ronald_adi

Of course u can. With Manual transmission u can kick down manually. i thought the question was the choice between automatic without steptronic and automatic with steptronic.

ronald_adi

i can imagine that for those who have had or have comfort access, they cant do without it anymore. very logical. But if you have never had it, you can miss it. i personally think manuals are for 3 series and below. i wouldnt want to be changing gears in a 5 series.

JC3

I wish we had the option down here! I'd like my baby to be manual but wasn't an option here in Australia.

I used to have a BMW 3 series and the steptronic worked by pushing the handle up to change gears up and down to change down gears... but now the steptronic in my 5er is the other way around... it's taken me a little to get used to as I don't use the manual changes that often as most of my time is spent in peak hour traffice. That said, all in all, I do like the steptronic, even if it has taken me a little while to get used to.

As for comfort access, my primary concern would be that others could open the doors while I was in the CA range. I agree with CVT B who said that HUD would be a much better option than Comfort Access. So... my vote? Steptronic!

ronald_adi

i agree - my ex e39 had PUSH UP for shifting upgear on the steptronic. Now its the other way round. really takes getting used to and i often make mistakes. Does anyone know WHY they did this change?

bmw4life

honestly, comfort access will become beneficial. I have it in my g35 and its fabulous, but i couldnt wait two months to get a 5 series with it, so i opted out and i kinda regret it. always have to pull the key out of the pocket, but hey you can twirl your keys around your finger and show everyone your driving a bmw . also i believe manual trans will give you more pleasure, but could SMG be the answer to all your concerns? best of both worlds, put into one, but double the price Its all preference, but if i was going to get the 550i i would slap in the SMG, because quote rudy "SMG IS AMAZING" I mean, your already getting all those options, might as well just slap on some more, and if your financing it, its only couple more dollars a month for non-stop pleasure!

laet

It's about choices, not money. Who are you to judge who can buy a BMW or Hyundai?
Like the little boy said, opinions are like assholes everyone has one.

snkpkp

I have steptronic, and I really love to drive manual transmission also. But the steptronic is not really a fair replacement for the manual 6 speed. I say still even though most ppl here says stepronic, go for the CA. You are gonna love it after you have it.

clarence

I think he got $$$ off the price of his new BM.

clarence

Cos sequential shifts on race cars are - up & + down. Yrs ago, ppl are criticising things are wrong way round, but now we all got used to it.

clarence

TBH, I don't think u'll get the answer here, cos these things are subjective.
U either want manual or auto, then u'll decide on CA if u don't want auto. Basically, CA isn't high priority as it all depends on ur gearbox choice. Ask urself, under what conditions will u drive the car most? Urban areas? Autobahns? Excluding driving enjoyment, BMWs perform well with an auto. Very very few ppl can change gears as fast, or kickdown as well, as an auto. On the other hand, manual means u can use ur left-foot (assuming u don't left-foot brake).
As for CA, yes it's a nice option, but u won't die without it. It also depends on how long u'll keep ur car for. Generally, auto should fetch higher 2nd hand prices than CA.
If u ask me abt my own preference? Then I'll have Steptronic. I won't have CA even if I have manual cos it's a potential security risk.