Re: DCT versus MT
Everyone will have their own opinion about which is best, but no one has mentioned anything about maintenance or longevity.
I dont buy cars to just get rid of them in a few years.. I enjoy maintaining them and making them "mine."
My most trusted advisor on all things mechanical re BMW's is the one and only Mike Miller (tech advisor for Bimmer Mag and author of the Old School BMW Maintenance Schedule)
To quote him (I hope he doesnt mind) regarding ANY auto trans Mike said this: "I have seen maintained automatics last 200,000 miles. I have also seen un-maintained automatics last 200,000 miles, although both are very rare. There's just no predicting with these transmissions. When you choose to buy an automatic transmission, you also buy into the vagaries of the darn things, which is one reason technicians hate them. Whether to maintain a modern BMW automatic is up to you. I am washing my hands of automatic transmissions – I don’t like them, I don’t buy them, and I don’t mess around with them under the car. At the end of the day, for long-term durability, order the car with a manual gearbox."
With BMW's "lifetime fill" for Trannys and Diffs - I am too wary of these variables that have no logical explanation. I do not want to buy a car and "hope" that I got one with a good transmission. Only to find out I have one that dies the day after the warranty expires. I would rather know that if I maintain my vehicle it will last..
Just my 2 cents.. I love my 6MT.
. CLL