[AgentCircus]

I was totally sold on the 8AT w/ Sport Auto because people said it was amazing, feels faster, is faster, etc. And they were right - it is hands down the best auto I've ever had.

However, in spite of all that I think it'd be a blast to drive my 335i with 6 gears. Thinking my next lease term, which will probably be an M3 I'll go with the manual even if it means a slightly slower car from 0-60. Even right now, my pucker factor goes through the roof when I test out the car's acceleration because I'm afraid of getting a ticket haha.

On the other hand, I've never had or even driven a DCT and I hear those are great too.

What led you guys to your choice of transmission?

[OC40]

Originally Posted by AgentCircus

What led you guys to your choice of transmission?

I'm lazy. AT4Life.

[Kafkaesque328]

I was bored of driving a manual after almost 20 years and wanted something different. This is the best AT I've ever driven and I have fun with it; it's just seamless. But I can't say for sure that I won't go back to a standard. Just can't beat the connection and involvement

[auf Deutsch]

Chris Harris said it's "brilliant, really brilliant".

I am considering the M4 as my next lease too. I think the DCT is $2600 extra. Why not save that money and get a manual. It will be ridiculously fast with either tranny!

[QTC]

I drove the 8-speed and agree, its a great transmission. But it was just too boring for me. Auto's are fine in trucks and big luxo-barges, but in everything else, a manual is just more fun. Now if only BMW would do away with the clutch delay valve….

[justinnum1]

I said the same thing last time.

[djpatrick35]

Manuals for life! It's just more fun, more engaging way to drive.

Now, autos and DCTs are indeed faster in a lot of performance cars, but I couldn't care less.

I'd rather have fun 100% of the time when I'm driving. I've driven on a real track once in my life, so I'd rather have fun constantly than hold onto some magazine stat that I have no hope of matching in real life. If I want to race I'll race on my driving simulator I built in my basement where I can't wreck my cars.

[Dog Face Pony Soldier]

My car is more business tool than toy, so I prefer not to row it myself. With Active Cruise Control requiring an automatic transmission, the choice is clear.

[Falafel Combo]

Originally Posted by Kafkaesque320

I was bored of driving a manual after almost 20 years and wanted something different. This is the best AT I've ever driven and I have fun with it; it's just seamless. But I can't say for sure that I won't go back to a standard. Just can't beat the connection and involvement

Saying it's the best auto you've ever driven is kind of like saying it's the best elevator ride you've ever had. Really, how good can it be.


Ok, I kid. I know, the zf8 is damn good. Still, not good enough for me. I sold it after 6 short months and can't wait for the arrival of my new f30 6mt!

[Falafel Combo]

Btw, nice job on the new thread OP. I hope we finally settle this debate once and for all this time. I have a good feeling about it this time around. While we're at it, let's debate creationism and evolution, RWD snow tires vs xDrive, and hey what the heck, Scientology!

[Kafkaesque328]

We can also talk about the death penalty and abortion while we're at it.. Just to keep it light

[Tacoma]

Originally Posted by Kafkaesque320

I was bored of driving a manual after almost 20 years and wanted something different. This is the best AT I've ever driven and I have fun with it; it's just seamless. But I can't say for sure that I won't go back to a standard. Just can't beat the connection and involvement

You were bored with a manual for 20 yrs and decided to buy an automatic!!??

Isn't that like saying you're bored of dating supermodels for 20 yrs and decided to start dating Jenny Craig dropouts....

[... not that there's anything wrong with that... ]

[dalrx]

I agree manuals are fun and the way to go.....until you if you get tranny issues...then you might have to replace entire unit as bmw units have very few parts around for a fix.

[s0nu]

I got the 8AT.. and its a great transmission... But as great as it is, you get like a diminishing returns after a while of using it... Miss my manual sometimes

[bwaltz]

I've driven MT's for the past 38 years (hard to believe) and can't imagine anything else. My wife went the 8AT route with her latest 335 -- her first AT in the same timeframe. I hate it. Yes, it shifts faster than I can and I suppose she would win a drag race if it came down to that. And yes, I get the pain of driving in traffic with the constant clutch action.

But seriously, put yourself behind a line of slow traffic on a 2-lane country road. You have five cars to pass. You have just enough clear road ahead to do it. You drop it into 2nd or 3rd (depending on how slow they are going), and stomp on it. You wind it out in each gear as you blow by them, speed shifting each time as you near redline. You pull into the front of the line that is rapidly disappearing in your mirror. As you coast back to a more normal pace, your heart is thumping and you just feel great. I don't get that feeling driving an AT, especially on the edge. The MT is a marriage of man and machine that an AT just can't match (IMHO).

[OC40]

Originally Posted by bwaltz

The MT is a marriage of man and machine that an AT just can't match (IMHO).

Then, I would be cheating on my wife.

[targa72e]

Just got my 6MT 435i last Sat. I will have a manual as long as it is available. I have no interest in Mercedes because they only offer automatics (they have some great engines). Automatic is one step closer to making the car an appliance. There is just so much less control and engagement with a Auto. If I were on the track and racing a SMG is faster but I still prefer to shift my self. Great tag line from another forum:

"its not how fast you go but how you go fast"

john

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by Tacoma

You were bored with a manual for 20 yrs and decided to buy an automatic!!??

Isn't that like saying you're bored of dating supermodels for 20 yrs and decided to start dating Jenny Craig dropouts....

[... not that there's anything wrong with that... ]

Yeah, it got old honestly. I live in L.A. though and it just gets to be a drag. Talk about diminishing returns. Inching along in rush hour city traffic and taking an hour to go 3 miles with a manual is not my idea of a good time. I did that forever. I really enjoy the tech side of this automatic. I just find it to be a really impressive gearbox. It's pretty much always in the right gear, which amazes me since automatics have always let me down in that regard, its responsive, shifts extremely fast and the only time I find it essential to put in in manual and override is the rare times I get to carve some mountain roads in which case manual mode is excellent. I don't get how people can hate this transmission since it is so good but you know, whatever. Everyone is different.

Re: your analogy I kind of think the opposite almost. The manual is the reliable, predictable old horse that still looks good. It is Christie Brinkley... The modern automatics though are slick as hell, IMO. S-Tronic, DSG, Zf 8 Speed... Those are the hot 20 somethings IMO, but you know.. again. Whatever.

[Cup o' Joe]

Originally Posted by Kafkaesque320

Yeah, it got old honestly. I live in L.A. though and it just gets to be a drag. Talk about diminishing returns. Inching along in rush hour city traffic and taking an hour to go 3 miles with a manual is not my idea of a good time. I did that forever. I really enjoy the tech side of this automatic. I just find it to be a really impressive gearbox. It's pretty much always in the right gear, which amazes me since automatics have always let me down in that regard, its responsive, shifts extremely fast and the only time I find it essential to put in in manual and override is the rare times I get to carve some mountain roads in which case manual mode is excellent. I don't get how people can hate this transmission since it is so good but you know, whatever. Everyone is different.

I do find the automatic great in DS. Though like most automatics I have driven, i find it shifting a lot in and out of the wrong gears while in highway stop and go traffic.

[swamy]

Originally Posted by Cup o' Joe

find it shifting a lot in and out of the wrong gears while in highway stop and go traffic.

this is what I found most annoying about ATs. & with all the tech & research going into it its still barely half a second faster than shifting yourself...no thx

[AzureAce]

Out of all the cars I test drove I liked the sport auto on the BMW the most.
That being said, getting a car with a manual was one of my top priorities.
I've never had a car with an auto and I'm not going to start now.

Save the manuals!

[Kafkaesque328]

Originally Posted by Cup o' Joe

I do find the automatic great in DS. Though like most automatics I have driven, i find it shifting a lot in and out of the wrong gears while in highway stop and go traffic.

I hadn't noticed. The shifts are imperceptible so it doesn't bug me. Torque converter locks up so soon too you aren't feeling that inertia common with a lot of autos.