3.0i Manual or Auto?

Melman

Melman

Member
 Salisbury
Site Supporter
Apologies for what is a complete newbie post but is there a body of opinion on which gearbox is most desirable in an early E85 3.0?
 
IMO any sports car should have a manual transmission.

Also what with the lamebrains our school systems are pumping out nowadays, a manual transmission also acts as a theft deterrent. I’ve read accounts where the potential car thief left the car after not being able to drive it. Actually had a parts guy at a Toyota dealership basically say the same thing about manuals, “people won’t steal it because they can’t drive it.”
 
If your only concern is reliability then I have not heard anything detrimental about either option.

I would imagine your personal preference/needs would be the main deciding factor.
 
Old-Duckman said:
IMO any sports car should have a manual transmission.

Also what with the lamebrains our school systems are pumping out nowadays, a manual transmission also acts as a theft deterrent. I’ve read accounts where the potential car thief left the car after not being able to drive it. Actually had a parts guy at a Toyota dealership basically say the same thing about manuals, “people won’t steal it because they can’t drive it.”
Click to expand...

No doubt this is the case in the USA but around 80% of the cars sold in Europe are still manual. The dipsticks in the UK have no problem nicking cars with a manual box.
 
Well you lose a gear if you go for the auto. Generally a manual is the same is it ever was, manual gearboxes dont really age or change over the years, and its easy to change a clutch or the gearbox oil. However the autobox in an early z4 first saw service in a 1999 520i, so is more than 20 years old auto slushbox tech.

But as said, it depends what you want to use it for, commuting or town driving perhaps an auto, but any kind of fun driving ( which surely is why you'd buy a z4 in the first place?) Its got to be a manual.
 
My SMG has 6 gears, but I guess it's not a true auto... but then not really a manual either :rofl:
 
Thanks everyone, that’s helped clarify my thinking. I’d provisionally agreed to buy a manual today, when I was offered a slightly lower mileage auto with good history for the same money....age must have caught up with me because I was starting to consider it!

It’s a weekend and road trip car, purely for pleasure - I’ll be sticking with the manual option :D
 
Melman said:
Thanks everyone, that’s helped clarify my thinking. I’d provisionally agreed to buy a manual today, when I was offered a slightly lower mileage auto with good history for the same money....age must have caught up with me because I was starting to consider it!

It’s a weekend and road trip car, purely for pleasure - I’ll be sticking with the manual option :D
Click to expand...

Oh good!
More photos coming then :thumbsup:
 
I would say absolutely the right choice, later autos or DCT transmissions are great but I would definitely avoid an early auto car :thumbsup:
 
Commuting in rush hour = Auto
Weekend / fun driving = Manual

That's my view anyway.

The 6 speed manual once warmed up is great, the more you lean on the car the better the manual box feels imo.
 
LordOxygen said:
Commuting in rush hour = Auto
Weekend / fun driving = Manual

That's my view anyway.

The 6 speed manual once warmed up is great, the more you lean on the car the better the manual box feels imo.
Click to expand...

I'd have to agree with that. :thumbsup:

And as "Tyreman" said early Autos aren't nearly as good as what is on offer now!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom