rsyed

In the process of deciding what car to order next (x5, 335d coupe, 535d SAT or just keep my car as it is), I was at my dealer today and talking to the sales guy about the sports automatic and why it is primarily only offered in the 5 series (a 335D with SAT - i would take any day). anyways, in the process, he offered me whether i wanted to test drive his car - a 530i with SAT. without hesitating i said yes, although i would never buy an "i" but hey SAT is SAT. anyways, i took the car out for a 2 hr drive - as you guys been saying, the SAT switches fast, bloody fast. have a manual tranny and i must admit, the power transmission is pretty much direct. the only automatic cars i drive all year around is when i am in silicon valley and have a rental dodge, chrysler or such - now those cars have a laaaaaaaaaaaag when you press on the gas. what i hate about the automatics have always been the torque converter (in german "wandler") - worst example being the dodge or a chrysler, when you floor those, all that happens is that the car revs high and the revs sink till the full power is converted through the transmission. in contrast, the manual, if you are at low revs, and you floor it, your revs gradually increase from where you are, ie. direct power transmission. in the SAT, what fascinated me was that the torque converter was barely used when started at traffic lights and thats it - while driving, the power transmission seemed amazingly direct, like on a manual. what a sick experience...

so i had actually decided yesterday i will keep my car because i really did not think that trading in my car and paying extra bucks would pay off for any of the models i was interested in. but after test driving this morning and seeing how cool the bi-color leather looks like, I think i am sold for a 5 series with SAT....

JeffNNJ

I don't know because with the shifter to the left there shifts without Sport button pressed are not nearly as quick.