v6 auto or manual...convertible/hardtop

[dodi]

I hope this thread hasn't been beaten to death. I am thinking about purchasing a v6 mustang. My problem is quite simple .... I can't decide on which stang because of the following factors. I know a 6 speed is a lot more fun and I have owned plenty in the past, but traffic concerns leave me worried...too much shifting. I would like a convertible for summers but on the west coast of Canada..(near Seattle, WA)too much rain ( 8 months a year) any suggestions. Also a hard top 6 speed is cheapest bet and fewer repairs ( auto transmissions )
PS...I am not sure if Mustangs are 5 or 6 speed.....I must be a newbie.

 

[V6WBlue05]

Currently both transmissions in the 05+ are 5 speeds.

Now the convert/hard top... I think is more of your preference. I don't care for the looks of the convertable. It just ruins the lines of the car too me.

Also living in WA state. I had a rag-top and i was never really able to enjoy it they way I wanted too.

 

[stanmckinney]

Hardtop automatic. You can't beat it.

 

[Riggs]

5speed, hardtop

 

[shooterm1]

5speed, hardtop

+1

 

[stanmckinney]

I would also go with the 5 speed if I didn't have arthritis and a few other problems that make driving a manual difficult. It used to be nothing but manuals for me now I must get an automatic. It's still fun.

 

[DarkSpoon]

5speed, hardtop

 

[sohcman]

Auto Hardtop

Auto can be shifted manually when desired.

The lines are much sleeker with the HT, the auto is great for traffic and bad knees.

We have a lot of 15MPH and 25MPH zones so I am always cruising in 1st or 2nd gear.

3rd is good for coming down our nasty hills.

SOHC

 

[bluecar]

I vote for convertible automatic. I rented one and it convinced me to trade in my fox body. IMO, top up it sort of resembles the notchbacks of yore. The convertible handles like a coupe since it has its own frame and is not just a coupe with a can opener taken to it. Also, Ford did a lot of R&D to make sure that top is tight and doesn't leak or make noise.

So you drive 4 months a year top up. What exhilaration. There is no feeling like it!

Also, consider those in snowy areas of the country where their cars are garaged and not even driven for months at a time.

Respectfully,
Kevin

 

[sohcman]

Not everybody in snowy climates garages their ponys.

Some even drive them in less than perfect weather.



Hardtop also weighs less.

SOHC

 

[Ken04]

I vote for convertible automatic. I rented one and it convinced me to trade in my fox body. IMO, top up it sort of resembles the notchbacks of yore. The convertible handles like a coupe since it has its own frame and is not just a coupe with a can opener taken to it. Also, Ford did a lot of R&D to make sure that top is tight and doesn't leak or make noise.

So you drive 4 months a year top up. What exhilaration. There is no feeling like it!

Also, consider those in snowy areas of the country where their cars are garaged and not even driven for months at a time.

Respectfully,
Kevin

Washington state, and especially Seattle get's maybe 2-3 months a year of not too much rain where you can drive a vert with the top down. Like the owner in Battle Ground, a hard top makes much more sense in this state. And although the Portland/Vancouver area has bad traffic, I still opted for the 5 speed. There's just something about going through the gears that you'll never get with a slushbox. The V6 is torquey enough to slide the clutch out at idle in traffic. Although we got no traffic like Seattle at rush hour.