PorKen

I like my 3-speed auto, occasionally I notice the delay in selecting the gear I want, but in reality, the shifts are faster than anyone can do with a manual. Anytime in the city (<60), I can bash the accelerator and shift to 1st, and she goes like a rocket.

My rear trans cooler mod gives a consistent 160f pan temp at 90f ambient, so the box never feels sluggish from hot fluid.

I have lightened the '81 (~3000#), and I usually make a point of making gradual takeoffs from stops. Unfortunately, all other times I have a heavy foot.

With mostly city driving I get 13-14 MPG, mixed city/highway 15, and all highway, just over 20.

ROG100

Jim,
If I could "walk and chew gum" I would be a rich man -

Being a Brit Paul I understand your pain.
Gas used to be 87c a gallon when I moved to TX. I pay $2.50 now. I know that is not $7 a gallon like you pay but as a % increase thats pretty steep.

As we Brits would say "I was taking the micky".

Jim bailey - 928 International

Roger I think I understand now.."Being a Brit ..." you are trying to shift with the "wrong hand" it no doubt does feel unnatural ,awkward and a waste of time Now admit it you first tried to shift it with the hand brake lever!

docmirror

I've driven both, and although I have a 5 speed, I could do with an auto just as well. The differentiator to me is purely value. All other things being equal, the 5 speed will always be worth more. The torque tube issues are also a factor.

Doc

DoubleNutz

Not really its a simple fix if your handy with a tool box (IMHO). Thrust bearings in autos NOW THAT IS AN ISSUE, ESPECIALLY IF NOT CORRECTED.

Ron_H

Fuel prices are beginning to become a serious consideration. On my recent 6800 mile trip, I paid $955 for fuel. I can get 24 - 25 mpg if I stay under 100 mph and pamper the throttle. Otherwise, I average around 18 - 19 mpg. On a blast through "no man's land" and never seeing under triple digits, it drops to 14 - 18 mpg, and I can almost see the needle dropping as I'm going. Then it depends on the traffic, because as I approach a car or cars to be passed I usually slow considerably and then must resume my cruising speed by hammer down attitude which costs more fuel. Just cruising through a road like I-70 Westbound from Denver in the mountains at "speeds for which the car was designed", I get around 17 - 19, but feel compelled to confess my sin of exponentially increasing my enjoyment of life on Earth at the end of the run and wipe the grin off of my face. And that's in an automatic.

As for automatics, age is not my reason for preference of the automatic. The reason I bought the 928, and don't drive my 914/6 is the removal of cartilage from my left knee following a terrible collision wherein my 914 was hit in the rear by a goon not paying attention. I was cautioned not to drive a stick shift anymore. The 928 or a tiptronic fits the catagory of an acceptable ride. Now I love that auto box. Though "real men" would never admit it, sometimes it is nice to be on the bottom. (I hope I don't have to explain that.)

Shane

If I had open roads twisty or otherwise uncongested, I would want nothing else than to drive a manual 928. But with all the left lane hogs out there and the crap we put up with on our "roads", I prefer to navigate most of it with an auto. I can do it in a 5sp sure but when I do all I can think about is getting off the main though fares and hopping on a secondary twisty side road to get to my destinations. Cool you say, but by the time I finally get there I'm hours late and short on gas.

goliver

Have had three 928s with manual and now an auto. BTW have had an S4 with a manual and now the current S4 with the auto.

If you use the lever in the auto it is quite engaging and totally changes the cars personality. If you are in traffic, which sadly my car spends a significant portion of her life, it is nice to be able to just stick it in D and not worry about it.

I'm 40 (read getting more lazy), 6'1" and pushing 240ish and as a result always have the seat all the way back. In the manual cars the shifter always felt to far back. I adjusted the rods to move the pattern forward and it still felt awkward. Not to bad but not ideal for me. That and the dogleg 1st coupled with my commute makes the auto the way to go for me. As others say YMMV.

In addition to that, when you want max acceleration in an auto all you have to do is mash on the loud pedal and it is ohh boy we are gonna get moving now time. I know I personally couldn't even hold a candle to the auto box in downshifting (or any shifting for that matter) as fast and into the right gear as it does if I had the manual still. It will downshift to almost redline to get that last push before a lightning shift into the next cog.

If I only used the car in the twisty bits on the weekends the manual would probably be the choice so I could do my Juan Manuel Fangio imitation heel/toe stuff. I still think the auto would make me quicker as it thinks faster than I do and you can hold a gear if you want just like a manual.

Thrust bearing failure always kept me leery of getting the auto but I got such a smokin deal on this car I figured what the hell, if I lose the engine I'll rebuild and do the loctite fix and check it diligently. So far (knock on wood)hasn't been an issue.

Regards,

nee.dragger

This older guy, at 49, prefers a 5 speed. I have an 86.5 manual. I wanted a 5 speed when I started looking, but saw they were more expensive to purchase. So I decided I'd settle on a good condition 928 with an auto trans. Found a low mileage '86 with automatic (and I do mean low, only 26,000 miles! beautiful car), so my son and I test drove it . . . . . and hated it. So that's why I held out for the right one with a 5 speed.

Shifting really takes some getting used to, very stiff when cold, so you have to be precise. The throws are tight when warm, better than I've ever seen on any Porsche I've ever driven. I've owned a 924, a 911SC, and driven several examples of 911's and 928's in the past. So I was surprised about how tight the shifting was.

I average about 18.5 miles to the gallon, give or take a few tenths of a mile per. Doesn't seem to matter if I drive hard or relaxed, air conditioning on or off, purdy much the same.

goliver

I forgot the mpg. 13 in town and 22-23 on cruise on the highway at 80ish.

ErnestSw

This 60 year old wouldn't have an automatic. We have an 89 560SEL for that kind of driving.

Big Easy Sharkster

I've had 2 911's and 2 928's.. they've all been manual transmissions. Porsche's should only be built with manuals... automatic transmissions promote cell phones, cup holders and air conditioning. Before you know it, you forgot what your car sounds like... can't rememeber what gear your in and suffer from general malaise.

911Dave

Shifting is driving. I'd fall asleep with an auto.

m21sniper

Manually shifting a 928S Auto will not put you to sleep, i guarantee it.

I like sticks and autos, i've owned plenty of both. For a daily driver, an auto can't be beat. When you want to feel like Mario Andretti, nothing but a 5spd will do.

Not that they're really any faster, they just 'feel' a lot faster.

As others have said, you'd have to be Ronnie Sox to match the shifting speed of the 928S 4 speed auto box with a manual.

spinaker

Intersting thread. So much personal choice. At 51, I love my 5 spd. I did however enjoy the one auto I drove and would add that of all of the Porsches out there, the 928 is the best candidate for an alternative. Its a very versatile platform; performance or comfort cruising. My wife hated my 944; loves my 928 because of the "heavier" feel.

On mileage, I recently did two return trips Edmonton to Calgary, Alberta in heavy traffic. I decided to play safe from left lane bandits and gendarmes and cruised steady at about 75 mph in 5th gear. I recorded 27 miles per "imperial" gallon. That's the mileage test I quote to my wife when she questions the economics of owning a 928. Alls fair in love, war and shameless 928 promotion.