Right, I'll go for a MANUAL.

I'll start looking for my new 550i at the end of January.

Thanks everyone for your answers and advice.

I'll let you know about it asap I get it !!

 

But sadly, too true.

 

Manual, hands down!

 

manuals suck in traffic. get the auto.

 

Clearly, it's a very personal decision. What you prefer, and what conditions you drive in. For me, the manual is the way to go. I don't drive in stop and go traffic that often, and I enjoy the involvement. Modern automatics are much smoother and quicker than they used to be, but they still can't read my mind. No one I know understands why I would get an expensive luxury car with all the options, but I have to shift it myself. I guess that's part of the appeal too.

I really appreciate that BMW is one of the very few car makers that offer a manual transmission with the big engine. Most cars are available with a manual only with the base engine, if at all.

 

Paddles can read your mind, and faster too

 

Certainly in most of Europe manuals are standard but that is more cost and engine size which has driven it. Certainly in the UK large engined executive/luxury cars are expected to have auto boxes. Manuals in these sort of cars are pretty rare and don't hold their value nearly as well. To me in a 5 series it would be auto box everytime, now if it was a Porsche or Lotus thats a different story.

 

I don't think that manual version won't hold its value over the years, compared to an auto.
Because it is more rare, I guess it will make it more interesting, while 80% of them are in automatic.

I agree with itb76.
The manual gearbox is disappearing... all cars now are sold with auto, and that's true also for super sport cars, just as the 458 Italia.

mookish > I know that you still can shift with the paddles but the pleasure is not the same, you only have to push a paddle to get a downshift or an upshift.
But the thing is that yes, you can have both hands on the steering wheel and you only have to brake or push the envelop.

I was hesitating because my former 550i was in automatic, and I was wondering if it was not a shame to take the second one with the same transmission. I mean almost the same, with the Sport Auto. The main difference would be the paddle shifters that I didn't have.

 

Just thought the above comment was worthy of re-posting.

When I bought my 530i I was also considering an '07 Mercedes e55 AMG with paddle shifters for about $3,000 more (with lower miles). On paper the AMG seemed like the better deal by far, but I ended up buying the 530i for two reasons; slightly larger size and, most importantly, because of the manual transmission in the 530i. There is NO comparison between paddle shifters and a stick when it comes to controlling a car and enjoying the drive. With a stick you feel like you're 'one with the car', and I didn't get that with the paddle shifters (even less with Steptronic).

 

In North America automatics are the standard spec. A manual transmission is considered a 'no-cost option' that requires a special order (unless the dealer has deliberately ordered one for its inventory). There's no cost saving to get a manual in North America.