Fist, I am new to this board (got tired of the bs on RF), so hello to all. I have driven a Z8 for the last three years and absolutely loved the car, but needed a four seater (have two young active boys). So, in deciding on a replacement vehicle, I did not want to sacrifice sport entirely for utility. I looked at the Mercedes e55 and, for various reasons, opted for the e60. I took delivery of the car a little less than a week ago--black sapphire, beige interior, sport, smg, comfort seats, cold weather package, ventilated seats, premium sound, active steering, power sunshades, split fold-down rear seats, HUD and satellite radio, essentially every option except active cruise. I love the looks of the car, the finish, the interior and the handling. My dilemna is the smg transmission. I am an agressive driver (one of the reasons I opted for the e60 over the MB e55) and simply can not get the smg to shift smoothly during quick acceleration. In spec'ing the car, my dealer urged me to try the smg. Is this a transmission I must learn in order to avoid the jerkiness, or is this simply a characteristic of the transmission I have to live with? Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

Humm good question! I test drove a SMG 545i and it was definetly more jerky than a Auto which I knew it would be but driving slow I was able to modulate the pedal to make it drive smoother... but now you're saying during hard acceleration its jerky also. I'm intetested to know too if thres a way to drive it smooth.

 

Welcome aboard azwdct!

 

Check out this thread for more discussion on the topic. There is a link by Rudy with two others. Your can also searce for SMG* to find alot more, or check the FAQ section.

I can not comment yet, as I have only test driven a 530w/smg, and am awaiting delivery, but the general consensus is that there is a learing curve with the SMG just like one had to when first using a manual.

Welcome

 

Welcome aboard, azwdct !

 

WElcome, azwdct. SMG is a lot easier to learn to shift smoothly than a stick transmission. Putting it in Sport mode smooths it out even more 'cause everything is faster. Coming from a Z8 are you sure you might not want to get in line for the M5?

 

Azwdct,

Congrats on your new car. I have had my car for two weeks now. I would have to say, each day I drive it, the car becomes easier to drive. For me the trick was to drive it like a "grandma". I noticed, if I didn't have pedal control, the car would lurch. Make sure the "Sport" button is not on. In the auto-sport mode, the car really likes to take off.

For the first day, I made myself drive the car in the manual mode. This let me feel the transmission and better understand how the car shifts gears. I can now anticipate when the electronic throttle takes over control to shift gears. At the time you think you want to shift, leave your foot in the same place, and you will notice the vehicle taking control of the throttle to let off the throttle, shift, and back again. You won't feel the throttle pedal make any movement, but you will notice the cars momentum slows down to do the shifting. In the regular auto mode, no sports, the car is docile when not pushed. Shifting gears happens before 4,000 rpm and the car can be driven around town very easily. Use the torque of the engine rather than letting the engine rev up over 3,000 rpm's. This will slow your speed down and prevent lurching. With in 2 weeks, I guaranty you, you will have SMG down. It is a blast to drive. Only today, did I put the car is sports-manual and push the car a little. All I can say is what a ride.

I have found myself forgetting this is a manual and have rolled back a couple of times. This wouldn't have happened in an automatic. I now make sure my left foot is on the break at stoplights.

 

Welcome aboard.

I have had my 545 SMG for about 1800 miles, after a E39 530 w/ steptromic, and there definitely is a learning curve. 1st to 2nd is the hardest to smooth out. Sport mode helps smooth the shifts by sppeding up the shifts and eliminating sum of the lag, but the increaced throttle responiveness can casue some jerkiness if you are not careful.

I avoid downshifting manually from 2nd to 1st, and let the car do it by itself when needed. This shift always created quite a jerk.

The bottom line, to me, is that if you drive very agressively, it will be jerky, just as if you drove the manual very agressively. If you ease off just a little, with practice, it will become smoother.

 

Touch?

 

Thank you everyone for your responses. In answer to your question JDN, yes, I am already in line for the m5. My dealer told me it's about a year out, but I want to wait an additional year to make sure all the bugs, if any, will be worked out. I spent the day today playing with the transmission and shift points and have gotten fairly adept at shifting during "normal" driving, but am still having trouble with more aggressive accelerations. Thank you again for all your reponses. It is truly an amazing car; I just hope I get used to this transmission.