Question for DCT drivers

[boosted43]

Lemme start with the background info. I've always owned automatic cars. I've driven a few manual cars and trucks. My last car was a 335 Auto with the paddle's. My friends always pick on me cause I purchased an automatic 335...i don't see anything wrong with that. I've been looking into getting a new car within the next month or 2. I recently drove an 09 c63. I loved the sound of the damn thing, however as far as ride firmness and the feel of the steering i enjoyed the 335 better. i understand the two cars aren't necessarily meant to be compared with one another. I want to get into an m3 this week as i feel the ride will be much more firm and I'll like the feel of the steering better. Am I wrong to think that? the c63 suspension felt a bit soft to me. now the main question, do any of you guys that have dct m's felt like you should have gotten a manual? i would like to drive both a manual and a dct before i consider making a purchase but i was just asking out of curiosity.

thanks in advance - kais.

[thedrknows]

Sometimes I do wish I had the 6MT, but not enough to give up the DCT. You should definitely go test drive at least a DCT M3 before buying.

[SenorFunkyPants]

Originally Posted by kabawi91

do any of you guys that have dct m's felt like you should have gotten a manual?

No

i would like to drive both a manual and a dct before i consider making a purchase

Good plan

but i was just asking out of curiosity.

would be a good idea - this topic has been

.......

[sensi09]

I like DCT, but the grass is always greener.....so yes I wouldn't mind a manual at times.

Before I had other manual cars to drive along with DCT, but now it's just automatics, so I get more of an urge for a manual than before.

[Nition]

DCT is not an automatic. It is just much more than that. You really have to drive one to know what I'm on about. It's smooth and comfortable when you want it to be (in both manual and auto modes) and it gives you lightning-quick shifts when you want it. I used to think manual was the way to go but after driving DCT, there's just no going back. There are many other things to consider but I personally think the DCT is among the best transmissions of any car.

[creepy coupe]

I've had a manual M3 E92 and now a DCT and prefer the DCT by a long way.Both my M3's had a softer ride over the 335i E92 I owned, as it had runflats.

[boosted43]

thanks for the responses guys. i appreciate it. i wasn't aware that the rft's made that significant of an impact on the firmness on the ride. i'll make sure i keep that in mind.

[bobbyd1961]

Originally Posted by kabawi91

Lemme start with the background info. I've always owned automatic cars. I've driven a few manual cars and trucks. My last car was a 335 Auto with the paddle's. My friends always pick on me cause I purchased an automatic 335...i don't see anything wrong with that. I've been looking into getting a new car within the next month or 2. I recently drove an 09 c63. I loved the sound of the damn thing, however as far as ride firmness and the feel of the steering i enjoyed the 335 better. i understand the two cars aren't necessarily meant to be compared with one another. I want to get into an m3 this week as i feel the ride will be much more firm and I'll like the feel of the steering better. Am I wrong to think that? the c63 suspension felt a bit soft to me. now the main question, do any of you guys that have dct m's felt like you should have gotten a manual? i would like to drive both a manual and a dct before i consider making a purchase but i was just asking out of curiosity.

thanks in advance - kais.

dct

[mjposner]

As someone who has had 4 Manual M cars, gone autobox and always returned to manual shifting the dct has been a real revelation to me. I find it easier to use, more capable to put power down when needed (my m button is max everything) and a lot of fun. That said I have used the d mode maybe twice since I bought the M DCT. I also like that in a pinch my wife or son could drive the M in D mode.

[Morning Hawk]

You get all the benefits of having Flywheel-to-Clutch action and power without the torque converter in an automatic... and the pain of driving stick shift in traffic (if you live in a traffic dense city).

Rowing through the gears is great fun no doubt but you can never shift as fast as a DCT or as smooth (maybe...).

Sounds like a win-win to me.

[Foodle]

Plenty of M3 vs C63 threads, so you can work out that comparison pretty easily.

No regrets on the DCT choice from me. Part of this is practicality as the wife and the nanny need to occasionally drive my car (note: very occasionally). Part of this is just the fun of using the DCT. Test drive both, decide for yourself. Neither is a "wrong" choice.

[Nine]

The 6spd in the M3 is nothing to write home about, the DCT on the other hand, is probably one of the best transmissions currently available. I would argue, that it secures it's position at or near Porsche's PDK.

[von_zoom]

After driving the M3 with DCT, no way I would go back to manual. Absolutely no reason to. Far superior imo.
vz

[jonasaurus]

Definitely drive both and assess your own needs of the car (e.g. stuck in traffic Mon to Fri) and if you even have any sort of liking for a manual car in general. I personally love 6MT but that's just me.

[redline9001]

Originally Posted by von_zoom

After driving the M3 with DCT, no way I would go back to manual. Absolutely no reason to. Far superior imo.
vz

I will never own another manual car...

On your ride question test a EDC equiped M3, rides like a caddy when you want it to and stiff when you want to be that...

[jphughan]

I posted the below in another thread, but thought you might find it helpful, though a test drive is obviously the best way to decide what YOU want. I find the 6MT to be just fine in traffic because the clutch is light, though admittedly my commute doesn't have me stuck in traffic terribly often, so perhaps if I were doing it every day it would be more annoying. In any case, here is my repost of the attempt I made at the ultimate DCT vs 6MT post:

The main appeal of DCT seems to be (in no particular order):
- DCT is drivable by people who can't drive stick, which can help with the "wife acceptance factor", for example.
- DCT shifts faster, more precisely, and more consistently than any human ever could, which means more people can go faster with less effort in a DCT car compared to 6MT. If you're the type who likes to get in a car and have it go as fast as it can in your hands with as few barriers to that goal as possible, then the fact that DCT lets you flick a paddle to always pull off a fast and perfectly executed shift might make DCT the choice for you. DCT also gives you a bit of an advantage on a track.
- DCT has no risk of grinding gears, money shifts, burning out the clutch, etc.
- DCT is a remarkable piece of engineering. Some people just enjoy owning a piece of interesting cutting edge technology.
- DCT has Launch Control.
- DCT is more livable in bumper-to-bumper traffic when there isn't really an opportunity for driving enjoyment.

The main appeal of 6MT seems to be (in no particular order):
- It saves you $2900 on a new purchase.
- People who can't drive stick can't drive it, which gives some owners peace of mind since it keeps their cars out of the hands of others who might otherwise ask.
- It requires more effort to operate and more practice to master, which some enjoy for the challenge. If you're the type of person who enjoys being more involved in the drive and finds it rewarding to work at something and reap the rewards of your efforts by getting more out of the car the more practice you invest rather than having a computer just do it perfectly for you all the time, then 6MT might be for you. It's like learning a craft.
- 6MT is easier and cheaper to repair. DCT was originally sold as a sealed unit and was only replaced, never repaired, though I'm hearing there have been some field repairs now. Either way, out-of-warranty costs for DCT could be quite high, especially if the only option is complete replacement.
- 6MT is based on tried and true technology, which means reliability is fairly certain, whereas DCT is still new so its long-term reliability is still an unknown quantity. 6MT also doesn't have to deal with being controlled by a computer, which is another point of failure and which caused DCT to have some lag issues early on before a software fix was released.
- 6MT may not be around much longer, so some people want to get it while they can.

Lastly, as a GENERAL statement (read: not universal) from reading various threads here it seems that the vast majority of the 6MT crowd chose 6MT because they were passionate about it, whereas the DCT crowd has a decent representation of people who went DCT for reasons like "Eh, it was on the lot / easier to drive / more practical / drivable by others", etc. I've seen very few 6MT people say they picked it because "Eh, it was cheaper / in stock / easier to repair".

[understeer]

If a transmission can shift automatically I would think it would be reasonable to call it an automatic transmission regardless of the underlying technology. As far as I am concerned the DCT is a very good automatic transmission as it is very smooth in automatic mode. The lack of a torque converter compared to the steptronic is irrelevant since the torque converter on the steptronic is locked up as soon as the car gets moving. I find the M3 DCT very engaging to drive. I was not interested in an M3 with a manual transmission and ordered mine with the DCT and am very happy with my choice. I don't know if I would feel the same way if the M3 was my only car but since I have other cars with MTs to drive I can get an MT fix when I need one.

[Tony_KB]

Originally Posted by Nine

The 6spd in the M3 is nothing to write home about, the DCT on the other hand, is probably one of the best transmissions currently available. I would argue, that it secures it's position at or near Porsche's PDK.

Speaking of, I was watching the American Les Mans at the 12 hours of Sebring and saw that the Porsche team at the front of the GT class races with PDK , assuming the Ferrari 458's have the F1 paddle shift transmission. The BMW team that won 1st place on the GT class with the M3 E92. Does anyone know if the car has 6MT or DCT ?

[luis_m3]

I love the DCT... It's an amazing technology. Nonetheless, there ARE times that I wished I had the 6MT.
To be honest, I just miss "being in full control"... But then again, DCT is lots of fun as well, especially at the track.
So...I don't regret my decision, but uhmmm.

[SD-E93-11]

Completely the opposite, if I went back to a 6MT having owned the DCT, I would miss the awesomeness of the DCT. Considering its relatively low price it's the most value-add option available on the car.

Make sure you test it in D and S, and in S4 or S5. I'd also suggest pushing the power button, but that's just me. While originally I was a paddle guy, lately I've been using the shifter, but as any DCT owner will tell you, it's helpful to be adept at both and in combination depending on the wheel position.

[Rshane]

DCT is faster..blah blah blah
Manual is for purists...blah blah blah
DCT is the future...blah blah blah
Manual gives me control of my car...blah blah blah
DCT is quicker around the track...blah blah blah
Manual is for men...blah blah blah
DCT is for transvestites...blah blah blah
My opinion is better than yours
If you don't agree with me you are wrong
If you don't have the same options as me you suck

[jphughan]

I know that one of the reasons I avoided DCT was that I'd always driven automatic transmissions before and I wanted to own a manual transmission car while they were still an option. I also figured that if I came to DCT from nothing but auto transmissions, force of habit would likely set in and I'd end up driving in D mode the majority of the time. My previous car (08 Acura TL Type-S) had paddles, but I almost never used them, and I thought that behavior would be a waste of the awesome DCT in this car.

I think people who come to DCT from driving stick end up enjoying it more because they're more likely to drive it in S mode due to a different force of habit than those who come to it from driving auto. So who knows, maybe now that I've owned 6MT I might switch to DCT next time and make better use of it -- although I've noticed that even when I have loaner cars with paddles, I practically never use them. Not sure yet, but since I don't plan to let this V8 beast go any time soon, I figure I've got plenty of time to think on it.