[bradleyland]

I'm a die hard manual person when it comes to my fun car. My 135i was a manual, despite the option of the DCT in the 135i. We have the ZF8 (non sport) in our X3, and I've driven a handful of ZF8 sport equipped BMWs. Most recently, I tried out the M235i with the ZF8, because they didn't have a manual. It's definitely the most impressive torque converter automatic I've ever driven. It's very, very close to the DCT. I don't know if they've updated the programming in the M235i variant, but I didn't find the input lag nearly as bad as it was in the F30 I tried it in.

I think you've really put your finger on the thing that discourages me from buying the auto though. Flipping through 8 gears is a lot of tapping. I like to drive our X3 in manual mode, because the auto program does a poor job of anticipating my needs. In that car, I go from manual flapping to straight D very quickly, because the shifts are so slow and there are no paddles. In my 135i, I could easily skip shift. I could accelerate quickly through 1st and 2nd, then skip shift straight to 6th. You can't skip gears with the ZF.

Having said that, in the M235i, the extra responsiveness of the transmission made manual shifting much more enjoyable. Also keep in mind what others have posted. You won't use 7th gear below 40 MPH, and 8th isn't useful until you're at highway speeds. I would say that the transmission feels like the first 7 gears are equivalent to the range you'd get with a 6-speed manual, so there's only one extra gear. The 8th gear feels really long.

Don't hesitate to get some seat time in a ZF equipped car. Head down to the dealer and make it clear that you're uncertain. If they give you a hard time, find another dealer.