To SMG or not to SMG?

[///M SPEED]

"SMG is for girls", give me a break. You don't know what the hell your talking about. Most people who make comments like this have never even driven (especially for a little while) a car equipped with a SMG transmission. This is not an "auto" at all. It is a pure manual transmission with computer controlled hydraulic clutch. Autos and SMG are like night and day. I have always bought manual trannys except for my SUV and thought I wouldn't like the SMG, but I tried it and liked it. If I was to buy all over again I would still buy the M with a SMG II tranny. I do admit I miss the clutch sometimes, but the SMG is so much fun....

 

[PhatBimmer]

[bmwdance]

 

[~SUN-XTC~]

A couple of days before I bought my car, I was seriously considering this 03 M3 with SMG. I was very unhappy with it. Using the paddle shifters was absolutely wonderful - lettiing the car shift on its own was horrible. I don't know what version of SMG it had (I didn't do any research), but it 'lagged' something aweful between gears.
My 330Cic has steptronic - works excellent. Had I been able to fit in an M3, I would have bought a 6-speed. Maybe the later version is better.

 

[///M SPEED]

A couple of days before I bought my car, I was seriously considering this 03 M3 with SMG. I was very unhappy with it. Using the paddle shifters was absolutely wonderful - lettiing the car shift on its own was horrible. I don't know what version of SMG it had (I didn't do any research), but it 'lagged' something aweful between gears.
My 330Cic has steptronic - works excellent. Had I been able to fit in an M3, I would have bought a 6-speed. Maybe the later version is better.

You must have used the Auto-Mode of the SMG gearbox and never used the manual side of it. I am not going into this again. Dog = Beat.....

Read the whole post and the other SMG threads and you will understand what it is all about. SMG does not lag between gears unless you are using it in Auto-Mode.

With that being said Steptronic is a pure auto gearbox. It has a sport side to it but is not even close to the same category as SMG is. I owned a Steptronic equipped BMW and they are very nice. I loved mine. It was the only auto I have ever owned besides my current SUV. Have fun with it.....

 

[~SUN-XTC~]

Yeah I was in auto-mode, because I was sure I would not always be using the paddle shifters on the steering wheel. In auto mode, the lag between first and second was very noticable though. I want both to work excellent and I would except no less on a $60k+ vehicle.

 

[///M SPEED]

FYI:

The manual you can use the shifter as well...

Up = downshift
down = up-shift

I have maybe used the Auto part of the gearbox twice the whole time I have owned the car. I don't car how it shifts.

P.S. There are 6 different transmission settings for the manual portion of the SMG gearbox and 5 different transmission settings on the auto side that changes the way the gearbox does its shifts. In total 11 different gearbox settings on that transmission. You can never get a true feel for in a test drive. It take over a month or more to get use to using the gearbox......

 

[Kirby]

Roundel Magazine did a hands on review of the M6 with SMGII. The reviewer LOVED it, a guy who has driven a gazillion different bimmers over the years. I have never driven an SMG, but to put it bluntly, I will accept the EXPERT reviews of BMW CCA Roundel Magazine over any naysayers

on the board.

Just my $.02 worth.....

 

[~SUN-XTC~]

I was just giving my opinion...nothing more.

 

[///M SPEED]

I was just giving my opinion...nothing more.

Just some education on the subject is all I am offering....

I am a self proclaimed "expert" on the subject. I have logged many many miles with said gearbox. It is a great transmission and those who think otherwise haven't really tried it. BMW knows engines and gearboxes nuff said….

P.S. The new M6 will have the SMG III gearbox.....