[tareemaa]

So looking for opinions here, preferably from owners of both potentially. I live in the Midwest, car would function as my daily, 3 days a week, 70 mile round trips on highways. For point of reference, I daily a 340i xdrive 6mt. I also have a harrop E90 M3 6mt and a 991.1 GTS4 7MT. I LOVE driving manual but after owning the 340i I’ve really grown to appreciate having awd. I was putting winter tire on my previous cars to drive them year around, having winter tires was swrvicebaly with our Chicago climate but those few days when it’s really bad out the awd is great, plus no traction issues and puts down power without a hitch.

I really wish they had a manual awd G8x, that would be an immediate buy for me. I hearing great things about the comp xdrive, I’m thinking it’ll be a more daily friendly 911 turbo essentially. But I’ll lose the manual. Appreciate opinions!

[HeelToeShift]

My opinion - the ZF8 in the Comp cars is mundane, boring, and leaves a lot to be desired - it seems they may have gotten it right in the M4 CSL which I think might be on par with the Alfa Quad and Cayenne turbo GT which are all about equal but maybe the edge to the turbo GT in my drives of them.
I went G80 M3 manual, and while I too like the idea of AWD the manual car has grown on me and is quite a fun car in a way that the comps are not. I value more than just a straight line sleigh though whereas most of this community seems to care about straight line speed more.

[Jim B]

SAVE THE MANUALS!!!

[tareemaa]

I’ve had a dct e92 and f80. The e92 wasn’t bad with a dct, it was pretty fun actually. I hated the F80 with a dct, super mundane feeling.

I am a manual nut, thats what I think is making it tough. How does the G80 6MT do with snow tires.

[MichaelB1969]

Originally Posted by tareemaa

I LOVE driving manual but after owning the 340i I’ve really grown to appreciate having awd.

Don't have either but have a base model with 6MT on order. I think from the quote above, you'd miss the manual.

I too think the comp x-drive is compelling, but I know myself, and I'd miss the engagement the manual provides. Most of my cars have been manuals but there was a PDK (991.1) and DSG (RS5) thrown in the mix. I was hoping manually shifting them would provide similar levels of engagement, but it wasn't the case. In fact, at times I thought to myself "why am I doing this", and then I'd put it in auto mode. I eventually got a 991.2 with a manual and loved the driving experience.

There is no doubt that if it was the me of 20 years ago, I would have just gotten the comp x-drive for the best performance. However, I know myself better now, and I know I'd get bored with the auto. To me it ends up feeling a little bit too video game like, and I'm not likely going to track it.

This debate has gone around and around, and both camps will often dig into their POV on which is better. However, the answer really depends on individual preferences and use case(s).

The x-factor (no pun intended) is the awd and whether this is going to be your daily driver. Are you keeping the 340i? If so, I think you should get the manual given you "LOVE driving manual". If you aren't keeping it, then it is admittedly a tough decision as Chicago winters are no joke. That said, a rwd with good snow tires works better than an awd with anything other than snow tires. Obviously you can't beat awd with snow tires!

Good luck with your decision. I keep reading posts about the amazing performance of the comp x-drive, but I still know in my heart that I made the right decision for me by getting the base.

[deathmetal666]

The last manual I owned was 12 years ago…e92 manual. All auto since.
Was dead set on buying a G80 Comp X drive.

Went to the dealer to test drive…unfortunately the comp xdrive wasn’t available. Only a manual M4.
So I test drove the M4 manual…not thinking much about it.
Needless to say…after the test drive…it was Manual or bust. So fun and engaging. Auto rev match is great.

Just to be sure…found a Comp X drive to test drive. It was cool but not all that fun. It’s nothing like a PDK…which makes an automatic feel engaging. Even in S3 the shifts weren’t all that engaging. Boring.

Go manual.

[Jhanksm3]

I happen to disagree about the zf8 being boring and I would choose it over and over. My e90 m3 was dct, my f80 was dct so maybe I'm bias to the automatics in comparison to how manuals feel with the M3. Before those cars im coming from nothing but manuals (2 x Mitsubishi evos and civic si). If you have manuals already go ZF8

[bri1042]

OP, I don't know that our opinions are going to help you very much. Most of us have a strong affinity for whatever we chose. A few folk have gone one way and then traded to the other option, but most folk have been quite satisfied, overall at least, with their choice.

My opinion, for whatever its worth with my 6MT M3 as my daily/only car in the PNW:

#savethemanuals, of course, but as your daily with other manuals to drive on the weekend in Chicago, you won't go wrong choosing the auto X-Drive.

[moonluv810]

Please allow me to chime in specifically on snow performance. We lived in the Midwest for 10 years and moved to Denver about 17 years ago. I’ve had various FWD and RWD sedans and coupes, including an F80 manual, in the past with snow tires and they performed with no issues on plowed roads. I honestly never thought about needing AWD for snow driving. My only challenge was with ground clearance on unplowed roads.

I have an X3 along with a G80 Base now. G80 is a garage queen and doesn’t go out in the winter. But if I didn’t have an X3, I would have still gone with an RWD with snow tires as my choice.

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by jhanksevo

I happen to disagree about the zf8 being boring and I would choose it over and over. My e90 m3 was dct, my f80 was dct so maybe I'm bias to the automatics in comparison to how manuals feel with the M3. Before those cars im coming from nothing but manuals (2 x Mitsubishi evos and civic si). If you have manuals already go ZF8

I had a 991.2 Carrera T and went with PDK and then bought an M5Comp and it was almost like I went back in time 10 years because it was so slow and lacked engagement compared to PDK. I agree the Comp ZF8 is better than the M5Comp tuning but it still pales in comparison to PDK or even the ZF8 in the turbo GT or Alfa Quad cars.

[Malloy]

Originally Posted by tareemaa

So looking for opinions here, preferably from owners of both potentially. I live in the Midwest, car would function as my daily, 3 days a week, 70 mile round trips on highways. For point of reference, I daily a 340i xdrive 6mt. I also have a harrop E90 M3 6mt and a 991.1 GTS4 7MT. I LOVE driving manual but after owning the 340i I’ve really grown to appreciate having awd. I was putting winter tire on my previous cars to drive them year around, having winter tires was swrvicebaly with our Chicago climate but those few days when it’s really bad out the awd is great, plus no traction issues and puts down power without a hitch.

I really wish they had a manual awd G8x, that would be an immediate buy for me. I hearing great things about the comp xdrive, I’m thinking it’ll be a more daily friendly 911 turbo essentially. But I’ll lose the manual. Appreciate opinions!

You have plenty of manual cars, give a slushbox a go! Seriously though, I think the S58 + xDrive + ZF8 combo is extremely well-matched.
Everything moves rather quickly with the car in kill mode and can be comfortable for mundane daily use. xDrive puts down the impressive S58 power every single time. They run 11.0@125 stock in the 1/4 mile and will beat any RWD/6MT G8X through any real-world twisties. The
immediate response and unequaled traction allow you to place the car anywhere you want in traffic.

I drive 12-15k miles through all seasons in Philadelphia. We don't get a ton of snow so I run quality all seasons. Those tires plus xDrive keep me rolling until I run out of ground clearance. I've driven the same load with a manual as well, both cars and a truck. Auto or manual trans - I honestly don't view either as more or less work. My e46 has a 6MT.

Originally Posted by HeelToeShift

I had a 991.2 Carrera T and went with PDK and then bought an M5Comp and it was almost like I went back in time 10 years because it was so slow and lacked engagement compared to PDK. I agree the Comp ZF8 is better than the M5Comp tuning but it still pales in comparison to PDK or even the ZF8 in the turbo GT or Alfa Quad cars.

PDK is better. IMO the ZF8 in the xDrive G8x set to D3/S3 is not slow or mundane by any objective measure. I feel the upshifts are DCT quick but the downshifts aren't.

Downshifts are still pretty quick and better than any speed achieved with a 6MT. I get the 6MT "engagement" argument but I feel the S58 works better with the auto box - the car is always in boost and ready to rip. I feel the same way about the S55 with DCT vs 6MT.

I'm not comparing my G8x to a $200k Porsche but the Quad ZF8 programming is pretty impressive...

[MCM4]

I owned a 22 M4 Comp xDrive for 2 months and around 2000 miles. The S58 is so wonderfully mated to the drivetrain it comes with. That said, it was much too sterile for me. All of the excitement happens in the few seconds everyone references when citing the amazing acceleration numbers of the car. But the engagement on this car with an auto is not there, at least for me it was not.

The 6MT would serve better in this regard.

If the car were an everyday commuter, maybe I could have kept it. But I bought it as an extra car, to drive when I want to have fun. It was an amazing machine, but not at all suited for that purpose for me.

[MichaelB1969]

Originally Posted by Malloy

xDrive puts down the impressive S58 power every single time. They run 11.0@125 stock in the 1/4 mile and will beat any RWD/6MT G8X through any real-world twisties. The
immediate response and unequaled traction allow you to place the car anywhere you want in traffic ... the car is always in boost and ready to rip.

All true, but most who buy the 6MT likely don't care. I'm not going to the drag strip, and I'm not going to be "racing" other cars on the street.

That all said, anyone that will be spending meaningful time on the track and is looking for the best times, get the xDrive!

[Malloy]

Originally Posted by MichaelB1969

All true, but most who buy the 6MT likely don't care. I'm not going to the drag strip, and I'm not going to be "racing" other cars on the street.

That all said, anyone that will be spending meaningful time on the track and is looking for the best times, get the xDrive!

Oh, I get it. The G80X is by far the best daily driver for me but it makes me love my e46 M3 more...

[Forzanerazzurri]

Originally Posted by HeelToeShift

My opinion - the ZF8 in the Comp cars is mundane, boring, and leaves a lot to be desired - it seems they may have gotten it right in the M4 CSL which I think might be on par with the Alfa Quad and Cayenne turbo GT which are all about equal but maybe the edge to the turbo GT in my drives of them.
I went G80 M3 manual, and while I too like the idea of AWD the manual car has grown on me and is quite a fun car in a way that the comps are not. I value more than just a straight line sleigh though whereas most of this community seems to care about straight line speed more.

The zf8 in the comp is the same transmission in the alfa...

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by Forzanerazzurri

The zf8 in the comp is the same transmission in the alfa...

Yes, the hardware is the same but the tuning on how it operates is very much not. The Alfa Qaud and the Cayenne turbo GT are the best tuning of it I have driven with a near tie in the new M4 CSL. They are much better than the tuning in the comp cars. The downshifts in the Comp cars are very lazy, whereas the other cars are a bit snappier on the downshift but still really hard to find them good compared to PDK cars (even the first gen PDK let alone the current - Porsche does software tuning in house and truly sets them apart from everyone else).

[HNSKP]

I loved rwd + 6mt in the snow when I lived in Michigan. It was fun sliding the rear out around every corner at 20 mph. I’m sure I scared a bunch of minivan drivers in the process.

However for your use case that involves 70 miles of mostly highway, the manual loses some of its appeal imo. Wait a sec, you already have an awd manual car in your garage. I’m guessing you don’t want all seasons on it or have concerns about clearance in the snow?

[cubanbimmer3]

Thank you for this thread. It has given a lot of great insight.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8rLyKzJHcfo

I am sure many of us have seen this video, but it’s pretty evident the difference in power he feels in the base vs comp.. and this isn’t even the xDrive. Yes, with a tune, the base is going to get similar power output as the comp, but unfortunately getting through first (and some of second) gear is going to be tough at WOT. I have been a manual guy my whole life. As I have been waiting for a G80 allocation, I have had every intention of ordering a manual. I am now starting to have second thoughts though. I ended up in a brand new G83 in the meantime, and have been utterly impressed with the power and traction the car provides. I live in TX where AWD is definitely not needed, but it sure is nice to have with the rare freezes and down pouring rain. I am yet to drive a 6MT base, so would really like to do that before putting an order in. I’m sure the 6MT is a more engaging drive as others have stated, but the AWD comp is far from un-fun to drive if you ask me! I worry that I will miss the extra power and traction by going “down” to the base. Tough decision to make. Major first world problems 😂

[MichaelB1969]

Well, he did also provide his verdict on which he would go with at the end of the video. 😁

That said, if you think you’d miss the power AND you’re having fun with the G83, seems like you can’t lose going with a comp.

[tareemaa]

Originally Posted by HNSKP

I loved rwd + 6mt in the snow when I lived in Michigan. It was fun sliding the rear out around every corner at 20 mph. I’m sure I scared a bunch of minivan drivers in the process.

However for your use case that involves 70 miles of mostly highway, the manual loses some of its appeal imo. Wait a sec, you already have an awd manual car in your garage. I’m guessing you don’t want all seasons on it or have concerns about clearance in the snow?

I’d sell the 340. And correct, I’d still have the gts4 but wouldn’t want it out when there’s a ton of salt or snow on the ground.

[BMWFanatic2008]

Exaclty the same dilemma I had: 6mt base vs comp awd. I live an a climate where it’s warm all year round so performance is the only awd advantage. On top of it, the roads here are straight and flat so 6mt makes the diriving experience less boring. 6mt having the highest residual (I am leasing) and lower price was icing on the cake and no brainer to go with 6mt.

At the end of the day, it depends on your particular situation/preference (part of the country, daily driver, etc).