Quote:
Originally Posted by Cavpilot2k
Okay, can't we all just hug it out without getting butt-hurt over our differences in preferences? lol.
DCT guys like their DCTs and MT guys like their MTs. Neither is better or worse because we are each looking for a different experience. Just so happens that for me, I find the mechanical connection to be more fun. Others prefer the ability to not have to focus on the (unnecessary via technology) third pedal. Guess what? For the time being (and hopefully long into the future), as long as we choose BMW, we get the choice.
An anecdote that some will understand and some will shake their heads at:
A few years ago before I got my 135i, I was driving a VW Jetta TDI (6MT) and my (now ex) wife had a BMW 328 (AT). Her Bimmer had better acceleration and had better, flatter cornering, but I rarely drove it to work when offered, even though I drove through a hellish stop-and-go Cambridge/Boston commute. I preferred the fun of the MT VW over the better-performing and more luxurious AT BMW, even in stop-and-go traffic. To me the traffic doesn't bother me- that's just driving, in my book, which I love to do. I don't mind the workout my left leg gets (I'm a fitness enthusiast anyway, so more movement is always better in any situation in my opinion).
Conversely, my wife, who could drive a MT skillfully, deliberately chose the AT so as to not have to deal with a clutch in traffic. To each his (or her) own.
(That said, after I got my 135, she was so impressed with it that when her 328 lease was up, she got a 128 MT) ;-)
Dif'rent strokes for dif'rent folks.
All that said, I wouldn't choose the RS3 for two reasons: the lack of a MT, and the fact that I have yet to drive an Audi with as good of a steering feel as a BMW. This one might be different, but all Audis I have driven are too light in the steering - too much boosted assist.
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Yes, different strokes! As I said earlier, I was an early adopter of the first mass produced DCT! I remember the quick shifts and mechanical connection over slushboxes of the past but 8 years have passed and I have driven every other type of DCT and still do but I just don't find the satisfaction and connection of the old school MT.
I recently watched Chris Harris compare the 2015 Golf R and M235i. He said he thought the Golf chassis and suspension were better and the engine more flexible but in the end, he preferred what you can get with a front engine rear wheel drive car. If you think about it a 2.0L turbo making 300hp, all wheel drive and dynamic suspension that is actually good is like the DCT more modern and better, yet Harris chose the less precise chassis etc because rear drive gave him a feeling you can't get with super advanced all wheel drive. This is analogous to the DCT and MT. Something "better," faster, more modern is not more enjoyable for some. So as long as BMW respects my wishes, I feel compelled to vote with my wallet. Sorry Audi!