E46 M3 POLL: MANUAL or SMG
Discussion
I had a 330d manual for 3 years before my M3 and it was an absolute must for my M3 to have SMG. IMO, the SMG is very well suited to the aggressive M3 engine when pushed, however it is easy to drive smoothly around town with a bit of practice.
I always found the e46 manual boxes to be a bit sloppy so I fancied a change. I am certain that I made the right choice going for SMG. Auto-blipping on downchanges is great.
SMG is a very marmite thing. Some people love it, some hate it. Do note however that it will take some time to get used to the box (I.e. a few weeks). I hated auto mode at first, but now tend to use it around town - it's good when you get used to it. Always go for the paddles when driving 'properly' though.
SMG actually uses the same gearbox as the standard manual, with a few ancillaries and a pump to change the gears - so in reality it's not *that* complex. Pumps occasionally fail - not sure how much it costs to replace them, I've heard figures ranging from £300-£1,000 at an Indy and in excess of £2k from a dealer. The compression spring can fail - it's a £2 part, but you have to drop the gearbox to fit it. They are generally reliable systems but get a bit of a bad reputation a) from the e36 SMG box which was less reliable; and b) from poor problem diagnosis whereby an inexperienced garage will change the pump, ecu, etc before realising that is something as simple as a compression spring to fix it.
I think SMG is a great all round system - good in stop/start traffic and superb when going 10/10ths. It really adds to the frantic nature of the car when you really push it and think that going for a manual box is a bit of a backwards step. But then only you can decide this - be sure to test drive an SMG before going for one.
I believe it's worth going for regardless of potential issues, in the same way you would go for an M3 over a cheaper 330.
I always found the e46 manual boxes to be a bit sloppy so I fancied a change. I am certain that I made the right choice going for SMG. Auto-blipping on downchanges is great.
SMG is a very marmite thing. Some people love it, some hate it. Do note however that it will take some time to get used to the box (I.e. a few weeks). I hated auto mode at first, but now tend to use it around town - it's good when you get used to it. Always go for the paddles when driving 'properly' though.
SMG actually uses the same gearbox as the standard manual, with a few ancillaries and a pump to change the gears - so in reality it's not *that* complex. Pumps occasionally fail - not sure how much it costs to replace them, I've heard figures ranging from £300-£1,000 at an Indy and in excess of £2k from a dealer. The compression spring can fail - it's a £2 part, but you have to drop the gearbox to fit it. They are generally reliable systems but get a bit of a bad reputation a) from the e36 SMG box which was less reliable; and b) from poor problem diagnosis whereby an inexperienced garage will change the pump, ecu, etc before realising that is something as simple as a compression spring to fix it.
I think SMG is a great all round system - good in stop/start traffic and superb when going 10/10ths. It really adds to the frantic nature of the car when you really push it and think that going for a manual box is a bit of a backwards step. But then only you can decide this - be sure to test drive an SMG before going for one.
I believe it's worth going for regardless of potential issues, in the same way you would go for an M3 over a cheaper 330.
I prefer manual.
IMO it increases the connection that I have with the car. I can understand why people would like SMG, but it's a bit too playstation for me. I drive 99% of the time on the road and never need to change gear in 0.08s or whatever incredible time the SMG can change in. In a rather traditional way, I much prefer to complete a good heel and toe gear change before peeling into a corner and gassing it out.
IMO it increases the connection that I have with the car. I can understand why people would like SMG, but it's a bit too playstation for me. I drive 99% of the time on the road and never need to change gear in 0.08s or whatever incredible time the SMG can change in. In a rather traditional way, I much prefer to complete a good heel and toe gear change before peeling into a corner and gassing it out.
Difficult one this.
The CS I had a couple of years ago was SMG. Was great for pushing on, for long journeys and for fast twisty roads. Not so great for parking and maneuvering and so on. And always the risk of a big bill for new pumps.
I've decided to go manual this time round - I intend the new car to be a keeper and the manual just seems to be one less thing to go wrong. And it's easier around town.
So I'll vote manual... for the time being...
The CS I had a couple of years ago was SMG. Was great for pushing on, for long journeys and for fast twisty roads. Not so great for parking and maneuvering and so on. And always the risk of a big bill for new pumps.
I've decided to go manual this time round - I intend the new car to be a keeper and the manual just seems to be one less thing to go wrong. And it's easier around town.
So I'll vote manual... for the time being...
Edited by wrighty78 on Wednesday 21st April 12:58
bennyboysvuk said:
Looks like the manual is ever so slightly preferable to the SMG so far then.
I think with manual there is 1 less thing to go wrong as members have mentioned. But cant speak for SMG owners who havent had any problems( had my fair share on my csl)I think ppl who have SMG, next time round would prob go for a manual.
Ive noticed there seems to be bit more SMG for sale over manual, purely for the ease of drive capability, thats my opinion.
Edited by SPORTSTER on Thursday 22 April 15:25
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