Thiis is my first post in the BMW section so excuse me if this has been discussed many times already... I test drove a 550i yesterday with a SMG tranny and in fully automatic mode the shifts were very rough and hesitated for a split second before shifting to the next gear. Does my description sound normal for this car and tranny?

Thanks.

 

For my M3, it's like that. It might be because I wasn't that skillful.

For auto transmission, it was also as you described.

I don't really know about the 550i though.

 

Had a 550 smg ...sold it...tranny is useless as it is in all sedans...get an auto...

 

Auto mode is horrible on an BMW SMG. I rarely use it.

 

SMG in the non M models is an inferior variant

 

and it's no better in the M models either.
a lot of returns buyback due to tranny problem.
smg sucks. dsg pdk is where it's at.

raja

 

This is true.

 

SMG sucking is subjective, but it is certain that DSG > SMG. DSG is far superior to SMG in every way.

For me though... Nothing beats a manual.

 

Remember: SMG (DSG, Egear, F1, Cambiocorsica, RTronic, PDK -- whatever) in automatic mode is not supposed to replace an automatic transimission. It's supposed to give you a break from shifting for a little while...

 

Yes it is, and the SMG in the 550 stunks as well it is not anything like the 6sp in the M3 and the 7sp in M5/6

 

DSG is by far the superior of all of these trannies

 

Smg Blows!

 

so in my 10 days or so with my new 2004 SMG-equipped M3, here are my thoughts on it:

for "normal peppy" driving, I find S5 (manual, most agressive setting WITHOUT switching off DSC) is the best mode to use. As long as I lift on the throttle ever so slightly on up-shifts and help blip the throttle on downshifts, the shifts are very nearly seamless.

That said -- and you may laugh here -- I find that A3 works quite nicely, actually, for VERY slow around-town driving IF you drive it like a grandma, or if you're on a particularly leisurely drive on a slow day, however infrequent those days may be

Moreover, I find A4 actually works VERY nicely for -- surprise here -- freeway driving!

Again, ceteris paribus, S5 is the best for ALL styles of driving, but as someone above mentioned, if you just need take a break from shifting (on the phone; sipping your Starbies latte, etc), I really do find that A3/4 for town and A4 for freeway work very nicely indeed.

Just my 2c

 

I thought so too, although recently some questions have arisen about how well it performs on multiple rapid downshifts (eg 5th to 2nd).

It took me a while to adapt to driving the SMG, but with a little practice, I can shift it imperceptibly. I only ever drive it in S5 (or S6), though. All other modes are essentially crap, except in foul weather).

 

Took me about 2weeks to drive SMG smoothly but eventually got bored. Auto mode is a complete joke and I never used the wheel shifters as well. Another reason why I never even bother to look at the M6 or M5 (fast but boring).