SMG or not.

Don't buy an SMG without trying it and make sure the sales person knows how to drive with an SMG box and explains the techniques properly.

A few pointers when you try it. Don't try the auto-mode first (settings A1-5). Make sure its in sequential mode (S) and set the drivelogic to S3 to begin with. When pulling away squeeze the throttle gently then accellerate. As you change gear lift the throttle very lightly, literally flex your toes or relax your ankle a bit. Don't move your foot. The first few miles will be very jerky and uncomfortable but you should get used to it fairly quickly. Then up the drivelogic to 5, you should notice the speed of the changes increases, I find S5 the most comfortable. Finally hit the Sport button as well. Try a few down changes whilst accellerating and it should blip the throttle nicely for you. Heal & toe into a few corners and it becomes addictive, especially at high revs.

I doubt they'll let you play in S6 on a test drive as this means switching off DSC which could be a bit of a handful if you're not used to the car. But S6 makes the car perform as it should with no "interference" from an overzealous DSC.

SMG is not for everyone. There's a misconceptions its an automatic. Its not. Its the same box as the manual just with hydraulic actuators to select the gear and engage the clutch plate. Driving in automode can be attrocious but try it.

Try it and see. I've had both and prefer the SMG, others hate it. A lot depends on what you use the car for. For me its purely driving pleasure, no commutes, just fun.

Any gearbox that can change gear on its own is an auto - regardless of how it works. Wonder why SMG owners seek to deny this?

Audi have shown that this type of transmission can be made to work tolerably well in auto mode, and BMW will be adopting this twin clutch system in a few years. Goodness only knows why it's taken them so long.

'Coz it's called a sequential manual gearbox? ;-)

Just curious. With what gearbox did you pass your driving test? If automatic, are you just allowed to drive manual in your country (USA??).

In the UK you cannot. Pass with auto you are licensed to drive auto only.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Don't care what they call it - it's an auto with a degree of manual control.

Think Honda were one of the first to produced a self shifting synchro box, but they called it an auto. ;-)

Nah, it doesn't work that way here. Driving tests are a joke. You could take your test in an automatic and be out on the road (badly) driving a stick shift that afternoon.

Because the term "automatic" has been applied for 50 years to a transmission featuring a fluid link / torque converter that allows arbitrary amounts of slip at low revs. It's a different thing and a different experience than an "automatically" engaged clutch or pair of clutches run by hydraulics and electronics.

So in practice, the school teacher that hops in her husband's SMG eqiupped M3 expecting it to shift and act like her automatic equipped SLK is going to be surprised.

It's "automatic" in the sense that it does stuff automatically for you, but calling an SMG an automatic makes no more sense than saying that a minivan has a manual transmission if you push the button for manual mode and have to shift the gears yourself.

-Russ.

All in you HO of course ;-)

Personally I really don't care. What annoys me (and I think a lot of other M3 owners in general) is when someone whinges about "how difficult" the M3 is to drive etc etc. If you want an auto buy one, go get a 330 and you'll be far more comfortable and still have good performance. I also don't like to think of people being mis-sold a car as expensive as an M3 by the sales muppets in most dealers.

But, in answer to your comment. BMW say its manual, DVLA class it as manual and so do insurance companies. Oh, plus its the same gear box and the stick manual. So, whatever you may think is up to you and thats fine.

Oh dear - another auto driver who thinks because it has paddles it isn't an auto.

So where does a CVT fit in? Is that a manual transmission too because it doesn't have a torque convertor?

She'd be much more surprised if she tried to drive a manual...

That's exactly what an SMG does. Tell me, is it possible to stall an SMG? Over-rev it? Start in an unsuitable gear? No? It's an auto.

Not IMHO - it can change gear on its own, so it's an auto. There were several transmissions round years ago with no manually operated clutch, and these were referred to as semi-autos. But the gears themselves were selected manually and mechanically.

I don't find an SMG M3 - or any other car with a similar gearbox - difficult to drive, just get annoyed that when not in a hurry, the auto function doesn't change gear as smoothly as I can with a true manual. It changes like a learner driver on his first lesson - despite all the processing power of the ECU.

So the stick manual can change gear by itself?

Question is, would an auto-licensed driver (UK) be allowed to drive SMG?

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Oops, too quick to fire here. Just saw TonyK's subsequent post in which he says BMW reports that DVLA declare it a manual.

DAS

For direct contact replace nospam with schmetterling

Yes, it's difficult but it can.

No.

Yes but no higher than 2nd.

No? It's an auto.

No its a manual :-)

They probably just read what SMG stands for. ;-)

It's an auto.

You're certainly sure of this aren't you!

So....?

Thats why most SMG owners steer well clear of the "auto" function although the actual mechanics are far quicker than any human change its the fact that you cannot always predict the change and therefore control the throttle accordingly that causes the jerk in the change.

Go buy the BMW workshop CDs off ebay and look at the part numbers and diagrams. Or even cheaper ask BMW customer services or email them.

Yup. By any definition it's an auto with a manual over-ride - but only to some extent. So in fact very little different from a Steptronic.

Well, those were closer to a manual than an SMG.

So not only is it an auto, but a poor one? Sort of my point...

So now a manual BMW can change gear by itself? That's a novelty.

Dave

Seriously, do you really think BMW don't know their own cars? They design them, they build them, they sell them and they service them. I think their definition is correct.