8 speed auto or 6 speed manual

[Driver 3]

Hi All,

The wife and I are deciding on which 2012 328i to buy. We have settled on the sport model but the great debate for us lies in which transmission. We are both experienced manual drivers and enjoy the manual experience. Further, our current 328i is a manual and we both love to drive it. However, the 8 speed auto seems enticing and it is fun to drive (we test drove the auto). We are not certain which we would like in the long run (meaning maybe 4-8 years ownership).

We were thinking a compromise might be to get a 2 year lease with the auto. Buy it at the end of the lease if we love it or turn in for a new manual.

Help us decide

Driver 3 and his better half

[mryakan]

This is a decision that you should take yourself. I head the 8 speed is excellent on this car and very well matched to the engine. But will YOU miss the manual? Manuals also tend to be more trouble free, the 8 speed is new and could have some quirks that still need to be ironed out.
In the end, it is all about how much you will miss the manual IMO.

[Pyewacket69]

Hi All,

The wife and I are deciding on which 2012 328i to buy. We have settled on the sport model but the great debate for us lies in which transmission. We are both experienced manual drivers and enjoy the manual experience. Further, our current 328i is a manual and we both love to drive it. However, the 8 speed auto seems enticing and it is fun to drive (we test drove the auto). We are not certain which we would like in the long run (meaning maybe 4-8 years ownership).

We were thinking a compromise might be to get a 2 year lease with the auto. Buy it at the end of the lease if we love it or turn in for a new manual.

Help us decide

Driver 3 and his better half

I drove an automatic new 328i today, and I would say the transmission mates extremely well with the new 4-cylinder turbo. I didn't particularly care for the auto-engine-stop option, so I quickly disabled it during my test drive.

I can't speak for a manual 328i, but if you really enjoy swapping cogs, it's still probably your best bet.

It's a tough choice... Good luck!

[Driver 3]

I drove an automatic new 328i today, and I would say the transmission mates extremely well with the new 4-cylinder turbo. I didn't particularly care for the auto-engine-stop option, so I quickly disabled it during my test drive.

I can't speak for a manual 328i, but if you really enjoy swapping cogs, it's still probably your best bet.

It's a tough choice... Good luck!

You said it ........tough choice indeed. I have driven a few turbo 4 cylinder with 4 speed auto box and they are boring and uninspiring. But double the number of gears and its really making us second guess ourselves and actually consider buying one.

[Julian]

You said it ........tough choice indeed. I have driven a few turbo 4 cylinder with 4 speed auto box and they are boring and uninspiring. But double the number of gears and its really making us second guess ourselves and actually consider buying one.

VERY tough choice. This new 8spd auto is easily the best torque converter automatic ive ever driven, with snappy up and downshifts in manual mode. The direct locked up feel and the response that goes along with it is fantastic for an auto. Regardless of what you decide on, you cant go wrong. The only consideration is that the 8 spd will get better fuel mileage.

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[Driver 3]

A little youtube action showing the 8 speed. Not much lag between shifts and nice growls too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNgpQa3HQUQ&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL2D7292C1753F336E

[gvmohan]

please check online the updated fuel economy figures for 2012 3-series. 328i mt 34mpg highway. 328i auto 33mpg highway.
I have a g37s 6mt coupe. Now i ordered 328i sportline 6mt as my second car. I will definitely miss manual, so i didn't even thought of ordering auto. I'm expecting my car delivered in next 10 days.
Good luck in your buying process.

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[cardnation]

If you crave the feel of switching gears and the bond with the car, there is no question.

I hastily jumped on a good deal in my last car (A4) and regretted it quickly.

[Driver 3]

If you crave the feel of switching gears and the bond with the car, there is no question.

I hastily jumped on a good deal in my last car (A4) and regretted it quickly.

You summed it up.

The lure of that new 8 speed is tough to resist but we will be purchasing a 6mt. It will probably lead to worse fuel economy :D but oh well. This is a bit too expensive a car to not outfit exactly the way we want. So we look forward to our new ride with the very old school but so excellent 6 speed manual. Thanks for the input.

[bscepter]

my 2011 328i is a 6-speed manual, and i LOVE it. but just for fun, i drove the new auto, and in sport mode, it's really zippy. virtually no slushbox lag at all. when i trade mine in down the line, i'll seriously consider the auto.

[mryakan]

Had the X1 for a couple of days, with the 8sp and same N20 engine. The engine is great, but found the 8sp transmission still sluggish to respond even in DS and the gears are too short for my liking when in manual mode. Now granted the gearing could be different on the X1 than the F30, and it is possible that resetting the adaptations could improve responsiveness, I still would prefer the MT. I have to drive the F30 before making a final judgement though. Too bad all F30 loaners were taken!