Me and my wife are looking to get an automatic G37S Coupe. We both will be driving it, but it will primarily be her car. She has been in love with the G37 since it came out and now its finally time to get one.

We are sure we want a automatic with paddle shifters, but i have tried to search on the boards about the differences and which one is better to get. Can anyone shed some info or maybe a thread i have missed. Which one is better performance wise? You think having a 5AT will affect the resale value down the road? Which one shifts better/smoother? I would mostly like to use the paddles when driving instead of auto, which one do you think i would like more?

Btw please don't tell me to buy a 6 spd, not the info i need lol, trust me im a manual guy too, i have a 6MT E46 M3, and have had a 350z, FD Rx7, MKIV Supra all in manuals. This G37s we are looking to get needs to be more of a luxury car for us, but we still have some mods in mind for it

 

the S is a much better car. better seats, brakes. resale value is better with the S. not worth getting a G without the sport package. you only get the paddle shifters in the S

08-5AT vs 09-7AT however is a judgement call. you'll be likes and dislikes from both camps. the resale of the car with or without the transmission is tied to the model year, from the most part the trends seem to be the same.

the coupe is better as a 6 speed tho... a lot better. to me it's like a different car, performance wise.

 

Thanks for the info, we definitely plan on getting a Sport version.

 

The 7AT is going to get around 2-3 MPG better is something else to consider. I had the 5AT in an 08 sedan and now the 7AT in my coupe. The mileage difference is there and I think both shift fine. Some of the 09's shifted rough, including mine, but it was a simple software update.

There have been threads before about this subject and they got pretty intense on both sides. Having both, I can really say that I feel there is not much difference in performance but more of a difference in gas consumption.

Hope that helps!

 

consider the xS AWD? that'll make the 7speed for you

 

Thanks for the info. Could you link me some of these threads? I tried a search, but i cant seem to find anything.

 

Agree, mine 07/G35x sedan with 5AT seem worse on gas than G37x 7AT coupe, not much but for sure worse. Besides transmission I thing it might be sedan is heavier car as well but I believe that 7 saves gas anyway.

 

I can't seem to find the threads, either. Basically it was a divided debate on which transmission was more performance oriented and was more sportscar-like. In everyday driving I honestly feel you won't notice that much difference.

I also agree with going for the S and the sports package if you can. You'll get the paddle shifters standard that way although you can add them later if you want.

Either way I think you'll find the G a very enjoyable car no matter which way you go. I love mine!

 

I had an 08 6MT coupe S and I have to say that I like this car MUCH better in an auto. It is alot smoother and you don't have to worry about replacing a weak $1500 clutch every 50k miles either....

 

I like the 5AT in our Journey, and in DS mode it almost feels like a manual with it's aggressive shifting if you want it. If I buy a Ferrari I'll consider paddle shifters but for our everyday car (which my wife drives everyday) we'll stick with the auto. Did the Manual thing for 10 years, gets real old after a while.

 

You really have to test drive both and make that call. Performance wise the 7 AT will give you a few 10ths of a second, gas mileage wise, I figured it out over 100K miles to be about a grand savings on average but there's less engine wear as well to be considered. Scratch guard pain on the 09+ is another consideration. I've read quite a few posts about 7AT smoothness in D aparently you can actually feel downshifting in lower gears. The 5AT is smooth as silk in D.

As for 6MT being better.. we'll yea performance wise. There's a cost there though.. you'll never see the G at it's most luxurious. There's no noise, clutch chatter or vibration in the AT's.

The paddle shifters are fun to play with but know that there's a serious delay when shifting, this is not a dual clutch transmission. I think you'll find yourself not using them full time and instead running in DS mode and controlling shifting with the accelerator, breaking and maybe occassional use of them. You were thinking I can make both of us happy weren't you...lol. We'll she'll be happy anyway.

So which to get... If I were the G37 enthralled noob I was when I first bought my car I'd go with a 7AT. Today, I'd actually go with something that had a dual clutch transmission, but if it had to be a G I'd go with the cheapest one I could find and look for a good deal on a 08 5AT or better yet wait a year for the new model and hope they've addressed the transmissions and throttle lag issues.

 

I think you should go with AUTO .. Since you already have manual vehicles
I WOULD

 

I have a 2010 7AT (sedan), and I get a chance to drive my mother's 2010 M35 5AT once in awhile... The 5AT feels more responsive at lower RPMs, but compared to the 7AT, it just feels like it makes the car work harder to get up and go... due to the 2 fewer gears, I'd imagine.

 

The M35 AT and Coupe AT are not the same transmissions and do not share performance characteristics.

 

Thanks for the info, helps my decision a lot.


Yeah ill have my manual fix on my M3 whenever i need it, just sucks that i can hardly drive it anywhere. Living in downtown chicago sucks for driving!

thanks for the info guys

wow that sucks