I am in the market for a 97 Maxima; I currently drive an automatic, should i get a manual? Im a teenager so Ill prolly drive reasonably fast, but Im not sure if i want it or not...Im just looking for the next good priced Maxima i see, but i also just want an easy to drive chillin car too..soo...? Opinions and reasons?

 

i'm going to be 17 in a month, and have a 95 maxima. Its a 5 spd. My mother also has a maxima and hers is an auto. I'm so used to driving mine all the time, and took hers out the other night. WOW... what a difference. Hers feels like the ebrake is left on. You let off the gas, and down it slows. After coming to a stop sign, I step on the gas and (like normal people would) expect to go. But theres a lag in the auto tranny and have to wait for it to kick in.

I've had 2 cars in my life so far, and both have been 5 spd. For the time being i don't see an auto in my future.

 

also forgot to mention... I think the only downside to 5spd are the repair costs (when and if they need service). Theres not much you need to do to a Auto tranny besides change the fluid every (idk 60k miles?).

Take a 5spd now. Add in Clutch, bearings, synchros, or anything else that could go wrong. I personally think 5spds have higher running costs.

 

make sure u have warranty.. get an automatic.. when u feel the need to shift... u always got the 1-2-D gears

 

It is much more expensive to rebuild an auto tranny than a manual.

 

but alot more common to have to replace these parts on a 5 spd, than rebuild an auto.

 

No warranty possible, and i really need to keep costs down, so auto seems the best?

 

..............................5spd................ ...............

 

if you have a choise, I would get the manual. but thats me

 

Go with the 5 speed. I have auto and it shifts so darn slow. With a 5 speed you'll get that great pull a feat u cant do with a auto unless you have the VB mod. Go with the 5 speed I wish my mom did.

 

Real men drive stick, I have a 96 5 spd max and i love it. Whenever i drive an auto i am bored out of mine mind. The 5spd is sooo much more fun. The only problem is they are hard to find. It took me alot of searching to find the exact car i wanted. So if you cant get the stick the auto is still a fun car to drive.

 

IMHO, a manual (or "stick") makes you a better driver. A manual makes you more aware of your vehicle and the flow of traffic compared to those that just "point & shoot" in an auto.

 

i have an auto....buy that 5spd and trade me

 

Manual---No Contest

What is this BS on Manuals taking more money to fix, and having to fix more often? That might be true if you are 68 years old and don't drive very hard, but we are talking about an aggressive teen here. If you drive a auto hard, it will go out just as fast as a manual; and the cost to rebuild an auto tranny is crazy. Be a man, get a stick. Don't buy the first auto that becomes available. Be patient, and you will not regret it.

 

yep. exactly what he said. I'm glad I didn't have to wait for my 5-speed. it kinda just fell right into my lap.

 

I do agree with this observation in the way I drive. I have both a 5-spd & auto. I find the latter to be a bit detached from the task of driving. Driving a manual demands greater attention to everything that's going on. For this reason, I never use cruise control in my 5-spd. It makes me feel like I have much lesss control of the car (esp. for emergency collision avoidance).

 

A stick will give you more control in some situations... allowing for better control when accelerating or decelerating (engine braking in snow for instance)... but I don't think it makes you a better driver.

A poor driver behind the wheel of a stick may panic and cause more damage than may have been necessary if they had just hit the brakes and steered.

So -- I think it takes a better driver to effectively drive a stick.

On the same note though... that same better driver would probably be able to avoid the accident with an auto as well.

I have seen plenty of poor drivers regardless of their transmission or vehicle.

I am a firm believer that in most situations it comes down to 90% driver, 10% car...

 

5 speed...once you spend some time around this board you will figure it out......I had a 3rd gen auto....can't compare to my 4th gen with the 5-speed....

 

I am 17, and I waited for over 4 months to find a 4th Gen. Maxima. I wanted a 5-spd regardless of my parents telling me to get an auto. I saw a couple of automatics in the paper, but managed to hold myself off until I found a 5-spd. I found my 95 SE 5-spd w/ 118,000 miles for $6,000. I grabbed the phone and soon I was on my way to see my dream car. It took me a few weeks to get the hang of driving a powerful 5-spd, but I am sooooooo glad I didn't get an automatic. of the 4 cars in my family, my Maxima is the only stick. I hate driving any of our other cars because automatic is so boring now. Do yourself a favor and wait for a 5-speed to come around.

 

Take the 5 spd. Definately. I've got one of each, and I love my 5 spd. Just feels so much quicker. probably cause it is. BTW. The 997 is the 5 spd. the 2K1 is the auto