aaaa1236

I believe its more a preference than performance question now. The newer mustangs seem to shift pretty freakin quick. Faster than the vast majority of manual drivers can. The last quick automatic i drove was an 08 gt and at the very least, i know i could downshift faster than it did from a roll. But just listening to some of the 5.0s and even new v6 autos shifting im impressed, doubt ill ever be able to shift a manual that quick.
I drive a manual simply because i find it more enjoyable.

clowe1965

I cannot speak for the mustang, but other autos leave me with a vague feeling when I'm starting from a stop. Also the shift points bother me, I'm in a fusion rental right now and revving up to 3k for shifts doesn't seem normal, even in a 4 cyl. Its really bad in 4 cyl cars, but also noticeable in v8s that I have driven, cept for the high rpm thing. Maybe its because I've driven manuals for the past 10 years, and having the control and feedback is worth every bit of stop and go driving I've done. Go with what you want. If its a good deal and the transmission is something you're willing to deal with then go for it, don't think I will ever go to an auto unless I'm physically enable.

07BLACKGT

I'll never buy another mustang that isn't manual.

I've driven my auto for years, and it has served me well. Auto + 4.10 gears + bama tune is absolutely lethal from stop light to stop light. I have embarrassed many, many people with much faster cars from a dig. It's predictable, I can stuff my face with a burger and talk on the phone while embarrassing kids in Camaros or whatever else pulls up. What's not to love, right?



Well, it's boring. I want to be in control of what gear the car is in at all times. I want to be able to control the smoothness and speed of the shifts. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted the car to stay in a certain gear without violently downshifting and taking off. Its just ****.

NEVER AGAIN.

Mustang259

Drove an auto for 14 years then switched to my current 13 gt with manual, it is just more fun to drive!!
To me , manuals are better for road course style driving and putting the car in the powerband you choose, not what the auto thinks you ought to be in, so if you plan to use the car for handling and auto cross type driving, get the manual.
Auto's are easy and fun in this car but not as much fun as a manual.

GTC

I think this is becoming or has already become a performance question and not a preference question.

As I've been reading about this for a couple of days now, I fear we Mustang guys maybe perhaps are sounding a bit dated. Manufacturers like BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes and Porsche have implemented race technology into their road cars and actively promote their automatics as the performance advantage while offering numerous models only in automatic. You can't get a manual gear box in the the Nissan GT-R either. Why is that?

Technologies like direct shifting technology (DST). DST* offers extremely precise shifting that requires only 8 milliseconds; by comparison, we are shifting our manual mustangs at 500 - 700 milliseconds!

I don't see how Ford can't bring the Mustang further towards this technology in 2015. With all do respect, let's make sure we know when our preferences maybe are being driven by romance, nostalgia, or something else, rather than accepting what the best technology is to move our Mustang's for the best driving experience, and from point A to point B or around the track, in the least amount of time. That's the point right? Here's looking to the Ford Mustang engineers and 2015. Peace.


*While still a somewhat emerging technology, you can drive DST on an Audi R8 or even a VW GTI. The yet to be release new Corvette autos have rpm matching at shift.

clowe1965

Rpm matching would be nice. Ford has a bit of work to do if they put out paddle shifters that shift like the manual mode automatics they have now.

Cristoff

The only car you even mentioned that has a price point relative to a Mustang is the VW.

That technology comes at a VERY premium price. I know if the Mustang GT retailed at $75,000+ it WOULD have that technology. Apples to Oranges here.

GTC

Baloney. While this part of the thread is a digression, I'll go ahead and mention that dual clutch automatic applications in lesser vehicles are out there, although a couple, like the Hyundai Veloster's, suck. When done right they're amazing:

Dodge Dart (2013)
Ford Focus (called powershift)
Ford C-Max
GMC Granite (2012)
Hyundai Veloster
Mitsibishi Lancer (Twin Clutch Sport Shift Transmission)
All VW Passenger Cars
To name just a few.

By the way, most (though not all) twin-clutch transmissions can skip gears when downshifting, i.e. shifting from 6th gear directly down to 3rd gear -- and because of their ability to match revs, they can do so without the lurching or surging typical of traditional automatic and manual transmissions.

The next generation will be instantaneous such as companies like Xtrac or Zeroshift. Both companies, among others, are developing Instantaneous Gearshift Systems, (IGS), which as its name suggests, promises to provide instantaneous gear changes.

CMcNam

I'm not sure what the point of this is. We've already established that these days it's a preference over performance thing. Ford probably will offer something more than just a manual. But I hope they also offer a manual alongside it, just like most of those cars you listed do. Doesn't make anyone here outdated or wrong, so I'm not sure what you're driving at.

Cristoff

Not baloney at all - I've spent the last 2 decades in the Auto industry and it boils down to power / torque vs cost. None of the cars that you mentioned in your second list is comparing apples to apples either. NONE have the power / Torque of a GT Mustang and those that do, are FAR higher priced - like your first list.

At the end of the day the only ones that fret over the differences between manuals and automatics are the paper warriors. In the real world on the street day to day it all comes down to what do you want to drive every day.