Will I get tired of the Auto Tranny?

[mkaresh]

Why would a tenth or two matter, anyway?

(Okay, for some people it matters a lot.)

For me, it's a matter of which one is more fun to drive.

[RockDiamond]

If I have not mentioned this, I so appreciate the members' input.

When I am considering a new car, I feel like I'm a kid again. Forget realistic considerations cause the new car is soooo kewl!!

I was really ready to "rush" out and buy a car with the auto, simply because it was there- and had all the (other) options I want.
I realize now that would have been a huge mistake.
I could not care if the auto is a little faster- as mkaresh pointed out- it's how it feels.

[Irishace]

http://www.1addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=252727

Read this thread. These guys are all 135 drag racers and constantly complain about being outperformance by steptronic trannies on the track. Mods aside, cause these guys run them all, I think this would qualify as pretty imperical evidence that AT > MT for performance. Fun, well that is a different story.

[gary88]

The ZF auto is phenomenal, definitely not your run of the mill slushbox. I've had mine for four months now and haven't gotten tired of it at all.

[FactoryFast]

My last 2 cars have been stick. I had an 04 VW R32 and I just recently traded my 05 CTS V in for a 2009 135i M Sport with the Auto transmission. Honestly, the caddy trans was horrible and im just glad to be out of it.

Ive driven the 135 about 1000 miles in the last two weeks and I do like the trans. I had one issue where i needed power and I relied on the auto to downshift...it took too long but it got going hard because it knew what gear to pick. Its just totally different and so far im enjoying all the different ways to drive the car. Ill eventually get bored and want a new car and im sure the trans will be one of the reasons but it was a great move for me and im a happy man so far.

[mkaresh]

I knew the CTS-V shifter was bad after a short drive in one a few years ago. But it didn't realize it was bad enough to turn people off manuals forever!

[ganzibye]

i get tired of auto tranny and smg..thats why i have a manual E39.i love it.

[FactoryFast]

Originally Posted by mkaresh

I knew the CTS-V shifter was bad after a short drive in one a few years ago. But it didn't realize it was bad enough to turn people off manuals forever!

lol, I absolutely love manual transmissions. The only reason I wound up with an auto trans was the deal. They practically gave me the car. I wanted an M3 and was willing to significantly up my payments; but after a solid test drive, the 135 just wowed me....and for $30/mo cheaper than the Caddy...I got sold.

Originally Posted by ganzibye

i get tired of auto tranny and smg..thats why i have a manual E39.i love it.

I will never own an SMG. I test drove several SMGs, all ///M cars. Horrible for someone who really drives maual on upshifts...the downshifts were cool. The 135 Auto is not SMG....farrrrr from it. Now the M-DCT...thats a sweet trans. Lets see how it holds up...

[fwmcb]

The tranny on the 35 cars is a BMW unit. I've had it in my 3 coupe for almost a year now and love it. It gives an odd shift from time to time, but overall it is excellent. Paddle inputs are instantaneous. The first time I've had a car that I've liked after the first 10 months! I hear the 1er is nimbler and a tad quicker so I think that's what I'm trading for.

[mkaresh]

Originally Posted by fwmcb

The tranny on the 35 cars is a BMW unit. I've had it in my 3 coupe for almost a year now and love it. It gives an odd shift from time to time, but overall it is excellent. Paddle inputs are instantaneous. The first time I've had a car that I've liked after the first 10 months! I hear the 1er is nimbler and a tad quicker so I think that's what I'm trading for.

Actually, BMW makes none of its own auto transmissions. They are sourced either from GM or (in this case) ZF.

[Bahnstorming335]

gone are the days when the manuals were faster than the automatics. Now its the other way around w/ DCT auto trannys and what not they shift faster than any human ever can DCT M3's are MONSTERS

[mryakan]

Originally Posted by Bahnstorming335

gone are the days when the manuals were faster than the automatics. Now its the other way around w/ DCT auto trannys and what not they shift faster than any human ever can DCT M3's are MONSTERS

I would not call DCT an automatic. I know the term automatic can be argued to apply to anything that does not require user input to operate, but it is traditionally applied to slush boxes with torque converters and I personally believe enthusiasts should not apply the term automatic to anything that has a clutch in it. Yes it is missing a third pedal, but doesn't make it any closer to a traditional automatic. If one does not like the terms SMG/DCT, etc, then maybe we should create a new term. Just my 2c.

[mkaresh]

The generic term I use on my site is "automated manuals."

[mryakan]

Originally Posted by mkaresh

The generic term I use on my site is "automated manuals."

Kinda contradictory, but I like it . So AT, MT, and AM. .

[mkaresh]

Actually, it would be automated manual transmission, or "AMT." Which can be an unpleasant acronym.

And when I have to use one letter for them, it's S, because the first examples were referred to as "sequential manual transmissions."

And at some point we might want to differentiate between single-clutch and dual-clutch varieties. So then we'd have SCAMT and DCAMT?

Recently we have some conventional automatics with the torque converter replaced by a single automated clutch.

It's all getting quite complicated.

[Maxinator]

I just got out of a Z4MC and into a M packaged 135i w/ auto. I'll take the auto anyday. Is it more 'pure' than stick....no. But I love paddle shifters. And the auto is far more talented at shifting than I will ever be.