I'll be buying a G37 coupe shortly but I just can't seem to decide on the transmission. My current car is a 6MT and I find it fun but sometimes its annoying in heavy traffic. I would go G37 6MT but it isn't exactly a smooth transmission and it makes the otherwise refined G37 feel kind of harsh from what I've read. Is the 6MT that harsh? The last automatics I've driven were the terrible slushboxes from the 90s. The idea of getting a transmission like that worries me. In my very short experience with the 7AT G37, I was fairly impressed. I like that its a hair faster than the 6MT, more fuel efficient and has a drive, drive sport and a fully manual mode to let you pick based on your mood. It all sounds great on paper but I've always been one of those people who felt that a sporty car ought to be manual. I'm just worried that I'll get bored of the 7AT and it won't be any fun to drive the car anymore. I'd like to get some feedback from you guys on what you think.

1. Is the automatic boring to drive or does it get kind of boring after a while?
2. How well does the manual mode/paddles work? Does it shift fast enough to be fun?

I love that the 7AT downshift rev matches BTW.

 

Not at all, but get the S version so you get the paddle shifters which are fun and yes the 6MT tranny is noisy and unrefined but yet is fun to drive hard.

 

I got bored with the 7AT, and replaced it with a 6MT. I find the 6 speed more fun and engaging to drive. Not sure that I would say the 7AT is faster ... they are really pretty close.

Your second question on the manual mode / paddles - I thought they would make the 7AT enjoyable, but I rarely used them except when I needed a first gear kickdown. In other words, you are going 12mph and the car is in 2nd and you need to accelerate. Popping it down to first is the only way to get decent performance at that speed.

The paddles are slow. In higher gears this doesn't matter much, but at full throttle in 1st gear I typically had to pull the upshift paddle about 6300 in order to avoid hitting the rev limiter at 7600.

I am definitely happier with my MT - but my wife is not very happy with my decision. You can drive the car smoothly if you are good with the clutch. I have an RJM clutch pedal assembly which helps.

 

The G tranny sucks ! Wish I went 6mt

 

only way to enjoy the G is 6MT.. of course that's just me.. and other MT owners..

 

If you want the fastest G37 offered, get the base model. The base model is faster than the 6MT and the IPL model. (Straight line, 0-60 etc)

 

A couple of months ago I took my G in for service and they gave a loaner AT; by the time I returned it the following day I was bored of the AT and couldn't wait to get my MT G

 

i wish i got the 6mt.. g is still fun to drive nonetheless

 

Without question the MT gives you more involvement then the 7 Spd auto does, but for many of us the auto trans gives adequate fun once you get used to it's shift pattern and to find the correct way to play with the DS mode. For any of the folks here that use their cars daily and often have to sit in heavy traffic I'm willing to bet they are glad they opted for the auto trans. You don't really give up much as far as pickup on the highways at all. Only you can decide how much your willing to put up with. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

Thanks for the responses all.

If this were going to be my weekend car or my secondary car I think I'd do 6MT for sure, but this will be my only car and daily driver and I do drive through a fair amount of crappy traffic.
The 7AT does seem to record marginally faster 0-60 runs and is more fuel efficient and smoother/more refined but the 6MT is just more fun.

Right now I'm looking at used 2010+ G37S and G37 IPLs both 7AT and 6MT. The 7AT to me sounds like a solid all around transmission but I'm just worried that after a while I'll be so bored with it I won't even want to canyon carve or anything with it, hope that's not the case. I guess I'm just biased against autos still

 

I think the fun factor of the 6MT outweighs any benefits the 7AT offers. For this reason, I only looked at 6MTs when I bought my G.

It already sounds like you will be one of the 7AT owners that wished they went with a 6MT instead.

Good luck with your decision!

 

7AT with paddles! No contest.

 

This^^, If you're already having a quandary your remorse will probably get worse every day you get in your car.
If I were the primary driver of my G it would be a 6mt, regardless of traffic hassle. At the very least my next car will have a Dual Clutch Auto, the current 7AT is decent but there's much better technology in ATs right now.

 

Halfshaft, I am in the same exact boat as you are in now. I'll be buying a pre-owned G37 coupe in the next couple months. I am almost dead set on the 7 speed auto. But there is that part of me that keeps saying to go for the 6 speed stick.

Im older now, and when I was a kid it was fun to drive stick shift cars. Race around and what ever.

However, EVERY time I was in stop and go traffic for more than a few minutes, the stick shift really got annoying.

Like you said, if I had 2 or 3 vehicles, then I would surely get a manual G37. But for something that I'm going to be driving around the city everyday, I think the auto is my best bet.

I mean, the 6 speed stick G37 has the coolness factor, but the older I get the less important that is.

 

We own a 7AT & a 6MT, hands down if you want a car that you enjoy go with the 6MT, the 7AT is a good commuter but has no personality to it when driving IMO.