stick v.s auto

[Evidence]

Hi, im new to the boards, ive been around for awhile, just havent register,but im finally seriously looking into buy a bmw and a had a question........

how much of a performance difference is there between having stick and the steptronic automatic.....i know with the steptronic auto you can change gears yourself....but i was wondering if it made a huge differance or just a little, becuase i dont know how to drive stick, and i want to be able to upgrade the car and make it faster

 

[codex57]

it makes about 1 second in the 0-60 if you know what you're doing. That's a pretty big difference. But, seeing as you're in LA, you have more reason to consider the traffic and if the convenience of the auto is enough over the fun and speed of the stick.

 

[mikev]

between standard auto and manual a second is a bit high. SSG is good to have and (as in the M3 CSL) can change in hundredths or even thousands of seconds. this can be upgraded through software as well. its not as much fun as stick but if you can't drive it then theres no real point. definatly get SSG over standard AUTO.

 

[Bryan330i]

Well, my opinion is go for the stick. I have only had 1 auto trans for my own use in the past 10 years, and I lease 2 cars on 2 year leases and on all others have gone for the stick. It's just a personal preference and how you like to drive. This traffic may be something to consider, but that depends on you. I lived in D.C. for a while and the stop and go traffic did get old at times, but it was not enough to make me change to auto.

 

[wileycoyote]

Any automatic transmision designed for "sport" driving (I'm not talking about the slushbox in Granny's Buick) can change gears as fast or faster than any human. But gear change speed isn't everything. The biggest problem with automatic transmissions is that they require power to operate, and that takes power away for the rear wheels. They also increase weight, which slows you down more. For drag racing purposes you will typically need to raise the stall speed (the RPM a which the transmission engages) to get a good start with an automatic. This will, of course, make for jerky starts when driving normally. All that said, in the hands of an amatuer, there probably isn't much difference in straight line speed.

 

[flashinthepan]

I agree with Bryan330i,

If you are regularly stuck in traffic...go auto, if you get some open lanes frequently go stick. In my case my BMW is my "fun vice". so I went 6-sp.

Great arguments for and against, its a tough call.

Enjoy !!

 

[Evidence]

so if i wanted to chance the intake and add a supercharger later on, i could still do it, even if the car had auto?

 

[codex57]

Intake will not make enough of a horsepower difference to bother the auto. You can supercharge an auto, but you have to consider whether the auto can handle the extra hp and how much hp will be "wasted" through the torque converter.

 

[Marinakorp]

actually, there is more than one that I know of ... 540ia supercharged.... they are putting down 400 or so

 

[Trev]

I have one standard reply I give to people asking this question.. the only *real* solution is to have one of each!

Otherwise, you will always find yourself wishing you'd bought the other one. Sticks are great on winding mountain roads, but they bite in stop and go traffic that's backed up 5 miles on the thruway.

If acceleration is what you're after, wait a bit.. there's a whole new generation of transmissions coming out which are infinitely variable.. I think Audi calls theirs the Multitronic or something similar. Better 1/4 mile times, better gas mileage, smoother, better everything. Or so I've been led to believe by reviewers. I'll bet BMW's version of this will be fantanstic.

Best................Bob

 

[Evidence]

my thing is, if theres a HUGE performance difference, then imma learn stick, if not, them imma get the auto

 

[manuel]

performance this, performance that. i still dont get it. most of us(assumption) probably wont get down to a track to really "open up" the engine, test the performance. if you race/drive fast on the street you should get smacked a few times, i dont care how empty the street is...i've driven a stick for almost 4 years and i still hate it. when i got my car i decided on an auto, because its relaxing to just get in the car after a hard days work and just have the wind blowing in your face, instead of shifting.

 

[junglestylz]

Intake will not make enough of a horsepower difference to bother the auto. You can supercharge an auto, but you have to consider whether the auto can handle the extra hp and how much hp will be "wasted" through the torque converter.

What about Jimmy 540¿

 

[demq]

Man stop making the learning of driving a stick a big problem for you, just think that before the auto trannies were out all the peolpe were driving stick, you might need AT MOST 2 weeks
to get used to.... A lot of ppl, including me learned driving(at all) on a stick, for you it's gona be much easier since you know how to handle the car....

 

[junglestylz]

I took my driving test in a stick.

 

[Bryan330i]

I don’t think it is all about performance. Some, myself included, just like the stick better. Although automatic was not available in my car (330i PP), I would have chosen this 6 speed anyway, just personal preference, especially for the car I chose. If I were to buy a 7, the auto would make more sense to me. It’s just a different driving experience for different people, not necessarily a race thing.

 

[Marinakorp]

I wish that they offered the 540iT sport in a stick... like they did for the E34... not really willing to spend 9k to swap out the auto for the stick.... unless I also swap in an M5 motor into the bay... not that would be sick!

 

[MyHarley]

Guys, Guys, Guys..........with the step-tronic you have three choices for when you want it all just at different times. With the step-tronic you don't have a clutch (in case its the clutch you are worried about learning to use, Evidence), but still get to shift gears.....or just wait a few seconds and the car will shift for you....it doesnt like if you don't shift fast enough between 1st and 2nd and will just do it for you........it also shifts for me between 4th and 5th.........I laugh because the car knows a whole lot more than me when its time to shift.........there is a big difference in my car when on manual versus automatic..........must be a very long 1 second.....

 

[jcsmfever]

Get a stick man, fake manual is weak, you want to be able to have as much control as possible over your BMW, that third pedal makes the whole experience that much more fun. It's not that hard to learn to drive manual either. Especially in a BMW. It's hard to be really good, but easy to learn to drive. If your learning, shit test drive one and tear that one up, you're buying a new one from them anyway (just not that one). Plus people will think your a tool for getting auto/steptronic on a Beamer.[thumbd]

Trust me on this one, imagine getting an automatic M3!! You'd just be asking to be severly beaten. Just joking man. SMG is different but still manual is it. Later

 

[jcsmfever]

performance this, performance that. i still dont get it. most of us(assumption) probably wont get down to a track to really "open up" the engine, test the performance. if you race/drive fast on the street you should get smacked a few times, i dont care how empty the street is...i've driven a stick for almost 4 years and i still hate it. when i got my car i decided on an auto, because its relaxing to just get in the car after a hard days work and just have the wind blowing in your face, instead of shifting.

I drive my Beamer to race and and haul ass when I'm not racing. The Ultimate Driving Machine was not made to putt around in automatic.