DCT regrets anyone?

[mike082802]

So i know i want a 135i coupe 2011-2012 but i an still on the fence about dct or 6mt. there are so many dct's out there at great prices now. i drove one for about 20 minutes and i dont know if i could see myself driving it everyday. i dove it in manual mode but maybe i have to play with the sport button or sport ode? i have driven a manual now for almost 15 years. the funny part is though i also test drove a 2011 S4 in the dsg with a limited slip and the paddle shifters and loved it, it just felt more raw. maybe it was the exhaust note. or the shifts were slightly harder in sport mode. i am going to drive another one or two dct's in the next week to see again what i think. i have read of the stalls and low idle with the dct and literally no problems with the mt's. also the plus ( or maybe the minus) would be the wife could drive. i am just looking for how many of you guys that got your 1 series in dct wish you would have gotten a 6mt instead? i plan to keep this car for a good 5 years.

thanks in advance

[Chunner]

Once you go DCT you don't go back. Shifts are instantaneous. Up one, down 2 or down three and I'll be faster then a MT. DO IT!!! D C T.

[edisapimp]

My hamster is not pleased.

[Chunner]

Originally Posted by edisapimp

My hamster is not pleased.

lol.. funny.

Two words.... future & faster.

[Harlequin]

The DCT is completely different in Sport Manual mode. If you didn't drive it like that then you didn't really drive it.

Having said that...

Originally Posted by Chunner

Once you go DCT you don't go back.

I did.

Originally Posted by Chunner

Shifts are instantaneous.

Shifts are. Throttle is not.

Originally Posted by Chunner

Two words.... future & faster.

Actually no. The new Auto gearboxes are much better than DCT. The major reason that companies started using DCT instead instead of Auto is because emissions are substantially lower without a torque converter.

EVERYTHING that has changed about car design in the last 10 years has been about reducing emissions and improving safety. Mostly emissions though.

Smaller Turbo engines? Emissions.
Weight reduction? Emissions.
Aerodynamics? Emissions.
Direct Injection? Emissions.
DCT? Emissions.

It's all about the EU Legislation coming out of Brussels. Many of these things are often marketed by car companies as being of some other benefit and some of the are but the driving force is Emissions.

[ItsHectic]

Dont bother with DCT if you want decent acceleration from a stop.
I would rather the new ZF 8 speed auto by the sounds of it.

[Adam135]

Originally Posted by ItsHectic

Dont bother with DCT if you want decent acceleration from a stop.
I would rather the new ZF 8 speed auto by the sounds of it.

The ZF 8 speed is quite nice

[BadM4]

love mt dct many options for you to use, lauch control is fun too, shifting is way fast and the down shift blips are sweet too

[Chunner]

Originally Posted by Mybad135

love mt dct many options for you to use, lauch control is fun too, shifting is way fast and the down shift blips are sweet too

Agreed! I love my D C T as well. Coming from 250,000 miles from several MT's. I would not go back.

[Exile]

Dct. So much fun. Quick consistent shifts. As mentioned, the down shift blips especially with an exhaust is just so awesome.

In traffic, hassle free. After a night out with a "few" drinks, hassle free. Driving any time, hassle free. Why do more work when it can be done for you consistently and quickly? Dct

[imported_mega]

I do not want to own one out of warranty that's for sure

[JeffyD]

I wouldn't have bought the is I happened upon had it not been a standard six speed. I am well aware that paddles controlling DCT or torque converters are the future, are way faster with gear changes than I ever could be, are less of a burden during heavy traffic, and are easier to play around with, but I'd rather have to use my left foot to drive. I don't claim any pretensions of it being a "purer" driving experience, or whatever nonsense some people foist onto forums and meets, but standard transmissions do offer a somewhat different feel while mowing through gears which I just happen to prefer.

So, I would've harbored some amount of remorse had I, for some reason, bought a DCT car. Pulling/pushing some lever or paddle doesn't offer me as much amusement or engagement with the car as much as clunking gears into place with a stick does.

I feel like shift knobs will, sooner or later, be pretty much no longer an offering after another generation or two of emission standards legislation, and I would be pretty remiss to not enjoy it with fun cars while I can.

While I welcome our new automatic overlords, Imma gonna keep on eating clutches like a mental midget for as long as I can. Plus, you know, I gotta keep on keeping on with missed shifts, and blipping the throttle too hard. My mechanic has kids, and they need to eat, go to college, and go on lavish vacations, too.

[Exile]

I just got my12 dct last month. Cpo is a must. Turbo + dct? Yeah need warranty

[Overpar56]

50/50 on the DCT. Having driven manuals for the last 7 years or so, once you get used to heel/toe it's hard to not miss that execution of a perfect shift.

likes: incredible speed of shifts. Drives as well as any automatic once you're away from a stop.
Dislikes: crawling in traffic requires a lot of modulation of the throttle. If you're at 5-10 MPH, getting the DCT to decide to engage is a PITA.

Since I have a CPO until 2018, I'm not too worried about the trans. But, I'll probably move on to something else before then.

[OrangeTea]

I bought DCT so I can be rediculed by "true" enthusiast about how inferior I am as car person at every turn.

No regrets!

;-)

[e36addict]

Originally Posted by OrangeTea

I bought DCT so I can be rediculed by "true" enthusiast about how inferior I am as car person at every turn.

No regrets!

;-)

lol yup. Been driving manuals since I learned to drive 16 years ago and I absolutely have a blast with them.. but for my daily driver the DCT is absolutely unbeatable. I crave the sweet noises it makes

[angler]

6MT, everything else is backwash!

[GeeRam]

Originally Posted by ItsHectic

Dont bother with DCT if you want decent acceleration from a stop.
I would rather the new ZF 8 speed auto by the sounds of it.

I've never had a problem accelerating from a stop in my DCT....?

And I've driven a new M235 with the ZF8, and the it's v.good for a conventional auto......but, I still prefer the DCT and think it's better, and it's one of the reasons why I won't be changing to a M235.

[Chunner]

Originally Posted by OrangeTea

I bought DCT so I can be rediculed by "true" enthusiast about how inferior I am as car person at every turn.

No regrets!

;-)

LOL, i fell off my chair... good one! DCT Rocks!!!

[JeffyD]

Is ridiculed the right word? I'd say the attitude is more along the lines of not wanting to see progress push out enjoyment, and not really being supportive of the idea that their known method is being left behind.

I don't really see too many people argue that DCTs and the newer 8-speeds are out pacing standards, but I do see a lot of disagreements with them being as enjoyable as the latter.

I think it gets lost in translation because a lot of people say "connection" to their car when they mean "interaction" with their car. I suppose that's where people get confused with references to "involvement" with the act of I driving.

I enjoy standards over paddles for a couple of reasons. I doubt there is a strong argument against standards requiring more interacting with the machinery in order to operate it when compared to paddle manipulations - that's fairly objective, I'd venture. I just prefer it because it, drive a stick, is a skill I'd like to get more and more proficient with as I drive, and get some satisfaction when I notice some improvement with it. If being as fast as possible was the point of my driving, I'd say that it'd be silly of me not to choose the more efficient method available. But I like to drive as fast as my ability allows me to, when I can, and working on getting that better honed with time.

Also, I'm a snob and think everything that I don't know and like is inferior to that which I do. DCT? Stands for Disgusting Car Tragedy. Dumb Control Trash? I dunno. It's hard not to be an elitist when I'm this damn good.

[ItsHectic]

Originally Posted by GeeRam

I've never had a problem accelerating from a stop in my DCT....?

You wont notice it unless you pull up next to an aggressive driver and try to take off aggressively, they will reach 10km/h much faster, it creates a problem when trying to overtake at lights with not much room.

For example today I pulled up next to some hatch back and I put my foot about 1/3rd down to take off a bit faster than normal and this other car just took off way faster than me and was obviously just driving normally (it was raining and they did not rev high).

[02rsxpilot]

Originally Posted by Harlequin

EVERYTHING that has changed about car design in the last 10 years has been about reducing emissions and improving safety. Mostly emissions though.

DCT? Emissions.

DCT transmissions are the result of Formula 1 racing, not emissions. I agree with the rest of your list though.

As to the OP, no, I would not go back. The DCT is simply a better transmission for what I bought the car for: commuting and track driving. Does that mean it is more fun than a manual? No. Does that mean it's perfect? No.

As some have said, in nine months I have not figured out how to get the car to behave at 5 mph speeds. It is damn near impossible to get it not to lurch. You slow to 5 mph (like approaching a red light), then move back to the accelerator (light turned green), and you get nothing nothing nothing then BOOM, suddenly car wants to go after you just rolled halfway through the intersection. This is the one thing about the transmission I don't like, and it does it in every mode (although manual sport is better than the others).

But if you forgive it that one flaw, it awful sweet to be able to go from brainless commuter to race-car quick with the push of a couple buttons.