Tiptronic Owners: Super Happy, Just Satisfied, Regrets?? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

shaman1204 · 02-02-2008, 01:57 PM

I've had my tip for almost a year and love it. I looked for one because I mainly do city driving, from my place to a major road I have to go through 6 blocks/stop signs. I would be replacing the clutch every 3-4 years probably. And it is nice to have that free hand for coffee, etc since the cupholders are pretty much useless. Overall I'm pleased, but, if it wasn't my DD I would probably go for a manual for spirited weekend driving.

cvhs18472 · 02-02-2008, 03:42 PM

I have been driving sticks for all my life from Alfa's, MG's to dump trucks and have never found them to be a problem. I have my tip for about 15 months and only 1 or 2 times in that time period did I wish I had a stick. I have driven it, tracked it, and been on a number of rides and did not feel any less satisfied than if I had a stick. Go for it . Real men wear pink shirts and drive Tips. Ed

JJJ · 02-02-2008, 05:19 PM

super happy with my Tip...although I tend to leave it in automatic mode the whole time...still get plenty of speed in automatic mode...

if i need to keep it in a lower gear, then i switch over real quick to Tip and it works well...

I do not miss driving stick at all.

JCL12 · 02-02-2008, 06:21 PM

i'm quite happy with my tip. when i was in rural upstate NY, i sometimes wished i had an MT - but the car was still a blast to drive. plus, our tips have steering wheel shifters which IMO makes the tip 100 times cooler than the 'manual' controls on the joystick

since i knew i'd be living in the crowded suburbs with lots of stop-n-go and lights, tip was a great choice for me. if you plan on using the car as a dd pr partial DD in that type area, its definetly something to consider. btw - i don't feel at all like a 'wimp' for getting a tip and the steering wheel controls provide me all the control i need.

FWIW, my father bought a 330 with a stick at my urging but hes since regretted the MT and wished he bought a steptronic. . . . lots of city driving = auto > MT

Lil bastard · 02-02-2008, 07:21 PM

The TipS is great.

It may be a selectable automatic, as opposed to Ferrari's F1 SuperFast, Toyota's SMT, Volkswagen's DSG or the BMW SMG, but it is a Porsche selectable automatic and is manufactured by ZF Getriebe GmbH who make some well respected gearboxes for many premium mfgrs.

This box, the ZF 5HP19FL is also used in the Audi A4, A6, and A8 as well as the VW Passat. It is a close cousin to the 5HP30 box which is used in all BMW Steptronics, Bentley GT, Aston Martin DB9 and Vantage.

Bosch makes the Electronic Control box and the only thing I would like is to see a dual mode controller with a normal and sport mode as available in the audis and beemers.

One plus is that the Tip S cars enjoy a somewhat reduced incidence of RMS and IMS failures because of their fluid, as opposed to the direct link (for the MT) to the crankshaft.

mikefocke · 02-03-2008, 04:38 AM

Grew up on Model As, Alfas, 914s, etc. for probably 25 years of driving. Then as traffic increased and I borrowed my wife's automatic one day I realized how better rested I was when I got home from work. So when it came time to buy another Porsche, I looked for a TIP. First a '99 which was less desirable than later versions because you had to be in manual mode to down shift from the buttons. Totaled that and bought an '01S which is pleasure in all respects. Try one and drive it both sedately and super aggressively and see how the transmission shift point change and how it comes alive when you press it. No problems in 4 years of TIP ownership.

Soetekouw · 02-03-2008, 05:22 AM

I have a Tiptronics, but seldom use it in that mode. My car is a daily driver so it stays in automatic. I would not trade it for a manual.

rick3000 · 02-03-2008, 07:53 AM

My car is a DD, and it is a manual. I love it, it just adds a whole other dimension to driving. If you battle LA traffic everyday, I guess a tip makes sense, but I wouldn't trade the manual in for a tip. In my opinion, having a manual, sort of shows that you know how to drive an not just press down on the gas, like most drivers these days.

Allen K. Littlefield · 02-03-2008, 02:18 PM

Since I have nerve damage to my left leg, clutch work is taxing and traffic is deadly for me. Have had the Tip for just over a year now and absolutely love it. Wife loves to drive the car where she didn't like the '83 911 SC with probably one of the most stiff clutches in the world. Like most replies here, I drive it in Auto mode and then manually downshift if I feel it is necessary.. Drawback is it adds weight to the car and about 50 some pounds if my guess is correct. Also adds a second to zero to 60. I can live with it and once up to speed will run with the rest of them and I would not go back to a stick even if I could. No regrets and would buy another. Now if I could lose about 100 lbs in the car........

AKL