Stick or auto tranny?

[Troyn]

Going with the MT on mine also. I have been very pleased with the DSG on my A3, but it'll be nice to drive a stick again.

[investor27]

After reading through all the comments, I really do want to get a MT. But I don't really know how to drive a manual. The last time I had driven one was back in college a decade a go. I don't know anyone who has a MT for me to learn from. And from what I have read about the 135i, it has a lot of low end torque, which will burn up the clutch if I were to try to learn driving it around a parking lot. So I guess it will be the AT for me as well. d;-(

[MZWIE]

Rent a MT car for the weekend and learn. I've tought many poeple that way.

[imported_MPower]

Originally Posted by investor27

After reading through all the comments, I really do want to get a MT. But I don't really know how to drive a manual. The last time I had driven one was back in college a decade a go. I don't know anyone who has a MT for me to learn from. And from what I have read about the 135i, it has a lot of low end torque, which will burn up the clutch if I were to try to learn driving it around a parking lot. So I guess it will be the AT for me as well. d;-(

Going off what e34m5 just said, don't let that be an excuse to not own a manual sports car. There are a couple of rental places around that rent manual cars that you can pick up. And, though, this might sound extremely strange, I had one friend that wanted to learn so badly that he went down to a local used car dealership, picked up a beat-up Honda Accord for ~500 dollars, drove it for a couple of days and then sold it to an auto shop for ~300 dollars.

[mikeo]

BMW clutches are stout, investor27, and you will find the technique again within a few days. A MT is another way to be more involved with the driving experience. You can do it!

[investor27]

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys. The rental suggestion is a good idea. I didn't know that they still rent out stick shifts now-a-day besides the Exotics, of course. I appreciate it.

[blackbubblebum]

I am so not a woman.

[Nice1]

Can I use this as my signature quote? :biggrin:

Originally Posted by jzhang1013

I am so not a woman.

[mfratt]

My 330 is an auto/steptronic. I often wish I had bought a proper 5 speed, but I'm reminded of why I didn't when I'm driving downtown or in rush hour traffic. It still has an element of fun though, slap it into M and hit the open roads. Thats all you've got to do if for one second you forget you're driving a BMW.

[oneill3]

This is my first post, so a quick hello to all. Just found the board yesterday and have found it a great source of information on the 1 series.

The 135i was only released in Australia about a month ago and I was lucky enough to get a test drive of a Manual in the first week.

I just want to say what everyone already knows, this car is awesome! So now I’m hooked on the 135, and I’m stuck with the dilemma of having to sell my current car so I can buy a One!

Initially I wasn't too keen on the looks of the 135 but the more I look at it the more it grows on me. And that engine, simply amazing. I lay awake at night just thinking about it!

The past couple of years I've been driving a Mercedes SLK200. A good friend of mine is a salesman at the Mercedes dealership so I’ve also been lucky enough to drive most of the Mercedes models, and to be honest, I find that the Mercs aren't sporty enough for my driving style, with the exception of the AMGs of course. But not everyone, especially me, can afford an AMG. They are ridiculously expensive for what they are, pimped up luxury cars.

I did have a look at the new C-Class but I didn’t like the way it drove, or the interior styling, too cheap looking, and they just aren’t quick enough for my liking (except for the C63 but once again $160,000 for a car is a lot of money).

I find the gearboxes in the Mercs, they all generally share the same auto, are crap; slow to respond, laggy, and the torque converter is just plan annoying, it spoils the whole driving experience. You would think for the money you pay that you would get a half decent gearbox.

So, just doing some research on the 135, I've pretty much decided on colours and options etc, but I can't decide on the transmission type, manual or auto?

After my experience with the Merc autos it has put me off automatics and after test driving the manual the other day I’d have to say that it had a great feel, very enjoyable to drive.

However, like most city folk, I spend most of my week days sitting in traffic so the auto appeals to me. Also, my wife will be driving the car so the auto would suit her. But, if the auto is crap I'd rather get the manual. The wife can build a bridge and get over it.

I also got to drive a 335 with an auto, after I drove the 135, so I could try the automatic. It was pretty responsive but only driving the car for 15 mins isn't enough to get a real feel for it.

I don't really know enough about BMW automatic gearboxes to know if they are any good. So I was wanting to get some feedback from people that have lived with the BMW auto.

My main question is this, is the auto in the 135 any good?

Also, will the new double clutch in the M3 make its way into the 135?

[AlexM105]

The automatic transmission is just fine, though most here prefer manual. The dual clutch transmission in the M3 will not be released for the 1-series.

[atr_hugo]

Welcome aboard and this thread will be merged with a pre-existing up-to-date thread (these auto vs manual threads are multiplying like rabbits!! ; -).

[atr_hugo]

The auto in the 135i is a ZF box, it weighs only about 5 kg more than the manual, it shifts quickly and actually rev-matches downshifts (good software tuning on this gearbox).

Whilst it's not as good, in my opinion, as a DCT/DSG it's about as good as an automatic gets for an enthusiast and certainly much better than some of the so-called 'manu-matics' on the market.

Since my commute to work is less than 50 feet, I went with a stick. ; -)

[My135]

Auto is good but cost money. Manual is great and cost nothing. Which one do you choose? I vote for the stick.

[1Ronnie]

I have the auto, as mine is a downtown DD, and I need my left foot to tap along to the music in start/stop traffic !!

[Imola.ZHP]

Originally Posted by oneill3

I don't really know enough about BMW automatic gearboxes to know if they are any good. So I was wanting to get some feedback from people that have lived with the BMW auto.

My main question is this, is the auto in the 135 any good?

Also, will the new double clutch in the M3 make its way into the 135?

I doubt we'll see the M3 transmission in the 1er. For an auto, the BMW auto is great, I can only say this based on my limited encounters with auto-loaner cars from the dealership. As I have the only BMW in my family (manual of course), and my few friends with BMW's have manuals, I have no long-term information on them to share with you...

[plien69]

Originally Posted by oneill3

This is my first post, so a quick hello to all.

Welcome, ONeill!

I find the gearboxes in the Mercs, they all generally share the same auto, are crap; slow to respond, laggy, and the torque converter is just plan annoying, it spoils the whole driving experience.

Can you explain a little bit about what you find annoying about the torque converter in Merc autos?

I also got to drive a 335 with an auto, after I drove the 135, so I could try the automatic. It was pretty responsive but only driving the car for 15 mins isn't enough to get a real feel for it.

I don't really know enough about BMW automatic gearboxes to know if they are any good. So I was wanting to get some feedback from people that have lived with the BMW auto.

My main question is this, is the auto in the 135 any good?

Also, will the new double clutch in the M3 make its way into the 135?

The Auto in my 135i is the best automatic transmission I've ever driven. Damning with faint praise? Perhaps. My only other experiences with autos have either been in rental econoboxes or my wife's Honda Odyssey.

That said, the shifts are pleasantly and consistenly fast. It also consistently throttle blips to rev match on down shifts.

The transmission has occasionally been a little clunky for me coming out of full stop.

There have also been reports of cars experiencing "surging" when slowing down for a stop, which people have attributed to the Steptronic. I have been unable to replicate this problem.

But overall, it has exceeded my expectations. I still don't feel as "connected" to the car with the throttle as I did in my previous MT and SMG cars. If you want to drift through the roundabouts, I think you'd want the control that a true clutch can provide. The eLSD + Steptronic makes rear-end control difficult. (Or maybe I just suck at it :smile: )

EDIT: I doubt the dual-clutch will make its way into non-M cars for at least the next few years. I keep hearing rumors that BMW will replace the Step with DCT, but I'll have to see it to believe it. Of course, I didn't think BMW would put the N54 in the E82 either...

[oneill3]

Originally Posted by plien69

Can you explain a little bit about what you find annoying about the torque converter in Merc autos?

Yeah, sometimes you put your foot down, the car will rev, alot, but won't go anywhere straight way. This only happens at low speeds. It seems the gearbox gets confused about what it should be doing and there is a 2-3 second delay before it works out what you are trying to do before anything happens.

I generally drive the thing in Manual mode, keeping it in 3rd and dropping down to 2nd when needed.

My wife drives the car and she hates the auto as well, and she doesn't drive the car particular fast. She hates its lack of responsiveness.

The auto is quite slow to respond, slow downshifts. The gearbox must work off the amount of acceleration you give it because if you accelerate hard and try to change up before it reaches the rev limit it ignores the upshift and only shifts once it's reached the rev limit.

Originally Posted by plien69

The Auto in my 135i is the best automatic transmission I've ever driven.

That's great news. I was quite impressed from the responsives of the 335's I drove.

However, after reading all of the comments here and considering I try to drive my auto like a manual I'm thinking the manual is the way to go. just need to convince the wife.

[AwesomeBMW]

the stick is clearly the winner here. Now the car is my bitch instead of the ther way around. Its an excellent theft deterent as well. Too many idiots out there who don't know how to drive stick

[UmpChap]

The big tipping point is that I get on southbound I-395 at the Pentagon every day at about 5:15 PM and get off at the first exit outside the beltway. If I got paid by the clutch depression, I could have retired.

I love manual transmissions. I learned to drive on Farmall tractors and an old Ford station wagon (3 on the column!) that my Dad had. I've had a new 1990 Acura Legend with MT, a manual Jeep Cherokee hauler, a manual 1997 528i that I gave to my son, and I just sold a 2002 330 coupe with 5 speed. These were after a 1960 VW bug, a 1962 MGB, and a 1970 Fiat 124 convertible.

My 2004 X5 4.4 is of course auto, as is my old 1993 740iL. I don't feel that driving either one compromises my masculinity or my driving creds and I don't think driving the auto 135 convertible (when it arrives) will either.

[AwesomeBMW]

Originally Posted by UmpChap

The big tipping point is that I get on southbound I-395 at the Pentagon every day at about 5:15 PM and get off at the first exit outside the beltway. If I got paid by the clutch depression, I could have retired.

DC beltway traffic sucks, so does Baltimore's beltway. Actually traffic sucks all together. there's no opportunity to

[mikeo]

The DC/Baltimre reference brings to mind a story that will allow me to take this thread OT.

Back in the dim past, 1988 I believe, I was driving from BWI, where I worked at the time, to DC on I-395 for some reason. It happened to be raining cats and dogs--I mean a serious downpour. I was in my '79 Euro 635CSi and was struggling to keep it around 70 without hydroplanning too badly. A Toyota Supra of that era comes up behind me aggressively too close to my bumper, so I gradually speed up a little, so the Supra speeds up, I bump it up another 5mph. This is not a race, we are just jockeying for position in traffic. Soon, I have to tap my brakes lightly, and I mean lightly, in that rain. I glance in my rearview mirror and see the Toyota hit his brakes--too hard for those rainy conditions--and start a graceful but out of control left, then right, back left tail wagging near spin, all the time trying to gather the thing up. Well, his car finally hooks up, regrettably pointed off to the left, and the car shoots off I-95 to the inside 200 yard wide median and into the bushes. I motor on shaking my head. First time I've ever told of that experience, hope his car wasn't dammaged too badly--looked like the bushes and flying mud slowed it down sufficiently.