Manual is better? Ok, but what about..............

[351CJ]

When I saw the 2005 Stang yesterday, the engineer that was on hand at the show said the automatic performance was excellent. He said that they put a lot of time in getting the shift points and characteristics correct. He said that the AVERAGE driver, they will be faster in the auto, and they know this from experience among the various engineers that have been driving and testing the 05 prototypes. He said that it will take an excellent MTX driver to beat the auto. The auto has a very low 1st gear, so I'm sure it will respond great off the line. I've had esentially the same trannie in 2 different Lincoln LS's now and have had no problems with them. Ford has come out with software updates that improved shifting too.

My 2005/6 GT will have a manual because like my 2001 GT it is a 3rd car not an every day driver. If it was my primary car and every day driver I would get the auto.

 

[RICKS]

351CJ, can my Lincoln dealer service dept load the software update on my LS?? The auto in that car is super slick and quick running UP through the gears, but the downshifts are torturously SLLOOOWWW, I swear Ford has had an under-the-table deal with trial attorneys and chiropractors to create whiplash patients from bad/slow downshifts. The last truly great automatic that downshifted as quickly as it upshifted was the C6, and that's over 20 years gone by now. I don't "mind" an auto so much, if it's a REALLY good one. Problem is that Ford's automatics in passenger cars have flat-out stunk over the last 20 years, and have terrible downshift characteristics. They don't shift down when they should, they do when you don't want them to, and they take so long to do so that they LURCH and catch you off guard and cause all of your passengers to smack against their seatbelts, etc.etc... The tranny in my Lightning is a jewel, but it's a big heavy truck unit, and I've got an performance chip with super nice shift and converter lockup settings. I get furious driving a car where I don't have direct control of the gears, and the car does a lousy job of controlling it for me. All of the Ford automatics I've driven in Mustangs over the past 20 years have been downright poor, if you know and have ever experienced a truly good auto. BMW really knows how to calibrate an auto.

 

[351CJ]

351CJ, can my Lincoln dealer service dept load the software update on my LS??

It depends on what year LS you have and what rev of software you currently have.

There are several updates for the 00 - 02 LS. But if you have a late production 02 you already have the latest software.

There is one update for 03 LS's that were made before May 17, 2003. If you have an 04 or an 03 built after that date you already have the latest software.

I had a discussion with a Ford engineer who did the trannie calibration for the 2003 LS. She said that it's a constant battle between what the engineers want to do and what the marketing departement thinks their customers want. I came away with the impression that the slow downshifting is because the marketing department thinks their customers will be upset if the trannie downshifts too much or too quickly.

The engineer at the 05 stang showing said that they have done their own Mustang specific trannie calibrations. Before the 05 Stang, this engineer worked on the LS. He made it sound like the 05 stang calibration was going to be a lot more aggressive than what the LS has.

 

[RICKS]

I've got an '01. My gripe isn't with the frequency of downshifts, it's the fact that the downshifts are SO long in duration and clumsy that your head throws forward from the power being disengaged, and then the downshift kicks while your body is still careening forward and whiplashes you and causes everybody in the car to look at you with this "what the f*** is wrong with your driving" look on their faces. A quicker downshift would be SMOOTHER and more luxurious than what I've got now, so I'm lost on what the marketing drones are looking for. Calibration by committee......great. Thanks for the info!

 

[351CJ]

I've got an '01. My gripe isn't with the frequency of downshifts, it's the fact that the downshifts are SO long in duration and clumsy that your head throws forward from the power being disengaged, and then the downshift kicks while your body is still careening forward and whiplashes you and causes everybody in the car to look at you with this "what the f*** is wrong with your driving" look on their faces. A quicker downshift would be SMOOTHER and more luxurious than what I've got now, so I'm lost on what the marketing drones are looking for. Calibration by committee......great. Thanks for the info!

There sounds like there is something wrong with your trannie. My 00 did not behaive like you described even with the original PCM code.

The last applicable PCM code for your car was released in June 01. So unless you have a very late 01 made in June / July 01, or you PCM has been reflashed, you don't have the latest software. (There is actually a later PCM code revision, but it is only applicable to cars that had a stalling problem and it does not have any changes to the transmission calibration).

I would suggest that you get your dealer (or someone here on one of the boards) to run an OASIS report on your car to find out what revision PCM code you have. If you do not have the June 01 rev it makes a big improvement in the 2-3 shift and makes it go into reverse a lot quicker. The 4-3 and 3-2 downshift also seemed to be a lot quicker with this rev software.

 

[rich8566]

Here's the deal. The manual is the only way to go in the 05 Stang. Do what I did many years ago. I simpy bought my wife a new car with a 5 speed manual trans. I drove it home for her and then gave her a quick lesson. Although she did't really get how to do it right away, she simply tried it in her own for a few minutes each day. It only took her a couple of days before she was able to drive it fully.

 

[scottie1113]

If the manual is the only way to go, how come I'm going to get mine with an auto?

Personal preference. Neither is right or wrong.

 

[CManT1914]

If I buy a new mustang it's going to be a stick. You shouldn't be on the phone when you're driving, I always ignore calls when I'm driving. Eating in a car that nice? How dare you!

Actually, that was in my old beater Corolla that I ate. I do NOT eat in the Stang. As for the phone thing... well I'm guilty of that every now and then.

 

[scottie1113]

I guess I'm a heretic. Not only am I going to eat an auto, but I'm going to eat and drink coffee in the car as well. I can always clean up what little I spill.

 

[94SLOWBRA]

While I am certainly not impressed with the durability of the 5R55W,S,N line of trannies, considering how many I have worked on in explorers. I have NO DOUBT performance will be very impressive with a 3500lb car with good torque and HP like the 05 GT will have.

 

[92Frankenstein]

Driving an auto in a Mustang is like taking a shower with a raincoat on. It's like sex with a condom. It's prudent with those you're not very familiar with (just like you always get an auto when you rent), but when you're used to the real thing it only just ticks you off.

C4 3 Speed with a shift kit. It whoops the T-5's ass...


NOW AN AOD in a stang... thats just annoying...

 

[sajawebb]

Here's the deal. The manual is the only way to go in the 05 Stang. Do what I did many years ago. I simpy bought my wife a new car with a 5 speed manual trans. I drove it home for her and then gave her a quick lesson. Although she did't really get how to do it right away, she simply tried it in her own for a few minutes each day. It only took her a couple of days before she was able to drive it fully.

Ok Ford Motor Co., fire Bill Ford and hire rich8566 because Mr. Ford thinks we need a choice of trannies based upon a persons individual preference and unique tastes/etc. Rich8566 has determined that the manual is the ONLY WAY TO GO! You've got to go Mr. Ford!

 

[aete2]

auto is easier (turn key and go) stick makes you a part of the car (fun factor) but each to their own what makes you happy?

 

[rich8566]

Ok Ford Motor Co., fire Bill Ford and hire rich8566 because Mr. Ford thinks we need a choice of trannies based upon a persons individual preference and unique tastes/etc. Rich8566 has determined that the manual is the ONLY WAY TO GO! You've got to go Mr. Ford!

Thank you for your confidence in me over Bill Ford. Of course he has to offer the slush box tranny -- but this doesn't mean that it is the RIGHT thing to do. The manual trans will provide the dirver with more complete control over the car -- and I don't just mean straight line acceleration. I mean that the Manual trans will provide superior control in the twisties. Oh, and let's not believe the marketing hype that the 5 speed auto (aka slush box) will proivde identical acceleration as the 5 speed manual. No slush box can do that in a street car.

I would not fire Bill yet, but I remain convinced that this car should only be bought with a manny tranny.

 

[scottie1113]

That's your opinion, and you're entitled to it. I remain firmly convinced that choice is good, and I elect to go with an auto.

You go your way;I'll go mine. When we meet on the street, let's just smile, wave, and salute each other as Mustang drivers.