pbarch1

My 04 is coming out of lease here in the next few months and I'm seriously thinking of a new 550 sport with SMG. Having never driven one I would like to know this:
1. Would you do it again and get a SMG car would you?
2. Do you wish you had a standard trany?
3. Is SMG just a glorified auto box?
I'm very interested in your comments .....
Thanks

Rudy

1) Yes, I'm going to get an SMG again and again as long as it's an option.
2) Nope.
3) Not even close. It's actually an advanced manual. I'd never make a comparison between SMG and an automatic -- it's simply apples to oranges...

What transmission do you have now? Have you read our SMG FAQ and the threads that are linked to it? It usually helps answer the question of "should I get an SMG?"
SMG FAQ

JDN

Search will turn up plenty of opinions on SMG. Most who have SMG like it. At first I wondered if I had done the right thing. I always had driven a stick and still believe I can stick-shift faster than this type of SMG, but I don't need a lot of speed shifts anymore. However, I have found that the convenience is the biggest selling point. I have most of the control that I would have had with a stick, but have a lot more flexibility in multi tasking while shifting. I never use it as an auto transmission, but could if I kept it in Drive mode. I use the paddles 99.9% of the time and miss them dearly when I get in my wife's vehicle.

vegastrashed

Since everyone is chiming in on why they like SMG, I'll go the other direction. Why don't I like SMG (sometimes).

The e60 SMG is too smart. Not giving enough time between launches either using Acceleration Assist (AA) or not, it will deactivate the AA feature. I'm having AA reset for the SECOND time by the dealer. I got a quizzical look from my SA when I told her it needed to be reset for the second time. I explained that it wouldn't have been necessary if BMW had warned those with SMG to wait at least 5 minutes between launches.

subterFUSE

I purchased my 545i SMG sight unseen, and having never test driven an SMG car before.
Best decision I ever made. I love it. I would never purchase a car without SMG if I had the choice.

No. I prefer SMG by far.

No. The SMG is a true manual gearbox, with computer controlled clutch. An automatic transmission is entirely different.
You will notice that driving an SMG is not just so simple as flooring the gas pedal and clicking the paddles.
There is no torque converter with the SMG, so if you want smooth shifts you must moderate your pedal pressure during shifts.
This is somewhat similar to shifting with a true manual, only not as pronouced. It takes some practice to get the timing right, but once you do you can have quick shifts which are every bit as smooth as an automatic.

BetterMakeWay

As long as i agree with all of the posts above and yours aswell but i don't agree with the last bolded statement. Drove a SMGI and a SMG III, but indeed not long enough to master it but i can bet that you simply cannot do the shifts as smooth as in an automatic. Sometimes when you feather the throttle at low rpms and the automatic gearbox changes gear into a higher gear it seems it does so in 2-3 seconds (aka like veeeery smoth)

gbear2k

1. I bought a SMG 545i earlier this year. I would not buy another (I actually sold it)
2. Yes. I felt the SMG was hard to get used to. I much prefer the 2-leg driving.
3. No. If you set it to auto mode it really sucks. Mostly because it shifts (pushes in the clutch) automatically so you get that slow down feeling. It's impossible to gauge when it's going to shift and for you to lift off the gas.


I'm a stick man myself. I felt like I had more control with a 5 or 6 speed. That being said, I now own a step 545i and I'm happy with it.

speedracerF4i

I enjoy my SMG very much, but I would not buy BMW's SMG again. This is because after driving my brother's Audi with DSG, I found that it's much superior than SMG. So I would wait until BMW comes out with something similar.

Now, I have to point out something very serious about SMG. My wife drives my car 2 days every week because I need the Odyssey for my business. She always drive my car in "D" . When I drive the car afterwards, I notice that the clutch will slip considerably before hooking of the gear. This will cause the clutch to wear prematurely over time. I have an appointment tomorrow for clutch replacement that will not be covered by the warranty. Normal wear an tear my ass, I only have 22,000 miles.

So, if you plan to drive the SMG extensively in auto mode, make sure you budget in clutch replacement every 20K miles.

jet190rs

1. I'd get either SMG or Manual
2. I wish i had manual when i'm stuck in traffic, cause it'd be smoother if i controlled the clutch myself
3. No, SMG is a gloried/advanced manual. Its fells nothing like an automatic. It feels like a manual.

subterFUSE

You are just a novice on the SMG, that's all.

The first time you drove a true manual, were you a bit jerky with the shifts until you got comfortable? The same is true with the SMG.


With the SMG, you must learn how to apply throttle during shifts in order to smooth them out. Here is the procedure:


1. Begin in 1st gear from a stopped position.
2. Apply throttle to accel in 1st gear.
3. When you are ready to shift into 2nd, lightly release the throttle. (The key here is LIGHT pressure release) Don't lift your shoe from the pedal, but think of lifting your foot inside your shoe. I just like to curl my toes up a bit inside my shoe.
4. Shift into the next gear.
5. Pause while the gears shift and clutch disengages.
6. Apply pressure back to the throttle and accelerate in next gear.

Repeat steps 3 - 6 for each gear.


The trick here is not to hold the accelerator pedal down while shifting. Yes, you can shift that way.... but the result is a jerky shift that will make the passengers think you have no idea how to drive. When you release pressure from the accelerator pedal prior to shifting, this causes the weight of the car to be shifted slightly forward... and off of the rear wheels which are the drive wheels. When this happens, you can get a much smoother shift. I promise you, an SMG can shift as smoothly as the Steptronic, with a skilled operator behind the wheel. It just takes practice.