First of all, having an automatic mustang does not make it a lesser car.

Second, you need to decide on what you are using this car for and if traffic is intense enough, you may want an automatic for ease of driving.

Third, if dealerships are willing enough to make a sale, they will go ahead and take the time to teach you how to drive a manual. I've had salesmen offer just to get me in to look at a car.

Also just because no one you know has a stick, doesn't mean they don't know how to drive one. You could do a rental like suggested and have that person sit with you. I still have to do that in the spring

Mine is a daily driver and I don't regret having an auto. Sometimes I feel like I am missing out on some fun factor but then there are days where I'm glad to just get in my car and go.

 

Absolutely.

But some people don't care to pop the hood while others can't imagine anyone else doing anything to their car. Touching things, adjusting things on your own; it all adds to the experience for some folks. The same applies to a manual tranny. For me, it's the hands on factor (ok, Shella, feel free to run with that...).

 

If you are the least bit coordinated you can drive a stick.

 

Sorry that I misled you, I was referring to just the 6R80 auto tranny, not all auto trannies. In a mag I read last month, 10 or more people took their '11 GT 5.0 Coyotes to the drag strip. Most, if not all, of these guys are professional modders, or professional racers, or both. Of the top 6 cars with the fastest time slips, most of them in the 10s or faster, 5 out of 6 cars had automatic trannies, the 6R80 representing itself very well. There were also some racing 4speeds, the older C4 auto tranny too. Only one guy, who finished 2nd out of all, had a manual, and he had broken his stock 6speed in his '11. He used a Tremec TKO 600 instead.

 

I never thought I was missing out on a thing, until I learned!

I was too darn stubborn to listen to anyone else, had to finally realize it on my own.

Nuke, I know the hands-on you speak of......it's all about the grip, the acceleration, the making it go. Lol.

 

Auto's are horrible, in any kind of sport vehicle, had a gti with a dsg. Fun for about a week. Get a stick and learn how to drive it. I learned on a 1929 model A pick up, no syncros just super heavy weight oil to slow gears down and double clutch....

 

I went to the dealership having never before driven a manual and they let me test drive one there. The sales guy shouldnt care as its not his car and he isnt responsible for fixing it, he just wants a sale.

 

My dad test drove it and I sat in the back because the salesman wouldn't fit back there. He also drove it home and I learned in the neighborhood. It took me about a week or two to be confident enough to drive in traffic, but I was very, very cautious. I also was going about learning it the wrong way. There are lots of good articles online about learning, but here is the key (in my opinion):

Go to a parking lot, and let the clutch out until you feel it start to grab, then hold it there for a moment until the car gets moving a bit. Then feather it out the rest of the way. Get that down so it's perfectly smooth and then work on feathering the throttle on as you are letting the clutch out. The big thing though is to get your foot programmed so that you can let the pedal out right to the friction zone quickly and then just feather it smoothly from there.

As for buying the Mustang, back in 2005 there was nothing in that price range that looked that awesome or went that fast for that little money. With the Z-plan pricing I was out the door for $26k or so.

 

mustang first stick here as well, guy from the dealer gave me a 10 min lesson in the back and i drove it home no problem, its pretty easy to pick up especially when your young, give it a couple days worth of driving and it'll be second nature to you.
also by the sounds of it, lots of highway, young, this kind of car, stick shift would be the way to go for you.

 

Personally, I don't think a test drive is needed if buying new. You won't regret buying a Mustang as long as you get the V8. No offence to the V6 owners out there, but noting beats that American V8 sound.