rktskicar

DrRick- I'm with DrGP and Zerin. I like to shift my car.

Bruce

MadMadS4

Did anyone actually prove that the heavier but faster-shifting s-tronic is actually a faster car than the 6MT?

Audi-USA claims the opposite -> s-tronic does 0-60 in 5.1 as opposed to 4.9.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_S4...8K.2C_2009-.29

BLACK10-S4P

Cannot go wrong with the S-tronic transmission.

Un1k

I said that the s-tronic is faster in the sense that it's more consistant. I'll miss-shift time to time and/or won't be able to shift in .2 seconds everytime

Un1k

I respect what you're saying but do ppl's left leg really get tired from driving a manual? (i mean really tired enuff to complain about it)

and when some ppl say that stop-n-go traffic is a bitch with mt, I get that.. but when they complain about hill starts, I honestly don't get it. You grow out of that problem after some time after driving a mt car for the first time

drrick89

Wow, I'm pleasantly surprised by the largely civil tone on this thread, the fact that I didn't get flamed, and the fact that some folks out there actually agree with me! :-)

We're all driving enthusiast here, so I think it comes down to how you define that role for yourself. For some, the very *act* of driving predominates; the feel of shifting, the sound of the engine, etc. For others, outright performance is the key. However, for most of us it's some combination of of both.

As far as acceleration with the two trannies go, we could argue all day about which one is faster. But, the more important point is that the trannies are close enough that performance is no longer an issue.

LeadToRome

@ Un1K: hellz yeah peoples legs get tired from shifting. spend an hour in stop-and-go traffic (a far too frequent experience here in hte D.C. area) and I'd guesstimate you might shift in the neighborhood of 500 times. That's enough to make my slightly arthritic left knee ache just thinking about it.

I personally love the s-tronic but drive what you want. what would the manual fans in the house take from the fact that Ferrari will no longer offer a manual, offering a version of DCT instead? Would you not buy a ferrari if otherwise you were ready to buy?

NWS4Guy

Go 1/4 mile and the numbers are neck and neck. The reason for the seperation at 0-60 is the gearing more than a few extra pounds, this makes the DSG have to shift twice and the MT can hit 60 in 2nd gear with only one shift.

DrVolkl and I did some 50MPH roll ons to about 90 and it was a dead heat between his MT and my DSG.

zerinS4

Funny, the most visceral and rewarding driving experience I've ever had has been in a 2009 Viper SRT10 that has NO driver aids besides ABS and Power steering. It's you and the machine...that's it. There's something to be said for how incredible that feels.

You guys can buy whatever you want, and I know the S-Tronic is a great transmission. However, I'm a traditional manual transmission fan and always will be. I have enough technology in other aspects my life.

HDClown

I've only been driving manual cars for the past 5 years and when I went shopping for my next car, I specifically went looking for a car with a dual clutch gearbox. One might think, with my limited numbers of years, I'd want to be driving manual cars for a long time. But that was not the case.

My first car was an auto (given to me by my parents). My next car was an auto (B5 A4). My next car was an E46 M3 SMG. I loved being more involved with controlling the shifting in that car (never once ran it in A mode). That car transitioned me into my first manual car my 02 M5. I had never even driven a manual prior to that and just told myself I'd love it. Well, I did love it. Totally new experience. Really enjoyed it. The clutch in that car is heavy, and man did my left leg hate me when I got stuck in a ton of traffic.

When I went and got a different DD (MKV GTI), I got another manual. The clutch in that car was like a feather compared to the M5, no issues anytime driving that car. But then, about 1 1/2 years in, I was over it. I had completely lost ALL interest in the CLUTCH pedal. I still loved the act of rowing a shifter, but I could do without the clutch pedal. 99% of my driving is my 15-18 mile each way work commute. It's either all highway or all local with a good bit of traffic. I really hated the fact that I HAD to do that work after working an entire day.

So my list of future cars was small, because I wanted a dual clutch. Ended up in the S4 and the first day I drove it to/from work, I was in heaven. It was soooo nice to just let the car do its thing and for me to not have to do a lot of work. It was the most enjoyable trip to work in a long time. Even with some of the quirks of the S-tronic, I have zero regrets, and I will easily do it again on my next car. I'm also attracted to all the high tech that gets crams into cars these days, and I enjoy having it around me. No purist mentality from me, which obviously impacts my decisions on cars.

I'm not saying I don't missing a traditional manual entirely. It has it places with me during certain driving situations, but given those situation are in the minority, it's no loner the best choice, for me.