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Help--what transmission do I get?
I'm planning to purchase a 550i sport in the next couple of months, and I need help to decide on the right transmission for us.
I have a manual stick on our current car (2002 330i) but I'd like to have the option to drive the new car in some sort of "automatic" mode (at least half the time). Also, my wife hates to drive a manual transmission so I've promised her that the new 550i will have some sort of automatic option for her.
Can anyone give me advice on which of the 550i transmissions is best for our long-term use?
Thanks!
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Here We Go Again......
| | Reply » Help--what transmission do I get? |
Do some searching on the SMG in here and see what you think.
| | Reply » Help--what transmission do I get? |
Save yourself some money and go with the Step. SMG or manual, will cost you $1300 in Gas Guzzler Tax. <- Agent99 corrected me, after I mistakenly said $3K. And, I verified it by looking in the Pricing Detail pdf.  Step also has the manual shift mode you want. There have been reports and testing that the Step is the fastest transmission, faster than both SMG and manual in the 545/550 models.  Note: I have SMG, and have not yet begun my G-meter testing yet. I hope I can get times as fast as the Step or FASTER.
| | Reply » Help--what transmission do I get? |
Quote: I'm planning to purchase a 550i sport in the next couple of months, and I need help to decide on the right transmission for us.
I have a manual stick on our current car (2002 330i) but I'd like to have the option to drive the new car in some sort of "automatic" mode (at least half the time). Also, my wife hates to drive a manual transmission so I've promised her that the new 550i will have some sort of automatic option for her.
Can anyone give me advice on which of the 550i transmissions is best for our long-term use?
Thanks! | Here is an objective opinion. Having owned a 98 540I 6SP, I feel I can offer some experience with this issue.
First, the 5/6/7 series cars are best suited for a steptronic. They are in fact luxury coupe/sedans, not sport sports cars. However, I realize some folks want a manual or SMG no matter what, and that is fine too. To each his own.
However, if you decide to get a manual tranny with a BMW V8 be warned. Buying a manual tranny for a V8 is much different than buying one for a 6 cylinder or smaller engine.
The V8 has a ton of torque, horsepower, and performance that does really well regardless of the tranny selected.
The problem I have with mating a manual tranny to a 350HP V8, is there is too much torque. You will find yourself using 2/4/6 gears and ignoring the rest. When I had my 98 540i, I drove 95% of the time in 2nd or 4th gear.
I would really get a step in a 550. The SMG is not the same as in the M, and even though there is an auto mode for the wife, the tranny is just too new and a lot of improvements are still left to be done.
If you check there is a thread on the E63 board that talks bout the steptronic being faster in the 545/550 than the other tranny offerings. The same is true for the 6 series. The steptronic in the 550/650 is nothing like the ones made a few years ago. So try them out before your sell them short.
Also, driving a stick in a BMW V8 is not the same a s driving a 3 series. The V8 is smoother, quieter, etc. A real different feeling that left me wondering why I am bothering with a manual. The car is very isolated compared to the lower end models so I saw no thrill with a stick. I say save the sticks for the M3, 3 series, Z's, etc. Small little pocket rockets that benefit from a manual.
Good luck with your decision.
| | Reply » Help--what transmission do I get? |
Nice perspective, Chuck! When I had my 545i/SMG, I thought I had made a HUGE mistake for the first couple of days of ownership.
Riles, the SMG has all its own controversies (like I said, search the forum here...plenty o' threads) but suffice it to say that it is new technology and takes time to learn and once I did, I found it to be quite an exciting tranny to have! 
However, Chuck, your point about I6 vs V8 in terms of the tranny choice is interesting. I've driven a 530i/5 for many years and it was and still is fine. The 545i/SMG was a whole 'nuther story due to the mind-numbing torque of the engine however. But, I've never driven a manual BMW V8 except for a brief stint in a 2003 M5 once.
The 5er is rare in its ability to be a luxury car and sport's car at the same time depending on how you drive it and/or outfit it. I think that draws and keeps many folks buying this marquee....
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Help--what transmission do I get?