B8 ordering guide available in B8 forum.. 6MT lovers get the shaft
04-15-2008, 08:19 AM
#1
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B8 ordering guide available in B8 forum.. 6MT lovers get the shaft
The B7 Avant 6MT may be worth holding onto for a while.
It's sad that if I ever want to upgrade from this car it means getting an older Allroad
It's sad that if I ever want to upgrade from this car it means getting an older Allroad
04-15-2008, 08:33 AM
#2
IMO if you need or really want the Avant just get the tip, I have said it b4
but I think people place too much importance on manual transmissions. Again, just my opinion.
Why would you down grade to an old allroad just because of the MT?
Why would you down grade to an old allroad just because of the MT?
04-15-2008, 09:04 AM
#3
priorities are different for some, including myself.
i'd be driving a 2.0 TT DSG if I didn't want a manual so badly.
it's lighter, faster, more fun to drive and can handle more power. just imho.
it's lighter, faster, more fun to drive and can handle more power. just imho.
04-15-2008, 09:12 AM
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When I'm paying $35-40k for a car...
it had better do what I want it to. That means that the shifts are predictable and fast, and downchanges don't upset the balance of the car. I h&t downshift at all times. I clutchless upshift now and then.
Even if you throw out the driving dynamics / fun argument, tip transmissions are
- lower performing for a given vehicle
- slower to change gears
- break more often
- leave the car unable to operate safely when they have a partial failure
- are more expensive to fix
Basically, automatics have no upside in this application.
Anyway, how is an allroad a downgrade? it's bigger, it has a towing package, etc. It's older technology, and it gets worse fuel economy. Those are its downsides.
It's not like I'm the crazy .001% case here. My _wife_ refuses to drive an automatic. She's adamant about it. I'd take an S6 wagon or an S8 sedan, expecting to do a swap someday. She wouldn't even consider it.
We'd like bigger rear seats than the B7 A4 (and my wife's current car -- the B5 passat wagon) as we're doing the baby-in-car-seat drill lately. We like the storage of the avant. Quattro is non-negotiable. So is a manual gearbox.
Thus, the only qualifying vehicles are:
- (used) Allroad 2.7T manual
- (used) BMW 530xi or (new) 535xi wagon
I was hoping to see A4 Avant Quattro 3.0 TDI 6MT on that list in 2009, 2010, or 2011.
Even if you throw out the driving dynamics / fun argument, tip transmissions are
- lower performing for a given vehicle
- slower to change gears
- break more often
- leave the car unable to operate safely when they have a partial failure
- are more expensive to fix
Basically, automatics have no upside in this application.
Anyway, how is an allroad a downgrade? it's bigger, it has a towing package, etc. It's older technology, and it gets worse fuel economy. Those are its downsides.
It's not like I'm the crazy .001% case here. My _wife_ refuses to drive an automatic. She's adamant about it. I'd take an S6 wagon or an S8 sedan, expecting to do a swap someday. She wouldn't even consider it.
We'd like bigger rear seats than the B7 A4 (and my wife's current car -- the B5 passat wagon) as we're doing the baby-in-car-seat drill lately. We like the storage of the avant. Quattro is non-negotiable. So is a manual gearbox.
Thus, the only qualifying vehicles are:
- (used) Allroad 2.7T manual
- (used) BMW 530xi or (new) 535xi wagon
I was hoping to see A4 Avant Quattro 3.0 TDI 6MT on that list in 2009, 2010, or 2011.
04-15-2008, 09:29 AM
#6
I guess I just don't understand how the transmission would stop you from buying a B8 if
the car is perfect in every other way.
As for performance of auto vs manual tips are getting better (probably more true for NA cars then turbo's though) and reliability wise auto's are much better than they used to be.
I was simply saying downgrade as the care compares to your newer B7 and the even newer B8.
As for performance of auto vs manual tips are getting better (probably more true for NA cars then turbo's though) and reliability wise auto's are much better than they used to be.
I was simply saying downgrade as the care compares to your newer B7 and the even newer B8.
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04-15-2008, 09:48 AM
#8
I'm with you.
Until I have a commute that dictates otherwise, I'll never drive an auto trans. And I'll never ever drive a tip, it would have to be DSG or something similar. I find the tip to be a horrendous blight on any car it graces, personally. So lack of MT on the B8 Avant definitely makes it a no go on my list. It's also the main reason my gf and I would never look at 99% of the Mercedes line, since they are all auto boxes too. She's a MT fanatic too.
It's just one of those features that for part of the population is non-negotiable. It's not a minor feature like Nav or HIDs etc. that you can add on, it's a totally fixed feature of the drivetrain. To me, it's as important as what motor is in the car. Would you buy a car that had everything else you wanted but was 40 hp underpowered?
It's just one of those features that for part of the population is non-negotiable. It's not a minor feature like Nav or HIDs etc. that you can add on, it's a totally fixed feature of the drivetrain. To me, it's as important as what motor is in the car. Would you buy a car that had everything else you wanted but was 40 hp underpowered?
