[bigdonut]

Hello, everyone.

I've been looking into getting a Camaro for quite a while. Something that I'd like to point out from the get-go is that I don't know how to drive a manual transmission.

Right now, I'm in the market for a Camaro. This car will be my daily driver. Currently, I don't have too much of traffic for work. In the morning, I have very little traffic and a fair amount of freeway; my total driving time in the morning is around 15-20 minutes. Coming home, I spend around 25-30 minutes but with no freeways. There's not really a lot of stop and go on the way back, thankfully. Some days there is some traffic on the way back but nothing horrible like Downtown Los Angeles traffic.

I've been looking at two combos with one being much cheaper than the other. One is the 1LT with the V6 and A8 and the other is the 1SS with the manual transmission. I'm the type of person who won't really sell a car.

What should I do in this case? I always say, if it wasn't for traffic, I'd buy a manual car in a heart beat. Unfortunately, there's traffic from where I come from. What's the best way to learn or gauge? I would be fearful of buying a 1SS MT without knowing how I would handle the traffic.

Please feel free to comment on your thoughts or suggestions for my situation. Thank you very much!

[Richard0nee]

I love manuals, fun, hitting that perfect shift feels good. In stop and go traffic, auto wins hands down.

Best way to do this, get a beater auto for traffic. Problem solved

Also, the SS is not a practical car compared to the V6 or practical at all! Eats a lot of gas, PLENTY of power and power that you really can't use much on the street, attention grabber, etc..

Thus, that's why it's special lol

[fzr100098]

If you've never driven a manual I'm not sure an SS is the best car to start - I would just get the auto

No one really needs a 6.2 L V8, but it sure is fun!

[MiamiBlueCamaro]

This

[TBSS2008]

I test drove a lot of cars before purchasing my 2016 2ss 6M. The manual in the 1lt is the easiest shifting manual I have ever driven hands down. It will also get much better mpg then the SS. However I also think the SS manual is great too but there is a little more effort to smooth shifting in traffic. That being said both trims are so much better then my 2011 Corvette GS 6M. That thing bucks in traffic if you dont get it right and sometimes it just does not want to go into the gear I am trying to select.

My vote is manual no matter which Camaro trim you get. I realize there is a difference in price between the two but deals are out there. I picked up my 2016 Camaro 2SS 6M blk/blk, blk wheels, and sunroof for 37,700.00 bf Tax and Title! Good luck with your purchase.

[bigdonut]

This deviates a bit from the 'Transmissions' section but I'd like to give an update...

So I've been thinking about getting a manual car that I might have for a month. The question is that I don't want to take a huge hit buying a vehicle that I will sell after I'm done driving it. Is it possible to lease a vehicle from a dealer for one month? I would assume not since the car would depreciate quickly. Anyone got any car suggestions? I've heard that an inexpensive Toyota or Honda might do the trick in my case.

In addition, I want to collect some data on my commute...

[Jerry's 2LT]

I grew up in L.A. and go back there usually twice a year to visit my son. I have noticed that the traffic gets worse and worse each time.

Now to your question. I have the V6 with auto and glad I made that decision. Actually, up until the last couple of years I had always driven a manual (all sports cars). But let me tell you, putting the A8 in manual mode and using the shift paddles is definitely NICE! As an added advantage, the V6 can use regular gas and gets better mileage.

If you can get the convertible (like mine) you are all set for L.A.

[Marty McFlew]

I would want the auto but would go with the manual simply because I just never learned how to drive an automatic.

[grnflash]

Originally Posted by Marty McFlew

...because I just never learned how to drive an automatic.

Ha... I see what you did, there!

If traffic is going to dominate your driving, I'd agree that automatic is the way to go. However, I somewhat disagree with the statement that an SS manual would be a bad car to learn on. It has a very forgiving clutch, prodigious torque, and a fantastic rev-match feature... and frankly, any of these camaros have more than enough power to get you in trouble.

The bigger issue as I see it, is that I wouldn't want anyone to have to learn stick in a heavy-traffic environment. During that learning period, you really need to be able to focus on the car as much as possible. It quickly becomes second nature, but early in the learning curve, traffic can be a dangerous distraction.

[DFW1LE]

I suspect you would enjoy the A8 on either the 1LT or 1SS. Learning to drive a manual on an SS and dealing with traffic may be nerve racking.

[1LE801]

The manual in the 6th Gen is one of the easiest I've ever driven. Having said that, I chose the Auto. The shifts from the 8 speed auto are freaking fast. I also grew tired of shifting my 14 1LE Camaro in traffic and such. I wanted this car to be as fast as possible under acceleration. The Auto is faster so that's what I chose.

Good luck with your decision OP!

[SS2017]

I live in southern California and deal with lots of traffic. But I just couldn't not get the M6...it's not all that bad in traffic, and when the traffic clears out it is so much more fun.

[blazzin1]

I used to have a Manual 5th Gen SS, and loved it at the time. I was always of the opinion that sports cars / muscle cars MUST be a manual transmission. I live/drive in the Tampa area and traffic is HORRIBLE!!! From what you explained in your original post, my drive is much worse than yours. Anyway, I sold my 5th Gen and a few months later test drove a 2016 SS Automatic.....I WAS SOLD!!! The automatic is wonderful, especially in traffic. I literally used to get leg cramps in my left leg from the clutch when I was driving home.... Not any more!!! It's awesome, and I don't feel like I've lost any performance or "cool" factor either. I would recommend the Auto hands down!!!

[1LE801]

The people who refuse to accept automatics are the same people who refused to learn computers because they were never gonna work out and instist that the "old fashioned" way is better because it's more macho, blah blah blah!! Get with the times or you'll be left behind like the dinosaurs.

These new automatics are amazing. I've spent a lot of time recently, forcing myself to use the paddles. I have become even more impressed with this transmission since doing so. I've had to learn this way of driving due to the modifications on my car. The thing I LOVE about the PD blowers is also the thing I had come to hate. When you were driving and you decided it was time to leave someone in the dust or just wanted to make a pull, the car would make its downshift, which was always into the perfect gear, might I add but then the immediate torque from the PD blower coupled with the downshift, would propel the car like a rocket. While this is a positive, it was spinning tires at 75 mph on the freeway and I'm sure it wasn't the most gentle on the drivetrain either. Since I have a wife and two kids, I decided that just a tad more smoothe application of the throttle would be good.

Now I use the paddles or shifter in manual mode almost exclusively when just putting along but I drive in competitive mode in the track setting in full auto when driving spiritedly. The car is just plain smart! The first time you run it through a gear under WOT, it assumes it's time to smash some competition around a track and it holds gears higher and keeps you ready to mash the peddle without having to downshift to do so. As soon as you're off the throttle again, it's downshifting you into the proper gear for whatever speed you slow to, accompanied with a rev matched blip of the throttle to prevent upsetting the cars balance.

At first, I will admit, I questioned my automatic decision but after I committed myself to learning the technology better, I would make the same decision again, over and over. This A8 is SICK! If you think "it sucks", it's you, not the car. They didn't stick it in the Z06 because it sucks.

Man, felt good to get that off my chest lol.