how do people feel about the manual vs auto in the xa. I love MTs, but I live in a hilly city. Does the auto have any power?

 

I like manual, a lot. This is my first manual car, too. Automatic is okay, but for a 108hp car, manual is the way to go...

 

thanks dude. I'd much rather listen to you than my dad.

 

Manual feels twice as fast as the auto!! If you dont live in a city with alot of traffic- go with the manual-BTW I have had 0 probs with any gear/clutch probs...

 

Pee into the electrical outlet. :D

 

hills hmmm how experienced are you? I love manual, and I don't have problems with hills, but take your time to consider auto. . . you will have to live with this decision for a long time. Yes tha manual is considerably faster (why I bought it) but it is much easier to live with auto if you hate it then with manual if you hate it.
But this car has plenty of pick for me. . . but I'm used to my ol' V8. . . so if it were any slower I would not have bought the car. . .
choose wisely, I understand your trouble choosing.

 

I just got my black 5spd xA today. It was the first time I drove the 5spd around on open roads. 5spd is where its at. I've driven plenty of auto Scions/Echos and they are dogs. The 5spd on the Scion feels nice also. I had to test drive a Matrix XRS today at work and the 6 speed on that feels like crap and shifts horribly and the gearing is just not good at all. I am very impressed with the Scion 5 spd so far. I came from driving Hondas and Honda is known for awesome manual transmissions and the Scion one is pretty close to being just as good as a Honda one. I don't know about mechanically but feel and gearing is great.

 

I would of loved to get a manual xA, but I couldn't which I dont want to get into. The auto xA isn't too bad though, but the auto tranny is sluggish from a stop.

 

The manual seems to bog off the line also. That or Toyotas require a lot of pedal power for the manuals.

 

you make me want to go to the track tomorrow with "off the line." hehe, the first time I went to the strip, I was launching at 4000-5000rpm...lots of wheel hop. I noticed the powerband is after about 3500rpm...

 

Personally, I always roll an auto. It's just easier in heavy traffic plus you get to pay attention to other things more than having to shift all the time. Of course, the manual will get you where you are going a lot faster, technically the auto and the manual have the same amount of power, but a manual puts the power to the ground more effeciently.

 

My previous vehicles have all been manuals, but I went with an automatic xA this time. I have an hour commute to work, and it's nice to be able to have a cup of coffee in hand and not have to worry about grabbing gears.

This is an entirely personal preference thing though. It's nice being able to put it in drive and not have to hunt gears, especially in traffic.

Steve

 

MT!

 

The car that I enjoyed the most was my old Honda CRX. Even more so than my Fiat X-1/9 was. It was a light, zippy car and the Scion reminds me of it a lot. So, from that as well as many years of driving in various cars in many circumstances, yes, if you don't drive in LA or WDC or other long-lasting and frustrating traffic, or often have to sit at a light on a SF hill, or have a bum knee, manual is the way to go. Most fun.

As a sidenote, in the quest for lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles, MT clutch assemblies have become less-robust than AT. It used to be that manuals were more reliable and long-lasting than automatics, but that isn't so any more.

 

big MT!

why???????? i try both manual and auto by xA .......i step on the gas on auto moves like 10-20-30mph in about 10 seconds or even more then that with manual 5 seconds lil bit more but its definetly faster!

 

I'm willing to deal with traffic or hills or anything, give me MT anytime.

One thing I don't like is it just seems that cable shifter cars just don't have the precise shifting that my Civic had with it's linkage. I'm wondering if the TRD short shifter will make the shifter feel improved.

 

I finally drove an auto xA this evening. I drove the manual about three weeks ago and then had to wait for the dealer to get an auto so I could compare the two. My impression: MT all the way.

Yes, it was nice not having to shift the auto when I was test driving around town, but on the highway, once I was cruising in high gear, it made little difference. Today I drove up a steep hill in the auto and my first thought was “This thing is a dog.” No offense to AT owners. I drive an AT Subaru and like it just fine. But I miss manuals, which I drove for 20 years before getting the Subaru. The auto xA seemed to have lots of time delay between “foot on gas pedal” and “car going up hill.” Same thing on the highway on-ramp. In contrast, I found the MT quite zippy.

On a side note, I have read some complaints about Scion air conditioning. We have been having near-record heat up here in Alaska (in the 80s F, which feels like 120 to me), and I found the AC quite good. Better than the AC in my 1998 Subaru. And the xA I drove today was a 2004 that the dealer has for demos only (it's not for sale). Maybe I should post this comment in another thread.

Anyway, it’s going to be a manual xA for me later this summer. I think I’m going to get a silver one.

 

I agree with you, I'm glad I got the MT.

I do see a decrease in power with the AC on, but now that I can roll my windows down (had them tinted) I never use my AC.

 

The A/C in my 2005 Scion seems fine. It cools the car well. It just seems like it takes a little longer to finally get going.

 

I ordered a black MT this weekend, so I don't want to hear anyone else talking about how the AT is better. At least not on this thread.

Thanks for the help.