Good test. Thanks for doing that. I agree with the results.

I typically drive in 5th or 6th gear around town, but in Bakersfield the speed limits on most streets are 50 or 55 so I get better gas mileage in the higher gear. I don't drive 40mph very often. But I absolutely agree that I have better power and handling with the car in 4th gear.

 

Yeah, you will lose MPG driving in 4th at 55. I actually normally drive up to 55 in 4th because I'm just used to revving from my Subaru, really tryin to fight the urge. For my test only varied between 1600 in 5th and 2000 in 4th. I was a little surprised to get better MPG at 2000k.

 

is the '11 automatic *really* an 8 speed gearbox?

If so, will it fit in my B7 next time my CVT blows out?

I *loved* the idea of a "7 speed" AT, especially with the paddle shifters...I loved it even more when I got to 7 and then kicked it out of "sport" mode and saw the transmission shift again, into what I thought was "overdrive"

I laughed at the Lexus commercials that said they were the FIRST to come with an 8 speed auto.

I got shafted by an Audi sales *******.

Forgetting all of that....

...a *true* AT, with higher number of gear ranges, especially if we are talking about some sort of dual-clutch mechanism with sequential capability, will always outperform any MT counterpart.

This coming from a guy that will NEVER buy another AT equipped auto.

 

I guess the term "lugging" is relative. Let me use ADK Audi's description that is right on: "[it is not necessarily] straight up lugging, I could get it going when need, but it did take a second to engage. It wasn't like driving up a hill and there was no power at all, but rather a hiccup before moving. 4th had no problems punching it." Which leads to my point that I'm trying to express throughout this thread: with 258 lb-ft, I would expect the 5th gear to have no problems punching it (again, at 40 MPH/1600 RPM).

At the same time ADK Audi essentially answers my question as it looks like his 2.0T/ 211 hp engine behaves similarly to the way my does. So I'll make peace with this dilemma of mine, convince myself there is nothing wrong with my car/engine and will just acknowledge that's how the gears are set up on the MT.

Also, I realized that cruising at just slightly higher speed and RPM (say 43 MPH / 1650 RMP) makes the 5th gear noticeably more lively and less in the "lugging" mode. Still need to test the mileage, per ADK Audi's post.

 

I agree with you. I know from my days with a subaru that their particular AWD ate into some of the power to the wheels. The numbers that are often quoted is power to the crank, which is done for marketing purposes. I don't know whether that is the case with Audi because it is a completely different AWD system and seems to have more pep.

 

It's been exactly a year since I started this thread and would like to answer some of my own questions...

My initial question was related to my dilemma whether I should go with A4 Avant that I really wanted but with AT (MT not available) or a Sedan with MT. I ended up going with the Sedan (only because of the MT) and after 1 year and several thousands of miles I can say the MT was a great choice and I absolutely LOVE driving the car, day after day. The MT is indeed a better fit for the 2.0 TFSI than the AT which is something I repeteadly proved myself by driving a loaner A4 with the AT. No different than what Tighr described in one of his posts as "Every time I take it in for service and get an automatic rental, I am reminded at just how much better driving the MT is"

I described my second problem as follows:
"I'm still struggling with the fact that doing 40 MPH at 1600 RPM's on a straight flat road (i.e. no uphill/downhill) I need to constantly toggle between the 4th and 5th gear to keep the engine from lugging. 4th gear seems to work just fine for speeds a bit under 40 MPH, whereas 5th (or 6th) gear works for above 40 MPH, but at 40 MPH it's as if I could not find the right gear.". The point I was trying to make was that with 258 lb-ft torque, I would expect the 5th gear to have no problems punching it (again, at 40 MPH/1600 RPM) which is something I did not experience back then.

Now I finally know the answer: back then the car was brand new and was not ran in. Once I put couple of thousands of miles on the car, I did not experience this problem any more an my A4 can easily cruise on 5th gear doing 40 MPH/1600 RPM and there is plenty of power if needed... Awesome!

 

if you do alot of stop/go city driving, get the auto. it's smooth and shifts quicker than manually doing it too.

 

I agree. Frequent driving in a stop-and-go traffic (not my case, though...) makes the MT vs AT dilemma sort of a moot point with AT being the clear winner. The 8-gear AT is indeed smooth but my main problem was that it upshifts to the 8th gear (and stays there) almost all the time while cruising and if you want to manually downshift to get the car going (w/o kickdown), you have to go from 8-7-6-5-4 so four shifts before you get the desirable gear. With the MT, you can go from 6th to 4th essentially in an instant...

 

I have a 2011 A4 Premium+ with the 8 speed transmission. In my opinion/experience it is anything BUT smooth. Upshifting or down, I can normally feel it shifting, as well as hear it. The car sputters sometimes and the power is frequently not there at lower speeds unless I jam on the pedal ( although that could be due to the electronic throttle ). I have taken it into the dealer several times, but they say it is working fine. I always disagree with them, they don't drive it daily in the conditions that I do.

I so wish I had the CVT now, but I wanted the quattro and didn't think the 8 Speed would be as bad as it is. I hope for everyone else sake, it is just my car.

 

When I was shopping for a new A4 (2007) I read a lot about CVT/TT/ and the MT. The German reviews I read stated the 6sp manual was best suited for the 2.0T (200 or 211hp versions). Since the A4's do not have the DSG I got the 6MT and never regretted it. If I were to get a V6 or V8 I might consider an automatic though.