Aston DBS = what's the right choice, manual or auto?

[erics]

some cars are obviously not very good in auto (porsche 911 tiptronics).
Some are obviously much better in auto (most mercedes).

What is the 'wise' choice when it comes to an aston DBS and why?

[Mr Purple]

Driven both my choice was touchtronic. Best of both worlds , works really quite well on the paddles (although i accept doesnt quite give the manual 'ragging effect') but for laid back cruising whack it in auto. Fantastic car - my advice - drive both and decide yourself

[yeti]

Mr Purple said:

drive both and decide yourself

No better advice to give really. Both are absolutely brilliant and up there with the best of their types.

However, the world we live in is seeing the end of the true manual gearbox, and certainly the end of the manual, 3 pedal V12. The Murcielago was the last Lambo, the 575 was the last V12 Ferrari, the Zonda the last Pagani. Aston is (I think) the only manufacturer offering a manual V12 with the Vantage and DBS. Even the Virage is TT2 auto only and the DB9 has ceased and desisted.

As a piece of motoring history I would have a manual and enjoy the last bit of proper old-school motoring you can be completely involved in.

/Manual DB9 Volante owner

[KarlFranz]

If you're over 65 years old, then the slush box is the right choice for you. Anything younger than that and the manual 6-speed is the proper box to get.

[George H]

yeti said:

However, the world we live in is seeing the end of the true manual gearbox, and certainly the end of the manual, 3 pedal V12. The Murcielago was the last Lambo, the 575 was the last V12 Ferrari, the Zonda the last Pagani. Aston is (I think) the only manufacturer offering a manual V12 with the Vantage and DBS. Even the Virage is TT2 auto only and the DB9 has ceased and desisted.

As a piece of motoring history I would have a manual and enjoy the last bit of proper old-school motoring you can be completely involved in.

Or think about why all those manufacturers are dropping it. Obviously for a very good reason

Do you still buy video tapes or floppy disks Yeti, as soon I suspect you won't even be able to buy them

[yeti]

I understand your analogy George but the video cassette was not an interactive part of my viewing experience therefore I have a BluRay player.

3 pedals and manual transmission are very much something I enjoy. As you say, manufacturers are dropping them so I am probably in a minority it seems. People want things to be easier all the time, there is no doubt that a manual car takes more effort and skill to drive than an auto/robotic manual.

I relish the challenge of getting it right every corner, matching the revs correctly to the downshift while on the brakes - smoothness over everything while scrubbing off speed, then brutality piling it back on

[jonby]

yeti said:

I understand your analogy George but the video cassette was not an interactive part of my viewing experience therefore I have a BluRay player.

3 pedals and manual transmission are very much something I enjoy. As you say, manufacturers are dropping them so I am probably in a minority it seems. People want things to be easier all the time, there is no doubt that a manual car takes more effort and skill to drive than an auto/robotic manual.

I relish the challenge of getting it right every corner, matching the revs correctly to the downshift while on the brakes - smoothness over everything while scrubbing off speed, then brutality piling it back on

Agree - I think a better analogy is books & magazines, printed vs electronic - there are some advantages to electronic, such as in interactivity in Evo on the iPad. There are some downsides - arguably on a normal paperback, it's harder to read than a paperbacl. but there will always be demand for paperbacks. Another example is vinyl vs CD or MP3, or DAB vs FM. What about watches with a traditional movement that keep poor time against digital watches. None of these analogies is perfect for this argument, but it does show that there will always be demand for the older system and I think they are more relevant than the cassette example

[cayman-black]

manual all the way. When i drove the Ferrari 575, the first one was F1 , could not get on with it at all. Then i drove a manual one it was like a different car fantastic.
I would always buy a manual car if it was available!

[MichaelV8V]

I tried an automatic DBS a couple of weeks ago, and it felt powerful but soft.

That torque converter gentleness when setting off felt just like my Audi A8, so I realised then that I wanted a manual

[AMDBSNick]

Manual all day long. With that much torque it's an absolute doddle around town and amazing when you want to be involved. I am of course biased.

[erics]

Thanks everyone..

I would typically be a manual person but on a car like this am not too sure...

If I was convinced the auto was efficient, I would got for that.

And people who say paddle shifters are for grandad's, well they have to get out more... Go have a try in a f430 scud... Shocker.

[CPBRI]

Another vote for the manual.

[yeti]

I'm pretty sure that the people with manuals will vote for manual and the people with TT2 willvote for that - or they wouldn't have bought them

The only advice is to drive both and see what you prefer - both are excellent systems. The manual is however far, far rarer, but as George says, maybe for a reason..? The manual DB9/DBS/V12V is the last of the old guard and I love it for that.

[LukeyLikey]

George H said:

Or think about why all those manufacturers are dropping it. Obviously for a very good reason

...which is...emissions. Far easier to control CO2 output and pass the all-important Euro tests when you don't have a manual box on a V12.

As for the driving - no comparison. Mine is a manual (and I had an auto DB9 before that, which was also good, but for different reasons). Unless you do a lot of miles in traffic (in which case why bother with the added expense of a DBS when a DB9 is perfectly good enough) then manual suits the car perfectly.

[LukeyLikey]

erics said:

Thanks everyone..

I would typically be a manual person but on a car like this am not too sure...

If I was convinced the auto was efficient, I would got for that.

And people who say paddle shifters are for grandad's, well they have to get out more... Go have a try in a f430 scud... Shocker.

F1 on a 430 is nothing like TT2 on an Aston - different system, feels different, behaves different.

A DBS works really well as a manual car (they developed and launched it as a manual). The torque is brilliant and the change is very good - the best of both worlds.

Unfortunately for me, early manuals are also great value at the moment.

[George H]

LukeyLikey said:

George H said:

Or think about why all those manufacturers are dropping it. Obviously for a very good reason

...which is...emissions. Far easier to control CO2 output and pass the all-important Euro tests when you don't have a manual box on a V12.

And speed. Manuals just cannot match the speed of an automated manual, and I think they can be far more involving offering the best of both worlds. Some of the gear shifts can be brutal, or at the flick of a switch, silky smooth. They're just better imo.

[Jockman]

Why would you spend that much money only to have to change the gears yourself ?

[AstonZagato]

I went TT2. A few reasons.

• I liked the Jekyll and Hyde nature of it - relaxed when you are cruising but control when you want to have a blast.
• The gearstick is the ridiculous "Terminator cock" that is too cold to hold on a chilly day - people are talking about changing them out or covering them with a sock
• I had used TT2 extensively (three DB9s) and always been impressed with the 'box.
• TT2 is short-term easier to sell - the cars that sat around at dealers were all manuals (however, very long-term the manual will trade at a premium to TT2 imho).
• I rarely drive a manual any more - I am no longer the Stig-like driving-god, the slick heel-and-toe monster, I once was and I am happy to admit that. Paddles are perfect for me.

However, it is what suits you that matters.

[KarlFranz]

The majority of people I know whot use flappy paddle automatic gearboxes wind up leaving them in "D" once the novelty wears off. The only way I would consider such a gearbox was if there was absolutely no option to put it in fully automatic mode.

Also, manufacturers have created a self-fulfilling prophecy. By spec-ing the majority of cars with flappy paddles, the majority of sales become "cars with flappy paddles". To count George H's arguments, look at how long the typical 6-speed manual DB9/DBS remains for sale before it gets snatched-up. I know more people who would not consider buying one of these cars unless they find one with a manual box than people who would only buy it if they had an automatic box.

[Mr Purple]

[quote=AstonZagato]I went TT2. A few reasons.

• I liked the Jekyll and Hyde nature of it - relaxed when you are cruising but control when you want to have a blast.

Love this discription