Nicolaasdb

You know Tim that was a year ago...I had a change of heart and since I cruise more than really drive...so a tip is the prefect car for me....sure I would like for Porsche to make a better system....

I would buy a tip again. Honestly!!

nick49

We've got a Boxster that we have had over 5 years and it's a Tip. I drove it more than my wife and it replaced her Corvette so it was actually her car. She didn't like me racking up miles on it so she pleaded with me to get my own. I did over 4 years ago and it was a 996 Cab with the 6 speed. Still own it and I could go either Tip or manual, each is nice for a change after driving the other.

CosmosC4S

Love my Tip, but at times wish I had a stick.
Only problem is the Tip tends to upshift way too early, to get better gas economy apparently.
You gotta keep tapping the shifter down one gear most of the time when in traffic.

jasper

I wouldn't consider a tip. I hear they're great and all, but really how hard is it to use a clutch? I deal with a fair bit of traffic in my daily commute, but not once have I wished for a clutchless car. In fact when I do drive automatics (rentals etc) it bugs me. I'm always slipping into neutral so I don't have to constantly ride the brake, when I try to accelerate briskly but smoothly it'll kick into a lower gear, or it won't when I want it to.... BAH!

I prefer to change gears when I want to change gears, not sooner, not later, but when I decide it's time.

That's just me though. If you don't care, then buy a tip.

Eharrison

If my car was a commuter car I'd go for a tip. But since its a weekend car I'm sticking with a 6spd. I've driven my car to work a couple of times and I know for a fact that LA traffic is not manual friendly. It actually gets annoying. I do know now that I can idle the car at 6 miles an hour and nothing slower orI have to engage the clutch...

nosub

I thought (correct me if I am wrong), that the Tiptronic is a true automatic transmission. Personally I like the connected feeling of a manual though recently drove an Audi with the SMG style (do not recall right now what Audi calls it) transmission. These, as well as the ones in the BMW M series, are actually manual transmissions with the clutch controlled via computer (just like an F1 car which are NOT automatic transmissions in the normal sense of the term). Thus with the SMG you get the best of both worlds, not even a close comparison from my experience to a Tip...

tooloud10

Eh, that's not exactly true. F1 cars have sequential clutchless (for the driver, at least) manual transmissions--like the DSG that Audi/VW uses. The 996 has an automatic transmission with a torque converter and buttons to shift gears. "Tiptronic" is essentially the same as Chrysler's Autostick. There's quite a difference in these types of transmissions.

I'll take a clutchless manual with shift paddles. Unfortunately, that's not what the 996 has...

Nicolaasdb

you are right, but still there is no clutch to press with your foot.....and I agree there is no "lag" from the moment you use the pedal shifter compared to the buttons on the Porsche. I would like the system to be a little more direct...but when I put my foot down the P launches and keep on going! I don't like the fact that it doesn't react faster when you want to corner....you actually need to go to "manual" to get the right gear before the corner. What I like in my BMW X5 is that you have 2 settings..sport and regular...Porsche should have 3 settings....regular, sport and "mountain roads with a lot of corners".... or yes just go for the real paddle shifters like in all real sportcars.....I forgot the 996 isn't a real Porsche

epbrown01

I've been doing some more research on this, including reading the Market Update in Excellence. According to Bruce Anderson, the Tips are less prone to RMS failure?

Also, it seems there were some significant improvements in the Tiptronic system in 2002+ (the range of years I'm shopping).

Harold

You can do that with a tip actually. left foot braking. And in the turbo it brings the turbos on boost before a launch.

All of my Porsche's have been manuals as well as the lone Ferrari I had. My TT tip is a stunningly good car, and to be honest, I will never go back to manual. The only change I have made is changing the steering wheel to the RUF with paddle shift.

The only downside is you have five gears instead of six.

Harold

Take it out of auto and use the buttons and it will shift gears as quick as most average guys take to press the clutch and shift up or down. And how many people really do a perfect heel and toe or double declutch to say they are better off with a manual than a tip. I hit reality sometime back even though I still miss doing some of those things.

What the tip does miss is the far quicker changes compared to the DSG etc and an additional gear (5 speed versus 6), but compared to a human of average driving skills, I would say driving takes a new depth with a tip as you can really improve drivng line and braking points. Maybe once my driving improves I may go back to a 6 speed for daily use...

Tippy

Far as I know, mine is on its 1st RMS, I havent changed it. I have 100,300 miles and bought it with 55,000 miles.

drmarkp

Tiptronic is just Porsche's take on automatic - BMW call it steptronic etc. Not to be confused with BMW M5 / Aston / Ferarri / F1 type paddle semi-automatics. Very different.
Now when Porsche start using the VW / Audi DSG system that will be step forward. And there are about to.
Until then I wouldn't buy a tip - have tried them in 993 and 996 guise but couldn't get on with them.

Harold

Yes, true it is definitely not in the vein of a proper DSG (for which Porsche is coming out with its own version in the next couple of years), and it really depends on what you want. But using the manual mode is surprisingly good, and I am sure that it shifts gears faster than I do even though it definitely is not as fast as the DSG. And once you have replaced the steering wheel with the RUF paddle system, it really makes a world of difference in terms of feeing in control.

Either way I must admit that as soon as the Porsche version of the DSG comes out, it will render tiptronic absolutely pointless.... and I for one will definitely be getting it. In the meantime, I still stand by the opinion that Tip works incredibly well in a daily driver and as a track machine for those with average driving skills, and the RUF wheel is the one thing that any Tip owner should consider saving for.

Steven C.

From a guy who owns a manual 964 I really look down on myself when driving my tip 996. I mean, there I am driving around in daily traffic talking on the phone, AC blowing my hair, sipping my double latte(no fat) waving at my friends and just generally having a good time.....I hate that guy