[notquiteanewbie]

I had driven manual my entire life before getting the Alfa, and honestly it's the best implementation of an automatic / paddle shifters I've experienced (only second to PDK). I'm particularly familiar with DSG / S-Tronic from Audi.

I really wasn't missing the manual at all, in the 1 year I had the car. I'm back in a manual now in my new to me F80 M3.

ZF8 transmission with paddles in the Alfa really provided the best of both worlds.

I know I'm on a BMW forum, but I think it's way better than the DCT. I'm sure I'm going to get flammed for this..

Obviously in straight up performance the DCT is better, but I test drove a DCT M3 when I was shopping around and good lord the confusion at low speeds is ridiculous.

With all the talk about the Alfa's brakes I'd put the DCT in the same boat. I'm sure you get used to it, but the DCT was an immediate NO for me after the test drive.