Moving from a 530i (2005) to a 2012 or newer G37 Sport Sedan--Went into the process thinking manual transmission, but the low-mileage lease return I drove yesterday, albeit loaded, seemed a bit unruly with the MT. Not to spark a flame war here as a newbie, but I would love to get some opinions on MT vs AT from those who drive them daily

Welcome to NICO

I love mine as I did with my previous 06 G35 6sp manual
The clutch takes a little time to get used to it. Never had a BMW but had a 92 Lexus ES300 5 speed manual, and a 88 Mazda 929 5 speed manual before that. Been driving stick shifts all my life all the way back to my 1940 Pontiac 4 door sedan when I was in college.
My first car was a 1958 POS Ford automatic and my last Ford.

Telcoman

Thanks so much for the insight. Still leaning toward the mt--unbelievable how rare the seem to be--at least on the east coast

I have an 11 S, manual sedan and I love it. The clutch does take a little getting used to though. I've had manuals all my life and don't really want an auto, even for traffic situations. It has much more "driveability" than an auto IMO. You won't go wrong.

For the longest time, our two car family always had one manual and one automatic. My wife and I love having manuals. I had BMW 3 series manual, Honda Prelude manual, and Infiniti manual.

I personally believe that with MT, you are more engaged, and even though skilled MT driver don't have to think about it, on a subconscious level, you are more aware, and are thus less likely to get into an accident. If you keep your car for many years, MT are easy to fix (no expensive auto transmission issues will every arise). You are also more aware and engaged, because you need both hands and both feet (which automatic drivers would consider a negative).

But manuals are a dying breed in North America. Logically, with 7 speed automatic transmissions, auto now get better fuel economy, and faster acceleration. We just replaced our G35 Sedan 6MT which we loved, with a QX50 (and the only Infiniti model that offers MT now is the QX60). Our other car is an older and very sharp looking BMW with automatic. Even BMW has eliminated the MT from the 5 series. When I decide to change from the BMW, we will again consider what MT options are available that meet our needs. But the choices are dwindling. Hopefully Infiniti keeps the MT option on the coupe, and doesn't follow Lexus which offers no MT options in North America.

I've got an 11 S sedan with manual and love it. Very drivable even in heavy traffic or stop & go. I also like the better car control you get with a manual. Never owned an auto myself though the wife has one. She currently has an 07 x G35 and its OK to drive, but I very much prefer my own car. The comments above about the clutch are true. It will take you a little adjustment to get used to it. Love the car though - you can't go wrong.