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Which transmission should I get?

  • Manual

    Votes: 10 45.5%
  • Automatic

    Votes: 12 54.5%

2011 Mustang GT: Auto or Manual?

17K views 46 replies 21 participants last post by  bazinga11 
#1 ·
I'm actually looking to buy a 2011 Ford Mustang GT, but my only concern is what transmission should I get? I've heard a looootttt of bad things about the manual transmission such as: clutch pedal sticking, grinding, lockouts, etc. I've never had a manual car before so it would be my first if I did get a manual transmission. But this coming fall I'm moving from a small town to a huge city because I'm transferring to College of Charleston so having an automatic for the visits home and in the city would probably be ideal. But I also want to have fun with the car. I get bored of just steering and sometimes would like to feel like a part of the car, especially if I get a mustang with all that power. So honestly I'm really conflicted between the two. If anyone has any information or input please let me know what I should lean to! :hide:
 
#2 ·
The mt82 is not that bad when the stock shifter is addressed. If you never had manual then even better you won't have anything to compare to. If you get the auto it sounds like you will always wished you got the manual. Follow your fun meter and you will always have a smile follow the conservative serious route and no smile. You choose....

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#4 ·
Honestly, 2011 (especially 2013 up w/ select shift) on up is the first time the automatic for the most part equals if not betters the manual cars. These auto's are not giving up power on the dyno's anymore compared to the manuals. I honestly walked away from buying a low mile GT500 to get into the auto coyote. JMO. Good luck.
 
#11 ·
This is my 6th mustang and every mustang has been manual. I converted my 1966 to a Auto but for strip but it came 3 speed manual. I was in the same boat as you not knowing what trans to go with on the newer 2011-2014 stang. I went Auto and let me just tell you with a tune its one bad ass SOB. This is not your AODE trans anymore. Im so glad I went Auto and my next mustang in the future will also be an Auto. Hope this helps.
 
#13 ·
Let me throw your doubts away. This is my first manual car as well. I was in the same boat as you. I drive in heavy houston traffic, and it is not that much of a hassle. The manual is more fun to drive in my experience. It makes driving fast, skillful in some aspects. The clutch sticking to the floor has happened only a few times when shifting at a high load, but taking out the spring assist seems to be the answer. The transmission just has a very crappy shifter. Mgw spec 2 fixes that. I will never get an auto car again because of how much I love cars and the feeling of being it true control. If I want to build a drag car then yes I'll buy an auto, but for driving, why not having fun? There are times when it would be more convenient to have an auto but there are times where the auto people will say, man I wish I could have a manual. Speed aside, which to me is hardly different, it's about how you want your driving experience to feel. For this car, it's old style drivetrain mentality, I feel manual fits it best. My 2 cents. But if you have the thought of it now, you'll always have it. Just like the v8 bug for those in v6(my previous was a 2011 camaro v6 auto). Trust me. Manual v8.


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#14 ·
Same advice here. My first mustang was a 98 gt manual. I absolutely loved that car and how much fun it was to drive. I ended up getting a new 2002 gt back in 02 and went with automatic. I spent the next ten years wishing it was manual. Finally in 2012 i got a new 5.0 and went manual. And i have not regretted it at all. I live in san antonio and get stuck in traffic as well, still love it. My shifter is still the stock one and i dont have any issues. After reading some other responses though i am interested in changing the shifter and seeing the difference it will make.

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#16 ·
What would Steve McQueen drive? How do you think the Movie Bullitt would have turned out with a auto in that GT? He would have crashed and never reeled in that charger. All mustangs would have been autos and we would never of had a choice for a manual trans. Keep the dream alive go manual!

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#19 ·
You are a Brilliant guy, BUT a lot of Women can drive stick, but you keep thinking that.
 
#20 ·
They both are going to have there advantages so saying one is better then the other is a useless argument. The Autos this day and age have come a long way. Take a drive in any auto with a few bolt ons and a tune and WOW. I had the same mind set about autos a few years ago, they were for girls, they were slow, sluggish and telling someone you had a auto just didn't feel right. But now when i go to the street races guy say "oh he has an auto so you better shift perfect or he will beat you." Either way your getting a 5.0 mustang so you cant go wrong and you wont regret either decision. But my vote goes Auto because of the perfect shifts every time, dont gotta mess with crappy shifters or clutches, no second gear grind when cold. just get in and drive and talk on your cell phone lol. Drive and eat your burger at the same time.
 
#21 ·
Dude get a manual, and replace your stock shifter with a mgw spec 2. I currently have an auto 5.0, and honestly I miss my manual 3.7 every single day. Too much hassle to get a perfectly tuned auto to your liking - I have Lund and mpt tune, still can't them tweaked to how I want my car to respond under mellow/light acceleration. Granted select shift feature is a nice little option to shift at your will, yet its no way near an actual stick car.

I might be going for a manual swap to a tremec in near future after all. Let's see how that pans out.
 
#29 ·
Too much hassle to get a perfectly tuned auto to your liking - I have Lund and mpt tune, still can't them tweaked to how I want my car to respond under mellow/light acceleration.
Call mike roush and your problems are fixed. even a BAMA tune for autos isnt like you make it sound. :whistling:
 
#23 ·
For racing, the auto is faster. On the track, and at the drag strip. It shifts faster or as fast as the standard, and with a tune is great on the track. Daily driving, automatics suck. Some people don't like traffic with it, but I don't mind rush hour with a standard. I just work the clutch, and almost never use my brakes. Though, I am not the type to race up to the rear of a car and then slam in my brakes- I would rather average 10 mph, than race from 0-25-0 over and over. But that's me.

Honestly, you should buy a $500 piece of crap standard and just daily it. See how you like it. You'll know quickly if you like it or not. Get everything down, and then get going :)

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#25 ·
What I dislike about the auto is the fact that skill is taken away from the experience in all aspects. Regardless, a 5.0 is a 5.0. You good either way. Apparently tuning is needed no matter what you do.

Roll racing. Go manual everytime ;)


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---------- Post added at 06:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:19 PM ----------

Plus on a real track. I'd want a manual unless it was a Porsche :)


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#28 ·
Who the hell has time to race anyone? I drive to and from work and then there's responsibilities on days off.
Are there a lot of independently wealthy people racing their Mustangs all the time that 1/4 mile times even matter. Or repairing them from the extra abuse?
Daily driver Mustang= more fun with a manual.
 
#33 ·
I drove my first Mustang in 1965...on leave from the AF and rented it in Boston...I lived in Maine. In-line six with a slush pump. I just purchased my first Mustang last month....2011 GT Premium. It's a toy for when I want to play. Most of my play driving is done before dawn here in So Cal.....wide open roads....street lights are much more friendly and no kids pulling up beside me in mom's Prius looking to beat the GT. I just love to drive the thing....it's an incredibly fun ride....I don't cowboy it, and I don't abuse it....it has 19+K miles.....someone will get an incredible hot rod when I trade it for my next muscle car....probably 2017...having cataract surgery in two weeks....night driving will take on a whole new perspective.
 
#35 ·
All right so if I get a manual, and I replace the shifter with Barton short shifter and bracket or the mgw all of the manual issues will be prevented? I'm not looking for something to fix shortly after I get it. Upgrade yes, but not fix. I just can't be bothered to have a ****ty transmission on my daily driver. And if I get an automatic all I would need is a tune, and my power and shifts will be produced better, smoother?

I understand that last question was dumb, I already know what the answer is gonna kinda be. But I would just like it elaborated.

I would like to try to get a manual, but I really don't want it to end up ****ing up on me in the first few months I have the thing. And Ive been researching, if I replace the pedal assembly with one from a 2011 Boss or gt500 and then upgrade my shifter I shouldn't have the "common" problems other might have like lock-outs, clutch pedal staying down, grinding and all?
 
#36 ·
Now it all depends on how many miles you have on the car you're going to buy. And if its a 2011, you can assume the transmission must have gone through quite a bit of abuse by now.

The transmission itself is not the main problem, but fords remote shifter assembly and its design is - which puts our MT-82 under lot of stress. Now let's say if the car you're going to buy has been driven by a senior/not tracked, you might get lucky. Get MGW's new race spec shifter, ss clutch lines and good transmission fluid. This would solve majority if not all of the problems we have seen on these transmissions.

For autos, tune is not the only thing you need if you're looking for that low end grunt of manuals. Stock converts suck big time on these cars, you're looking at 1500 bucks for parts n labor for a circle D converter. And well select shift mode is just a cheap solution to having driveability of a manual.

All depends on what you're goals are with your car. Other forum members have given you excellent advise already.
 
#38 ·
Standard. Had 2007 Gtcs auto. Now 2013 GT with standard. Previous was 2004 Wrx Sti. And missed the standard when in went to auto.

Being able to select the right gear when entering and coming out of a corner means more to me than the additional power of the 5.0 vs the 4.6

My 2 cents anyway. Also first post ?


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#46 ·
I have a manual 2012, absolute blast to drive. I got the barton shifter and bracket, and put in the mgw solid shifter bushings. No complaints here and I drive it daily in stop and go traffic and never wish I had an auto.


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