new to the nsx world being a vette addict. Took my first test drive of a 03 lbb auto and am now hooked. Car rides and feels like no other i have driven. My question is if there is a considerable difference in the performance between the stick and auto? I prefer the auto so my whole clan aka my wife can also enjoy the car. One thing i know is that i am done with vettes and my next ride will be a 02-05 nsx.
auto vs stick
- Thread starter cutthroat
- Start date
there is a considerable difference. the auto is decent for an auto of the early 90's era, but far from being comparable to a modern one or a manual... especially the 6-speed. additionally, the autos get a smaller engine and thus less power. still, even an auto NSX is fun... so choose what works for you... but definitely drive a manual 02+ before deciding. i think the difference is pretty huge... even for early models where the engine was the same, the manual was far better.
Short answer: YES.
My 2004 six speed (with Taitec GTLW exhaust) will tear up our 2005 LBBP auto. More details by PM if you wish...
http://nsxprime.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1458375&postcount=72
Ideally you want a stick. But if you are lazy, there are very few cars out there handles like the NSX, so having an auto is a small sacrifice.
its not even the handling because you can get that elsewhere... just driving the car is great... the low seating position, the engine behind your head...
here's a plus for the auto though... i wear some wide shoes for work and i can barely drive the manual with those shoes on... step on the gas and you step on the brake also, if you manage to get past the brake pedal to step on the gas, you snag your shoe on the way up. not a problem with the auto.
Like with any car, one can extract more performance and enjoyment out of the machine. Aside from the transmission, the only other difference is less horsepower; I believe the detune is to reduce the stress on the automatic transmission. Someone correct me if Im wrong.
heres a link of what other people thought regarding the automatic. http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2168
I owned my 95 auto NSX (with sports shift) for 5 years. It is my first NSX. Its been the best sports car that I have owned (not owning a sports car of this caliber). However, I have found that I have outgrown the auto and want a faster car. If things work out work wise, my next NSX will be a manual.
I would not own a pre-95 auto because of the lack of the sports shift option. However, the sports shift is only similar, but not the same as a manual. Its too bad that the NSX did not come with a 290 HP, six speed auto!
I would not own a pre-95 auto because of the lack of the sports shift option. However, the sports shift is only similar, but not the same as a manual. Its too bad that the NSX did not come with a 290 HP, six speed auto!
You should definitely research and drive a few different kinds of NSX before pulling the trigger on an 02-05 auto nsx.
There is very little difference between the engine in a 1991 Auto Nsx and a 2005 Auto NSX. You will be paying a very large premium for a 2002-2005 auto nsx for in many ways the same engine (there 2002+ body style has other improvements including suspension which may be worth it to you).
The first generation 1991-1997 NA1 manual transmission engines are more powerful (the auto NA1 engines were detuned) and the 1997+ engines in manual cars were the second generation NA2 engines, but all 1997+ autos got stuck with the detuned NA1 engine.
So like I said, before you pull the trigger, try a 1991-2001 auto NSX, 1991-1997 manual, and a 1997+ manual.
Easier said then done considering their rarity, but you don't want to impulse buy a car like the NSX anyway IMO.
There is very little difference between the engine in a 1991 Auto Nsx and a 2005 Auto NSX. You will be paying a very large premium for a 2002-2005 auto nsx for in many ways the same engine (there 2002+ body style has other improvements including suspension which may be worth it to you).
The first generation 1991-1997 NA1 manual transmission engines are more powerful (the auto NA1 engines were detuned) and the 1997+ engines in manual cars were the second generation NA2 engines, but all 1997+ autos got stuck with the detuned NA1 engine.
So like I said, before you pull the trigger, try a 1991-2001 auto NSX, 1991-1997 manual, and a 1997+ manual.
Easier said then done considering their rarity, but you don't want to impulse buy a car like the NSX anyway IMO.
Forget your clan, you'll realize it sooner or later that you don't want anyone else driving it.
My family members have owned a '90 ('91 in your case) auto and still own a '95 semi-auto, I have spent sufficient amount with them both and mine is a '98 manual. While the autos (especially the Sportshift) are still VERY fun to drive but the manual experience will blow you away. One of they key factors is that autos only have 4 gears, thus accelerates slower.
Chances are that if you buy an auto, you'll end up trading it for a manual to get the full NSX experience. My advice is try them both and you'll know the difference.
No disrespect to autos whatsoever.
My family members have owned a '90 ('91 in your case) auto and still own a '95 semi-auto, I have spent sufficient amount with them both and mine is a '98 manual. While the autos (especially the Sportshift) are still VERY fun to drive but the manual experience will blow you away. One of they key factors is that autos only have 4 gears, thus accelerates slower.
Chances are that if you buy an auto, you'll end up trading it for a manual to get the full NSX experience. My advice is try them both and you'll know the difference.
No disrespect to autos whatsoever.
I seriously considered getting an +02 Auto when thinking I'd daily drive an NSX (traffic, etc.) and drove one which was rather impressive.
As others have said though the manual changes the car's handling and dynamics dramatically. Still if I had a NSX DD I'd nab an auto...
As others have said though the manual changes the car's handling and dynamics dramatically. Still if I had a NSX DD I'd nab an auto...
shawn110975
Suspended
your first problem is your wife cant drive stick.
something sexy about a women that can drive stick.
something even More sexy is a women in an NSX and if its stick HOLY HELL watch out.
do this.....
go and rent a UHAUL truck YES they still rent manual transmissions UHAULS, yeah the transmission's are usually shot but they still work or they wouldnt rent it to you. give your wife the run down on how to drive the manual transmission and then put her in the driver seat of this Uhaul
let her burn the shit outta the uhaul intill she isnt grinding gears anymore.
then make her drive it over 50mph ( highway ) then back home, if she can get into reverse with out grinding or stalling and has not stalled for a few miles in the city she is good to go.
then borrow a friends car thats stick, let her drive it, big difference but since she has the basics down and still no grinding in ANY gears and no stalls
THEN GO BUY A MANUAL TRANSMISSION NSX
my .2 cents
ALSO they dont make the Auto transmission anymore, so if your auto breaks your shit outta luck, your will be looking for a hopefully good USED transmission and a used auto tran is more rare then the NSX LOL.
save your self the headache
something sexy about a women that can drive stick.
something even More sexy is a women in an NSX and if its stick HOLY HELL watch out.
do this.....
go and rent a UHAUL truck YES they still rent manual transmissions UHAULS, yeah the transmission's are usually shot but they still work or they wouldnt rent it to you. give your wife the run down on how to drive the manual transmission and then put her in the driver seat of this Uhaul
let her burn the shit outta the uhaul intill she isnt grinding gears anymore.
then make her drive it over 50mph ( highway ) then back home, if she can get into reverse with out grinding or stalling and has not stalled for a few miles in the city she is good to go.
then borrow a friends car thats stick, let her drive it, big difference but since she has the basics down and still no grinding in ANY gears and no stalls
THEN GO BUY A MANUAL TRANSMISSION NSX
my .2 cents
ALSO they dont make the Auto transmission anymore, so if your auto breaks your shit outta luck, your will be looking for a hopefully good USED transmission and a used auto tran is more rare then the NSX LOL.
save your self the headache
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That's not such a bad idea. However, just driving a U-Haul is pain in the a$$, why complicate things by throwing in a manual transmission for your wife to worry about. Talk about pressure.
If you did that with me, I gaurantee that you wouldn't be a friend for too long. What a $hitty thing to do to a friends car.
Thanks for the advice....looks like a stick is the way to go....I plan on reaching out to some NJ owners to see if I can meet up with them to learn more. The easy part is over, knowing that I want an NSX, the hard part looks like finding the right one.
If she's going to be a passenger a majority of the time, I can say for sure that she'll appreciate the smooth ride of an auto over a manual.
Take her for a test drive in an auto vs. manual and see what she likes.:smile:
My old man bought two automatic 350Zs a while back so that "my mother could drive them." She drove a total of about 3 minutes in parking lot ONCE in 4 years. He now drives a Nismo 370Z (obviously a manual), and my mother never complains.
I couldn't imagine driving an automatic NSX. One of the sheer joys of the NSX is it's great gearbox and the fact that it revs to 8000+ rpm. With the auto, you lose both of those aspects of an otherwise amazing car. Do yourself a favor; don't even consider an auto... find a manual and run with it.
Just my $.02.
I couldn't imagine driving an automatic NSX. One of the sheer joys of the NSX is it's great gearbox and the fact that it revs to 8000+ rpm. With the auto, you lose both of those aspects of an otherwise amazing car. Do yourself a favor; don't even consider an auto... find a manual and run with it.
Just my $.02.
Ha thats a good idea about the Uhaul but I would tell you to GTFO on using my car to let the wife learn stick.
If you can drive stick get a stick. The NSX is just one of those cars a Stick is a must to extract full enjoyment out of. It's not like the Vett autos.
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Thanks Enigma...you hit the nail on the head. When push comes to shove my wife wont want to drive it anyway. Plus I should learn from the past when she took my mint vette out for the night and came home with curb rash on one rim....she said sorry I think I hit a curb. And as this car certainly is not vette I will go with a stick.
For some it's a hard sell to buy yourself a toy out of the "family funds"! The wife has a say in things and wants to drive the car - maybe so - but kids - no way. I heard from a good buddy of mine who is putting a 964 Porsche engine with 34k miles on it in a 914 - where did that engine come from - a guys pristine 964 that his son took out with permission and proceeded to wrap around a pole and total! Don't make that mistake with one of the few NSXs left. At least if your son drives it - be in the car!
I understand this whole concept - I really do - and if it works for the wife and you - then do it - it's a great car either way. They may not make the auto tranny anymore but there are still most likely repair parts available - not sure about that however. Something to be concerned about because the reason the hp was kept down in the NSX automatics is that the tranny can't take the additional hp of the normal motor put in the NA1 or NA2 - at least that's my understanding. They have 257 hp instead of the full 270 hp of the 3.0 and the same when the engine size was in creased for the NA2 to 290 hp.
It's a wonderful car and if you are not a big shifter as I am for the past 45 years then it may not really matter. Many sports car drivers feel the experience of driving and driver envolvement is lessened by an automatic transmission - perhaps it is but only you know how much and what kind of driving you'll be doing with the car and what kind of driver you are.
Good luck in your decision - like I say either way it is a fantastic car! All the best!
I understand this whole concept - I really do - and if it works for the wife and you - then do it - it's a great car either way. They may not make the auto tranny anymore but there are still most likely repair parts available - not sure about that however. Something to be concerned about because the reason the hp was kept down in the NSX automatics is that the tranny can't take the additional hp of the normal motor put in the NA1 or NA2 - at least that's my understanding. They have 257 hp instead of the full 270 hp of the 3.0 and the same when the engine size was in creased for the NA2 to 290 hp.
It's a wonderful car and if you are not a big shifter as I am for the past 45 years then it may not really matter. Many sports car drivers feel the experience of driving and driver envolvement is lessened by an automatic transmission - perhaps it is but only you know how much and what kind of driving you'll be doing with the car and what kind of driver you are.
Good luck in your decision - like I say either way it is a fantastic car! All the best!
shawn110975
Suspended
DOCL it was an idea to use a friends car once she had the basics down from the UHAUL, she wouldnt hurt the borrowed car LOL
I have never done that before, I would be PIIISSSSEEEDDD off LOL.
I tried to teach my Fiance to drive my NSX she did good.
stop go stop go reverse stop go stop go reverse .. then i started to SMELL my clutch and I was like enough for today, that was 2.5 years ago LOL
I have never done that before, I would be PIIISSSSEEEDDD off LOL.
I tried to teach my Fiance to drive my NSX she did good.
stop go stop go reverse stop go stop go reverse .. then i started to SMELL my clutch and I was like enough for today, that was 2.5 years ago LOL
I'm a firm believer in shifting gears for myself....Especially in a sports car and even more so in a car like the NSX. But I'm guy who daily drives a 5 speed late model Accord as his daily driver and have not owned an automatic car since 1996. More control of the power you have giving you the ability to control fuel consumption and better overall control of your car. NSX is a drivers car buddy, drive it!
These are wise words all around, IMO.
I've owned both auto and manual in NSX, Corvette and 911. The NSX auto saddles you with some more tradeoffs than others (detuned engine - 252HP 3.0 liter vs the 270HP for the 5 speed 3.0L or 290HP of the 3.2L 6 speed), but it is still a great car.
In terms of the tranny, Level10 can build em:
http://www.levelten.com/
Im pretty sure there are some folks here running forced induction on built level 10 autos on the NSX
So it can be done.
I love manual and enjoy the challenge of it, but I'd never do it on a DD personally. My DD is a little Mitsu ralliart with dual clutch and that I really love. IMO dual clutch sequentials are the ultimate trans.
Let me say this before I get started. I do not own a NSX yet but with almost 40 years of sports car and 10 years of racing a Formula Ford 1600 you will want a manual box. All of my sports cars were manual and when it is time to push or hustle the car the manual is about the only way you can do it. The autos even if you lock it in gear or drop from say D to 3 just does not work as well as electing the gear you want. As an example; I had a run off the line with a kid in some little tricked out car. And when we both took off I watched him up shift and I reved an extra 300 rpm before I made my shift and beat him. (read a quote from Denny Hulme that did that to Peter Revson before they teammates) There will be times you will want more grunt off a turn and the atuo will upshift based on the rpms and you may not want to up shift.
I bought my NSX months ago. Its a manual. I drove several before buying. One was almost identical being red, but it was actually newer with a Targa top, but was an automatic. Needless to say my car is a manual. It is older than the auto actually. And guess what? I don't regret it PERIOD. Out of the NSX's I had driven the manual experience dominated immensely. Just hearing my Comptech exaust as I accelerate and change gears, then the back pressure when I'm slowing down smh. PRICELESS. Reminds me that I'm in the car I love to begin with. :biggrin:
These are wise words all around, IMO.
I've owned both auto and manual in NSX, Corvette and 911. The NSX auto saddles you with some more tradeoffs than others (detuned engine - 252HP 3.0 liter vs the 270HP for the 5 speed 3.0L or 290HP of the 3.2L 6 speed), but it is still a great car.
In terms of the tranny, Level10 can build em:
http://www.levelten.com/
Im pretty sure there are some folks here running forced induction on built level 10 autos on the NSX
So it can be done
I love manual and enjoy the challenge of it, but I'd never do it on a DD personally. My DD is a little Mitsu ralliart with dual clutch and that I really love. IMO dual clutch sequentials are the ultimate trans.
So ML, if you were to buy a late model 911 would you go PDK? I'm just curious cause it's probably the best sequential in production today! That's a big discussion on the Porsche boards and in Panorama. I still get all that stuff as a member of the PCA. How do you feel about driver involvement - is it or can it be as much fun as a MT in your opinion?
These are wise words all around, IMO.
I've owned both auto and manual in NSX, Corvette and 911. The NSX auto saddles you with some more tradeoffs than others (detuned engine - 252HP 3.0 liter vs the 270HP for the 5 speed 3.0L or 290HP of the 3.2L 6 speed), but it is still a great car.
In terms of the tranny, Level10 can build em:
http://www.levelten.com/
Im pretty sure there are some folks here running forced induction on built level 10 autos on the NSX
So it can be done.
I love manual and enjoy the challenge of it, but I'd never do it on a DD personally. My DD is a little Mitsu ralliart with dual clutch and that I really love. IMO dual clutch sequentials are the ultimate trans.
i have a built auto in my Z and i love it. difference is i can make power easily vs. the NSX. on the NSX i wouldn't want the transmission sucking up what little power i have unless i were going forced induction.
had a GTI with DSG and while it is nice in its own right, it doesn't replace the want for a manual, nor does it give the smoothness of an auto. also, they tend to suffer from rough clutch engagement when going from a stop, even on the latest and greatest ferrari 458 italia... how is it on the ralliart?
