Discussion
Just wondering if anyone has any inside information. I am really tempted by a 335d as a sensible car, but I don't like the auto box on principle. Does anyone know if there are any plans for BMW to start offering a DSG-type gearbox with the 335d? I know there will be a M-DCT on the M3 in March, but I'm hoping this will filter down and replace the auto box on the 335d.
edb49 said:
Just wondering if anyone has any inside information. I am really tempted by a 335d as a sensible car, but I don't like the auto box on principle. Does anyone know if there are any plans for BMW to start offering a DSG-type gearbox with the 335d? I know there will be a M-DCT on the M3 in March, but I'm hoping this will filter down and replace the auto box on the 335d.
Doubt it.They never carried the SMG II gearbox across and the SSG gearbox that they did bring out was not a very good seller.
baz1985 said:
edb49 said:
They don't fancy keeping up with Audi then? SMG is overtly sporty, but DSG is an acceptable replacement for an auto, with significant benefits to economy. Surely this will become part of bimzim's "Efficient Dynamics"
DSG doesn't give you SMG11/111 like control.edb49 said:
They don't fancy keeping up with Audi then? SMG is overtly sporty, but DSG is an acceptable replacement for an auto, with significant benefits to economy. Surely this will become part of bimzim's "Efficient Dynamics"
I don't know what is in the pipeline but the changes that they have already introduced mean they are already way ahead of Audi in terms of economy and CO2'sThe auto gearbox with the paddles is very good and worth a try if you haven't yet.
Donut said:
edb49 said:
They don't fancy keeping up with Audi then? SMG is overtly sporty, but DSG is an acceptable replacement for an auto, with significant benefits to economy. Surely this will become part of bimzim's "Efficient Dynamics"
I don't know what is in the pipeline but the changes that they have already introduced mean they are already way ahead of Audi in terms of economy and CO2'sThe auto gearbox with the paddles is very good and worth a try if you haven't yet.
edb49 said:
Donut said:
edb49 said:
They don't fancy keeping up with Audi then? SMG is overtly sporty, but DSG is an acceptable replacement for an auto, with significant benefits to economy. Surely this will become part of bimzim's "Efficient Dynamics"
I don't know what is in the pipeline but the changes that they have already introduced mean they are already way ahead of Audi in terms of economy and CO2'sThe auto gearbox with the paddles is very good and worth a try if you haven't yet.
But if you compare the 330d, manual verse's Auto the difference is only 4.8mpg on the combined cycle?
The emissions are only 177 compared to 191 for the A5 3.0tdi 6 speed manual which makes it a band higer.
So, stop being tight!!
Yep, I know the 335d is only an auto. The 330d/325d are 8% more economical as manuals, so you'd assume the same is true for the 335d.
I may be wrong in this, but if 8% of the economy is being sapped by the gearbox then 8% of the power must be too. (I can't see where else the energy would go.) That suddenly makes the 290bhp 335d closer to 260bhp. That little power is pretty much unbearable!
I may be wrong in this, but if 8% of the economy is being sapped by the gearbox then 8% of the power must be too. (I can't see where else the energy would go.) That suddenly makes the 290bhp 335d closer to 260bhp. That little power is pretty much unbearable!
edb49 said:
Yep, I know the 335d is only an auto. The 330d/325d are 8% more economical as manuals, so you'd assume the same is true for the 335d.
I may be wrong in this, but if 8% of the economy is being sapped by the gearbox then 8% of the power must be too. (I can't see where else the energy would go.) That suddenly makes the 290bhp 335d closer to 260bhp. That little power is pretty much unbearable!
I'm a technical muppet so I don't know? all I can say is that they don't appear to be anyless powerful in auto form than the manual to drive, if anything the auto is more usable and seams to handle the power much better.I may be wrong in this, but if 8% of the economy is being sapped by the gearbox then 8% of the power must be too. (I can't see where else the energy would go.) That suddenly makes the 290bhp 335d closer to 260bhp. That little power is pretty much unbearable!
I tend to sit on the M6 for the best part of two hours aday queing so I'm a little auto bias!
edb49 said:
Yep, I know the 335d is only an auto. The 330d/325d are 8% more economical as manuals, so you'd assume the same is true for the 335d.
I may be wrong in this, but if 8% of the economy is being sapped by the gearbox then 8% of the power must be too. (I can't see where else the energy would go.) That suddenly makes the 290bhp 335d closer to 260bhp. That little power is pretty much unbearable!
To try to compare the relative power at the rear wheels look at acceleration times. Most of the time the torque converter will be locked so the power loss is negligible.I may be wrong in this, but if 8% of the economy is being sapped by the gearbox then 8% of the power must be too. (I can't see where else the energy would go.) That suddenly makes the 290bhp 335d closer to 260bhp. That little power is pretty much unbearable!
I have driven the autobox on the 130i and can say that it is much better than the previous generation steptronic fitted to the 231hp 3.0 cars (I owned an 01 Z3 3.0 abroad in the US). I say previous generation but it's not that long ago really.
I currently have the SMG (SSG) gearbox on the 231hp 3.0 in a Z4. It is a shame that they stopped it because it wasn't a good seller here or (possibly more importantly) the USA; A friend of mine in the US is a BMW tech and he reckons it was down to the salespeople not really marketing it very well and trying to promote the 'auto' aspect of it more than the other benefits (over and above the auto IMHO) that the system has. So, people just chose the conventional auto gearbox which was also offered (the one I had in the Z3) as it was a more natural 'feel' to them. If you are used to auto and jump into an SMG you'll find it crap, jerky and generally inconvenient, compared, as a rule. Those wanting only a manual perhaps discarded thoughts of SMG because of being promoted as an alternative to auto?
Maybe after explanation of how SMG works (actuator controlling the clutch engagement thru electronics) people can find driving it more natural to them, or maybe I am just making wild assumptions, but that is how I see it - Many years ago I was stalling my 50cc in the garage trying to get the hang of clutch control, first time ever etc. dad comes out from doing the washing up with two saucers and rubs them together and explains how a clutch works. Made sense to me and I engaged first without stalling on the next try...
I currently have the SMG (SSG) gearbox on the 231hp 3.0 in a Z4. It is a shame that they stopped it because it wasn't a good seller here or (possibly more importantly) the USA; A friend of mine in the US is a BMW tech and he reckons it was down to the salespeople not really marketing it very well and trying to promote the 'auto' aspect of it more than the other benefits (over and above the auto IMHO) that the system has. So, people just chose the conventional auto gearbox which was also offered (the one I had in the Z3) as it was a more natural 'feel' to them. If you are used to auto and jump into an SMG you'll find it crap, jerky and generally inconvenient, compared, as a rule. Those wanting only a manual perhaps discarded thoughts of SMG because of being promoted as an alternative to auto?
Maybe after explanation of how SMG works (actuator controlling the clutch engagement thru electronics) people can find driving it more natural to them, or maybe I am just making wild assumptions, but that is how I see it - Many years ago I was stalling my 50cc in the garage trying to get the hang of clutch control, first time ever etc. dad comes out from doing the washing up with two saucers and rubs them together and explains how a clutch works. Made sense to me and I engaged first without stalling on the next try...
Edited by texasjohn on Wednesday 5th December 22:16
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff