YAS4T - DCT or Manual?

[KentState]

Are you going to be driving it frequently/commute to work with it a lot, or is it more of a weekend/sunny day car?

I would hate to drive my 6-speed manual car day in and day out, it would seem grueling to drive 1.5+ hrs a day commuting in traffic. It's fun to cruise around on the weekend, but for every day driving having an auto is a necessity for me.

Not that I have much choice with my company truck, although it does have a 6-speed auto with manual mode, but there's no point in using it.

I commute about 1-1.5 hours each day. I find it much easier to drive the 6spd than the auto. I can just throw it in 1st and let it pull me along slowly instead of riding the brakes.

 

[PricklyPete]

Manual in a heartbeat.

 

[mb]

weird. Maybe the clutch you were learning on was broken? A lot of people (myself included) don't really fix our clutches unless it's absolutely necessary. I have been using the same clutch for two years now, and it shakes a little bit, I'm not exactly sure wtf the problem is, maybe I'm not giving it enough gas, but the damn thing slips as often as not.


Oh to have 800 dollars to spend on a new clutch.

It worked just fine and never had any mechanical problems. Just when I think of fun things to do, shifting gears myself does not make the list and I see no reason to do it. Manuals don't accelerate any better (not like I mash the gas at stop lights anyway and merging isn't an issue) and there really isn't any mpg savings to be had compared to modern autos.
Now sure I've driven some crappy autos too (Chrysler 4 speed immediately comes to mind - THE definition of a slushbox) but I've got no complaints about the 5AT in my Accord.

 

[Estrella]

Lol you guys realize just three days before this he was talking about "flying out" to look at a crashed Maserati?

What's next, a thread trying to choose between different models of private jet?

I actually do not care to fly.

 

[RockinZ28]

I commute about 1-1.5 hours each day. I find it much easier to drive the 6spd than the auto. I can just throw it in 1st and let it pull me along slowly instead of riding the brakes.

Heh, well the drivers where you are must be more competent. Here, people start going to 5mph and let off the gas, tap it again, etc. Basically just very random acceleration, making it a pain in the ass with a manual cause I keep having to put in the clutch 1-2 times at green lights so I don't stall, or look like an ass and wait for cars to move a good distance away so I can do it smoothly.

Guess it doesn't help when the two cars I've had/have with a manual are 500+rwhp and 415rwhp, barely tap on the gas and I'm on someones ass. That's why they are for weekends.

 

[CurseTheSky]

The real question remains: is this a weekend car or a daily driver with a moderate / long commute?

If it's a DD and you have more than a 5-10 minute commute, get the DSG. If it's a weekend car or if your commute is extremely short, get the manual.

 

[Zap]

I would hate to drive my 6-speed manual car day in and day out, it would seem grueling to drive 1.5+ hrs a day commuting in traffic.

My commute varies from 40-120min and I don't even think about the clutch or shifting. It just happens.

Of course maybe that's because I drove a 1986 Mustang GT for around 8 years, with a really stiff clutch and notchy shifting, making anything else easy. ^_^ Or, maybe it is because I learned to drive at 10 years old on my dad's truck with manual transmission?

 

[boomhower]

If it's a good DCT then I would go that route. If not get the manual. Maybe I am just getting old but I am getting tired of rowing my own gears, but not enough to go with an old slushbox. For my next car I will take a hard look at the Golf TDI DCT. But that's going to be a while.

 

[CraigRT]

MT always

 

[Hyperlite]

It worked just fine and never had any mechanical problems. Just when I think of fun things to do, shifting gears myself does not make the list and I see no reason to do it. Manuals don't accelerate any better (not like I mash the gas at stop lights anyway and merging isn't an issue) and there really isn't any mpg savings to be had compared to modern autos.
Now sure I've driven some crappy autos too (Chrysler 4 speed immediately comes to mind - THE definition of a slushbox) but I've got no complaints about the 5AT in my Accord.

If you don't like manuals, that's fine. But there are definitely people, myself included, that love them. Don't try and belittle others because you obviously could never get comfortable with it. I could potentially see myself driving a DSG/SMG/DCT of some sort, but that's as near to an auto as i'd go for a personal vehicle. As far as the S4 goes...if i had a long, triffic-y commute every day, i think i'd be inclined to go with the DCT.

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

Power, gas mileage, cost, and reliability will keep me with manuals until something magical happens.

 

[DivideBYZero]

weird. Maybe the clutch you were learning on was broken? A lot of people (myself included) don't really fix our clutches unless it's absolutely necessary. I have been using the same clutch for two years now, and it shakes a little bit, I'm not exactly sure wtf the problem is, maybe I'm not giving it enough gas, but the damn thing slips as often as not.


Oh to have 800 dollars to spend on a new clutch.

This can happen to any clutch. Sometimes it pays to deliberately let it slip to smooth out the friction surface, if that is the problem, or it could be just something like damp. E.g., the wifes 2006 Renault Clio would judder no matter how careful you were with it if it was a cold damp morning. At any other time it was as smooth as silk and never slipped when fully engaged (we had it from new and only put 15k miles on it). The 120d doesn't judder all, however.

 

[StageLeft]

I actually do not care to fly.

Not even when travelling to Monaco to hang out with Kimble?

 

[Kabob]

Getting a car like an S4 with a glorified automatic transmission is borderline criminal.

Get the manual.