So I just caught word from a friend of the family that he came across a 525i E60 with a manual transmission. Assuming this MT E60 is equally equipped or better than my E60...should I do an even swap for the MT? My car has 50k miles on it, the MT has 70k miles. No word yet on what options it has, but with as sparingly equipped as my car is, it shouldn't be tough to out do my E60 in terms of gadgetry. I'm fairly certain the MT has the sport package versus mine without, which would be a plus. Anybody think I would drive myself insane by trading in my smooth as glass AT for a reliable as hell MT?

i'd stick with the auto. :)

There have to be some rationale in your decision:

Milage Difference (someone has driven tat car to a future for which your car has still 20K miles to do).
Age of car
State of car
Do you have to pay the difference or do you get money for the difference ;-)

It is not so much a MT/AT decision. I might even be so bold to state that that is the least relevant issue at hand ;)

Stick with yours I would say.

Nothing beats manual IMO :D

You might be buying someone else's problems.
Stick with the vehicle you know.

+ 1

Better the devil you know!

AGREED ! :thumbsdown:

+2

Those are words of wisdom.

very wise words. but i'd still go with MT.

I'm not terribly concerned about the condition of the car. The friend of the family who currently has the car, while its in limbo between being sold to a dealer and being bought again, is a BMW mechanic. He has his own private shop where he specializes in BMW's and in my opinion will do a much better job than the dealership. He does a lot of work on BMW's at Virginia International Raceway too so he knows his way around the BMW 6-speed MT. And he's been a friend of the family longer than I've been alive so if he says the car is in good shape I take his word for it.

Does anyone have an E60 MT that could attest to its ease of driving for an everyday car? Or does the 6 speed drive you insane with shifting?