SMG in Auto-mode discussion

[Zafiro]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

There is no magic link to give you here only what has been reported through the years on this and what BMW itself has done concerning SMGs..

M

That's really a shame becuase it would be really intresting to read a survey based only on SMG impressions in M5/M6.

 

[coolraoul]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

That's really a shame becuase it would be really intresting to read a survey based only on SMG impressions in M5/M6.

It depends...If you are a BMW fan it might not be that fun...
j/k

 

[CorpusCallosum]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

No matter how mistaken they are, you sure are. This is common knowledge in the U.S. about the SMGs in BMWs being big complaint registers with owners. A many a survey can back and said the same thing that the dealerships had been saying, that owners (outside a few that love it) really didn't like it. It was dropped from every non M BMW a while back is also most telling. Talk to a dealership service writer. There is no magic link to give you here only what has been reported through the years on this and what BMW itself has done concerning SMGs. If you need an article then google it.

M

I know three M5 owners (All SMG equipped). Yet to hear a complaint. Practise what you I think here. Listen to what the drivers have to say not reviewers or people who have jumped on the anti-SMG bandwagon.

It is not a perfect automatic. It certainly is not as bad as you are portraying. If it was that bad I think BMW would have done something more serious about it by now.

It is a good mix of both worlds is the impression I have recieved from owners and from my small drives. Every single one of my drives in an M5 was in dense traffic and auto-mode held its own end quite well.

 

[Zafiro]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

It depends...If you are a BMW fan it might not be that fun...
j/k

I'm a BMW enthusiast so I will be fine. I've driven the M5 myself so I know whats good and wrong and the good things are so many I would pick M5 over E63

 

[coolraoul]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

I'm a BMW enthusiast so I will be fine. I've driven the M5 myself so I know whats good and wrong and the good things are so many I would pick M5 over E63

You did not drive the E63 then

(I did not drive any but honestly, I think it's possible that I would pick the M5 too...)

 

[Zafiro]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

You did not drive the E63 then

(I did not drive any but honestly, I think it's possible that I would pick the M5 too...)

I've driven both E55 and E63. In matter of fact you can read my E63 review in Members carreviews

You know me by now that I like sporty cars and I can honestly say M5 is more engaging to drive than a e63.

 

[Merc1]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

I know three M5 owners (All SMG equipped). Yet to hear a complaint. Practise what you I think here. Listen to what the drivers have to say not reviewers or people who have jumped on the anti-SMG bandwagon.

It is not a perfect automatic. It certainly is not as bad as you are portraying. If it was that bad I think BMW would have done something more serious about it by now.

It is a good mix of both worlds is the impression I have recieved from owners and from my small drives. Every single one of my drives in an M5 was in dense traffic and auto-mode held its own end quite well.

Really, guess what I know and have know of people with SMG BMWs and they didn't complain either. So what does that tell you when BMW drops SMGs from all non M BMW due to complaints? It suggest that our stories about people "we know" aren't and weren't the majority. It also suggests that it was just that bad, at least in non Motorsport BMWs. It being as bad to each individual owner is a matter of opinion of each one.

I drove a 330i with SMG and it sucked big time in automatic mode. Lurching and slipping when asked to perform, BMW dropped it. Ditto for the Z4 roadster. Don't have any experience with it in the M6, only the M5. For someone expecting it to be truly "automatic" they're going to be let down. You and I know that it isn't a true automatic in that sense, but everybody doesn't. VW even calls their DSG and "automatic" and 99 percent of buyers think it really is. When you label something "automatic" or "automatic mode" people expect seamless shifts, not the feel of a clutch slipping.

Clearly, you and I knowing a few people that don't complain clearly doesn't cover it.

Also, none of what I said was based on a "reviewer" any any post, only real world experiences. To give magazines the credit here would be too easy as all the U.S. magazines pretty much detest BMW's SMG when not on a racetrack.

M

 

[CorpusCallosum]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

The SMG dropped from non - M models was SMG2 (this is also in the Z4 as you stated). That was crap in auto mode by absolutely all regards. The SMG in the M5 and M6 is new generation SMG3.

I do agree with the customers been let down if they are expecting a seamles automatic transmission. A little bit of false advertising by BMW yes. I for one could live with it however, and I drive through rubbish traffic home every night. I guess some people just love to complain over anything. Certainly the reason why my mal-practise insurance is so much

 

[Zafiro]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

SMG in non M cars is worse than SMG in M cars. You dont have all the settings, manual mode, automatic modes, speed settings you find in M car so you can change it to suit you. In fact these two gearboxes dont have much in common other than having the name seqventiel manuel gearbox. All in all I think there are 11 manual and automatic modes in SMG3.

Also SMG3 is smoother than SMG2 in automatic mode.

EDIT:
After using google I found following two things:
- Non SMG is a auto with a torque converter.
- non SMG and SMGIII is developed by different makers, ZF & Getrag.

 

[Merc1]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

The SMG dropped from non - M models was SMG2 (this is also in the Z4 as you stated). That was crap in auto mode by absolutely all regards. The SMG in the M5 and M6 is new generation SMG3.

I do agree with the customers been let down if they are expecting a seamles automatic transmission. A little bit of false advertising by BMW yes. I for one could live with it however, and I drive through rubbish traffic home every night. I guess some people just love to complain over anything. Certainly the reason why my mal-practise insurance is so much

I wouldn't even say its BMW's fault, it isn't really. The ball is dropped after the papers are signed or before the papers are signed, i.e. when SMG should be fully explained by a saleperson. BMW delivered on the premise of a F1 style gearbox, but that needs to be communcated at purchase. An educated consumer is any car company's best customer and of course one that isn't can be the worst.


M

 

[Sunny]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

No one is saying that people buy SMGs specifically for their automatic mode only that when they do use it they found out that isn't like a conventional automatic, nothing more.

M

And no one is saying they are happy with the automatic mode, I am sure they have used it and bitched about it. But that doesn't mean they use it in automatic mode more than manual mode like you assert.

 

[Mr. Chigga_Chan]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

Wow, interesting discussion.

 

[Merc1]

Re: CAR MAGAZINE - First Drives: Mercedes SL63 AMG

And no one is saying they are happy with the automatic mode, I am sure they have used it and bitched about it. But that doesn't mean they use it in automatic mode more than manual mode like you assert.

Yes it does, because if they didn't they wouldn't complain about it. People don't drive on racetracks to work. This is the reason why BMW pulled it from regular BMWs and rushed a stick shift for the M6 and M5. All the evidence suggest it otherwise SMGs would be still offered across the lineup. If the opposite were true there would be no need to replace it with M DCT on both M and upcoming non M BMWs. SMG works fine in manual mode as we all know, and if that was were it was used most of the time there wouldn't be any complaints about an automatic mode that is rarely used.

M

 

[Zafiro]

People complain on things they do or not do. Just becuase people complain doesnt mean they use automtic mode most of the time. We all have our opinions on what people use most of the time in this debate but no one here can say with 100% security what people do. It's all speculations.