Thoughts on the ZF 8 speed auto
Discussion
Had the ZF8 in an F10 5 Series and thought it suited the car really well. Fantastic for day to day use but I very rarely felt the urge to put it in manual mode and use the paddles.
Had the MB-7G box in an E-Class for a couple of years and that was decent but not the quickest responding and got a bit confused on occasion. I've driven the 9G and it was impressive but can feel a little like it's constantly hunting for the next gear.
Current car is my first DSG, the Audi S-Tronic 7. So far I like it. Not as good as the ZF8 at low speeds but very responsive and works well in manual mode with the paddles when driving more enthusiatically.
Had the MB-7G box in an E-Class for a couple of years and that was decent but not the quickest responding and got a bit confused on occasion. I've driven the 9G and it was impressive but can feel a little like it's constantly hunting for the next gear.
Current car is my first DSG, the Audi S-Tronic 7. So far I like it. Not as good as the ZF8 at low speeds but very responsive and works well in manual mode with the paddles when driving more enthusiatically.
I have the 8 speed in my M140. I'd rather have a manual for a spirited drive but that's no fault of the box.
You just feel a bit removed from the experience and less involved. Nail the pedal and go is not as much fun.
It more than makes up for it on my weekday commute round the M25, stuck in traffic though. It's very good.
You just feel a bit removed from the experience and less involved. Nail the pedal and go is not as much fun.
It more than makes up for it on my weekday commute round the M25, stuck in traffic though. It's very good.
It's a brilliant box, smooth and fast changing. I'd generally take it over a dual clutch box.
Only downside for me is that it really dulls your sensation of the engines character as it has so many ratios. That's not an issue in most cars, but when you get to something with an interesting engine, it's quite disappointing.
Only downside for me is that it really dulls your sensation of the engines character as it has so many ratios. That's not an issue in most cars, but when you get to something with an interesting engine, it's quite disappointing.
KungFuPanda said:
I've had my 2011 Audi A8 for nearly a year now. It's got the aforementioned ZF 8 speed box in. I love it. Changes are seamless and it's a really nice drive.
Just wondering what other people thought about the box. Not driven the Merc 9G Tronic box. How do the two compare?
I've just switched from a BMW with ZF8 to a Merc with the 9G. The two are very comparable I'd say. The extra gear is unnoticeable as the changes are very smooth. Previously I had an older Merc with the 7G - that was OK but not as good as the ZF8 and now 9G. All of which are much better than the DSG in my Passat.Just wondering what other people thought about the box. Not driven the Merc 9G Tronic box. How do the two compare?
generationx said:
I also have it in my Alfa, having never even owned a car with an auto ´box before.
I´ll never go back...
Likewise. Manual examples are rare for my car, even finding one for a test drive, so I thought I'd better test drive the auto just to see if I could bear it. I´ll never go back...
Wouldn't go back. 90% as much fun as a manual when you want to have a play. Significantly better than a manual the rest of the time when you don't. Doesn't feel particularly sluggish or irritating like old auto boxes did - and if it does, just override in manual mode and use the paddles to ensure you're in exactly the gear you want.
Best of both worlds to me. All hail the ZF8...
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