Anyone get 5EAT but wish they got 5MT?

[vailgt]

The WRX is a beefed up reinforced imprezza, most performance cars are just beefed up non-performance cars. So all'n all beefing works.

[Ken S]

[quote name='Deer Killer']auto's are by nature less reliable than manual. Unless of course you abuse the manual because you can. Yet we expect an all-new subaru auto to be more reliable than an old design that has been re-inforced?[/quote] I believe either tranny should be equally reliable given that the owner uses and maintains it properly. However, it's not any secret that Subaru MTs do have their share of problems. Yes, it's re-inforced, but it's an older design dating back to a 1.8L engine that has had it's share of issues in recent Subarus with lots more power. There is less case flex than before, but it'll be a couple of years until anyone understands the reliability of this reinforced MT. For folks who want to get the most out of their LGT at all cost, the 5MT is a great choice. It's smoother and stronger than any 5-speed manual (note: STi has the ultimate MT, but it's of a completely different design) tranny Subaru has ever built. Folks on the edge might want to consider this: The 5EAT is about as good as it gets with an auto. It's smooth, responsive and gives you far more manual control than any tranny in a similar price range. Plus, it gives you a more sophisticated AWD system. The 5MT, in contrast, doesn't really stand out compared to other manual trannies in it's class. Ken

[Two-Five Sti-L]

My opinion is if you've owned a manual and enjoyed the exp., then you will regret getting the AT unless you have another MT vehicle to play with. If you haven't owned a MT and is concerned w/stop and go traffic, then you're probably better off getting the AT. I personally will always have a MT until I get old probably. Hope this helps.

[IwannaSportSedan]

I would think everything would be cool with the newly re-inforced trans. Heat is the enemy, and I think that is where subie re-inforced it, Thicker, harder, and more robust parts that don't generate as much, and aren't as affected by heat. If/when I buy a Legacy GT, It will be a stick. no contest, it is just what I like, and my wife, as well. if it does fail, if it's in the 5 year drivetrain warranty period, It'll get repaired, otherwise I'll upgrade to an STi Six-speed stick. Hopefully the rest of the car will be robust, which is what I have heard.

[Car Dude]

I went from manual trannies in a 98RS and a 02 WRX to an auto 03 Legacy wagon and I cannot stand it. :( I really miss the control of a true manual tranny. :( I know the auto in the 05 Leg GT is probably the best auto Subaru has ever given us, but after test driving both an auto Leg GT and a manual OBXT, I ordered an 05 Leg GT wagon w/ manual tranny. Basically what happened to me was exactly what the originator of this thread was worried about. I got bored! I know sticks are a b*tch in traffic but for me, personally, I am willing to put up with that for the advantages when the road opens up. :twisted: I don't drive in that much traffic anyway. I still have about a month to wait before I get mine and I'm starting to get a little stir crazy! :laugh:

[dirk_puslich]

All, thanks for the opinions and experiences. I think it's clear that I should spend some time test driving each tranny befoer making up my mind. When I drove the A4 automatic with Tiptronic I knew after 5 minutes that I didn't like that system. But I drove an M3 with the paddles on the steering wheel and it was much better. I'll see what Subie has to offer. Thanks again!

[Stryker]

I had the opportunity of drive a 5EAT and a std today. I was undecided which transmission to get. First I test the manual with 700 miles on it. Great car lots of power the transmission feels more robust than the WRX. One thing I have to tell, This car is more dangerous than the STi!, since the car is so silent, you have to be careful bacause you're feeling that you are at 40 miles but when you see the odometer, you really are at 80 :) So far I really was impressed with the std (and I have a STi) and I think that it seems clear the std will be my choice.... WRONG!. Later I try a 5EAT with 1200 miles (I've tried the 5EAT with 10 miles before) and believe me people the car reacts completly different once the car pass the 1000 miles break-in. I use the car in normal mode and it felt nice a lot of power great for everyday use, then I think "What if I want to downshift? can I do this in normal mode?" I press the downshift button on the wheel and the car downshift with no problem that's one thing that is a plus, no matter in which mode you are, you can downshift or upshift. Then I tried the sports mode, excellent, the car shift almost at redline. I was fascinated with the car, then I tried the manual mode WOW is almost like driving an std. My advice to everyone, try to test a 5EAT with over a 1000 miles and I guarantee that you'll have a different opinion about the transmission. The only bad thing is that I have to wait until Aug 17 to get my black/black 5EAT. Hope this can help and sorry for my English :)

[john.di.martino]

Stryker I agree totally regarding the 5EAT. I also have a manual WRX and in my opinion the 5EAT is as responsive as any manual and more fun to drive. In manual mode you have as much control as a MT. The advantage is that you don't need to lift the accelerator when changing gears therefore the revs do not decrease on gear changes. The only thing that is better with the MT is the ability to be able to launch the car quciker from a standing start. In most cases a test drive of the car will not show the abilities of the 5EAT. When I first picked up the car, I was disappointed with the 5EAT. Now only after 800km and a bit of getting familiar with it, I love the Legacy GT 5EAT and find that I am starting to find that my MT WRX requires alot more effort to extract its full potential. Extracting full potential out of the Legacy 5EAT auto is effortless. Regards John

[Deer Killer]

[quote name='Ken S'] I believe either tranny should be equally reliable given that the owner uses and maintains it properly. Ken[/quote] [code:1:2a2a6cfc5d] Engineering * Testing Reliability = -------------------------- Complexity * Abuse [/code:1:2a2a6cfc5d] Auto lacks testing, and has greater complexity. Also it does have a potential for abuse, as people try to spool the turbo before launch and neutral drops. A design tweaked to fix bugs increases the engineering factor.

[godwhomismike]

[quote name='Stryker']One thing I have to tell, This car is more dangerous than the STi!, since the car is so silent, you have to be careful bacause you're feeling that you are at 40 miles but when you see the odometer, you really are at 80[/quote] That is very true, I thought I was doing 50 maybe 55, Nope - not even close!!!! Try around 100 :o When I saw the speedo reading 100, I almost had a heart attack, I slowed her down real fast. These cars are so deceptively fast that Subaru should consider putting in a speed warning buzzer or a heads up display. August 17 is around when I should get mine. - Mike

[kenzo]

[quote name='john.di.martino']... In manual mode you have as much control as a MT. The advantage is that you don't need to lift the accelerator when changing gears therefore the revs do not decrease on gear changes. ... [/quote] Still not sure how you have "as much control as a MT" without access to a clutch pedal... with all due respect, if you are lifting the accelerator during MT shifts instead of rev matching, the AT is probably a better choice for you.

[wunderkind]

the shiftbuttons on the steering wheel are quite pointless other than straightline driving. On twisties the buttons hard to reach and I ended up fumbling over the wheels. And yes, this Legacy GT is deceptively quick. I took a 5MT out the other day and on the onramp, where i press the gas pedal with the usual pressure applied to my own RS.... the GT soared to 170 in the same time it would've take my car to reach 100!

[foerster]

Thanks for all the input folks! Guess I still need to try both... The big question is if it does go, it seems like autos are always thousands of $$$ to fix, whereas w/ a MT, seems it's most often just replacing the clutch for hundreds of $$, no? Please excuse me if that's an incorrect assumption -- I don't claim to know the intricacies of modern trannies, other than the fact, from personal experience, that autos are immensely complex and a major bugger to fix... Just seems like manuals, being less complex, should be cheaper to fix too... Never had any problems w/ my SHO MT, so can't verify that though. I guess seeing as they're both new/revised trannies, the verdict will be out for a while, which kinda stinks for those of us who are on the fence... Stefan

[Ken S]

[quote name='Deer Killer'] [code:1:2e7f848345] Engineering * Testing Reliability = -------------------------- Complexity * Abuse [/code:1:2e7f848345] [/quote] Complexity -- yes I agree the 5EAT is much more complex. Testing -- Not sure what you mean that the auto "lacks testing". I'm sure it had a development cycle like any other component and it's also been in use in other parts of the world for a year. The 5MT is a tweak based on a design that Subaru suspected would cause problems under the increased loads of the 2.5 turbo. This redesign is also relatively new. Abuse -- That one [b]really[/b] depends on the driver. Over at NASIOC, I see a lot more WRX drivers with MT problems. I don't think you can validate any claim that an auto or manual driver is going to abuse their tranny more! I also think this part of the equation is probably going to overwhelm anything else. Engineering -- 5MT: original design by Subaru from way back, tweaked by Subaru over the years. 5EAT original design by Nissan (I've read in another thread), tweaked by Subaru and Prodrive. My take would be that the 5EAT had a lot more engineering resources on it than the 5MT. Can we agree that either choice is fine since we're all getting GTs? :) Ken

[tallguylehigh]

Manual Legacy GT = Baby M5 Auto Legacy GT = Baby RS6 That works for me, what does everyone else think? :D

[TeeLoo]

[quote name='dirk_puslich']Hi. I'm going to get a Legacy GT. I currently have a 5MT Jetta but I'm getting sick of working the clutch in city traffic. On highways and open road I love the manual. I am thinking about getting the 5EAT, as a lot of my driving is city and my wife doesn't like manual (but she has her own car;) ) I'm worried that I might get bored with the 5EAT and don't know about the performance difference. Have any longtime manual drivers gone with the 5EAT and regretted it? Do you get bored? Is the SportShift satisfying? I drove a Tiptronic A4 and found the shif lag to be very unpleasant.[/quote] I am an owner of the 5EAT. I'm coming from 7 years of driving a stick and loving it. In fact it was torturing for me to get an AT. I was obligated to choose the 5EAT since my wife has limited driving experience and definitaley doesn't want to drive a stick. Also, we choose to own 1 car only (she only rarely drove my MT car before, she almost never drove and I want her to start driving on a regular basis now). If I was in your situation I would go for the MT, IMO the added pleasure that a MT provides outweighs the irritation of stop-go traffic. That being said, I am so pleasantly surprised with how fun the 5EAT is to drive. The downshifting emulates well the downshifting of a MT. And believe me you can do a lot of damage with the 5EAT :twisted: . But if my wife was not part of the equation I'd have gone with the MT without hesitation. No one here on this board can convince me that the 5EAT is more fun to drive than the 5MT (I don't care about which is faster...). Go for the MT while you're still young! :lol: The 5EAT choice is still the right one for me and I do not regret it but, deep down, I wish I would have gotten the MT.

[john.di.martino]

[[/quote] Still not sure how you have "as much control as a MT" without access to a clutch pedal... .[/quote] Not sure how a cluctch pedal gives you more control. So your saying that drivers of F1 cars and other sequential gearbox type supercars have less control because they don't have a clutch pedal. John

[john.di.martino]

[quote name='kenzo'] Still not sure how you have "as much control as a MT" without access to a clutch pedal... [/quote] Not sure how a clutch pedal gives you more control. So you're saying that drivers of F1 cars and other sequential gearbox type supercars have less control because they don't have a clutch pedal. John

[wunderkind]

Subaru Auto <> F1 nor WRC SMG.

[john.di.martino]

[quote name='wunderkind']Subaru Auto <> F1 nor WRC SMG.[/quote] Wasn't suggesting it does. Only trying to suggest that a clutch pedal is not required to provide additional control John

[IwannaSportSedan]

I'd take a computer actuated clutch, without a pedal, in an SMG or F1 system over a power-sapping torque converter, if we are talking manu-matic transmissions. I still like a clutch and gear shifter.