The Automatic Gearbox And Its Failings

[bennyboysvuk]

cerb4.5lee said:

I also hate the ZF6 in my E90 330i but I blame BMW for not making the effort with it to suit that engine but on the other hand it could be the best Auto in the world and I would still hate it purely because I have a preference for a three pedal car so there just isn't a substitute to that for me.

Going steady the auto is a winner and I also understand why most like them for a daily commute but I don't agree that they offer the best of both worlds though because when pushing on or having fun the gearbox just falls flat on its backside.

Those are exactly my thoughts too! With the wife driving at the weekend, I did concede and say that it's not bad if you're driving at anything up to 5/10ths, much harder than that though and all my frustrations with it are played out.

Worse still, there's a black 56 plate RS4 Avant that's moved in about 100yds from where I live which is giving me terrible ideas, but I fear a move to the dark side will result in more understeer.

[bennyboysvuk]

My commute is 50% empty NSL B-roads and 50% DC with lots of traffic lights and roundabouts thrown in, so for me the manual gearbox is my preference. It just works better for me more of the time. I greatly dislike the disconnected feeling of the auto, even in manual mode the connection between the throttle and the rear wheels seems very remote. I know this is absolutely down to the torque converter, but I dislike how it feels. I also dislike that in manual mode I have to look at the instrument cluster to know what gear I'm in, especially if I've knocked a lot of speed off quickly and dropped 4 gears. In a manual, I'd have heeled and toed my way down the box and the car would feel taut and ready to go, instead of clumsily changing down (no throttle blips on this auto).

I did of course buy the wrong car for the wrong application. If I drove it like it was designed to be driven then I'm sure there would be no issue.

[bennyboysvuk]

DonkeyApple said:

Agree. If only one car then of have to bite the bullet and have manual. Simply because the 10% of the time it is more pleasure able is infinitely more rewarding than the 90% of the time when an auto is more convenient.

Re the city bit though, I disagree. Urban driving is where a badly set up auto is at its worst. Bogging down in junctions, not being able to react to continuous rapid changes ahead etc. as someone who has lived in Central London all my life I find the auto infuriating for one specific moment. This moment is when a gap opens and you want to nip towards it ahead of the next person. I'm not talking about aggressive driving but the simple London fact that if you don't show signs of moving to the gap then naturally someone else will. With a manual there is no hesitation, the moment you notice the gap you are moving at increased pace towards it and the others around you wait. With the auto you get a moments wait while it sets things up and responds to your random and out of the blue request. In that moment another car has noted that you aren't responding so takes the initiative to close the gap. Just as they close it, your auto delivers on the request and you jump towards the gap that has now gone.

It's a small thing and only really relevant to somewhere like London but my god is it an everyday issue that shows up a badly programmed auto box like the one that I own. It stops you from moving through traffic unless you just lock it in 2nd.

I've noticed this 'feature' too and do exactly as you do; lock it in 2nd.

However, many's the time that I want instant flat out acceleration from a gently rolling pace in 2nd gear, however if I push the throttle far enough to hit the kickdown button then crucial moments are lost as the gearbox changes down a gear resulting in the revs flaring up to 5-6000 rpm and an almost immediate change to 2nd anyway.

I don't feel that the throttle is 100% open unless the throttle pedal is against the stop so it always feels like I'm missing some performance, unless I go through that kickdown procedure. Manuals are so much easier from this perspective, just mash the throttle into the floor and get instant drive.

[bennyboysvuk]

FiF said:

And by way of side comment, if you know and learn the box it is possible to get some reasonable rates of acceleration with having a modicum of restraint and applying controlled throttle increases and not just mashing the throttle, the latter sounds too much like binary throttle inputs to me.

Yes, totally binary, but until you get to cars with over 300bhp then this is hardly an issue. I want thumping great acceleration immediately. In my manual 120D, when crawling towards a junction and then wanting sudden full throttle, I mash the throttle into the floor, wait whilst the revs increased to spin up the turbo, then lift off the throttle a bit as full boost arrives, but at least I get some off boost movement (albeit initially slow). My frustrations with the auto in the 330i is all far more likely due to my choice of car and not the auto's fault at all. Many have said in the thread that you need a huge amount of power and torque to make the auto work well and IMO the 258hp in my car doesn't quite make it.

[bennyboysvuk]

jamieduff1981 said:

Let's be honest - if you want "thumping great acceleration" you're driving the wrong cars.

Too right, which is why I mostly commute on an R1.

[bennyboysvuk]

FiF said:

Plus if the driver is wanting instant great acceleration then doing that from a position where the engine is off boost then, you know, aren't they possibly in the incorrect gear in the first place?

Which given the context of the argument that you can only be fully involved with a manual is quite amusing.

You are quite right, but that's laziness for you. Of course, if I'm really bothered about it I heel and toe it into first gear, but usually just having the initial drive is enough.

That said, if going from a standstill, revving the 120d from tickover to the point where it gives meaningful shove is painfully slow compared to a decent NA petrol engine.

[bennyboysvuk]

JagXJR said:

Not true, my car with 231 hp works just fine. There is a slight delay when coasting to a stop when sudden acceleration is requested but this is no worse than the driveline shunt of a manual in similar driving.

231 hp might feel ok, but 400 hp and 380 lbs ft would feel better. I'd still rather have that in manual form though.

I think one of the things that highlights my priorities is that I cannot fault the sports bikes I've owned, which offer no driver aids at all (can an auto gearbox be called that?), regardless of the fact that there's a bit more power than my 120d can muster and no ABS or TC. I think I just prefer a more manual, better fed-back drive and the auto gearbox in the 330i (and the car as a whole) just doesn't work for me.