: Let's clarify a few points:

: The Steptronic and non-Steptronic cars have the same basic transmission. Steptronic is just a shifter intended to provide what the hot rodders would call 'slap-shift' functionality - whap the lever up and it goes up a gear, whap the lever down and it goes down a gear.

: Now, it still does so through the same yawn-snooze-ho-hum-and-finally-shift programming that the non-Steptronic cars have. Even in 'sport' mode the E39 540is have a pretty unresponsive transmission (if you want to see it done RIGHT, drive an automatic E36 M3.)

: Our non-Steptronic '98 spends all its non-freeway time in either 3 or 4 (meaning the lower three or four gears get used.)

: As for downshifting-to-decelerate, you can of course do it but it's to some extent extra transmission wear.

: I downshift the transmission manually when I want quick acceleration (since it's so damned slow at kickdowns) or when I'm setting up for a fast turn and want engine braking into it and better acceleration out of it.