smg on e46 any good

[taz devil]

Thinking about changing from e36 m3 to a e46 m3 just want to know the score with the smg .there seems to be a lot of e46 out there on the e36 it was a big no no . so did they get it right on the e46 or is it still one to stay away from

[solidlad84]

I've never personally driven an e36 with the SMG system but from numerous things i've read across different forums it seems that the SMG in the e46 is way way more advanced and accomplished. My car has it and I do love it, it really suits the nature of the engine and I have no gripes with it.

[Leins]

Only you will know when you drive it. I love it, some don't

Not great in traffic, automode is rubbish, but for back-road blasting it's fantastic IMO in S5 or S6 setting

[neilcoker]

smg much better, keep it set at level 5 and hit the sport button when you want to move it along. truly a fantastic car and IMO twice the car of a manual, go for it you wont look back

[e46m3c]

Another happy SMG'er here. Great for traffic, and comes into its own on b-road blast or track. Love it and wouldnt go back.

Been driving manual whist my subframe gets repaired and it sucks.

Id only have manual now if it was dedicated track car.

[toasty]

Manual is the only way to go for real drivers

For the rest of us 'less talented' individuals SMG is fine. It takes a while to learn to drive smoothly but the benefits outweigh the negatives for me.

When I finally look to replace mine, I'll definitely look for flappy paddles again, probably DCT in an E92 M3.

[E30M3SE]

Leins said:

Only you will know when you drive it. I love it, some don't

Not great in traffic, automode is rubbish, but for back-road blasting it's fantastic IMO in S5 or S6 setting

Pretty much this.

In comparison the the SMG fitted to E36 M3's it's leagues ahead.

[M3CS]

The clutch pedal is in a daft place on the manual... put me off getting one....felt like my legs were pointing towards the front right corner of the car. However, with Summer approaching I'm seriously close to switching to a manual CS!

In truth, there's little between the two systems....each has their good/bad points.
If you're likely to sit in traffic much, SMG is probably a better bet. Get a manual if you will use it as a weekend plaything.

Don't believe the horror stories about SMG reliability. Between me and 2 other guys I know we've probably put in over 150k miles on SMG cars without any problems.

[joema]

I don't find the clutch pedal a problem.

I've always driven manuals so smg would be nice but not necessary. I think the pump costing a fortune put me off, but as said, may be ok.

[Makem]

I quite liked it at full pelt changing up, didn't really get on with it tootling round town. Probably just me though. Its an acquired taste, im afraid that means you have to go and acquire it =]

[thehos]

i have a smg, just remember it isnt an auto, in auto mode it changes gear for you. Hope that explains it a bit.

get one, even just for the down change blip!!

[FamilyDub]

Leins said:

Not great in traffic, automode is rubbish

e46m3c said:

Great for traffic

Hmmm, mixed reveiws on the 'auto' feature, then.

[Leins]

FamilyDub said:

Leins said:

Not great in traffic, automode is rubbish

e46m3c said:

Great for traffic

Hmmm, mixed reveiws on the 'auto' feature, then.

I don't use automode anywhere because I found it so bad

As for traffic, the only benefit of SMG I can see is that you get to rest your left leg as there's no clutch. It's just too clunky to operate properly in the stop-start stuff IMO. However I don't drive in traffic much, and find the 'box comes alive under fast-road conditions, which is what the CSL in particular is designed for

[jon-]

It's fine in traffic. Stay away from the sports button which is pointless in any conditions, be light with the pedal, and once you learn how the computer controls the clutch relative to throttle position and movement speed you can creep, hold on a hill and do anything else you can with a manual.

I've even reverse up-hill parked without killing any puppies.

I prefer SMG to the new dual clutch boxes. It's equal to a manual.