ealand0001

My m5 has paddles. It's a very good system. It is much harder to know what gear you are in, but other than that I like it. I live in a heavy, heavy traffic area and have only owned manuals, but I'm glad that is over now.

Driven

Mind you, I enjoy rowing thru the gears, heel-toe gear changes, etc, etc...
BUT, I absolutely love paddling thru gear changes. Coming into a corner, pulling back a few times for the downshifts... it's just absolute fun. Then, when I'm tired after a long day at the track, I can put it in auto, and enjoy a leisurely drive. Oh, do I want to romp on it at an onramp? Sweet, put it back into manual mode, go for it.

While most systems made in the past 5-10 years have been quite good, some still struggle in stop-and-go traffic. Even though, I'd much rather have that than riding a clutch in stop and go traffic.

Worst part about paddle-shifters though, neutral isn't as intuitive or easy to engage in case you need to do so.
Second worst part, cost to repair. I can replace and rebuild my gearbox in my garage. Not sure how I'd fix a flappy-paddle box.
Third worst part, people complaining about "no manual". :/


Bottom line, is it more fun? To me, absolutely. It has a DCT or a clutch based system... not an automatic with flappy-paddles.


Reference: I worked as an instructor at one of those "arrive and drive" type of venues for high end cars. I've logged thousands of miles driving these cars on and off track, as well as even more sitting right seat.

sam_spider

I thoroughly enjoyed my tuned S4 with DSG, it was proper quick, and I certainly wasn't missing out in any fun versus one with the manual. I traded it for a BMW 550xi which was nowhere near as good, the Audi was much more engaging and enjoyable.

I think I'll always have an auto for a DD, need a break every once in a while.

CosmosMpower

On the street I prefer MT, on the track I prefer paddles.

S2K Al

What car do you have with the paddles?

Billj747

I like them (DCT cars and even newer AMGs).

vader1

Less fun.

mosesbotbol

I've driven Cayman S with PDK many times and it's not as fun as a manual; plain and simple. Faster - yes, better in traffic - yes. Onless you drive mainly stop & go traffic or your paycheck rides on your finishing in 1st place, I'd stick with manual. My XK had paddles and it too shifted faster than I could with manual, but I traded the car as I just missed the fun of rowing my own.

Several of fancier sports cars (Ferrari, Aston, Maserati) have abrupt shifts, in auto mode you're like 5th gear at 40 mph... When the break, they break the bank...

Porsche has done a great job with PDK and it has a nice mechanical feel when it down shifts/rev matches. The kick down feature is cool. Lotus IPS does nice rev matching, but is more software based and less mechanical feeling. All shift quite fast, but there's not that much joy. If I were tracking a car a lot I would consider an auto, but I don't track the car nor am I wanting win a race.

Chuck S

Why buy an automatic and not use it? I can never remember which paddle does what so don't bother. Besides, real men are content to let their children and gears shift for themselves. Not sure if anyone markets a sequential manual 6 speed gearbox. Would be interesting for me. I wonder if a kill button on the stalk would permit skipping the clutch like on my motorcycles?

-- Chuck

Saki GT

I think Audi's DSGs are the best I have driven, and I recently drove a GTI with stick and DSG back to back. Its entertaining for a while, but I'd still take the stick, and do daily.