Looking for advice on ordering an srt.

[Rales]

I prefer the 6 speed, most cars Ive owned I have had manuals and the autos I have had, I have always wished it was a manual. Just a preference.

[GmanNJ1033]

Originally Posted by Maddys013

Not sure whether to go 6 spd or auto. Will mostly be a daily driver with a super short commute interspersed with a 500-1000 mile round trip almost monthly.

6 spd seems like a lot of shifting. Do you leave it in 4th around town? Do you jump a few gears to get it to 6th sometimes?

Likely won't bother with the sunroof or Harmon Kardon. Any other thoughts on what you like or don't like would be appreciated.

The transmission depends on personal preference. I bought the automatic and love it. Also, with the automatic you get the autoshift feature which enables you to shift gears manually, either with the shift handle or the paddle shifters. You get the best of both worlds.

I bought the sunroof and like it. I haven't had any problems with it sticking open or closed and no problems with it leaking either.

Don't waste your money with the H-K system. It sounds good, but it's not worth $2000. Get a quality aftermarket setup instead.

Hope this helps.

[Trevster344]

Had plenty of automatics and the drive is short for me most the time so I went with the 6 speed, entertains me more, and over all I find it more enjoyable. Sunroof didn't need, but now that I think of it sometimes this car is like a winter cave, could use that extra sunlight. It can be chilly.

[Chazz]

Originally Posted by newmoon

Chazz,
Next time you are down let me know. I live in Manteo and we get the wall to wall traffic here as well especially on rainy or overcast days.

Will do! When it's nice I look for ANY reason to go to the beach It's a nice drive to the OBX if you can beat the traffic on 168/158 from Chesapeake particularly with a sun roof and 6 speed !

[RobF]

I went with the 6-speed and am very happy I did. It's a good, solid unit, and although the throws are a tad long, it yields satisfying up and downshifts. My SRT is not a daily driver, however. I live in LA, and if it was driven every day in the maddening congestion my town is famous for, I think shifting it would get pretty old rather quickly. Go with what works best depending on your driving habits and the level of traffic in your area. Also, if you want to drag your car at all, I'd say the auto is a must. Unlike most cars from the past, today's autos with paddle shifters are actually faster than a good old fashioned manual. I used to race cars professionally, and can probably shift quicker than 99% of drivers, but I'm still no match for the 5-speed with paddles at the strip.

As far as a sunroof goes, I got it and so should you. I NEVER open the glass, but pretty much always drive with the shade open. Our cars can feel very tomb-like because of the dark interior and narrow windows. Having the sunroof shade open immensely helps to do away with that effect, and lets a lot of light in. You will regret not having it.

The HK system is a waste of money. I ordered my 2012 SRT on the very first day the order banks were open, and the HK wasn't even an available option yet, so my car came with the standard Boston unit. A few months later, when the HK started shipping on the cars, I went to my dealer to check out how it sounded. Thankfully, I was unimpressed, because if I had liked it, I probably would have had to retro-fit it to my car, because I get like that when I regret not having an upgraded unit. Honestly, for $1900 it should sound a lot better than the standard system, and the reality is that it doesn't. I stuck with the Boston, and have actually become satisfied with its performance. It's not stellar, but it sounds good enough.

Good luck!

- Rob

[Ocron]

Good thread. I'm going to be 392 shopping soon and though I'm leaning towards the 6 speed I was going to test drive an auto. When I bought my RT 6 speed I test drove a couple of RT autos (a '10 and an '11) and came away unimpressed compared to the 6 spd. It seemed like if I wasn't in autostick it shifted a lot (particularly upshifts) when I wouldn't have expected it, and in autostick the shifting seemed sluggish, or at least not as snappy as I expected. Is the tranny performance different in a '12 or newer 392 than the RTs I drove?

[electricmarquis]

For me, having the control with a manual trans is super nice.......at times. Driving and relaxing simultaneously with a auto is superb most of the time. Maybe wait a bit until the ZF 8 Speeds come out. It might change peoples minds and yours. Even high end super cars come with auto-paddle shifted trans.

[Toxic11]

Originally Posted by Ocron

Good thread. I'm going to be 392 shopping soon and though I'm leaning towards the 6 speed I was going to test drive an auto. When I bought my RT 6 speed I test drove a couple of RT autos (a '10 and an '11) and came away unimpressed compared to the 6 spd. It seemed like if I wasn't in autostick it shifted a lot (particularly upshifts) when I wouldn't have expected it, and in autostick the shifting seemed sluggish, or at least not as snappy as I expected. Is the tranny performance different in a '12 or newer 392 than the RTs I drove?

The SRT's and RT's do not shift alike, the SRT is programmed more aggressively.

[rander]

Add a torque converter and a stage II valve body and you'll have some serious fun

Originally Posted by Toxic11

The SRT's and RT's do not shift alike, the SRT is programmed more aggressively.

[muzza61]

I got the 6-spd and have NEVER looked back. I drove the auto at the SRT Track Experience and personally was not impressed. I like the control you have with the 6-spd and it just sounds a lot better imo.

Traffic is not an issue with the 6-spd because you really do not need to shift much - I will keep it in first and on idle it will crawl along, then I can easy stay in traffic as it speeds up for a bit at 25 or so...so really not much in the way of gear changes.

That was a good point on the gas though if the cost is an issue. I still have my rev limiter kick in quite a bit and need new tyres after 5,000 miles - not as likely in an auto I would expect.