Moving on
04-01-2014, 05:53 PM
#21
AudiWorld Super User
Don't know about anyone else, but when I want to 'drive' the car I ALWAYS have it in manual mode and Dynamic (to hear the Sports exhaust).
My RS5 is not a daily driver so on the odd occasion where I am just tootling around in it, I will just drop it into Comfort and leave it in drive and let the car do its thing. Actually think it does a fairly good job of being a conventional (and smooth) auto in this mode.
My RS5 is not a daily driver so on the odd occasion where I am just tootling around in it, I will just drop it into Comfort and leave it in drive and let the car do its thing. Actually think it does a fairly good job of being a conventional (and smooth) auto in this mode.
04-02-2014, 05:22 AM
#22
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I don't have experience with the M3 DCT. The RS5 is my first sequential gearbox. Had only manual transmissions before. With 6 shift programs, though, I feel like I would inevitable be in the wrong mode at any given time. I have to channel Steve Jobs a bit here. Simplicity goes a long way. The shifts should be modulated through the throttle, which the S-tronic does pretty well, but you have to train your muscles and you have to drive the car for about 8000 miles to let the transmission adapt and the engine to fully open up.
I'm surprised you liked the SMG, but complain about jerky shifts in the RS5. As you probably know, with the SMG, BMW just took their manual transmission and bolted on a mechatronic unit. Great for the track, but universally viewed as largely undrivable in every day situations.
I'm surprised you liked the SMG, but complain about jerky shifts in the RS5. As you probably know, with the SMG, BMW just took their manual transmission and bolted on a mechatronic unit. Great for the track, but universally viewed as largely undrivable in every day situations.
Manual mode in the RS is just like any tiptronic transmission, again, to me only! I will admit that if I change gears at around 7 or 8K, it does sound phenomenal and acts as it should... but anything before that is... blah.
BMW's 6 settings are overkill, I agree. That's why new M3/M4 have only 3... which is all you really need. In manual I drove it in the 5th setting (6th is for launch mode etc.) and in automatic in 3rd... that's really all you needed.
04-02-2014, 09:19 AM
#23
AudiWorld Super User
As I mentioned in my post, this is only my opinion. And you're right, SMG is manual transmission with automatic pump on top of it... which is the reason I loved it. It's manual without the clutch pedal... you treat it like manual transmission and you'll understand all the transitions and such. It Sounds the same, acts the same, does everything as manual... but if you're going to work in the morning with it, you can put it in auto and not worry about constantly going from first to second and back.
Manual mode in the RS is just like any tiptronic transmission, again, to me only! I will admit that if I change gears at around 7 or 8K, it does sound phenomenal and acts as it should... but anything before that is... blah.
BMW's 6 settings are overkill, I agree. That's why new M3/M4 have only 3... which is all you really need. In manual I drove it in the 5th setting (6th is for launch mode etc.) and in automatic in 3rd... that's really all you needed.
Manual mode in the RS is just like any tiptronic transmission, again, to me only! I will admit that if I change gears at around 7 or 8K, it does sound phenomenal and acts as it should... but anything before that is... blah.
BMW's 6 settings are overkill, I agree. That's why new M3/M4 have only 3... which is all you really need. In manual I drove it in the 5th setting (6th is for launch mode etc.) and in automatic in 3rd... that's really all you needed.
- Always upshift under throttle. Do not ease off the throttle or you get a lazy comfort shift.
- Downshift to accelerate: Get on the throttle and simultaneously downshift. Do not downshift first and then get on the throttle. If you need to downshift multiple gears, don't even bother, just punch the throttle all the way through to trigger the physical kickdown switch. It will downshift up to three gears in a split second.
- Downshift to slow down: Get on the brakes and then downshift. Use the breaks to slow down the car and not the engine. This is where with a manual transmission you would heal-toe.
Lastly, make sure you put the transmission in S first before going to manual. If you put it in D and then manual, you get comfort shifts and a lazy throttle response.
EDIT: Forgot one more tip. When slowing down for a stop, don't even bother about downshifting. Just let it downshift. I usually downshift to 3rd and then let it downshift to 2nd and 1st as I come to a stop.
Last edited by superswiss; 04-02-2014 at 09:26 AM.
04-03-2014, 06:41 AM
#24
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Out of curiosity, how do you shift in manual mode? Some of you comments lead me to believe you are trying to drive it like a traditional manual. I made that mistake at the beginning and it resulted in disappointment. For example as a manual transmission driver our muscle memory is trained to let off the throttle when shifting unless we are doing a powershift. You don't wanna do that here. Following is roughly how you wanna shift this transmission.
- Always upshift under throttle. Do not ease off the throttle or you get a lazy comfort shift.
- Downshift to accelerate: Get on the throttle and simultaneously downshift. Do not downshift first and then get on the throttle. If you need to downshift multiple gears, don't even bother, just punch the throttle all the way through to trigger the physical kickdown switch. It will downshift up to three gears in a split second.
- Downshift to slow down: Get on the brakes and then downshift. Use the breaks to slow down the car and not the engine. This is where with a manual transmission you would heal-toe.
Lastly, make sure you put the transmission in S first before going to manual. If you put it in D and then manual, you get comfort shifts and a lazy throttle response.
EDIT: Forgot one more tip. When slowing down for a stop, don't even bother about downshifting. Just let it downshift. I usually downshift to 3rd and then let it downshift to 2nd and 1st as I come to a stop.
- Always upshift under throttle. Do not ease off the throttle or you get a lazy comfort shift.
- Downshift to accelerate: Get on the throttle and simultaneously downshift. Do not downshift first and then get on the throttle. If you need to downshift multiple gears, don't even bother, just punch the throttle all the way through to trigger the physical kickdown switch. It will downshift up to three gears in a split second.
- Downshift to slow down: Get on the brakes and then downshift. Use the breaks to slow down the car and not the engine. This is where with a manual transmission you would heal-toe.
Lastly, make sure you put the transmission in S first before going to manual. If you put it in D and then manual, you get comfort shifts and a lazy throttle response.
EDIT: Forgot one more tip. When slowing down for a stop, don't even bother about downshifting. Just let it downshift. I usually downshift to 3rd and then let it downshift to 2nd and 1st as I come to a stop.
Yes, I understand the difference between manual and SMG/DCT/DSG. In SMG you could lift off the throttle a little and get perfect "manual" gear changes... In DCT and DSG, never lift. I know all this. Just like in regular automatic with the torque converted, you don't lift when changing gears in tiptronic mode... That's how Rs5's DSG behaves as well.
I wish they offered manual transmission option for Rs5... I'd trade it in a heartbeat... But... since that's not an option, I'll live with it for a year until I find something else to lose money on.
04-03-2014, 07:44 AM
#25
AudiWorld Super User
I'm afraid that ship has sailed. There won't be another RS with manual transmission. When Quattro GmbH introduced the TTRS DSG in Europe, sales of the manual TTRS tanked and it never sold well in the US to begin with. The new A3 is DSG only for the US and the S3 is heading there, too. A4/A5/S4/S5 is going to be next. There was a video floating around a while back, where the head of Quattro and the head of engineering of Quattro got interviewed recently and they pretty much said as much. Not sure how much longer BMW is willing to incur the cost of certifying cars with a manual transmission.
04-03-2014, 01:43 PM
#26
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See, the thing to me is, I love manual cars and the sound it makes when you change gears. My 02 M3 had SMG transmission, which to me, is the best transmission ever made. Yes, I'm sure a lot of people will tell you they had issues with the pump, but it sounded like true Manual. It has that "breath" when going from gear to gear... that rpm drop and nice transition.
Then I bought 2009 M3 with DCT... I was hoping it would be like SMG... well it was even better. When stopped, it rolls back a little just like manual. The shifts are nice and smooth and the transition is awesome.
In audi, It's pure automatic to me. I have to hold the brake at the stop signs as it goes forward... when driving, around 30mph it's in 7th gear. When going to a stop it jerks until it downshifts. In manual, same thing...
Again, this is just my opinion. Some may judge it on a different level... and they may love it over the others. Good Thing we're all different.
Then I bought 2009 M3 with DCT... I was hoping it would be like SMG... well it was even better. When stopped, it rolls back a little just like manual. The shifts are nice and smooth and the transition is awesome.
In audi, It's pure automatic to me. I have to hold the brake at the stop signs as it goes forward... when driving, around 30mph it's in 7th gear. When going to a stop it jerks until it downshifts. In manual, same thing...
Again, this is just my opinion. Some may judge it on a different level... and they may love it over the others. Good Thing we're all different.
DCT on the hand is a beast, second best transmission after the PPDK from Porsche, hands down.
The Audi sTrnoic is very good actually great when you drive the car aggressive, for me it is 95% as go as a BMW DCT. BUT and this is a big BUT, I agree that it does not do great job when you are relaxed on the throttle, it is very jerky when you try to stop on traffic light or driving around at low speed, but you know what, at that point just put it in Auto/Comfort and forget that your drive a sporty car and this is what i have been doing since i bought that car.
04-03-2014, 05:07 PM
#27
SMG is the worse transmission ever, BMW should have paid back all customers who bought that piece of **** box. that is not me !! this is from every reviewer i read/saw for that transmission.
DCT on the hand is a beast, second best transmission after the PPDK from Porsche, hands down.
The Audi sTrnoic is very good actually great when you drive the car aggressive, for me it is 95% as go as a BMW DCT. BUT and this is a big BUT, I agree that it does not do great job when you are relaxed on the throttle, it is very jerky when you try to stop on traffic light or driving around at low speed, but you know what, at that point just put it in Auto/Comfort and forget that your drive a sporty car and this is what i have been doing since i bought that car.
DCT on the hand is a beast, second best transmission after the PPDK from Porsche, hands down.
The Audi sTrnoic is very good actually great when you drive the car aggressive, for me it is 95% as go as a BMW DCT. BUT and this is a big BUT, I agree that it does not do great job when you are relaxed on the throttle, it is very jerky when you try to stop on traffic light or driving around at low speed, but you know what, at that point just put it in Auto/Comfort and forget that your drive a sporty car and this is what i have been doing since i bought that car.
04-03-2014, 05:28 PM
#28
AudiWorld Super User
One day shifting gears will be a thing of the past altogether. The Tesla S has 1 gear! Honestly, rowing my own gears doesn't make my commute or driving in traffic anymore fun. On the contrary, these situations are much more relaxed now that I have the DSG. I have no desire to go back to a manual anymore. Been there, done that.
04-04-2014, 10:42 AM
#29
SMG is the worse transmission ever, BMW should have paid back all customers who bought that piece of **** box. that is not me !! this is from every reviewer i read/saw for that transmission.
DCT on the hand is a beast, second best transmission after the PPDK from Porsche, hands down.
The Audi sTrnoic is very good actually great when you drive the car aggressive, for me it is 95% as go as a BMW DCT. BUT and this is a big BUT, I agree that it does not do great job when you are relaxed on the throttle, it is very jerky when you try to stop on traffic light or driving around at low speed, but you know what, at that point just put it in Auto/Comfort and forget that your drive a sporty car and this is what i have been doing since i bought that car.
DCT on the hand is a beast, second best transmission after the PPDK from Porsche, hands down.
The Audi sTrnoic is very good actually great when you drive the car aggressive, for me it is 95% as go as a BMW DCT. BUT and this is a big BUT, I agree that it does not do great job when you are relaxed on the throttle, it is very jerky when you try to stop on traffic light or driving around at low speed, but you know what, at that point just put it in Auto/Comfort and forget that your drive a sporty car and this is what i have been doing since i bought that car.
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