Question: C6, Manual vs. Automatic

You may find the manual a nice change after having automatics . Is y our wife going to be driving it ? If so, she will most likely prefer an auto

-- take her along for a testdrive before you buy , if applicable. If youre driving is going to be anymore than , say, 75% in town...then id be more inclined to choose the auto otherwise youll be clutching a huge amount of the time. Its probably easier to resell an Automatic than a manual , especially if the future buyer is married. Just some thoughts.

Unless you're going to run it at the track fairly often the standard shift is not acceptable. Driving it in a parade is the pits, driving it in stopped/slow moving traffic sucks, and most female counter parts hate it when they have to drive. Even the 05 automatic has an excellent algorithm for weekend racing and the new 6 speed automatic should be even better although not worth $1200+.

The only reasons to have a standard 6 speed is because you want it or plan to race, it don't make any body parts larger. It also has a non-lockout reverse gate that you have to hit when you shut it down or it can "damage" your cars battery. If there is any motion when you try to put it in reverse it locks out the gate with a shot pin. Nothing to tell you that a hard right and up didn't get you reverse but 5th gear. The electronic scolding you get when you exit reminds you that your battery will be dead when you return. After a year it is still unclear as to whether you're in reverse or not, so I always let the clutch out a little to make sure, that's called unnecessary clutch wear. It is the only thing about the C6 I don't like, got used to the limited rear vision. The corvettes I've owned were '57 3sp, '58 4sp, '59

4sp, '61 4spd, '63 4sp, '64 auto, '72 4 sp, '92 auto, '97 auto, '04 auto, '05 6 sp, and the last stick for me. Times change and the change in traffic is the biggest negative for a stick plus the technology of the new automatics is awesome. In those changing times my use of the Corvette went from playing to traveling and the automatic fits that criteria better.

One last note, if you were to be involved in a collision and the engine is killed you are locked in the car. By not pushing the button to shut the engine off the doors remain locked. After a stunning collision I'm not sure most of us think "I must push the engine off button to get me and my passenger out of the car." That holds true for the emergency workers that are trying to get your doors open if you are uncurious or dead. This may be true in key ignition switched cars also I just never thought about it. In that case though you and your rescuer can see the key is in the run or off position. You need to make your passengers aware that the emergency handle may have to be used to get out of the car if you have an accident. Not a small thing in my mind and should be utmost in the drivers responsibility to make his passengers aware and safe.

I personally like the 6-speed even in town. Although the stick shift car is clearly harder to drive in city traffic it's just not all that hard. (But then I've driven sticks all my life.) Clutch effort is reasonable and the stick is nice - if not the slickest I've driven - once it breaks in. The short throws and fairly light effort help in traffic. The car's touchy throttle does make a stick version difficult in very slow (crawl) traffic.

I drove an '05 4-speed auto in town and liked it less than the stick. It's an excellent auto but when you're used to the crisper response of the stick, the auto just doesn't seem right in the Corvette. The *SNAP* throttle response just wasn't there. YMMV.

Dad, my example of the 6-speed does not work as you describe. Maybe there were some midyear changes? On mine there's no lockout or special gate into reverse, you just move the shifter normally. (Of course I've never attempted it with the car moving.) I've never missed either a 4-5 or a 6-5 shift. If you shut down the car and it's not in reverse the DIC indicates 'SHIFT TO REVERSE' but there's no other scolding. At least as I understand it, leaving the car parked not in reverse is roughly analagous to leaving the ignition on, the battery will drain slowly and eventually go dead. I know of nothing that could 'ruin' the battery but perhaps I need to be enlightened here.

Note also that the '06 model uses more refined logic in this matter and I am told it can be parked without being left in reverse.

^6 speed stick. always

unless a. you're a fat slob and always eats and drinks while driving b. You're a woman c. You are missing limbs like a left foot or a right arm d. you smoke a pipe while talking on the cell phone

on second thought get the auto. its obviously not an issue since thats all you've owned and leave the real vettes to us.

RS

94 SIX SPEED Artic White

Works that way on my trips down south about 3 time a year. Most have at least one and sometimes 4 dead stop accidents which take up to 2 hours of crawl driving. Ever been through what we call Malfunction Junction on I75 in Dayton Ohio, or Cincinnati? Listed close to the top for frequency of accidents in the USA. I have to plan on hitting them at 1:00 to 4:00 in the morning and then I run the risk of drunk drivers.

Explain the difference between the "touchy throttle does make a stick version difficult in very slow (crawl) traffic" and "*SNAP* throttle response", never mind, it don't exist with the auto.

Sorry you misunderstood, there is a special gate to reverse, as always, but it is not defined as well as it has been in the past. It's just there, no lever to lift or button to push to get to the gate, just find it like the old VW. Just finding it some times is hampered by just a slight movement of the car allowing the lockout to keep you from entering the reverse gate. I give up on trying to put a car in reverse while moving forward with any speed sometime back in the 50's. Not sure why you would suggest that.

Remember what the hang tag said? Also stated in most unread owners manuals. My guess is that the numbnutz that set it up was making it like the automatic being put in park everytime.

Humm, now why would they change that? Maybe it has been a problem? I wonder if that bit of logic can be reprogrammed so the "must be in reverse" bit of nonsense can be eliminated.

I know a wonman with no use of her right arm that autocrosses a 6sp Corvette. She's only a little over weight. Is she a real vetter?

Ever hear the one about the porcupine and the Corvette?

Traffic's lighter hereabouts. Stop-and-go is very rare and crawls on major roads are uncommon. My long trips are through the Deep South and traffic mostly moves smoothly on my favorite routes. And if something is clogged up I detour instead of sitting there waiting.

Well, I didn't state that too well, did I? My meaning as to crawl traffic is clear. I also felt the auto just did not respond to throttle as quickly and positively as did the stick. Yes, one leads to the other. Just personally, I'd rather work on refining my touch on the fast pedal than lose the *SNAP* response when I want it.

The hang tag, in my glovebox, says the same thing the manual said both times I read it cover to cover. It [the manual] says if I goof "the battery will drain and could be damaged" (page 2-20). Yes, a battery can in theory be damaged by being drained flat. But this strikes me as a typical warning worst-case overstatement. You're still just leaving the ignition on.

They changed it because lots of people complained about it, of course. Also perhaps because there's an insane amount of truly wacky misinformation about it floating around that might be hurting sales. That does not invalidate my personal opinion that it's okay for me - and maybe 10,000 others who bought stick-shift C6's that year, every one of whom accepted that design. Yes, I'd prefer it work otherwise. But to me it's not a big deal.

Dad,

Nice list of vettes!

Which one, did you like the most and why?

OK if you get any warning and can turn around, I've got my share of one finger waves when I go through the median. Also when I went another route I was unlucky enough to hit another detour that put a bunch of cars out on an unmarked detour in the mountains, lots of fun. Been making that run since '88 and you can't out guess them all, you'll get stuck in traffic about once every trip even though I run them at odd hours and never on holidays. Still easier than the stick if you're driving an automatic.

Not the ignition, retained power.

Didn't read or hear many of the wacky accounts you refer to but do know it's possible to get out of the car without it being in reverse and not get any warning. It is then possible for anyone to get in, start it and drive it away without the fob. Not a good thing by most accounts, and can't happen with the auto. That item by its self killed some sales, seldom do I see GM change things due to misinformation. It was odd to see the C5 drop in price until the fob/reverse issue came up and then the C5 went up in price. At that same time there were C6's on the lot under MSRP and the gouging stopped.

Matters little, the question ask was stick or auto, my choice now after having the stick would be to get the automatic. It's a good question now that it is split about 50/50 although it may be lower because of the added cost for the auto this year. Looks like the auto will be available soon in the Z06 at about the right time to trade.

The '61, just liked the small block with duel 4's, it and the C6 I'm driving are the same color combination to remind me of all the good times. Had it when I got married, great woman, and we had our sons, great guys. Not so much the car I guess, just a great time in my life, but if I could have any of them back it would be the '61, the '72 is next.

Well I enjoy a stick more than an automatic. But for a car that is driven everyday in traffic an automatic is more convienent. I find that I'm less aggrevated when I get to work when I drive the automatic than when I drive the stick. Not that I find the stick difficult or anthing like that. It's just when I drive the stick I have more of a "I want to be moving, lets go" attitude where with the automatic I'm a little more laid back.

Maybe it's because so many if the race cars have been sticks (I did have one automatic I did grudge racing with), I don't know for sure.

Dennis

H'm, I never heard of a problem with anyone being able to drive the car if it is left improperly. Thanks for the good steer there.

I thought the Retained Accessory Power turned itself off after a little while... 15 to 20 minutes?

The stick/auto thing comes down to personal preference, and last I heard a large majority of C6 buyers wanted the automatic shift. It's awfully easy to get up on a soapbox when espousing strong personal preferences. I realize lots of people, especially younger ones, don't share my preference on the matter. Me, I'm the coot who'd ask 'Wuffo you wan' put a slushbox in a perfeckly good Corvette?' Others will ask why I want

1940's technology in a 2005 car.

Whatever your mileage, enjoy your ride.

OR, hacum ya don't have no 4 barrel on that thing??

Funny you should mention that, after I learned how to drive the 6 speed my mileage went from 23 to 32.8 in one trip. The sixth gear is not just for high speed cruising. Also was my first trip after disabling the 1 to 4 restraint.

Enjoy it whatever gear you're in---------

I'm still saving for that and also for the drum brake upgrade.

(Ya gotta admit a big 4V on a V8 sure sounds fine when those secondaries open....)

both vettes and my truck are stick. when i tore my achilles tendon this summer, i couldn't drive for 3 months. that's about the only time in 30 years i wish i had an automatic. my next car, of whatever type, will be an auto.

======================================== I am in my 60's and have bad knees and to be honest I have always excluded automatics... PERIOD.... ! I now own 5 Corvettes and the oly automatic is my 79 which my wife drives 90 percent of the time ...

HOWEVER ..I am shoppng for a used C5 .and with the bad knees I now will at least look at an automatic ...still prefer the 6 speed even though I no longer race nor do I normally dirve in traffic .. someone mentioned parades...LOL...NEVER AGAIN learned that 10-15 years ago,...

My little broither has owned a 99 automatic since 1999 and its a damn nice car BUT it is not that much fun to drive on the twisties... it is fun to drive to the grocery store however....

To each his own... my daily driver is a 5 speed truck and my next daily driver (another truck) will be an automatic.. the odds of my buying a Used C5 that is an automatic is pretty small ...

Just my thinking.. of course on a morning when my knee is acting up all bets are off...

Good Luck..

Bob G..

I hear you Dad.

The cars we dream about are often from the times we had great memories.

i usually dont respond to usenet groups but i just had to for this one cuz i drove a manual c6 the other day and it was one of the funnest things ive ever done salesman and i went to town with it like ferris bueller, was red too. i myself am gonna buy my 1st vette within the next few days

Isn't that a crappy feeling when you have to get out of the car to see exactly how bad you just wrecked it? I'd probably be uncurious..or dead.

:-)

-Stan