Auto vs. Stick?
I have aways preferred to shift for myself. I prefer the extra involvement, and the vast majority of automatics are called "slushboxes" for a reason. As I've been shopping for a new car -- which will have to deal with a lot of stop 'n go traffic as well as the fun roads -- two auto-equipped cars have started to sway my opinions.
First up was the new VW GTI with their clever DSG paddle-shift 6-speed. The shifts are lightning fast when called for, and mellow when just cruising in drive. Using the paddles to drop three gears from 6th to 3rd for a cloverleaf freeway exit made me feel like a F1 pilot. Most impressive and, unlike the Porsche Tiptronic type boxes, I never felt like the tranny was trying to second guess me.
Next was the Crossfire's 5-speed. Using the autoshift mode to swap cogs manually it gave crisp and immediate shifts both up and down, certainly as fast as I could **** the regular 6-speed. While there was still a bit of delay in "drive" (full auto mode) when asking for a kickdown, when shifting for myself I felt like I had the responsiveness and involvement I seek from a manual. Shifted by hand, the auto felt like I had quicker access to te Crossfire's solid torque than executing a one or two cog drop in the manual.
Given all of this I am, to my surprise, seriously considering an auto rather than the 6-speed for my Crossfire.
Comments? Opinions? Requests for "what are you smoking?"
Rob Gold
Royal Oak, MI