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Is a CTS-V V2 a good car to learn manual in?

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5.6K views 23 replies 10 participants last post by  db-guru  
#1 ·
To preface this, Im a new member of the forum so I apologize for any grammar mistakes :)

I have a 2011 G37x Coupe (330hp) (Auto)

So, Im looking at trading in my current car (2011 G37x Coupe with cash on top) for a CTS-V V2 (Probably Coupe but maybe Sedan) and was wondering if it would be a good car to learn manual in? I have no prior first hand expirence but I’ve watched my friends shift and understand the concept of it (ridden dirt bikes).

I plan on keeping the car for a while and don’t want to have issues down the road (heard bad things about the autos).

Thank you in advance!
 
#4 ·

I don’t know what all he had done to the car before it blew but I didn’t want to have the same issue.

Beyond further examination though I think an auto will fit my needs better as I plan on using the car for spiritdriving and maybe a race every now and then (1/4 from a dig).

I appreciate the fast response and helpful information,

Josh
 
#6 ·
Sounds good man, I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t buy a hunk of junk😂

Another question tho, so I plan on keeping my car mechanically stock with maybe a tune for a while until i want more power, but even then Id only want maybe some smaller pulleys (nothing major). By doing these mods and supporting mods, will it greatly decrease the longevity of the engine? I know forced induction car already decreases it, but will smaller pulleys get me there faster? (Not something I want obviously)

Thank you in advance for the help!
 
#7 ·
I'm going to be the outlier, here (imagine that) and I'm going to suggest that a V is actually a great car to learn manual transmission skills. An important distinction must be made: It is NOT a good car to learn to drive, no no no... but for a driver, who also has clutch experience (with motorcycles) it is a great choice. The excess power that we all enjoy is not going to be a problem in my view, we're not talking about anyone getting out of control with the throttle.
No the ADVANTAGE that the V offers is its massive torque which is a huge help when you don't yet know which gear to be in, when. Trying to learn stick in an underpowered econobox is the worst...having to constantly rev the shit out of it to overcome poor gear selection, shuddering/shaking DYING while trying to stay out of the way... Give me the V every time.
When I bought my V, the seller and her dad and mom were telling me that they were proud of the fact that EVERY one in their family drove sticks... but the running joke was that "yeah, but SHE never has to shift!" referring to the fact that above say, ten mph, you can drop the V into fifth or sixth and the car just goes anyway. VERY Forgiving.
 
#9 ·
I'm going to be the outlier, here (imagine that) and I'm going to suggest that a V is actually a great car to learn manual transmission skills. An important distinction must be made: It is NOT a good car to learn to drive, no no no... but for a driver, who also has clutch experience (with motorcycles) it is a great choice. The excess power that we all enjoy is not going to be a problem in my view, we're not talking about anyone getting out of control with the throttle.
No the ADVANTAGE that the V offers is its massive torque which is a huge help when you don't yet know which gear to be in, when. Trying to learn stick in an underpowered econobox is the worst...having to constantly rev the shit out of it to overcome poor gear selection, shuddering/shaking DYING while trying to stay out of the way... Give me the V every time.
When I bought my V, the seller and her dad and mom were telling me that they were proud of the fact that EVERY one in their family drove sticks... but the running joke was that "yeah, but SHE never has to shift!" referring to the fact that above say, ten mph, you can drop the V into fifth or sixth and the car just goes anyway. VERY Forgiving.
What you said is so true. The Torque also helps with intial start. Don't have to rev the shit out of it and ride the clutch to get it rolling which most beginners do. Just pop the clutch and he will roll.
 
#8 ·
some shitty tuners just make the transmission shift like an old turbo 400 , so you think man my car is fast now but people who dont understand transmissions should leave the tune alone or Ive heard that somewhere along the line GM changed the factory tune and their revised one was better so just upload that tune into the car

there are guys running modified V's well over 100k-150k+ miles
 
#10 ·
Even with Matt's 2.5 cam and an upgraded clutch, I can still go from a standstill to rolling without throttle input. Torque is your friend!
 
#11 ·
What you all are missing the point on, to me, is when you have something cheap, you have to learn to be a better driver. You will become better at shifting and using a clutch.

How many of you have just let the torque pull the car rather than downshifting because you were too lazy to shift?

I did it in my pontiac 400. Friend in his 455. Those were torque monsters.

With a small car, it’s about choosing the right gear out of a corner, or accelerating into traffic.

Plus, tires and clutches are cheaper.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#12 ·
I never lug a gear for the sake of better mileage.....always correctly rev-match down to second gear unless in stop and go traffic.

My lesson on driving standard was a 10min tour on some sidestreets with my brother in his Scirocco 16V before thrown the keys to go solo...hardly a torque monster, but did force me to stay in the limited upper power band with the constant shifting.

My next manual car came after the short-lived Monza in the form of a 5.0 Mustang. That car topped out around 200lb/ft from what I remember.....great upgrade from the V-dub, but hardly a steep learning curve.

Fast forward 19 years without a manual car, let alone a fast car, and I jump into the V. Mind you, being mature (🤣 who am I kidding!) had much to do with keeping the shiny side up on this purchase, but nonetheless wasn't an intimidating car to be honest because it was a confidence inspiring platform.
 
#14 ·
Yes, you're a little misinformed. I only need to avoid the seriously angry geese that seem to cross the roads at their own pace. At this time of the year, wild turkeys might stroll out of the conservation lands around me just north of the Big Smoke.
 
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#15 ·
I wouldn't recommend a V as a good MT learner's car. It's just too heavy. All that stuttering and jerking beginners do as they're learning to work the clutch is murder on the driveline, and more so the heavier the car is.

My recommendation is that you call around to see if you can find any rentals for a MT car with a bit less weight than a Cadillac, and learn on that. Buy the Caddy, have someone who can drive a Manual bring it home for you. Leave it parked until you're ready, and trash a rental learning the ropes.
 
#18 ·
If its stock then no problem. I learned on a 2016 GTO lol.. barely made it off of the dealer lot but oh well. Have someone show you how its done and aim for the time between moving from a stop to being off the clutch pedal to be less than a second. These cars are tough to find with a third pedal though.
 
#24 ·
If it was me, I'd buy a piece of shit econobox to learn on. If you ruin the clutch and/or transmission it's a much smaller parts bill or you can just junk it.
 
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