09 BMW steptronic regrets?

[C.junior]

Ey I bought a 09 135 I m package and it's auto/ paddelshift I really enjoy it
But sometimes miss manual all my other cars where manual is it really a big diff if I would have got this car in manual what are you guys buying more auto or manual

[2012_135i]

Uh oh. I see a manual vs. DCT war on the horizon.

But to answer your question, I think more cars are purchased with autos (trip and DCT) than manual. My dealership doesn't stock any manuals at all except for M3 and previously the 1M. If you want a 6MT at Honolulu BMW and you're not getting an M3 you have to order it.

[Adam135]

No regrets here, it shifts faster and more reliably than I can Previous car was a MT Mustang.

[the1andonly]

Mine was sitting in the showroom...brand spanking new, with manual...I bought it on the spot without a test drive. Ive enjoyed every mile since! The 135i auto might be a different story but Id never get a 128i without the 6 speed...

[Greenkirby21]

i regret it on my 128i but thats because we get a crappier auto trans then the 135i.

[Artmasterx]

Originally Posted by the1andonly

Mine was sitting in the showroom...brand spanking new, with manual...I bought it on the spot without a test drive. Ive enjoyed every mile since! The 135i auto might be a different story but Id never get a 128i without the 6 speed...

Agreed. I previously had a 128i sport with manual and wouldn't have it any other way. Especially with the relative torque deficit, you really benefit from the manual transmission.

I just bought a '07 335i with steptronic and it is acceptable. I still would have preferred a manual, but we could not find a good one with all the options we wanted and a MT. Also, I'm still getting used to it. The main thing that seems weird at the moment is getting started from a stop, which is not as smooth as with good manual skills, but not a big issue.

[NYC6]

I like my Step a lot. Its a very strong unit that seems to know exactly what gear to be in based on my throttle position and driving style at the time. When tooling around town its smooth as silk and when I put it to the fire wall it knows just what to do in auto mode. With the paddles its all in my hands and shifts come very fast. Its also proven to be quicker than 135i stick cars and as a bonus, with the PPK the auto cars get an additional 15 extra ft lbs of TQ over the DCT and manual cars. I like that. My bad knees also like the Steptronic.

[1speedbike]

I love my steptronic, but I still wish it was a manual sometimes. I'm in "M" (manual not ///M) mode 99.9% of the time. I always do my own shifting, and I agree it's fun with the paddles and the shifter itself. But then I think, well if I'm doing this all the time anyway, why didn't I just get a manual? And then I remember, because my old lease was up and I didn't have time in July to wait til October for a new '09, so I picked up this '08 off a lot a few hundred miles away and had it shipped to me.

Then again, the Step shifts VERY fast. Once in a while I dig up this image which shows that even on slower downshifts, the step shifts faster than any manual driver ever will (record was around 200 ms, but inconsistently), and it feels instantaneous. Yeah, the DCT is technically faster, but it's already below the threshold of perception.



Yeah, I sorta wish I had a manual. But then again, the steptronic is absolutely awesome, NJ traffic is less sucky with it, the step can handle more power than the manual tranny can (for anyone else tuned and with meth), and it's not that big of a deal because it's still a lot of fun. And shifting and steering with one hand (no DCT paddle shifters, you can up and downshift with the same paddle!) honestly feels gooood.

[C.junior]

Thx guys ya I love the car just wated to know what others where thinking also is there any way to get launch control on the n54 does the jb4 come with like launch control ? Il make a post with pics of my car soon

[Adam135]

Originally Posted by C.junior

Thx guys ya I love the car just wated to know what others where thinking also is there any way to get launch control on the n54 does the jb4 come with like launch control ? Il make a post with pics of my car soon

Turn on DTC, start in 2nd gear, and modulate the throttle. Launch control not necessary IMO.