Which Audi gearbox is the best?

[Arslanoff]

Guys, I a bit got mixed up with all the types of gearboxes presented by Audi.
Which gearbox is the best do you think and why?

So the choice is between Manual, Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), Multitronic, Tiptronic, Automatic transmission (4-speed), R-tronic


Here is some discription of them:

Manual transmission :rs4addict
Also known as a stick shift, straight drive, or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in automotive applications. Manual transmissions often feature a driver-operated clutch and a movable gear selector. Most automobile manual transmissions allow the driver to select any gear at any time.

Direct shift gearbox (DSG) :ttaddict:
The revolutionary direct shift gearbox (DSG) combines the advantages of a conventional six-speed manual-shift gearbox with the qualities possessed by a modern automatic transmission. The driver enjoys immense agility and driving pleasure with, at the same time, smooth, dynamic acceleration with no interruption to the power flow.
The technical basis of the direct shift gearbox (DSG) is a double clutch. This consists of two wet plate-type clutches with hydraulically regulated contact pressure. One of the two clutches engages the odd-numbered, the other the even-numbered gears. This principle enables gear shifts to be made without interrupting the power flow and keeps the shift times extremely short. While the first clutch is transmitting the power, the second clutch is ready to engage the next gear, which is preselected. When the driver makes the gear shift, the first clutch is released and the second engages, so that the gear shift takes place in a fraction of a second.
The driver can operate the DSG manually or allow changes to take place automatically. In the automatic mode there is a choice between the well-balanced, comfortable standard shift settings and a program with greater sports emphasis. Manual shifts are made either at the gear lever or at shift paddles behind the steering wheel.

Multitronic
The multitronic is a continuously variable transmission with a steel link-plate chain running in tension in an oil bath between two pairs of bevel wheels of variable diameter. It can transmit torque of up to 310 Nm - a world-first for this kind of transmission. In addition, it permits an exceptionally wide range of effective ratios. The differential is located in the same compact housing as the transmission. There are no more fixed gear ratios. The resulting smooth and powerful acceleration ensures a high level of driving comfort. There are also advantages when towing a trailer, thanks to the high torque available over the entire engine speed range. The design and the low weight of the transmission reduce fuel consumption. Manual gear selection mode is available, as with the 5-speed tiptronic transmission and six simulated gear ratios can be selected. In the automatic mode on the multitronic® that calculates the optimum gear ratio with the aid of a Dynamic Regulating Program (DRP) according to engine load, the driver's preferences and driving conditions.

Tiptronic
The tiptronic, which is available with five or six speeds, has all the advantages and technical features (Dynamic Shift Program (DSP), key lock, shift lock) of the automatic transmission. All gear changes take place without any interruption in engine power. This is particularly advantageous when towing a trailer.
tiptronic allows the driver to override the automatic mode by moving the lever into a second (tiptronic) shift gate and permits, for example, downshifting on winding mountain roads to increase the braking effect of the engine or for a particularly sporty driving style.
The six-speed tiptronic has wider transmission spacing, thus reducing fuel consumption and the noise level and increasing ride comfort. On all models it has an additional Sport program which delays upshifts for a sportier driving style. Shift quality has been further improved thanks to electronics integrated directly into the transmission.

Automatic transmission, 4-speed
Automatic transmissions reduce driver fatigue and burden helps the driver concentrate more fully on driving, traffic and the road. The four-speed automatic transmission with dynamic shift program (DSP) automatically adapts to the driving style currently preferred – from relaxed and steady to a more sporty style – and also takes traffic conditions into account. The “Keylock” and “Shiftlock” functions are added safety features. “Keylock” prevents the ignition key from being removed unless the transmission selector lever is at “P” (Park), so that the transmission is locked. After starting the engine and before the selector lever can be moved out of “P” or “N”, the brake pedal has to be pressed down
(“Shiftlock”). This prevents inadvertent vehicle movement after the engine has been started.
In the past, increased power was the main reason for using a turbocharger, but today energy conservation and reduced emissions are the primary reasons, together with good performance. Many modern diesel engines have turbochargers with variable turbine geometry (VTG). The angle of the blades changes according to engine load.

R-tronic sequential shift gearbox with joystick and paddle control, which offers exceptionally fast gear changes. :R8:

[Leadfoot]

Of the choices above there is only really one choice. The DSG.

[Phage]

Never driven any audis except manuals so i'll reframe from voting :stick:

[Arslanoff]

Is the S-tronic the same as DSG or there any differences?

[Leadfoot]

Is the S-tronic the same as DSG or there any differences?

No they aren't.

S-Tronic is spelt differently. :D

[Arslanoff]

No they aren't.

S-Tronic is spelt differently. :D

Got the idea, tnx :thumb:

[Thrives]

Well, I would go for manual but then again Audi's manual transmissions are not that good in the standard range of cars I think. I am a bit biased here since I am usually driving my dad's A6 2.4 from 1997 with 265.000 on the clock and it has a manual. She still goes fine but a quick shift from 1st to 2nd is like ... IMPOSSIBLE :). I mean, that car was made for multitronic!

The DSG is nice but so is the Multitronic, especially coupled with the 2.4 litre and 2.5 TDI engines.

One of my friends drives a new BMW 325i with 218 bhp and it has a nice 6-speed box although the clutch is too light I think. I have driven a newer A4 1.8 T and in that the box was significantly better than in our old A6 (obviously!) but still it was not spot on I think.

[guessWHO]

:R8kiss: I'll go for the R tronic ... simply the best :applause:

[Ruergard]

I have only tried DSG/S-Tronic and Manual. I just love to have that stick and feel that "I'm doing the job". But the DSG is amazing, so fast, so smooth! But my vote goes to the manual transmission.

[Arslanoff]

And what is difference between R-tronic and S-tronic? I am shure it is more then one letter )))

[Toto89]

R-tronic is Audi's only sequential gearbox but it's not a double-clutch gearbox like DSG...as far as i know:vhmmm:

[Arslanoff]

Watch that add - the best! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDn2dwfUum0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs%2Eelpais%2Ecom%2Fespoiler% 2F2007%2F06%2Fun%5Fpoco%5Fde%5Fauto%2Ehtml)

[SoCal]

Ordinarily I prefer manual transmissions, especially for sporty driving and for the option of bypassing a gear when down shifting. :incar:

But for all around versatility, quick consistent shifts, sportiness (when matched with paddle shifters) and smoothness, the DSG is one great tranny. And it's not a bore in urban traffic. If you share your car with someone who likes an automatic, it's the only way to go.:0:

R-tronic is still kind of jerky and much improved over the Lambo original, and the shifts are very quick. But not as intuitive or smooth as DSG.

[Arslanoff]

Who is crazy about manual transmissions? This tattoo is for you!

http://img514.imageshack.us/img514/9453/firefoxscreen001ql0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[RS246]

I have tried both the dsg and tiptronic.
And I had som big expetasions for the DSG box after reading about it.

but after trying it I was happy to come back to my own var A6 2.7T. With tiptronic.
I did not like the way the gearbox was changing gear on the dsg.

I also have to say that the car i tried DSG on was a vw pasat 2.0 TDI 170 PS.
So the flopping throttle thing between the gears just felt strange with diesel 4 sylinder engine.

With the 3.2 v6 eninge i just migth chane my mind...

[IulianUM]

Someone from Audi told me that the S and Rs models will get the R-tronic gearbox , the Rs6 will have tiptronic because the new front engine gearbox was not finished , and tested , at time . :incar:

[Arslanoff]

And for S5/S4 also? Can be so teoretically, but I think it is not gonna happend

[Arslanoff]

Many people say that R tronic is a bit jerky.
I never tryed it so I can not judge.
Who knows more about it, tried it himself?

The semi-automatic transmission (http://www.askaprice.com/torque-article.asp?article=New_Audi_R8_review&item=3055), not a torque converter type because they absorb power, is not so smooth and can only be described as jerky, not a very technical term but that is how it performs. The best transmission will depend on how the driver will use the car.

The R-Tronic semi-automatic version is expensive, and jerky at low speeds (http://www.audi.co.uk/audi/uk/en2/new_cars/r8/Independent_Review.html)

[Leadfoot]

Semi-automatics don't have to be that jerky between changes, it all down to the way the software is written. It all done by actuators and as such this can be control in combination with the throttle to make for very smooth changes, almost equal to that of an automatic.

[IulianUM]

Actually I like it a lot , the best from both worlds , manual and semi .:cool2:
I´ve tried the R-tronic and the E-gear of Lamborghini , and the Italian is harder , seems to broke the car in two :MTM: . Audi is softer but not smooth , the feeling is "funtastic" .
I think that R-tronic is similar to a sport suspension , less comfort better performance . For Audi , less clutch problems , and the future cars will have a lot of torque ...

The trick with R-tronic is easing the gas a bit when changing (as we do with manual gearboxes , and in endurance racing ) , when comfort is needed . And pedal to the metal when going not too slow ....:hihi:

BTW for Audi the R-tronic is a "robotized or robotic" gearbox not Semi-automatic , may be it is just semantics but they insist ...:incar:

[Arslanoff]

From the article: (http://www.audiworld.com/news/07/hockenheim-audi-r8-racetrack-experience/content.shtml)
We started out with a couple of low speed laps just to familiarize ourselves with the circuit and the R8. We were encouraged to try all the shifting modes and generally play around with the car on these laps to get comfortable with it. We started in automatic mode just to see what it was like, but very quickly changed to manual mode after only a few corners. The automatic mode is disconcerting because you can’t always predict when a shift will occur. An unexpected downshift exiting a corner can upset the car slightly, as can an upshift while the steering wheel is turned significantly accelerating out of a corner. With R-Tronic, “manual” shifting is so easy there is really no excuse for not doing it yourself. And with this much torque on tap we wanted to be sure we were the one deciding when shifts occurred.
With the car in Manual mode, upshifts are harsh. In Manual Sport mode they are brutal. Every upshift feels like a minor rear-end collision. Keep in mind that the R-Tronic is a single-clutch transmission unlike Audi’s dual-clutch S-Tronic system. Thus, when the R8 upshifts, drive to the wheels is briefly interrupted, throwing your body forward in the car, and then full power suddenly resumes in the next gear, slamming you back in the seat. On a racetrack this is great fun and gives the feeling of a true racing sequential gearbox. It also gives the driver a good means of bouncing his passenger’s head off the headrest! Candidly, it may be a bit much for the street, although once again we can’t help but wonder if this harshness may be a pre-production issue that can be addressed in software.