Bedford530i

I was just at a Boston BMW dealership with a friend who is looking at leasing a Z4...

Anyways, while there, I sat in a 328i sedan and a 335i coupe which both had manual transmissions. The gear shifts for these 2 cars felt way better than my car (530i 6MT).

Anyone else experience the same? Are they different transmissions?

hmc

I had a 2006 325 Steptronic loaner and it shifts smoother than my 525. I thought they have the same engine and transmission.

jrsamps

I can tell you that the manual transmission on my 530xi is long and clunky. Take offs are not smooth. It's truly not worthy of a 55K sports sedan. I've been in pick up truck that shift as least as good.

PS Some have suggested installing a shorter shifter, I can see where that might help a bit but why should I have to...

madoon

the transmission on new e60 has changed as of 06 MY....04, and 05 MY had a different transmision which was "improved" in 06, but i think that the both MY06 e90 and e60 are using the same transmision... i think

beldredge

That's interesting to hear - I've had my 2007 530xi 6MT since October and I've come to really like the feel of the shifting. I agree it's a little "rubbery," particularly compared to the Acura TSX I had prior, but the shifting of the TSX, as much as I loved the short throws, had a fairly harsh "metallic" sound to it.

I test drove the 330xi quite a bit too, and thought the shifting felt pretty similar between that and the 5'er. Both had longer throws than the Acura.

As much as I love shifting on my own, I wouldn't have gotten a manual in the 5'er if I thought the shifting was that bad. I was a little apprehensive after reading some of the negative feedback here, but I am so happy I stuck with the manual. It takes a little getting used to, depending on what you're coming from, but I love it. I think it's actually easier to start-off than other cars I've driven, particularly with the "hill-hold" feature.

jrsamps

Availability of a 6 banger on the floor was one of the primary reasons I went with the E60. Well, that and I love the way the car looks.

Jeffs

I'm borrowing my friend's 335i coupe 6MI now as my car's in the bodyshop fo rsome work done. Clutch wise....e90 has a far lousier clutch pedal feel as opposed to the e60. There is just too much dead pedal travel. It's already an issue on the e60 and the engineers made it even worse on the e90/92.

Regarding the new hill-hold feature. I absolutely HATE it and hope that it would never appear on the 5 series. If you need a hill-hold feature, then stop kidding yourself and drive an automatic or SMG. It bothers me because whenever I have to drive my friend's car uphill the car feels so fake and honestly, I find this whole thing a joke. What's next, an SMG car retrofitted with a fake clutch pedal??


jrsamp, I agree that the throws are long and rubbery. Although instsalling a SSK does not reduce length of throw that much, it helps make the shifting process meatier....

chris.y

When I heard about the hill-hold feature, I thought I'd hate it too. I've been driving sticks long enough that having some slight slip-back on an incline is expected. Once you're used to a stick, the slip-back should be minimal. Finally, if you're on a really steep hill, the parking brake technique works well. BUT, now that I'm more used to the hill-hold feature, I like it in certain situations. When driving in SF and other cities where there are a lot of (steep) hills, I think it makes driving quite a bit more pleasant. Also, it makes the car at least palatable for my wife to drive from time to time - she hates driving a stick on hilly roads.

I could probably go either way, but I can see why some people would really like it.

Ricracing

This has been a BMW problem for ever, the cluch suck.

At least the new E92 has a new automatic trans that makes changes 50 % faster,
coming up in the facelifted E60 as well in March.

I'll go with auto with paddles and Steptronic!


PS. I still find it amusing that you Americans go for stickshifts, especially in a luxury car like the E60.

When a was living in Michigan in the late 70's, I was about the only guy in town who knew how to drive
a stick...

Jeffs

Smart man, yep clutch is crappy. Too bad I am used to driving stick and not anything else. Hmmm....the new automatic trans....since its that fast, is is comparable with the SMG found in the E46 M3's??