Quote:
Originally Posted by hwelvaar
And with 8 speeds to choose from, it is not possible to completely drive the AT transmission with the flippers manually. You simply don't know what gear you are in (when driving hard and not watching the instrument panel) and when you brake hard for a corner, you don't really know how many gears you have to downshift to be in the proper gear to attack the corner.
Maybe one can learn this when spending more time with the car, but after 1h test drive, I certainly didn't manage that part very well.
With the MT, I feel more connected to the car and the driving experience, and you just 'know' what gear you need to shift to when braking before a corner.
I feel that with AT, you need to go fast to enjoy the driving experience. With MT, you don't need to go as fast, and can already enjoy the pleasure of "piloting" this machine yourself without the need for high speed or acceleration.
So now I even have a bigger problem as before...
sdrive with MT, sdrive with AT, xdrive with AT... I just can't decide...  |
I'm an MT fan through and through. No AT I've ever tried before the M135i felt even close to what I wanted. But with the M135i its a completely different ball game.
For slow, relaxed driving just put it in AT and enjoy a beautifully smooth ride, always in the fat part of the torque curve. For back road driving the paddles are wonderful. Because the torque band is so wide and the shifts so rapid, its easy to stay in the powerband. You get instant feedback from any downshift so you feel exactly where you are. You can brake late into bends, double tap the paddles and exit smoothly. Alternatively you can downshift earlier and use engine braking to balance the car. Because the shifts are so rapid and lock-up almost instantaneous, it feels even more responsive than an MT.
For sure its a matter of practice.....when I first got my Z4M, I coasted around several bends in neutral having missed a late downshift. After a couple of weeks, you start to wonder why you ever missed those shifts as you adapt to the box.
Having decided on an AT, I spent the entire 3 month delivery period wondering if I'd made a mistake (did I mention I hate ATs of old?). Needn't have worried, the Sport AT isn't for lazy or uncoordinated drivers....that Sports monike really is reflected in the way this AT drives. It lets you get into a lovely rhythm where you're simply concentrating on the road and making fast, fluid progress