SoCalHHR

Not with me driving - I guarantee it.

I've raced cars (in sanctioned events), most of my life.

snksknr94

Are you seriously going to argue that an auto car is faster than a manual car with similarly skilled drivers? It is a proven fact that in most cases an auto car will et better due to being much easier to launch, but a stick car will mph better. If you can launch a manual car, it will hand an auto car it's ass. There would be bus lengths between a car the mph's 100 and one that does 96.

SoCalHHR

I would never argue with you!
Let's just settle it the next time you're in town.

Believe me, - I know the stats...

72Mark

I ordered the 5 speed.

I find the auto to be squishy.
Being a car nut, and having restored my current fun car (1972 Chevelle...4 speed manual!) , rebuilt engines and transmissions more times than I care to count at this point, I want my 5 speed. Auto's are a pain in the rear end to deal with when they are on their way out. They're heavy, messy, and have a bazillion small parts you have to deal with.

This is not to say that any significant percentage of the people on the HHR forums are going to be diving into the guts of their transmission, just that I now have a sour taste in my mouth from my automatic transmission experiences.

I always feel like I'm not really involved with the driving when there's a production Auto transmission controlling things. Not to say all automatics are bad, they can be a hoot with a higher stall converter, shift kit, and stuck behind a big block.

However, for day to day driving, and because I don't deal with much stop and go traffic, I want control.

Lee3333

The answer as to which is better is really simple. Auto is more consistant for drag racing, with all of the electronic boxes that help with launching and shifting. BUT, all of the top classes (Top Fuel, Funny Car, and Pro Stock are manual). For road racing, nothing offers the precision or control of a stick.

Just for the record, I learned to drive on a stick in 1973, and most of my cars have been manual. I have done a lot of racing, including drag, road, autocross, and rally. Unfortunately, due to being runover by a drunk driver back in 1987 I lost my right leg and am forced to drive an auto. But, for an experienced driver shifting gears becomes a reflex and is no big deal in traffic.

snksknr94

I only went with the auto because of the remote start. Every other car I've owned has been a manual. And SoCal I'd love for you to elaborate on how you'd make up the mph difference between a manual car and your auto, just out of curiousity. I didn't know there was anymore to driving an auto than just pointing it in the right direction and stomping the pedal.

Mavrik_HHR

I appreciate all the feed back guys, but by no means am I looking to race this car, its more of like a (not a PT) cruiser, but I do like to have that control of the manual. Thanx again.
Tom

SoCalHHR

Better yet - I'll just post my 1/4-mile times the next time I go to the track.

captain howdy

You take a stock 2.4 to the track SoCal? What times are you getting? Like 16s or 17s? What's your best trap speed so far?

SIHHR

Yeah but the HHR is not a light car. Your going to have to put alot of work into it to make it speed worthy and i'm sure fiberglass parts arent going to be cheap.