motoracer

Interesting discussion! This week I placed an order for a 2008 530dA Touring and the choice of a gearbox was a tough one. The common choice with a diesel seems to be the automatic transmission but as this is my first diesel I'm used (and likes) manual gearboxes. The pre-LCI automatic gearbox wasn't to my liking at all but after driving a LCI with an ordinary automatic I felt it was good enough - but...

I ordered the car with the new sport automatic gearbox (no, I haven't driven one yet..). I've seen threads here discussing differences between the automatic gearboxes but how does the sport automatic gearbox compare to the manual gearbox?

I still have a few weeks to change my order.... and I consider changing to manual gearbox.

///Marco.it

For a petrol I would thing twice actually I had both the E60 520i and E61 525i with manual gearbox. Now I am going for an E61 530i and I took the sport automatic gear box. Let's see it is was the right choice. However for a diesel I would go with a sport automatic gearbox without any doubt.

ipp

All I can say is that the new auto and the 530d is amazing together. Much better than the old auto. I even use the manual mode now, it changes gear instant. The old auto was really poor in manual mode.

Go for auto, you won't regret it. At-least try them both..

icefly

@ipp

i agree you completly ... the new LCI Automatic Gearbox .. is very Smooth and still powerful ..

Greets Ice

AlwynMike

Tell me, all you Diesel/Auto 'box afficionado's:

When you are in a bit of a hurry, and you have your foot to the boards, does the Auto 'box change up at red-line or does it change at the best point - around 4000-4200rpm on the 530d??

We all know that both power and torque drop off pretty sharply on the diesels, and much over 4500rpm on the 530 is a waste of time.

Do you tend to snick it up the 'box manually, or just lift the throttle to allow the box to change, then floor it again??

Mike

skaffa

I have driven pre and after LCI auto, but not sport auto and have to say that even after LCI auto is much better than pre, I don't like it. Reaction time is too slow for my taste and it seem to be in "wrong gear" every time when something happend.

Maybe it's my driving style?

Skaffa

narvselius

Before LCI I wasn't an auto-man myself - as you say, the auto and I didn't always agreed... But the new auto, and as in my case the sport auto, works perfectly with the car and I have yet to find any faults with it!

ipp

When I floor it past to the kickdown mode it goes all the way to the redline, and if I don' use the kickdown mode it doesn't change gear much over 4500.

skaffa

Now I have to get to try that so much praised SA box.

SKaffa

MTRHEAD

I had to hunt high and low to find a manual 530D demo. I got all sorts of weird looks from the sales guy and prophecies of doom in wanting one. I put it down purely to them trying to force me through the sausage machine.

Anyhow..found the demo, drove it and loved it..and went straight ahead and ordered the manual and have never regretted it.

I agree about the probably resale hit but this wasn't a concern in my case. Regarding the torque/manual gearbox rumours I would pay no attention to this. I have three years and 60k miles on mine and it is all good.

>500 Nm of torgue is too much for the rear wheels even on dry roads.

Unless I drive like a total knob there is no wheel spin, no drama and all bits of the car have remained where BMW intended it

I just prefer the driver engagement in having a manual box...I'd rather switch cars than give up a manual box, you'll have to prise it from my cold dead hands