This has been a problem posted on several BMW forums common with DCT , This is not the case with PDK.

PDK seems to get superior ratings in just about every scenario (street or track).

 

I happen to agree with dual competency . That's why I bought two of these cars.

I would still pick a manual with certain cars ( ie-- 135 or cayman .. small cars to me feel more fun with a manual) .

I would pick PDK with other cars (the Turbo --where boost is maintained in shifts).

With other cars I woild pick NEITHER . A boring 328I or a base Cayenne --Just give me an automatic transmission .

 

I agree with most of what you said and consider the non-turbo 911 a "small" car.

 

This actually poses a dilema for the 20-25K priced cars . Honda for example only makes the Si and even those are scarce for 2010.
Paddle shifters have made their way into some of these 20K cars mated with automatic transmissions.

Instead the big seller is the CRZ -- a sport hybrid able to do 0-60 in 10 seconds -- and a manual.

I feel old .. because I don't understand how anyone can be thrilled with this .

So the next step up is BMW and of the the 135i M package costs double .

High tech performance doesn't come cheap and with that in mind I think the future of manuals will remain strong in CPO cars .. so their road presense will linger .,.as the traditiinal drivers cling to the most basioc roots of driving which brought them to thse cars in the first place .

I would greatly miss a manual .
I would also miss the PDK .

I am 50/50 on which i like more .

 

We've seen Porsche .
This 135I looks kinda fun -no ? (below).But then I look at this and ponder the M3 . This of course defeats the purpose of replacing the Honda Si as an inexpensive car to take to the mall , movies, or mundane miles.

So the step from a 22K Si is either priced up (135) or down (Civic Ex) .
I wonder if so much of this change in production emanates from buyer sentiment on new transmission and the cost to obtain high tech performance .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bygHVpCaxJw

 

I have a '06 Audi a3 3.2 w/ the dsg. This was / is a great alternative to a manual and the latest models shift even better. Sadly the 3.2 wasn't as efficient as other V-6's. The a3 is still a good alternative with the 2.0 turbo. The 3.2 is quick; 0-60 in 5.9 sec. though it's faster with + 50k miles on the clock.

In terms of build quality: I've had no major issues w/ 77k down. I have an extended warranty due to the no history dsg drive. Below the 50k cut-off I had nothing of concern. The Haldex was replaced but was covered by the extended.

The a3 is not as taut as a S4 but it's still a fun ride.

 

No one brought up the g37 Auto Tranny. I think that car is a great sporty car and it actually rev matches the down shifts ( pretty cool ) Only thing I didnt like was the delay for upshifting. But hey its no SMG.

My rant is over and yes I an new here.

 

In my opinion, SMG's are dated as well... The G37 is nice from a luxury standpoint (slightly sporty). But not from a performance perspective.

 

Very true they are slightly sporty. I still Love the snappy response from the SMG transmissions, It honestly felt like the f430 tranny in responsiveness. I know its outdated, but it works lol.

 

Ed ask your friend if he had the updated software for the DCT. This was an issue and supposedly was solved.

I agree however, manual for me all the way. Had to order my E92 M3 ZCP as none were available with a manual.

Dave

 

LOVE the manual transmission. as I get older, I could see someday going with an automatic. or maybe auto for the main car and manual for a second car

 

My dealer in ATL, Hennessy, has 25 911s in current inventory, 14 of them are 6spd - and that seems typical for them. I'd expect a lot of 6spds buyers still around for 911s now, but not really for BMW - they have moved into a different market almost completely from the BMW that I used to know.

Caymam - 2 of 9 are 6spd
Boxster 2 of 16 are 6spd

So my gut guess is that 911s, the classic, is appealing to older buyers who are long-time 6-spd fans, and that the others are appealing to younger buyers - and possibly track buyers looking for performance. Or I could be just tripping.

 

Must have been a service issue, as PDK does not shift UP in manual mode and you have to be coming to a pretty dead stop for it to auto-shift DOWN in M as well (or kick down).

PDK is not something easily sorted in a quick test drive. The Auto/Normal mode is almost like an AT, but any of the other Auto modes respond to different driver input which is great in the long hail, once you start learning how to get the most out of it. However, M is pretty dead simple in Normal/Sport/Sport+ - you shift when you want - only throttle response and shift smoothness are affect by those modes. All M modes never auto-up-shift, and downshift only when coming to a stop - or if you floor it (kick down), and then you have to UP-shift coming out of a kick down as you see fit - manually or when you notice you are red-lining.

When i test drove PDK, I just wanted to make sure it didn't do any of the dorky things that BMW SMG did in auto (nearly useless). I trusted that M would just work - that Porsche would surely have gotten it right if BMW did - and didn't really bother with it on the test drive. Wow - I had no idea how good PDK would be.

Over a year with PDK and I still feel like I am learning the nuances of it - more impressed all the time.

 

Two M3's at my fav BMW dealer here, United - 1 Coupe/6spd, 1 Sedan/DCT.
Z4s are mostly Step, 1 DCT
4 6Spd 3 series
3 6Spd 5 series
long story short, 12 out of 162 cars are 6spd manual.

And that is not unusual either these days. Best to order one if you want something special.

 

I have the manual and love it and would consider another one, however, PDK is a strong consideration.

How many have ever mastered left foot breaking with excellent modulation, or as good at left foot breaking as your right.

My point is that PDK still offers some driving excitement in the from of skill improvement.