Noob here. Any major differences between the 6 speed manual transmission & the automatic transmission such as performance, gas mileage, & breakage factors? I am contemplating a CTS-V and would like to know of any pitfalls prior to actual looking at them
TIA/R: Gary Wells

about a 50hp/tq difference and do you like to shift or have the ecu do the shifting for you. I have a manual and find the shifter and clutch to be very comfortable. I wouldn't get this car any other way.

Is that HP/TQ difference at the crank or at the RW? I currently and for the last about 7 years am using a '02 Z06 (manual tranny available only in Z06's) and quite frankly, was looking forward to possible an auto, but this is probably the last high performance car that I will be able to buy, and I hate to give up any HP/TQ.

They are both great to drive. I doubt you would be disappointed with either..

that 50hp/tq difference is at the wheels.

about a 50hp/tq difference


:hmm:

^ dyno's show the auto's dynoing in at around 450-460 and the manual's at around 500flat

Have to admit that the 500 flat at the RW would be more to my liking, even though probably not necessary. I'm in the Republik of Kalifornia, Southwestern Section, and occasionally the freeways go bumper to bumper. Not a biggie, but somewhat of a pain in the arse rowing to and from.

I wouldn't worry about the dyno #s. The autos have been either neck and neck or slightly superior in straight line tests. The auto has more aggressive gear ratios and it's much easier to drive on a road course (don't know how it handles heat).

I had an '04 V and there's nothing quite like having complete control over the trasnmission... but I've driven the new V with the auto, and it's great.

I'm going to get one with the auto.

I've driven manuals all my life, but went with the auto for the V and after the w4m tune, the automatic handles really well.
The paddle shifters work great for the track and it's so much fun flooring it (well carefully) from a stop with both hands on the steering wheel. I'm not disappointed!

Hans.

I don’t mean to kick up a hornet’s nest here, but what is this fascination we Americans have with manual transmissions in performance cars? Anywhere with traffic, the manual transmission stinks if you are doing any sort of commuting.

After about a year with an E39 (2000-2003) M5, this was my one gripe.

Funny thing with the E60 (2006- ) M5’s is that it came out first only as an auto, and then much later with an optional manual transmission due to U.S. demand. Unfortunately, the drivetrain was really engineered for the auto, and the manual transmission was really an afterthought.

Many of us here do trackdays or organized road racing. Sure it’s fun to toe and heel and right foot brake on the track, but is the V the right sort of car for that? Even in the unlikely event that you buy your V as a track toy, it has to be said that the manual transmission shifts faster, and you have complete control (save prevention of a “money-shift”) with the shift buttons on the steering wheel.

Is owning a manual transmission car telling the world you are a skilled driver? That would be the wrong modivation to buy one. Heinricy’s ring lap was with the auto tranny, and if you have ever watched him at the Runoffs, you will probably realize he’s one of the top drivers out there.

I don’t mean to kick up a hornet’s nest here, but what is this fascination we Americans have with manual transmissions in performance cars? Anywhere with traffic, the manual transmission stinks if you are doing any sort of commuting.
..snip


The fascination is that if the car is well built, they are fun to drive! All my cars are manual (previous '05 V, New '09 V2, '70 Olds 442 (M22 4spd) . My wife's cars have been and are manual as well (she owns a 5spd '07 Mustang GT/CS). We commute for sometimes hours in a day and wouldn't change to an auto for the world!
Besides, when the kids ever want to take one of our cars out.. they can't drive stick so the answer is NO! lol

I've driven manuals all my life, but went with the auto for the V and after the w4m tune, the automatic handles really well.
The paddle shifters work great for the track and it's so much fun flooring it (well carefully) from a stop with both hands on the steering wheel. I'm not disappointed!

Hans.

I'm with you here. This is the first auto I have owned and no dissapointment here. I think there are some key issues to consider when deciding.
If you plan to heavily modify the car get the manual.
If you don't commute in traffic daily then get the manual.
If this is going to be a weekend/track car, get the manual.

The reasons I went with the auto, and trust me, it was a very hard decision:
-Regardless of stock Dyno tests, everything I've read about the car is that the stock auto will outsprint the manual every single time. Top speed being the only performance advantage the manual will have (stock vs stock).

-If I ever need to sell the car, it will be easier to sell the auto on a luxury car like this. Up here in Canada this car is a 90 thousand dollar plus car (after tax), and manuals in that price range just don't sell, no matter what make they are. Finding someone to buy a manual 4 door anything will be very difficult if I need to sell.

-I pefer a manual to be in a high reving engine. To me, that is a big part of enjoying driving a manual. A 6200rpm redline, despite the performance numbers, just doesn't excite me. You want to hear a manual scream at high revs. Hence the decision to go with an auto.

Like I said, tough decision, but I still have my manual SHO, and plan on getting a convertible 370Z manual at some point, the auto was the most reasonable decision for me.

Good luck. Either way you go, it's an awesome car.

Ok, thanks everybody for the info, I think that I am leaning towards the auto. I am going to try and find something at a dealers that I can live with.

^ dyno's show the auto's dynoing in at around 450-460 and the manual's at around 500flat

Really? I'm seeing manuals, including mine, come in at about 470 at the wheels.

the fascination is that if the car is well built, they are fun to drive! All my cars are manual (previous '05 v, new '09 v2, '70 olds 442 (m22 4spd) . My wife's cars have been and are manual as well (she owns a 5spd '07 mustang gt/cs). We commute for sometimes hours in a day and wouldn't change to an auto for the world!
Besides, when the kids ever want to take one of our cars out.. They can't drive stick so the answer is no! Lol

amen...

Really? I'm seeing manuals, including mine, come in at about 470 at the wheels.

mine dyno'd 500hp on a mustang dyno. I'm going to get a redyno done next week at a local dynojet. If i'm hitting 500 on a mustang that I should be a nice number over 500hp to the wheels fully stock.

Haven't taken the V2 to Willow Springs (yet) but I've raced nearly a dozen cars on road courses through out California (Spanish for land of high taxes that pay for illegal aliens), any car that you have complete control over the gear swaps is easier for me to drive fast. Having said that, I hate driving in traffic with a clutch.

My V2 is my daily driver, long distance cruiser, and my luxury automobile when I take my stunningly gorgeous wife out on the town. For my personal preference the automatic works well and is definitely the best slush box I've driven.

As mentioned in another post, the gearing on the auto more than makes up for any drive train loss in acceleration. The auto does burn more gas but why would you be interested in gas mileage if you are even considering this car? For me the auto makes it a good all around car; if I wanted it as a track car I'd buy an Ariel Atom instead.

The mileage difference between the auto & manual was the least important of the parameters that I queried about, but I still wanted to know. This won't be a track car, maybe a street car, occasional driver for fun & probably a daily driver when I retire, which is coming up hopefully in about 10 months. That will leave me the '02 Z06 as a daily driver until I get tired of 3 cars and the '87 turbo Buick as an occasional fun car for the street & a few car shows.

Sweet! I had an '87 GN as well.

Sweet! I had an '87 GN as well.
FWIW, that is my 25K mile Buick Turbo-T in the May 2009 edition of Hemming's Muscle Machines excepting that the pics were taken about 4 or 5 years ago when the mileage was about 10K or 12K and the car was bone stock. Now a 12.7 sec car on pure street tires. My 5th turbo brick, & on my 2nd vette.

AuPanda:
I tried to send you a P.M., but I am not a member here long enough. I notice that you are in L.A. I am just outside of Long Beach, People's Republik of kali. Ever go to Donut Derelict's on the corner of Magnolia & Adams in Huntington Beach Sat mornings?
Excellent early Sat morn cruise. I hit it about 1 or 2 a month.
TIA/R: Gary Wells

I'm in San Dimas, 12 miles east of Pasadena. haven't done that particular cruise. I used to meet up withthe corvette guys at The Block in Orange....of course that is when I had a vette. I'd love to get a similar thing going with CTS-Vs.

I would too, even if I don't own one yet. Somewhere on this forum section within the last day or so there were 2 other CTS-V owners that were planning on getting together somewhere in the greater So Cal area.

Gary, if cars are available, I strongly suggest you try both. I chose the manual because it is so much fun, shifts beautifully, and I maintain full control. The auto may be good, but no auto ever shifts exactly when you want it to, even in manual mode. It's not a DSG. The auto also weighs more, costs more ( gas guzzler tax is $2600, vs $1300 for the stick), and requires a temperature gauge that the manual apparently doesn't need, because it is not tortured as much ( also the reason for the speed limiter). Not to mention EPA 14/19 vs 12/18 with the auto.

The sticks are also somewhat rare, and at least in my part of the world seem to be commanding a premium. John Heinrecy(sp?) did do that record setting lap in an automatic, but only because that is what he had been driving all week, and wasn't familiar enough with the stick there to try a fast run with it. He has stated that he prefers the stick in this car, and that's a pretty good endorsement if you ask me!

The car is an absolute blast with the stick, and with so much torque doesn't require that much shifting if you don't want to-- but you will, because it is so much fun. Please do yourself a favor and drive both before making your decision. They are both great cars, but the transmission can really change the character of the car. By the way, people also seem shocked to see a Caddy with a stick. It does give more street cred, for what it's worth.

hey fellas....im tenatively planning to take the V to big Willow sometime in the fall when it gets cooler. Just want to take it out one day to see what kind of laptimes we can get with her, plus she will be broken in by then. We should keep in touch!

Marc

The mileage difference between the auto & manual was the least important of the parameters that I queried about, but I still wanted to know.

let me just tell ya, maybe i drive fairly aggressively, or this car has absolutely atrocious gas mileage but im getting about 14 - 15 mpg. Pretty bad mileage... + premium fuel = a painful sight. Ive begun to avoid the instant fuel economy page on my display cause it makes me sad.

Haha, couldn't be happier with the car though, and get the manual cause its one hell of a transmission and whatever the other may say it seems perfectly at home in this car. As long as you dont mind rowing through the gears and tiring your leg out once in a while in traffic youd be hard pressed to find a better tranny then the tr-t6060 in the V.

and you can put lipstick on a slushbox, but its still a damn slushbox, and Heinricy would back me up there!

NO...NO More!!! Hasn't this topic been beaten to death on this board before (repeatedly). Nothing to see here. Move along folks.

The clutch isn't that heavy so if your leg is getting sore you need to start working out those sticks :thumbsup:

May I say something here in retrospect:
I sincerely appreciate all of the information that I have gleaned from all of the responses on this thread and everybody that responded to it, and I might have been able to educate myself on some of it by doing a search, but I would have never been able to grasp all of the info that you guys put on the plate for me here. Thanks again everybody.

Well I think a few of you hinted at this, but no one came right out and said it. Every single review I've read has stated that the auto is considerably faster in 0-60, 1/4 mile, and track times. It may weigh more, and it may lose HP at the wheels, but it's faster.

I myself would love to have the manual, but don't want to worry about a clutch and shifting during rush hour. I already have a supercharged Mustang with a manual, so my craving for a shifter will be satisfied when I drive that car. It'll be an auto for me for sure!

Tony

I treat my V as a high-powered grand tourer when on the freeway and am happy I have an automagical tranny. Besides, I've still got my S2000 for those days I want to shift.

Lucky guys, I'm looking for an 87 GN myself.

Lucky guys, I'm looking for an 87 GN myself.
Really nice extremely low mileage ones are getting harder and harder to find. I would never sell my '87 25K mile Turbo-T, not even if it was necessary in order to buy a CTS-V, but I would sure like to graduate my '02 ZO6 into a new '09 or maybe even a '10 CTS-V. there are some exceptionally nice Turbo Buicks up in Canada, but as far as being for sale, that might be a different story. Might want to check out the Northwestern Section of turbobuick.com.

Yeah, I'm also 18 so I don't really wanna pay a lot. They're also gonna be harder to find after F&F 4 when the ricers realize what a real car is. There was one with 95k or something for 15k I really should've bought

ricers wont touch gn's. Lol the older cars you actually have to pay attention to. There is no check engine lights w/ obdII codes giving you answers to evertyhing...Alot of these kids that follow the fads may have mommys & daddy's money but they dont have the general car knowledge to keep and maintain a vehicle like the gn's

To be honest, I don't have all that much myself...

^ Hey atleast if you have the urge to learn and upkeep the ride than go for it ! It saddens me to see good cars in the hands of kids OR adults that just don't care enough to take proper care of their cars.

Yeah, I'm kind of a neat freak which makes me obsess about my car looking and running good. There was a Skyhawk on there for sale on there. I googled it and a picture of a GN came up - what exactly is a skyhawk?

F&F4 is not going to do much for the turbo Buicks other than increase the membership #'s of some of the various Turbo Buick forums. Import owners realize that their cars can be made just as fast, or faster, but possibly a little more reliable and a lot more flash for a few $$ more. When you start searching for turbo Buick rare parts you will find that you might as well be searching for vette collectible parts or Norton Dunstall parts. The only difference is that we turbo Buick owners will pay close to stupid money for nice new, shiny, NOS parts. I am going to look at at least one CTS-V this weekend if I get a chance.