Sick with Indecision

[IE#02]

Originally Posted by FStop7

Just get DCT, it's the safest bet

what are you trying to be safe from?

[FStop7]

Originally Posted by IE#02

what are you trying to be safe from?

Me? Nothing, I have a 6MT.

[330CIZHP]

Get the 6 speed manual, if you truly want to enjoy and be in control of what the car does.

Even in manual mode, DCT will have its own mind and sometimes do things when you don't want to and not when you want it to.

Even when the DCT has 7 shorter gears and faster shifting speed, with an expert in the 6MT, they both are surprisingly very evenly matched. My guess is it has to do with the approx. 5% higher drivetrain loss in the DCT.

If you want to see for yourself. go to youtube and watch a rolling start drag race from 20 mph up to 150 mph between DLSJ5's DCT M3 coupe vs JonMartin's 6 speed M3 sedan both with roughly equal mods and they were neck and neck all the way.

[IbanezGod]

Drive both of them then decide. I did... and I went with DCT. Seriously no ones opinions matter more here than your own based on how you choose to use the car. DCT was amazing, the 6MT reminded me of my E46, i wanted change and wow was DCT fun.

[JCtx]

Million threads on this man; looks like you didn't search . There's probably a year's worth of reading material.

It was probably said already, but you need to set your priorities straight, and let them decide. No honest 6MT owner is going to tell you our car is faster or quicker than a DCT on a track, so if ultimate performance is your #1 priority, the choice is already made for you. If you value having fun while you drive, and enjoy having full control of your car, whether tooling around around town or heel-and-toeing on a mountain road, and don't mind losing a few tenths for sheer driving pleasure, your choice is equally obvious. If you're in-between, only you can answer that . But if reliability is not a concern to you (it'd definitely be to me), you're one step closer to DCT then.

Make a list of ALL important attributes you'll encounter in your M3 ownership (reliability, track performance (if any), acceleration from a dead stop, roll-on acceleration, do family members need to drive it, main use, driving fun factor, projected fun factor after 2 years, etc), put 6MT and DCT columns, and honestly put a score on each column depending on your priorities (similar to a magazine test), and let the score decide. You might be surprised at the result when you take the emotion out of the decision making process . Good luck.

[Finnegan]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

Million threads on this man; looks like you didn't search . There's probably a year's worth of reading material.

It was probably said already, but you need to set your priorities straight, and let them decide. No honest 6MT owner is going to tell you our car is faster or quicker than a DCT on a track, so if ultimate performance is your #1 priority, the choice is already made for you. If you value having fun while you drive, and enjoy having full control of your car, whether tooling around around town or heel-and-toeing on a mountain road, and don't mind losing a few tenths for sheer driving pleasure, your choice is equally obvious. If you're in-between, only you can answer that . But if reliability is not a concern to you (it'd definitely be to me), you're one step closer to DCT then.

Make a list of ALL important attributes you'll encounter in your M3 ownership (reliability, track performance (if any), acceleration from a dead stop, roll-on acceleration, do family members need to drive it, main use, driving fun factor, projected fun factor after 2 years, etc), put 6MT and DCT columns, and honestly put a score on each column depending on your priorities (similar to a magazine test), and let the score decide. You might be surprised at the result when you take the emotion out of the decision making process . Good luck.

+1

[Cab5er]

Originally Posted by PicassoM

Drive both of them then decide. I did... and I went with DCT. Seriously no ones opinions matter more here than your own based on how you choose to use the car. DCT was amazing, the 6MT reminded me of my E46, i wanted change and wow was DCT fun.

[C00kedG00se]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

Million threads on this man; looks like you didn't search . There's probably a year's worth of reading material.

Thanks to all... I believe I will go through the analysis that you mentioned (we use similar failure analysis techniques quite often in work).

BTW, I have read easily one hundred threads about DCT and 6MT and never really had my questions fully answered. Thanks to all for hammering it home.

Good night.

[SIIK2NR]

Anyone can drive a DCT...... not everyone can drive a 6MT.

It was stated in another thread that you should go with 6MT because it's possilbe a day will come when the 6MT is no longer an option.

When that day comes.....then try DCT.

I love clutching, reving and shifting too much to let the car do it itself.

[quality_sound]

I had DSG on my GTI, and frankly, it got boring as hell after about a year. Unless you're going to spend more time on the track than on the road I'd do the manual.

[ersin]

Originally Posted by elp_jc

Million threads on this man; looks like you didn't search . There's probably a year's worth of reading material.

It was probably said already, but you need to set your priorities straight, and let them decide. No honest 6MT owner is going to tell you our car is faster or quicker than a DCT on a track, so if ultimate performance is your #1 priority, the choice is already made for you. If you value having fun while you drive, and enjoy having full control of your car, whether tooling around around town or heel-and-toeing on a mountain road, and don't mind losing a few tenths for sheer driving pleasure, your choice is equally obvious. If you're in-between, only you can answer that . But if reliability is not a concern to you (it'd definitely be to me), you're one step closer to DCT then.

Make a list of ALL important attributes you'll encounter in your M3 ownership (reliability, track performance (if any), acceleration from a dead stop, roll-on acceleration, do family members need to drive it, main use, driving fun factor, projected fun factor after 2 years, etc), put 6MT and DCT columns, and honestly put a score on each column depending on your priorities (similar to a magazine test), and let the score decide. You might be surprised at the result when you take the emotion out of the decision making process . Good luck.

Hey, I did all that. And the result I came up with was ... yes.


Cheers.

[Bubbles]

I picked a 6MT to be slower on the track. It keeps my Porsche buddies happy, otherwise they'll lose interest if I continuously blow by them in a DCT.

If you are having doubts after driving an AT, most likely you are yearning to get back into a MT.

For me nailing that perfect shift, rev matching and heel/toeing is too satisfying to give up. But I'm sure I'd be faster in a DCT, but then what's the fun in that?

[ersin]

Originally Posted by Bubbles

But I'm sure I'd be faster in a DCT, but then what's the fun in that?

Indeed! In that case you might want to look into a Nissan GT-R.


Cheers.

[Kiemyster]

its threads like these that only make it harder to choose. damnit

[Krozi]

R..'1...3...5
|__|__|__|
..._|-'''|--,|
..'_2...4_''6

[M3Alpine]

personal preference dude.... dont let anyone here make a decision for you, its gonna be your car. drive both and get what u want

[Frozen Black Panther]

red sox suck , yanks 28

[markjord]

Originally Posted by Alex1911

I'll say one thing, if you do get the manual, definitely purchase the KHOALTY clutch stop, big improvement.

So what does the KHOALTY do then?

[ersin]

Originally Posted by markjord

So what does the KHOALTY do then?

I don't know about the KHOALTY, but clutch stops keep the clutch pedal from being pressed all the way down. Once the clutch pedal goes past the "friction" point you don't really have to go much further. Putting a clutch stop behind the pedal prevents you from pushing the pedal all the way down to the floor. It makes for faster shifts.

To the OP, if you can drive a manual then either transmission you get will be right. Don't sweat it. If you do city driving the DCT may be better. If you get the chance to drive the twisties often then you'll probably appreciate the 6MT better. But you can't go wrong with either choice.


Cheers.

[Alex1911]

Originally Posted by ersin

I don't know about the KHOALTY, but clutch stops keep the clutch pedal from being pressed all the way down. Once the clutch pedal goes past the "friction" point you don't really have to go much further. Putting a clutch stop behind the pedal prevents you from pushing the pedal all the way down to the floor. It makes for faster shifts.

Yeah what he said. I stumbled upon the thread regarding the clutch stop while waiting for my car. The clutch is pretty long IMHO (and others), travels way past the friction point.

I ran with the Khoalty because it was $5 cheap and some complained of issues with the stop mentioned in the original thread. My clip went in with zero problems, as did the stop, and the car starts just fine... ie: I don't have to press hard/mash the clutch. Improved my shifts and the feel, best $15 I ever spent.

[markjord]

Originally Posted by Alex1911

Yeah what he said. I stumbled upon the thread regarding the clutch stop while waiting for my car. The clutch is pretty long IMHO (and others), travels way past the friction point.

I ran with the Khoalty because it was $5 cheap and some complained of issues with the stop mentioned in the original thread. My clip went in with zero problems, as did the stop, and the car starts just fine... ie: I don't have to press hard/mash the clutch. Improved my shifts and the feel, best $15 I ever spent.

Thanks - I might give that a try