Tiptronic Boxster - load of pants?
Discussion
I am honing in on a nearly-new Boxster and over the past few days have received some great advice via this forum (many thanks to everyone who responded - you seem much friendlier than the Lotus bunch on PH...).
However, I have one more question for you experts before I bite the bullet - should I go for a manual or tiptronic?
Normally, I would always go for a manual. Mainly because I have an irrational fear of tiptronics, fermented by the Top Gear pundits.
I'm thinking - clunky, unresponsive and very, very expensive to repair if they fail.
However, I've seen a couple of Boxters that are the price, colour and spec I want, but are also tiptronics.
Should I run a mile or embrace the unknown?
I ought to explain that the thrill of changing through manual gears doesn't bother me - my concern with the tiptronic is that they could be very tricky to master and would be prone to a catastrophic and expensive failure.
Any help greatly appreciated!
However, I have one more question for you experts before I bite the bullet - should I go for a manual or tiptronic?
Normally, I would always go for a manual. Mainly because I have an irrational fear of tiptronics, fermented by the Top Gear pundits.
I'm thinking - clunky, unresponsive and very, very expensive to repair if they fail.
However, I've seen a couple of Boxters that are the price, colour and spec I want, but are also tiptronics.
Should I run a mile or embrace the unknown?
I ought to explain that the thrill of changing through manual gears doesn't bother me - my concern with the tiptronic is that they could be very tricky to master and would be prone to a catastrophic and expensive failure.
Any help greatly appreciated!
monkeytaylor said:
Normally, I would always go for a manual. Mainly because I have an irrational fear of tiptronics, fermented by the Top Gear pundits.
I'm thinking - clunky, unresponsive and very, very expensive to repair if they fail.
However, I've seen a couple of Boxters that are the price, colour and spec I want, but are also tiptronics.
I'm thinking - clunky, unresponsive and very, very expensive to repair if they fail.
However, I've seen a couple of Boxters that are the price, colour and spec I want, but are also tiptronics.
Stay as you are and save yourself a lot of disappointement...
monkeytaylor said:
I am honing in on a nearly-new Boxster and over the past few days have received some great advice via this forum (many thanks to everyone who responded - you seem much friendlier than the Lotus bunch on PH...).
However, I have one more question for you experts before I bite the bullet - should I go for a manual or tiptronic?
Normally, I would always go for a manual. Mainly because I have an irrational fear of tiptronics, fermented by the Top Gear pundits.
I'm thinking - clunky, unresponsive and very, very expensive to repair if they fail.
However, I've seen a couple of Boxters that are the price, colour and spec I want, but are also tiptronics.
Should I run a mile or embrace the unknown?
I ought to explain that the thrill of changing through manual gears doesn't bother me - my concern with the tiptronic is that they could be very tricky to master and would be prone to a catastrophic and expensive failure.
Any help greatly appreciated!
However, I have one more question for you experts before I bite the bullet - should I go for a manual or tiptronic?
Normally, I would always go for a manual. Mainly because I have an irrational fear of tiptronics, fermented by the Top Gear pundits.
I'm thinking - clunky, unresponsive and very, very expensive to repair if they fail.
However, I've seen a couple of Boxters that are the price, colour and spec I want, but are also tiptronics.
Should I run a mile or embrace the unknown?
I ought to explain that the thrill of changing through manual gears doesn't bother me - my concern with the tiptronic is that they could be very tricky to master and would be prone to a catastrophic and expensive failure.
Any help greatly appreciated!
For some reason I'm wierded out by your post. I'm dying to just tell you Tip is a pile of crap (and IMO it is) but you really should go try one and find out for yourself if you aren't that bothered with a manual box in the first place. I'd hate to feel you would dismiss Tip purely on the basis of TG's say-so. That upsets me in principle even though I love TG and agree with them in this instance. There have been a few posts here lately regarding clutch failures on manual-equipped Boxsters, so neither gearbox option is going to be totally, 100% immune to disaster. Certainly a Tiptronic's tendency to catastrophic failure doesn't factor in my dislike of Porsche's automatic - because as far as I know, they're pretty bulletproof. In this instance, I'd have to say that if you've never tried one, your dislike/fear of Tiptronic is completely irrational. I think they're shite because I've driven loads of them and even owned one for a while - none failed mechanically or were difficult to master; I just found them to be utterly shit. There's a prevailing myth here that if you practice your dancing skills that you can make a Tip perform just like a manual - you can't. No matter what you do with your hands or feet you can't escape Tip's tendency to erode your Porsche's fuel economy, blunt the car's performance, sully the driver:car interface, rob the driver of the tactile delights of Porsche's lovely manual boxes blahblahyaddayaddatheresplentymore... But none of this may matter to you one jot. It doesn't appear to matter to loads of Tip buyers, that value the convenience of an automatic above all else.
Try one before you dismiss it. It's crap for me and many others here, but they still get bought in large numbers, so....
Monkey - try them out first. I drove both before making any decision and I'm very glad I did. My brother has a 997S manual and I have the 997S tip. We've both driven each others cars (lots) and we fully appreciate the merits of each.. i.e they are both very very good.
It took me a good few weeks to get used to the "manual" mode on the tip but it's worth it. Yes, it's a very different driving experience and it might not suit you and this is why you have to try them (side by side if possible) This manual v tip thing is a similar argument that skiers and snowboarders have but that's another story..
It took me a good few weeks to get used to the "manual" mode on the tip but it's worth it. Yes, it's a very different driving experience and it might not suit you and this is why you have to try them (side by side if possible) This manual v tip thing is a similar argument that skiers and snowboarders have but that's another story..
C4 Cab Tip for my sins.
It doesnt take long to get used to the Tip in manual mode and for the purist, it still sucks.
We do a lot of combined driving in it, some in London, M4/M40 and out in the boonies of Glos. Deb wont drive a manual so that limits us but I (personally) think it is a great compromise. Do you really want to be changing gears whilst poodling about London at 30 mph? Want to sit in a jam on the M4 in a Tip against a Manual?
The Tip is very easy and relaxing on the commute and I would venture to say that the upside can at least compete with the downside; even for a purist!
Tin hat on and ducking......
It doesnt take long to get used to the Tip in manual mode and for the purist, it still sucks.
We do a lot of combined driving in it, some in London, M4/M40 and out in the boonies of Glos. Deb wont drive a manual so that limits us but I (personally) think it is a great compromise. Do you really want to be changing gears whilst poodling about London at 30 mph? Want to sit in a jam on the M4 in a Tip against a Manual?
The Tip is very easy and relaxing on the commute and I would venture to say that the upside can at least compete with the downside; even for a purist!
Tin hat on and ducking......
i had an 02 2.7 Boxster and loved every bit of it.
Was loaned a 3.2 Boxster and loved that just as much.
Then horror or horrors i was loaned a 2.7 tip for a day. within 30 minutes I wanted to drive it into the sea.
it was the biggest most odeous pile of shoite that i have ever hand the misfortune to drive.
but as loachy says, try both, you may find you like it. different tastes and all that
Was loaned a 3.2 Boxster and loved that just as much.
Then horror or horrors i was loaned a 2.7 tip for a day. within 30 minutes I wanted to drive it into the sea.
it was the biggest most odeous pile of shoite that i have ever hand the misfortune to drive.
but as loachy says, try both, you may find you like it. different tastes and all that
Why do people go on that commuting in jams is better in tips? You have to either press the brakes at standstill due to the creep or use the stick to get into N. My manual does not require more effort. Its easy to skip gears to minimise number of shifts as well. Never longed for an auto despite my commute. Maybe that's just me and my loathing for tips...
I was loaned a Tip 3.4 S ? for a couple of days earlier in the year. (my daily driver is a 330d auto)
The Tip on the Boxster took the edge of the engine (obviously)
Is this an everyday car or a weekend plaything ? (sorry I couldn't be arsed to read the whole thread !)
As regards the driving experience as whole ? Ask yourself this :What percentage of time do you hoon to the max, and more importantly, how many times a day do you crave that last 15-20% of control over the gearbox/clutch ? Not as many as you'd think I'd wager..........
The Tip on the Boxster took the edge of the engine (obviously)
Is this an everyday car or a weekend plaything ? (sorry I couldn't be arsed to read the whole thread !)
As regards the driving experience as whole ? Ask yourself this :What percentage of time do you hoon to the max, and more importantly, how many times a day do you crave that last 15-20% of control over the gearbox/clutch ? Not as many as you'd think I'd wager..........
I've driven a couple of 997 tips and a 986 S tip. The one problem I had was feeling removed from the driving experience, it can be really frustrating when trying to negotiate nice twisty roads, for me it would often change too late and I got annoyed having to think about that as well as staying on the road. With practice you can get better at it but it's nowhere near as easy as a manual to enjoy on decent roads. Having said that the miles I covered in and around London were a pleasure with the tip cars, I found it easy to get off the lights very quickly, much quicker than I could with the manual 996s I owned.
I think I agree that on a Porsche it's a real waste, apart from on the Toureg, which is a VW anyway. I pick up my Tip A4 Avant next week and I have to say that the Audi DSG system is far superior
I think I agree that on a Porsche it's a real waste, apart from on the Toureg, which is a VW anyway. I pick up my Tip A4 Avant next week and I have to say that the Audi DSG system is far superior
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