Dan Martin

Since today seems to be Poll Day I thought I'd start my own.

If Acura was to come out with a sequential manual transmission like the BMW SMG or the DSG by VW would you buy one? How about a continuously variable transmission (CVT)? Or do you like things the way they are now?

Inquiring minds need to know!!!

gilboman

is the VW DSG the one where its got two clutches that are ready to shift up/down instantly? or smth to that effect??

although on paper CVT seems promising, the products so far have been uninspiring performance wise.

Dan Martin

Yes DSG is the one with two clutches: http://vortex3.rely.net/artman/publi...icle_317.shtml

IMO it's the best sequential manual on the market.

TinkySD

theoretically a CVT with a high horsepower motor(relative to displacement) like that in the tsx is optimal for performance. However, as gilbo said, the ones to market so far have not been that great. As it stands now i'd take an smg, but if the new cvt honda is releasing in the jdm odyssey with the k24 works as advertised i reserve the right to change my vote!

Jim J

I remember the fun I had in My '94 Integra GS-R.

But now with a wife who needs to drive the car from time to time, and regular traffic jams, I couldn't justify the 6MT. I find pleasantly that the SS gives me as much fun as I need.

I was shortly flirting with getting a 3 series to get an SMG. But then I realized you can't just get an SMG instead of the AT. Gotta get some $3kish sport package too. that rove the price too high for me.

I notice the TSX computers do rev matching like described in that Audi article.

gilboman

i dont think a slushbox can rev match

kiteboy

I tested the A4 CVT and it's interesting that it emulates 6 fixed ratios with an infinitely variable transmission. I think that drivers want the feedback of rpm increasing with speed in each gear.

DSG for me. Theoretically, a triple clutch system would guarantee an insta-shift both up or down at any given time, but that might be more weight and complexity than it's worth.

zamboni386

I would take the BMW's Sequential Manual Gearbox. I wouldnt trust any new audi technology. Like the quattro system has been around for 20+ years and it still has problems. the CVT tranny has problems as well. Why get this DSG trans which is only going cause more problems in the end. I hear the shifts are alot cleaner on the SMG as well.

thats my 2% of a dollar.

Mokos23

i want a 6 speed automatic with sportshift if that's possible sometime. i read that some mercedes have 7 speed auto, but not sure if they have any ss feature with that.

Dan Martin

I'm certainly not a fan of Audi/VW reliability but I really haven't heard anything bad about their transmissions or drivelines other than people snapping driveshafts on way overboosted 1.8T's. From experience the DSG is a much smoother transmission than the SMG. I've driven the new TT with the DSG and it's silky smooth. Kiteboy is right though, a triple clutch system would make it better but the added complexity/weight/cost would probably not be worth it. The SMG is adjustable so you can have a very aggressive shift when you're booting around the track or a more laid-back shift when your farting around town. Still the most laid-back settings are nowhere near as smooth as the DSG. The TT with the DSG has the most linear acceleration I have ever felt in a car. It just pulls and pulls and never gets out of shape in between shifts.

I think the only problem with CVT's is that the experience can be likened to driving a motorboat. In a boat when you want to go faster, you just put the throttle down. The revs go up and stay there but you keep going faster until you reach the max speed for that RPM. It's a very unnatural feeling to experience the same thing in a car. It almost feels like a slipping clutch. I guess Audi has done the virtual gear thing to keep the marketing people happy but it really isn't helping performance at all.

Dan Martin

It's available now on the 2004 S-Class non 4-matic models. And yes it has an "SS" mode they just call it Touch Shift.

From MB's website:

ortiz

I have an TSX AT and am proud of it.

Ortiz, who thinks the grass isn't alway greener on the other side of the fence.

Dan Martin

That's why we have polls.

ortiz

What I can't give my ?

Dan Martin

You can, that's what I'm saying.

ortiz

Ok then, I like the SS and wouldn't trade it for anything else.

Dan Martin

Good!

lol

MikeL

I would like to have a traditional manual more than anything.

That having been said, my preference in general is:

1. DSG
2. Efficient auto (i.e. TSX, Porsche's Tiptronic)
3. CVT
4. SMG/"F1"

Rationale: DSG supposed to be seamless and have no efficiency loss over manual, maintain complete control. CVT is under a very efficient auto because all the CVT's I've driven have felt strange--best coupled to an alternative powertrain I think like hybrids or something where it can really be put to good use. SMG last because it's reputed to be rough. All are worthy technologies and I don't think we should count any of them out, even the traditional automatic.