Manual or Auto

T

tops67

Member
Hi! I'm a newbie and am looking for my first Z4 (OK, so I don't have one but don't kick me out yet!). I am after a Coupe so that's the engine sorted then as I don't need an M. I know what colour I want, interior trim, wheels and all the rest but I am foxed by the transmission. Problem is that I am working overseas at the moment and won't be home until the end of March so I can't arrange any test drives just yet. But the big question is do I go Manual or Auto? I realise that this question might cause an international incident because those of you with Manuals will say M and those of you with flappy paddles will be shouting A.

I will be looking for 2006 - 2008, Sport, Coupe, Grey (or dark blue), low miles, 5 spokes, Aluminium trim, (fussy eh!) and I know that my budget and what I want will be slightly disconnected but not too much I hope.

Is the auto a double clutch affair or just an auto with paddles? I hired a 2011 Boxter for a week in the Autumn (sorry didn't have any Z4s) which was auto and great fun and probably sporty enough. I want my Z4 to be a sports car not a cruiser. Do I need the Manual or is the Auto sporty enough? It's not for shopping!

What do you reckon?
 
I "think" it's only the very new cars that are double clutch. My 10c, if you want it as a drivers car, throwing it around the lanes etc. get a manual. If it's an everyday car, lots of traffic etc then auto is your friend.

Confucius say "Man who sit on fence get sore arse" :)
 
The auto isnt a double clutch, and you can either get the standard auto or the smg. Go manual its a sports car so worth having some more control. The Auto isnt as refined as the newer ones. But people like them its personal preference.
 
I have an SMG box and the more I drive it, the more I like it. It has an automatic mode which is great for bumbling around and flappy paddles for 'normal' driving. Would I have another one ? Definitely.
 
Auto for me too, if only for the times you will be sitting in traffic queue's which is most of the time these days, it makes the manual look old school and pointless :poke:
 
If you want sporty, you need an auto with paddles, or a manual tranny, or an M. It's all about where you drive it. Getting stuck in a jam with a manual is a pain, short hauls around the twistys with an auto is a pain. My z3 is a manual and it's wild in the twistys , my z4 is a DCT paddle shift and is a bit trickier to get round the twistys because you have to stay on top of it and control the gearbox as well as the steering :rofl: . Pre 2009, get a manual stick. IMO :thumbsup:
 
If you want sporty, you need an auto with paddles, or a manual tranny, or an M. It's all about where you drive it. Getting stuck in a jam with a manual is a pain, short hauls around the twistys with an auto is a pain. My z3 is a manual and it's wild in the twistys , my z4 is a DCT paddle shift and is a bit trickier to get round the twistys because you have to stay on top of it and control the gearbox as well as the steering :rofl: . Pre 2009, get a manual stick. IMO :thumbsup:
 
SMG is not an option as they did not provide that for 2005 onwards :P
 
pvr said:
SMG is not an option as they did not provide that for 2005 onwards :P
Click to expand...

Correct, and SMG was never fitted to the coupe because of this, so if you go auto you need to go Sport spec so you get the paddles as well as 'manual auto' on the stick. Otherwise I think you just get a full auto box, which would be no fun. However I disagree slightly with Tom as th auto box in my Z is very smooth, pretty quick, and very responsive in or out of Sport mode once you've got the hang of it.
 
Great, that's the kind of info I needed! I wondered why I couldn't find one for sale with SMG mentioned. Very helpful and yes, I need to test drive.
Cheers.
 
Drive them both and see but I was convinced after I realised the insurance and tax were the same as a manual and initial purchase price not too much higher so went auto. Why not?
 
The auto box in the Z4 coupe will be similar to the one in the Boxster, just named diffently. Its called a Steptronic.
I have it in my current Z. I like the way you can manually up and downshift using the paddles, and the changes are smooth and crisp in both modes. :thumbsup:
 
There's not right answer on the auto/manual argument and it's down to driver preference.

On the Zed when coupled to the 3.0 the auto is a superb combination. Superbly smooth and quick changes. The sport mode causes more aggressive changes and holds the gears to higher revs.
Paddles (or push/pull lever) give all the control you'd seek on twisty roads.

However if you like changing gear then a manual is the way to go.

As said before you really have to test both to be sure.
 
I would say manual, however a lot of the manual boxes are a bit rattly when in neutral [ see threads on this site.] When I first bought mine I was disappointed about that. But I have been assured by a few Indies and BMW dealers that its the norm so I don't worry now and just drive and enjoy the best car I have ever owned, and iv'e had most from Jag XJS to Porsche.
 
If you really have no strong preference, perhaps you should focus your search using your other criteria and take whatever trans it has? It's hard enough finding a clean example at a reasonable price without limiting your selection further by something you are not passionate about.

But if you're taking a poll, manual is the only way to fully achieve a complete, authentic sports driving experience on public roads. And the clutch is the least of my issues when stuck in traffic.
 
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