Not racing the other cars on the road, I'm all about E.T.

The manual tranny's lower gears are really short. Most peeps are probably shifting into 2nd before they get through the intersection. When I'm following a stick xB and we take off from a stop light, I have to let off my gas pedal to allow them to shift. Otherwise I'd be bumping them. I can push my Auto Box to 40 MPH in first gear. At what speeds do the sticks have to shift 1->2? What about 2->3? I can also tach it well over 6000rpms using nothing but the gas pedal, not shifting it. So for all those people that say you have no control over the auto and it shifts itself when it wants to, let me just tell you it's the skill of the driver, not the transmission. It just takes some driving knowledge and experience. Don't stomp the thing to the floor and hold it. There's a point at which pushing the gas pedal doesn't increase your acceleration. When you can push it to that point and as the engine starts taching, increase the pressure, you'll see that it responds very nicely and to your bidding. I can do with a flex of my toe when it takes others an arm and a leg. That's working smarter, not harder. If you let off the gas, then sure, the car will slow down and if you let off before you really wanted to stop accelerating and step on it again it can act funky, but it's no different than upshifting a stick and then deciding your revs aren't high enough and quickly downshifting again. You can apply most of the logic of driving a stick to an auto, but if you are going to not pay attention and just let the car do its thing, that works too. I find the main disadvantage of the auto is when wanting to downshift in tight cornering twisty road type of settings. You can still manage and not lose much but it is a detriment. I rarely drive in those conditions and its still fun as hell when I do.

And before someone drags out the tired old phrase of "you drive a stick, you ride in an auto" I disagree. The thought put towards shifting a stick can be better spent looking ahead of you in the road, planning your next move, preparing for the next corner, etc. And if you say it's so second nature that you don't even think about it, then you could just as easily fall into the trap of 'riding'in a stick...

There's no "correct" answer, it all depends on a variety of personal factors. Many of the old arguments of stick over auto no longer hold up. I'd say the reliability factor has evened out, the economy factor has taken a turn and in the long run the auto may end costing less after all maintenance, etc.

I almost forgot the most important factor of all:

Auto is true JDM. The stick is a USDM bastardization that even eliminated some of the original usefullness and utility of this vehicle...

 

I am in NYC - Manhattan - and I feel the same way! This is why I ordered an 06 xB with AUTOMATIC transmission. I'm sure that stick is great in an environment where you dont have a lot of traffic but NYC traffic is insane. It will take you 40 minutes to go 2 miles - TRUST ME. The Scion dealer I ordered my xB from is 2 miles away from where I am and it took me over 40 minutes to get there on the day that I ordered it!@#!@#!@#

I would just hate to be ____fing, downshifting, having a foot on the clutch, etc etc etc if i was sitting in traffic. I'm sure it must feel great when you have stick and are on an open road or in an area where traffic isn't that bad.

I would decide based on your environment... that way you'll know what to expect.

 

I like the manual, I feel I have more "control." After I purchased it I had "buyers remorse" because I was not used to a manual, but not anymore. Even my 16 yo who was not thrilled that I purchased it, has mastered it and thinks it's cool to drive a stick....she likes to impress the boys!

 

5-speed makes an otherwise horribly slow car at least "feel" fast.

 

Manual!! nuff said

 

It just feels faster when you're shifting through the gears.

 

I dunno, shifting with my truck doesn't make it seem to be fast lol, she is still a bit slow

 

I test drove both and chose the manual. The auto was OK, and quieter at highway speeds (lower engine speed), but buzzier around town because it was always hunting for the right gear to be in.

With the stick, I can jump gears at will. Shifting normally, I'm often in 3rd gear by the time I'm across the intersection, but the car is geared so low that often I can go 1-3-5, or 1-2-4-5, or what have you.

Additionally, this is by far the easiest manual transmission I've ever driven - no missed shifts, easy clutch, etc. And personally I didn't like wasting that precious 108 HP on the automatic.

 

Mine never does that, because it's been "trained." These AT's are software-controlled, and they don't do as well when a lot of different drivers with different driving styles are trying it out.

You might be surprised at how responsive the AT is to pedal touch. I can make it upshift or downshift predictably just by how I modulate the gas. And there's nothing stopping you from turning the OD on and off with the handy button on the side of the shift lever.

I'm not suggesting an AT would win in a race. But IMO the difference is negligible, and mostly subjective.

Can't argue with picking what makes you happy!

RichC

 

the tC is my first manual car, in fact i learned a week before I got it and I don't regret it, i sometimes hate atlanta rush hour, but the control and power make the car way more fun to drive. I originally test -drove the auto and certianly liked it. but like I said, I love my manual, especially with the SS and TRD ****.

 

i went with an auto. suits me fine.