bimmerturn

I drive through the NY traffic and a lot of stop and go, so far no problems hear. I keep it in second most of the time which has a very long range and works very well for me.

Ray Hull

You guys think a clutch is tough now...you should have tried what I used to call the "Thigh Master" on the original 5 series sport 1987 535iS with 5 speed. That thing had basically a competition clutch/spring in it. Not for sissies. At 150K the clutch was still going strong when I traded it. That's in strong contrast to the multiple clutches they went through in the soft-sprung E39 540 6 speeds.

Today's clutch is a trifle (read: County Club Ladies Who Lunch )...except with the narrowed footwell and wide-sole shoes, I have to shift with my toes to avoid bumping into the dead pedal on the way down--and blowing a shift. They fixed/eliminated the driver's door's hard, diagonal grab, that still busts my knee, maybe they'll do something about expanding the footwell clutching area. Not what is expectged of the "Ultimate Driving Machine."

Ray

wcbimmer

I just return from my ED pickup of my 550i w/sport and manual tranny. What a blast to drive ! As noted in my previous post, I ordered the stick even though my dealer did not have one to test drive. All I can say it this is driving as it was meant to be. The shifting was smooth as silk, easily done with a flick of the wrist. Can't wait until redelivery!

Ray Hull

I was stunned to read in Automobile Magazine recently that " the 5 Series is too big of a car for a stick" This gratutious aside came from a tester who was comparing the new Caddy CTS to a 335 and a mini MB. Was a shock to me. Anyone else feel the car is too big to shift?

If anything, I see it the other way around: the stick REDUCES the bulkiness of the 5 series.

Ray

Rudy

Probably on some other page of the same magazine, some other article will be praising BMW for offering a stick on such a car. To be an automotive journalist these days, you need only pass a mirror fog test...

westcoast550

As we used to say about our parents...." they just don't get it" . I think auto journalist has somehow been downgraded to entry level on the journalistic food chain in some publications
The manual tranny experience, while for some is not practical, offers the most organic driving experience available .... IMHO

iversonm

I'm fairly certain that the stick is more fun until you get something about the size of a dump truck. Then again, a 9 or 10 speed transmission might be fun...

GT Premi

A 7- or 8-speed manual might be great for performance and fuel economy, but I imagine it would be a nightmare to shift. This is my first 6-speed manual. I'm accustomed to 5-speeds. The first few days with the car, I kept missing gears and going to the wrong gear out of fear of throwing it in reverse by accident, which I did do a couple of times when parking and coming from a stop sign. I finally realized that the gates are the same as any 5-speed, just an extra cog. As far as reverse, I had to start trusting that the transmission won't go limp on me and let me slide it into reverse when I really want first. Last vehicle I drove with reverse in this odd position was an old deuce-and-a-half Army truck. Now that had some odd gear positions! Second and third gears are right beside each other. Or was it third and fourth? It's been a long time.

iversonm

Did it have synchronizers, or did you have to do the full double clutch routine?

GT Premi

Depended on the age of the truck. Some I had to double-clutch, some were okay. Double clutching was fun sometimes, except for going up mountain passes with a water buffalo or 15K generator in tow.