[Mk23]

I don't know about you guys, but I still manually crank my engine, its for the true enthusiast.

Manual Transmission will fade out with all of the other manual devices used on cars, before long we'll be having this discussion about manual steering.

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by Mk335i

I don't know about you guys, but I still manually crank my engine, its for the true enthusiast.

Manual Transmission will fade out with all of the other manual devices used on cars, before long we'll be having this discussion about manual steering.

I really miss manual chokes. I do not however have any great love for manual labor.

[Mk23]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

I really miss manual chokes. I do not however have any great love for manual labor.

[ASSALBERT]

i never liked the quality of interior in audi's, esp the cheap ass buttons. i got a ride to san diego in an r8 and the buttons in the r8 have the same cheapy feeling as all other audi's. bmw>audi

[Blue Streak]

To the OP. Yeah, what a dumb-ass. I really love the look of the A4 (mostly the exterior), but it doesn't even come close in its driving dynamics or its speed and power. A 328i is MUCH better (driving machine) than an A4 2.0T and the 335i is way out of the league of the A4 3.2 and just a little quicker even than the S4 with a V8. I love the RWD and all the thing about it and the 6 speed manual. I'm sure the automatic transmissions are worth comparing and that the Audi has a more surpreme auto (dual clutch DSG - or whatever). I always look at Audis though, because I like their look. I would be interested in an Audi if there were no such thing as BMW, but I guess I'll be driving BMW's for a while. I can't imagine anything fitting my preferences better.

[Audi Juice]

Originally Posted by ASSALBERT

i never liked the quality of interior in audi's, esp the cheap ass buttons. i got a ride to san diego in an r8 and the buttons in the r8 have the same cheapy feeling as all other audi's. bmw>audi

To each his own, right? To tell you the truth, I went and test drove a 335i the other day, but the interior just seemed like the Achilles heel. I loved the drive overall, but just couldn't get past the boring interior.

I like the interior so much more in my A4. It looks more modern to me. Kinda sad especially since the B6 and B7 Audis pretty much share the same interior. In other words, the interior design has been around since 02' and it still looks better to me.

Regardless, Im trying to fight the urge to get a 335. Nice car

Both pics below are of my interior. Made some changes along the way.

Stock. Looked good, but that damn piano finish scratched like a Mofo.


Current look

[ruxp]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

My point exactly. You buy an MT because you like driving an MT. I enjoy driving them too I just don't find that there is any particular perfromance advantage to them anymore. BTW the vast majority of the 335s that I see at the track have manual transmissions. I am not sure what the racing M3s from Turner Motorsports etc. have but I would suspect it is the SMG.

Word.

I mostly agree, though I've seen lots of recent write-ups/reviews of the M3's SMG/DCT panning it for its unwillingness to downshift on command on the track.

I took my car to my local BMW specialist (Orr Autosport, great guys) to get my summer tires off and an in-between oil change last week, and they had a beautiful '08 E92 M3 they were getting track ready for a customer. They told me it was equipped with DSG as its only option, but that it was probably a bad idea due to the aforementioned issue with it.

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by ruxp

Word.

I mostly agree, though I've seen lots of recent write-ups/reviews of the M3's SMG/DCT panning it for its unwillingness to downshift on command on the track.

I took my car to my local BMW specialist (Orr Autosport, great guys) to get my summer tires off and an in-between oil change last week, and they had a beautiful '08 E92 M3 they were getting track ready for a customer. They told me it was equipped with DSG as its only option, but that it was probably a bad idea due to the aforementioned issue with it.

I saw those write ups too, Sounds like the DSG needs some more development. The SMG in the previous generation M3s was very jerky. OK on the track, not so good on the street.

[ruxp]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

I saw those write ups too, Sounds like the DSG needs some more development. The SMG in the previous generation M3s was very jerky. OK on the track, not so good on the street.

Once the technology matures, I would consider ordering a car equipped with DCT/DSG. Assuming I have any other option by that point ..

[dxb335d]

Ive driven lots of new Audis

RS6
R8
TTS
A5 3.0tdi

not as involving as the bmw, (R8 the only exception)

[GreenThree]

Originally Posted by jfarnkopf

My buddy bought a A4 a month before I bought my e90 335i. I have had nothing but good experiences from the dealership that I brought it from and the dealership where I had an oil change done. On the other hand, my buddys A4 has been in the shop twice for engine problems and just went in again today. Heres the best part, they told him that they were going to have his car for nearly 2 weeks and tried to give him a sh!tty ford focus as a loaner. The car had out of state tags and was beat to crap. He caused a huge scene in the dealership and they finally gave him a ford explorer. Now that is some serious B.S.

What they gave him for a loaner has nothing to do with the reliability of the car. My B7 was only in the shop for two days with non-scheduled maint. One for a headlight bulb, and the other for wiper fluid leak. Dealership also has nothing to do with reliability. Wait it out, if your lucky your fuel pump may go.

Oh yea, welcome to the forums!

[Saigon]

sometimes I get sick of MT, my next car will be AT for sure

[S4to335]

Originally Posted by mroach

Before I bought my E90 I was considering one of the new A4s, until I found out that they won't have MT until 2009. What an absolute joke. It's seriously hard to comprehend an Audi A4 not being available with anything but a slushbox. How far they've fallen...

Don't let the Audi guy get to you. He knows his cars can't be taken seriously by real drivers so he has to go on the offensive...

I know the product management people at Audi of America. The fact is that 75% or more of their A4s are sold with automatics. Remember, selling cars in the US is not very profitable for Mercedes, Audi, or BMW right now. Audi for one is diverting production to other countries that they make more money on. Audi does this alot..they did this with the first version of the A4 back in 1996 with the 2.8 engine..and again in 1997 with the 1.8T engine...it came first as only an automatic.

As for the salesman comment..yeah..he sounds like a "winnar".

[cstavaru]

Manuals will hardly disappear. You know why ? Because pulling a gear lever is really not hard at all, even in traffic. Its much like pushing a button. I believe many of the automatic-only drivers either do not know how to drive a manual or have constraints (like...wife) which leads to the decision of an automatic gearbox.

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by ruxp

Once the technology matures, I would consider ordering a car equipped with DCT/DSG. Assuming I have any other option by that point ..

I would like to test drive a DCT/DSG. Very interesting technology. The bottom line is tht the purpose of the transmission is to get the car into the proper gear smoothly and quickly. How this is accomplished is incidental. When you are shifting with paddles whether the shiting is done by a conventional automtic, a DCT/DSG or an SMG is incidental as long as it get the job done.

As an aside, a group of us did a run through Western Connecticut yesterday. I stayed in manual mode on the twisties and shifted with the selector instead of the paddles to see how I liked it.

CA

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by cstavaru

Manuals will hardly disappear. You know why ? Because pulling a gear lever is really not hard at all, even in traffic. Its much like pushing a button. I believe many of the automatic-only drivers either do not know how to drive a manual or have constraints (like...wife) which leads to the decision of an automatic gearbox.

Which of those scenarios do you think applies to the owner of this car?

[ihyln]

Originally Posted by cstavaru

Manuals will hardly disappear. You know why ? Because pulling a gear lever is really not hard at all, even in traffic. Its much like pushing a button. I believe many of the automatic-only drivers either do not know how to drive a manual or have constraints (like...wife) which leads to the decision of an automatic gearbox.

Your analogy is quite a stretch. Pushing a button in traffic would be just slightly less tedious than shifting. I love manuals but I'd only get one for a dedicated track car, not a DD.

[flipmde786]

I didn't read through all the posts and dunno if anyone mentioned this, but the 2.0T is supposed to be available with 6MT sometime in the first half of 2009 or so.

[McLuVan]

Originally Posted by mapezzul

BMW will soon follow suit. 90%+ of US consumers by autos, the new autos shift as fast as a manual and some are even more efficient MPG wise. Stick drivers are not the norm and you must also realize most race cars are not stick either. I drive a manual but I see the end near, while I will miss the connection to the car technology has improved things so much it is a moot point.

BMW did the same thing with the 5 series last year, there was a 6 month gap between auto and manual. When BMW designed the ///M5 and ///M6 V10 they never even considered a manual option, it was an SMG only situation; the US market is the only one than commanded the third pedal as we are stuck on it for "performance" though it is not the case. The manual in the EU is a sign of efficiency (and it is cheaper) but that should begin to dwindle over the next few years as people will see the new autos improve the MPG.

In the end the manual is on its way out and just how much time is left is anyones guess..... so this is not a surprise to me but I am open to something that is better.

maybe all those dct's stuck at lots around the US will change their minds

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by ihyln

Your analogy is quite a stretch. Pushing a button in traffic would be just slightly less tedious than shifting. I love manuals but I'd only get one for a dedicated track car, not a DD.

+1

Comparing a properly executed double clutched, rev marched, heel and toe downshift to pushing a button is a bit of a stretch. There is a difference between knowing how to drive a manual and knowing how to drive a manual properly. I see a lot of posts here (I am not mentioning any names) by people who claim to be big fans of manual transmissions because they can "control the car" and then go on to show that they do not understand the proper techniques of driving a manual transmission. Unless you are driving well below the limits of the car if you do not know how to match revs on a downshift it is a matter of time before you spin out.

CA

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by mapezzul

BMW will soon follow suit. 90%+ of US consumers by autos, the new autos shift as fast as a manual and some are even more efficient MPG wise. Stick drivers are not the norm and you must also realize most race cars are not stick either. I drive a manual but I see the end near, while I will miss the connection to the car technology has improved things so much it is a moot point.

BMW did the same thing with the 5 series last year, there was a 6 month gap between auto and manual. When BMW designed the ///M5 and ///M6 V10 they never even considered a manual option, it was an SMG only situation; the US market is the only one than commanded the third pedal as we are stuck on it for "performance" though it is not the case. The manual in the EU is a sign of efficiency (and it is cheaper) but that should begin to dwindle over the next few years as people will see the new autos improve the MPG.

In the end the manual is on its way out and just how much time is left is anyones guess..... so this is not a surprise to me but I am open to something that is better.

In the case of the SMG on the //M5 the MT was definitely a better way to go. The same thing was true ot the Maserati Quatroporte. The SMG was way to jerky for use in a daily driver that is marketed as at least somewhat of a luxury car.

CA

[LuisBoston]

Originally Posted by Lassaxi

He was an ass? Sounds to me like you got what you deserved with you smart-assed "how can they compete with BMW without a manual" comment.

It's not smart-ass if it's true... there is no competition imo if you can't get a stick.