s3 manual or s tronic

[Soulboy]

S-tronic v manual.......
Nobody really mentions what individual driving needs dictate.

I am firmly in the manual camp, but if I did high mileage and a lot of traffic jams (commuting into a city centre every day for example) I would probably prefer S-tronic.

Horses for courses, as well as personal preference.

 

[h5djr]

S-tronic v manual.......
Nobody really mentions what individual driving needs dictate.

I am firmly in the manual camp, but if I did high mileage and a lot of traffic jams (commuting into a city centre every day for example) I would probably prefer S-tronic.

Horses for courses, as well as personal preference.

The great thing about the s-tronic is that it gives you the best of both worlds. Auto when you in traffic jams and commuting and manual when you just want to drive it yourself.

 

[mfl]

The great thing about the s-tronic is that it gives you the best of both worlds. Auto when you in traffic jams and commuting and manual when you just want to drive it yourself.

when it's all said and done, there are 2 points of difference.
1: not taking away from the ability of the s-tronic to hammer through the gears up & down faster than a manual shift, but it ain't quite the same feeling because there is no clutch to use, modulate etc. and so the experience for me ain't quite the same - but that doesn't mean I am not impressed by the s-tronic.

2. you have to use the s-tronic as a sequential manual, because unlike a normal manual you can't skip gears, - nothing 2 quick taps on the paddles won't fix - but its just remembering when driving in manual mode, that you can't skip a gear.

 

[veeeight]

2. you have to use the s-tronic as a sequential manual, because unlike a normal manual you can't skip gears, - nothing 2 quick taps on the paddles won't fix - but its just remembering when driving in manual mode, that you can't skip a gear.

Although, if you kickdown (in all 3 modes, D,S,M) - it will jump from say 5 to 2

 

[mfl]

Although, if you kickdown (in all 3 modes, D,S,M) - it will jump from say 5 to 2

yes V8, I have discovered that ! its the failsafe action

 

[Muttley75]

Why would you want to skip gears anyway? If it's performance you want, put it in S mode. Overtaking is so much safer too, no buggering around getting the revs/torque right - just check your mirrors, point the wheel and floor it - it will change down a gear or two on its own if needed. Agree its personal preferences but those are my reasons for S-Tronic. Oh and my daily city centre commute.

 

[NickyF]

My driving is either London traffic or motorways, and I still prefer my manual. My only problem with it is that the gear change is pretty nasty. Notchy and unrewarding, especially when cold. Still miles better than an stronic

 

[mfl]

Why would you want to skip gears anyway? If it's performance you want, put it in S mode. Overtaking is so much safer too, no buggering around getting the revs/torque right - just check your mirrors, point the wheel and floor it - it will change down a gear or two on its own if needed. Agree its personal preferences but those are my reasons for S-Tronic. Oh and my daily city centre commute.

The skipping gears was:
* in city driving with the manual, when turning into streets it was usually a 2nd gear turn and if approaching the turn in 4th you could just go directly from 4th to 2nd.
*on my track days , and spirited drives there would be 2nd gear corners that the approach speeds would mean you would be in 4th or 5th gear and so you would skip a couple of gears when braking and selecting the appropriate gear for the corner

thats why in my post I described it as a point of difference, because as you and V8 have said the s-tronic will kick down to the appropriate gear extremely quickly for you.

 

[h5djr]

One of the

My driving is either London traffic or motorways, and I still prefer my manual. My only problem with it is that the gear change is pretty nasty. Notchy and unrewarding, especially when cold. Still miles better than an stronic

One of reasons I was keen to try the 'new' s-tronic option back in 2004 was that all the manual gearboxes in my four previous 8Ls had been quite notchy and not that great to use. They may well have improved since then but having tried the s-tronic I was more than happy not to ever have to use a clutch pedal again. I have quite short legs for my height and I found I could get a much more comfortable driving position when I did not need to have the seat adjusted to be able to get the clutch pedal fully down.

 

[veeeight]

I tend to reserve the kick down "button" for lazy driving, as opposed to "active driving".
Kicking-down won't give you the "fastest" changes, which you would need for a quick overtake.

Pre-selecting the gear with the paddles is the "best" way to anticipate an overtake.

You can mash the throttle into the kickdown switch, but I find on the S3 this kicksdown into too low a gear, then its almost immediately in the red line, and has to change up.

Or if you push the throttle 100% but not activate the switch, the priority of the DSG box is to give you the smoothest change (not the fastest), so will "slip" the clutches, so sounds like the change is delayed. But if you watch the speedo, the speed will actually be increasing, it will just sound like its not going anywhere.

By far the best way is to pre-select the gear you want to overtake in, using the paddles or the stick.


Another tip for the "quickest changes":
To ensure a quick upshift - pull the RHS paddle WHIILST accelerating
To ensure a quick downshift - pull the LHS paddle WHILST decelerating, foot OFF the throttle.
This will give the "quickest" shifts.

If you try and downshift while accelerating, the DSG will have already preselected a higher gear, so will have to undo that to give you a lower gear.

 

[Muttley75]

Personally, I just floored it and found that was the fastest - but it was a SEAT DSG and I had a supercharger as well as a turbo so probably had a lot of torque. In my experience, messing about with paddles just before overtaking was both a distraction and didn't result in any faster/smoother acceleration. As I said, we're comparing different cars so my views may change slightly when I get the A3.

 

[veeeight]

This one has been posted loads before:

 

[Daveotto]

S-tronic v manual.......
Nobody really mentions what individual driving needs dictate.

I am firmly in the manual camp, but if I did high mileage and a lot of traffic jams (commuting into a city centre every day for example) I would probably prefer S-tronic.

Horses for courses, as well as personal preference.

+1

Exactly my rationale I drive a lot of hire cars on business and always go for autos as I am often on the phone and on unfamiliar roads so auto gearboxes make driving easier. For social and pleasure driving my preference is for a manual as I find it more engaging......horses for courses!!

 

[S32B]

As others have said you need to try both and decide which YOU like better.

On my test drive of the S3 I had the s-tronic and said "I like this", the salesperson said you will get bored with it quickly, get the manual. I did and I have no regrets Since owning the S3, Cheshire Oaks Audi have let me have an R8 for the day and the new RS3 for a few hours, both have been s-tronic, for me I'm glad I went maual as I feel more involved with the driving.

 

[driver_tim]

Some interesting posts on this thread. My personal preference is a manual, that said I completely respect the opinion of those who prefer S tronic. Interestingly one of the main reasons for this is I feel that I don't want to loose the skill of driving a manual, however being pragmatic given that I'm in my early thirties it's quite possible that in my lifetime we will look back on cars with manual gear boxes in a similar manner to how we currently view cars with manual chokes!

 

[Muttley75]

I drove a DSG for 4 years and slipped straight back into a manual. Like riding a bike, you never forget. That said, the first junction I pulled up at, I forgot to dip the clutch lol. That was the only blip though. Equally, when first driving an auto and you pull up to stop, the first couple of times you stamp your left foot frantically looking for the clutch. You soon get used to it and can easily interchange between the two.

 

[h5djr]

Personally I cannot see how having a manual and clutch pedal can make it more 'involving', unless you spend time riding the clutch which I was always told was bad driving practice. I always drive my s-tronic in manual mode unless I'm in a traffic queue when I tend to use Auto and ACC. I decide when to change up or down not the car. Sometimes I use the stick, sometimes the paddles but I don't have to play with a clutch pedal. Whenever I am in a manual gearbox/clutch car as a passenger the gear changes are never as smooth and comfortable from the passenger's point of view. Quite often when I have had passengers in my s-tonic car they have commented how smooth and comfortable the whole gear change process is.

As for auto mode being better when your are talking on the phone. Personally I and a lot of research believe this is quite dangerous anyway, hand held or not. I do have my phone in the car but it it always switched off when I'm driving.

 

[jaypers777]

Isn't this a futile discussion now? It's a bit like.......

- Is being veggie or carnivore best?
- Do you like brunettes, blondes or red-heads?

We are all different and all have different requirements. There is no 'winner' in this debate. Both manual and S-tronic are brilliant. One man (or woman's) meat is anothers poison.

Test both and buy what you are comfortable with. Either way, you're going to have a great drive!

 

[Muttley75]

Carnivore & brunettes for me!

 

[Muttley75]

Isn't this a futile discussion now? It's a bit like.......

- Is being veggie or carnivore best?
- Do you like brunettes, blondes or red-heads?

We are all different and all have different requirements. There is no 'winner' in this debate. Both manual and S-tronic are brilliant. One man (or woman's) meat is anothers poison.

Test both and buy what you are comfortable with. Either way, you're going to have a great drive!

No it's not futile - he may drive the S-Tronic and like it, not knowing about some of the quirks. This post has laid out all the pros and cons so when he has driven both he can refer back here then make an informed decision.

These types of discussions (just like which colour to buy) are all subjective but if you're indecisive and can't make your mind up, going with the majority isn't necessarily a bad thing to do.

If it's all pointless, why are any of us reading anything on here or bothering to reply?

 

[jaypers777]

If it's all pointless, why are any of us reading anything on here or bothering to reply?

My point was around the fact that this discussion is now 3 pages long and at times is verging on a right Vs wrong type debate rather than a pros and cons one. We could probably rattle off the pros and cons of both in 1 or 2 longish posts? Now that would be helpful for an indecisive buyer.

 

[h5djr]

I agree that it's a choice for each potential buyer to make according to their own requirements, but personally if I was having to make that decision again, I would welcome as much feed back from existing owners of each type as possible. If up to now you have only driven a manual gearbox, a short test drive with an s-tronic is not going to tell you all the feed back you can get from a thread like this. Agreed there is no 'winner' but there may be a lot of things mentioned, especially if you are new to the s-tronic, that you may not have even thought about. I doubt if many test drives will include queuing in traffic which is one time when the s-tronic, especially when used with ACC, comes into it's own.

Genuine feedback is very useful. Comments like 'real men drive a manual' are both stupid and unhelpful. In the end the OP will have to make a decision and it can be an expensive decision if they get it wrong and find out afterwards. The more research than can do before having to make that decision the better and the threads on this forum can be a good part of that research. If you have never driven with an s-tronic before, then personally I would want to have a car with s-tronic for at least a day. Before I finally decided I had a s-tronic car for the week-end and drove it for about eight hours on both days and after that I was very sure it was what I wanted and still know it was the best decision 11 years and 5 A3s later.

 

[jaypers777]

I agree that it's a choice for each potential buyer to make according to their own requirements, but personally if I was having to make that decision again, I would welcome as much feed back from existing owners of each type as possible. If up to now you have only driven a manual gearbox, a short test drive with an s-tronic is not going to tell you all the feed back you can get from a thread like this. Agreed there is no 'winner' but there may be a lot of things mentioned, especially if you are new to the s-tronic, that you may not have even thought about. I doubt if many test drives will include queuing in traffic which is one time when the s-tronic, especially when used with ACC, comes into it's own.

Genuine feedback is very useful. Comments like 'real men drive a manual' are both stupid and unhelpful. In the end the OP will have to make a decision and it can be an expensive decision if they get it wrong and find out afterwards. The more research than can do before having to make that decision the better and the threads on this forum can be a good part of that research. If you have never driven with an s-tronic before, then personally I would want to have a car with s-tronic for at least a day. Before I finally decided I had a s-tronic car for the week-end and drove it for about eight hours on both days and after that I was very sure it was what I wanted and still know it was the best decision 11 years and 5 A3s later.

Your last 2 sentences are spot on, and the best advice for anyone considering changing from one to the other. I did similar with my S3/S-tronic decision, although I only had the car for 1 full day rather than a weekend. I made sure I drove in every type of driving condition I could find.....Motorway, A roads, B roads, traffic etc. There are also different ways of driving an S-tronic which may not be immediately obvious to some.

 

[veeeight]

Isn't this a futile discussion now?

Yes

In the sense that this is only the latest in umpteen different Manual or DSG threads on this forum, they all say exactly the same thing, there is no new revelation in this or any of those, and they all more or less end up going the same way.

 

[Muttley75]

For newcomers like myself, it's far better to start a new up to date thread than read through countless old ones. When you saw the subject, no one held a gun to your head and forced you to read it or reply.

 

[mister.c.]

And the one thing this thread does show is, yes, you may need to test drive them both. But the problem with that is you have to deal with Audi main dealers and staff. Caveat emptor. Its absolutely pot luck what you get. Which in this day and age is a poor show.

A relatively high % of threads would never go far if they were locked due to repetition. Or other matters that are not offensive. And it always humours me how a fair % of those are called to close by those part of the degeneration. Dodge the thread if you don't like, and close it if it gets bad natured a la Xmas time or whenever it was when things went boobs up for a while. OP found it useful as have I.

 

[h5djr]

And the one thing this thread does show is, yes, you may need to test drive them both. But the problem with that is you have to deal with Audi main dealers and staff. Caveat emptor. Its absolutely pot luck what you get. Which in this day and age is a poor show.

A relatively high % of threads would never go far if they were locked due to repetition. Or other matters that are not offensive. And it always humours me how a fair % of those are called to close by those part of the degeneration. Dodge the thread if you don't like, and close it if it gets bad natured a la Xmas time or whenever it was when things went boobs up for a while. OP found it useful as have I.

I think one of the problems is that even with just the A3 there are many models that it is difficult for any dealer to have the car that you want to test drive available. When I last changed my car I wanted to test drive a 2.0TDI-184 s-tonic quattro in Sport trim with the SE Suspension. In the end my dealer did find one at another dealer but it meant a reasonable drive to get there. Before that I had one false start when I contacted another dealer quite close by and said what I wanted to try and they said they had one at one of their other dealers in the group. As I was going near that dealer the following Saturday I agreed to call in. When I got there it was totally the wrong model! Almost every dealer has S-Line versions because these seem popular but for those of us who want to try something else, life can be quite difficult.

 

[veeeight]

For newcomers like myself, it's far better to start a new up to date thread than read through countless old ones. When you saw the subject, no one held a gun to your head and forced you to read it or reply.

Actually, no, not always. But as you're a self confessed newbie, I'll re-post the point about old threads v new threads.


Why the constant re-direction to old threads?


Re-surfacing old threads is especially useful, because

• There is a great deal of knowledge in them
• The oldies that have been there before put a lot of time and effort in answering those questions
• Those oldies may not be around anymore
• Not all the newies know all the answers
• So the oldies knowledge is always captured in the FAQs
• Even the newies can learn from the oldies occasionally through those threads !

And when newies add to the old threads, it re-surfaces them for yet more newies to take on board the info!

(This is how a forum works )

 

[veeeight]

I think it's reasonable to expect new members to

Read the FAQs
Do a Search
Then join in the discussions.

You wouldn't barge into a pub and shout your questions out without first introducing yourself, and listening for a bit first?



There is obviously a balance to be struck - stick to forum netiquette - read the FAQ's first, then do a search.

This particular site is extremely friendly/helpful - try a newbie obvious question on other sites, and you'll get a snarled reply of "Do a Search" (or worse) and that will be your lot!

The more threads on the same topic just make it harder for people to find information, and then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

(If everybody started a thread on "Do I use 95RON or 98RON" you end up with 22 threads on that very topic. Much harder for a newbie to find the relevant info when it's scattered everywhere. Oh.)

 

[Blackwhite]

I think it's reasonable to expect new members to

Read the FAQs
Do a Search
Then join in the discussions.

You wouldn't barge into a pub and shout your questions out without first introducing yourself, and listening for a bit first?



There is obviously a balance to be struck - stick to forum netiquette - read the FAQ's first, then do a search.

This particular site is extremely friendly/helpful - try a newbie obvious question on other sites, and you'll get a snarled reply of "Do a Search" (or worse) and that will be your lot!

The more threads on the same topic just make it harder for people to find information, and then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

(If everybody started a thread on "Do I use 95RON or 98RON" you end up with 22 threads on that very topic. Much harder for a newbie to find the relevant info when it's scattered everywhere. Oh.)

Yes veeeight. They are very helpful.
Recently I had bird droppings on my car. I wanted something to keep in my glove box until I could wash my car properly. I put "Bird Poo" in search. I found there was such a thing as Autoglym Wjpes.
They are not available in the U.S.
so I ordered them from Amazon.com. It was an old thread, but had
just the information I needed.

 

[musicegbdf]

Wow this thread has grown.
Three weeks and still not got any test drive , and dealer seems not interested to get one for me! All I want is to try a s3 with stronic.
To bring back to my reason for starting the thread. My missus drives the car more than me and does not like automatics...
I have told her the new ones can be driven like a manual without a clutch so we can both be happy. Then there is 1500 quid more. So was trying to decide if the stronic was worth that and five years of earache !!!!
All not helped by Audi dealers not having a demonstrator.
In the end I got to test drive the jag xe.
Seriously nice car and tempted to walk away from Audi. However, still want a hatch and looks like I will end up ordering one today even though I still have had no test drive.
As to the thread itself , it has helped in a way as I did not know about the traffic thing combined with ACC. I also did not realise about manual mode. I thought it was only auto pr paddles. The stick option may help the case with the missus. We are at the stage where she doesn't even come to the dealers , she likes the Mercedes A class. I think it was very poor quality. Did not feel like AUDI., Bmw, or Jag..
Well off to spend £33k(after discount) on a car I have not driven !

 

[driver_tim]

I think it's definitely time to try another dealer. From what you've described your local one doesn't seem to have much customer focus!

 

[buz]

If that last sentence is true, you must be mental!!!

I know you've had a poor time with dealers but take a day to visit other dealers and get yourself good service, more than one test drive and more importantly a deal you are happy with.

 

[musicegbdf]

Well pulled the trigger and ordered the s3 and A1 for my daughter.
Salesman seemed peed off and totally disinterested. Still no test drive .
Yes I must be mad, but been happy with my 8p and deal not too bad.
My attitude to the salespeople is I only have to see them once again on pickup.
The problem is they are part of the same group so would gave to travel out if county and really do not want to go through the hassle again.
Have rejected all the add on charges ,and going to either look for detailing company or do it myself . Though guess delivery is going to be November.
Will post new thread about my order.

 

[h5djr]

Personally I found visiting both Audi and VW dealers over the last few weeks with my wife, who was interested in either a Polo or an A1, a real pleasure. The salesmen at both were very good and knew their cars, treated us very well and were good at providing test drives in both cars. The A1 we wanted to try was the new 1.0L A1 and they had one that had just arrived and that let my wife drive it on trade plates. At the VW dealer she drove a Manual version in the about 3 hrs in the morning and a DSG version of the same model for 3 hrs in the afternoon. Both dealers are part of the Vindis group and customer service seem very high on their agenda. In the end she placed an order for a new Polo 1.2 SE with DSG.

Having been dealing with the same salesman at Huntingdon Audi for many years, whenever I'm near the garage, I usually call in to see him for a coffee and a chat.

 

[musicegbdf]

I should be so lucky.
A friend told me he has in four occasions walked out of Audi due to the sales staff. He went and bought a a F type jag instead.
This morning my daughter heard a salesmen telling a lady customer there is no difference between a 90 bhp and 125 bhp...!
Thank goodness the cars are good. If left on dealers here they would go bust!

 

[h5djr]

They obviously need some lessons in customer service in your area. It's a pity because 'bad' dealers can let down a good brand so very easily. Perhaps the salesman new what sort of driver the 'lady' was and in her case the extra power would not make any difference because she would never use it any way!! Still a stupid thing to say.

 

[musicegbdf]

Mm, yes and for me still no test drive. I asked to see alcantara. None in the showroom according to salesmen. Until I found one.
He forgot to also mention there was a S3 in the colour I was ordering in the showroom. In two months of searching this is the first S3 I have sat in...
Anyway , must waiting now.

 

[vacant]

I actually wanted a manual, and I went for a second hand S3 as I wanted one with lots of options I didn't want to pay extra for on a new car, and exactly the right spec appeared, but S-Tronic.
I've driven absolutely loads of autos, and this is the first one I've clicked with really, almost never getting in the way of my fun, in fact adding a bit of drama to it, but with the bonus of being able to stick it in full auto when I'm sleepliy heading to work.

 

[Muttley75]

I should be so lucky.
A friend told me he has in four occasions walked out of Audi due to the sales staff. He went and bought a a F type jag instead.
This morning my daughter heard a salesmen telling a lady customer there is no difference between a 90 bhp and 125 bhp...!
Thank goodness the cars are good. If left on dealers here they would go bust!

In fairness it could have been taken out of context. If she asked if one was quicker than the other, and the salesman said there was no difference then he should be shot. If she asked if the higher bhp model has got any more options as standard then his response would have been correct. However, based on everything else you've said, he does sound a bit of a James Blunt.

+1 for Vindis Group - very good customer service in my experience. They were not my local dealer either, but they still treated me very well even knowing that I'd never buy from them again or use them for servicing etc simply because they're 100 miles away. I found a small dent in the car a few days after I'd bought it (was a used one) that I hadn't noticed when I initially looked at it. To their credit and without trying to say it must have happened after I'd bought it, they sent me a cheque for £100 to have it knocked out. Top class.

Edit: they said they would have put it right but given the distance I'd have to travel they offered the cash.