Hey Guys,

I unfortunately crashed my crossfire a couple week ago, thank god no one was hurt. Besides my pride and my gorgeous car. Anyway here lies my dilemma. My first car was an auto which i loved, but being a manual enthusiast, i felt the auto didn't always have the right gear when i needed it. I know you can just use the autostick but its not the same. So this time im thinking about getting the manual, can any of you advise me as to what you think the best choice would be. Oh the reason i chose the auto to begin with was that my family have been long time merc drivers, they felt merc didn't have a great manual and the resale in Australia is far better with the auto.

 

auto is better than the manual in this car.

 

i haven't driven an auto, but my vote is manual. i'm always in the gear i want!

 

This has been discussed multiple times before, and there are always plenty of people who say go manual and plenty who say auto. It boils down to personal preference. Go drive one and see if you like it. I've never had any problems with my manual in 16K miles and I have no complaints about the way it drives.

 

I would definitely say go drive one first; it's quite different than any other manual car I've had in the past. (My crossfire is an auto, but I'd driven a manual a few times).
Probably half of the people on here who have manuals have had problems with them and half haven't...

 

Like C_Plunkett pointed out this has been discussed in detail in the past and is more a matter of taste then anything else.

0-60 times for the SLK auto and stick models are almost identical so the only real benefit for one over the other is the "feel".

 

I originally had an automatic Crossfire that I had traded in a while ago and now just bought another one, only this time = manual (I truly missed the Crossfire). The manual to me has a very soft/luxurious feel unlike the notchy feel that I had encountered with a previous 350z. The only ones that had problems were from models made before Dec. 03 with a 'pop out of first gear' problem. This problem has since been solved and the new models have a new transmission. I, like yourself, felt that the gearing in the auto did not always match my driving tastes as well. I would not really worry about resale value = both auto and manual are relatively the same or close as of now and you will always have to understand that a car is one of the worst investments = buy it for your pleasure and enjoyment and never look back!

 

Either car manual or auto, isn't that fast to begin with and the auto may cost you a tenth or two. In the 1/4mi. I say just go with the automatic and cruise in it as it was intended to do.

 

well if you want to know what i think, go auto!!!
everyone like something different for different reasons or we would all drive the same square black car with a 4 cylinder.
I like 4 speeds in my 60-70's muscle cars,autos in just about everything else.

 

My baby is a 6 speed manual and hasn't given me anything but pleasure. Owned the car a year now and put on over 22,000 klms and I still look for an excuse to go for a drive. The guys are right about a personal choice and mine is resoundingly, standard shift. For me the choice isn't even close! Try it for a day or so and see what you think.

 

21K miles, all manual stick, all smiles.

 

The manual gets everything out of this smooth runnin' engine and in addition to that, its just that much more fun! BTW, what's a Merc?

 

Let me answer the question this way...I originally had an Xfire with the manual, I now own the auto. I have a 1990 Toyota 4X4 and the manual on that vehicle is far superior to the stick in the Xfire...nuf said.

 

see i heard similar stories about the manual. sorry guys a merc is a mercedes benz, reason being as i'm sure you all know the underpinnings of the SLK and Xfire are very similar.

 

Asking to choose between manual and auto is like asking... what color you should get. Me, I use automatics in trucks, and manuals in cars. I can't remember the last time I had an automatic car. Oh yeah - it was my 1970 Cougar, which I owned until 1976 and was originally my parent's car - I'd have bought a four speed back then, too.

You have to decide how you want to drive - me, I'm loving the 6 speed...

 

As an European I grew up with manuals. The XF is my first AT. After testing both I went for the AT. The MT didn't convince me.

Like others already said before: go, try both and find out yourself. As you can see, everyone decided by personal preference. And nobody regrets his decision. Or is there anyone?

 

With an engine like the Crossfire has, the choice for performance is the manual. If you want convenience, go with the auto. The general rule of thumb is that the less torquey the engine, the better it responds to a manual. The 3.2L MB engine we have is no torque slouch, but it isn't a stump puller either. Mine is a manual, and I have driven the auto: What drove me nuts in the auto was how the engine always feels a bit bogged down by the damn auto shifting in the next gear too early, then having to give it more throttle to either get it to downshift, or to keep it in the gear that it currently is in longer. The manual will never have that problem, and for me, that is vitally important. It was such a relief to get back to the manual after driving the auto. Most auto's have an uncanny ability to be in the wrong gear just at the wrong time when it counts the most. UGH!

In spirited driving, you will fight the auto but love the manual.
In regular driving, you will love the auto but fight the manual.

It is all about what is important to you.

With the 6-speed, you get more out of the car, but it also gets more out of you!

Here is another opinion for ya: Automatics in any car are B-O-R-I-N-G. (The new SLK350's 7-speed auto might be the only exception; anybody drive one yet?)

Do you want to be bored?

With the 6-speed, I can personally guarantee you, you will never be able to completely relax planning the next gear shift. Because it has 6-speeds, you are constantly shifting. People like me LOVE that part of the manual experience. It is that exact experience, though, that also turns a lot of people off. They just want to relax and cruise with an auto. That really is the bottom line. The manual can wear you out at times.

Are you into constantly spirited and motivated driving? Get the manual.
Are you into just relaxing and cruising? Get the auto.

 

Yes, I have driven the new 7-speed..did enjoy it. Also you put in so many words, there is a lot more to spirited driving then just shifting which is why the auto is "boring" to myself.

I assume it's the same way with the base Crossfire autostick's as it is with my SRT-6 where the transmission gets a little sleepy with normal stop-and-go driving given the transmission has a learning mode to it. But I've also noticed that if I give it one good acc. run the car shifts quite a bit better for a period of time.

 

I have a six speed car and love it to death. That said, the Crossfire means different things to different people. To me, it's the badass sports car that I always wanted, and I wouldn't want it with anything BUT a manual. Compared with the sport compacts and other ho-hum machinery I've owned before, the Crossfire fits my expectations of a proper sporting car nicely.

Then there are those that bought the car for its Mercedes refinement and comfort. If you are after a luxurious cruiser with a boatload of style, then go for the automatic. Here's my bias again, but if that is really what you are after, don't you already have a ton of other choices that don't force you into the typical sports car compromises (such as no interior space)?

 

I can definitely agree with what others have previously mentioned in this thread = the manual will squeeze every ounce out of this motor and, to me, has a more sporty appeal to it where as an auto has a more luxury appeal! It is definitely a personal choice and one that only the driver can make = I personally enjoy the manual ... good luck with what ever you choose!