Re: 6 Speed vs. Automatic (archive)

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: I drive an auto too (calypso red '92). I've been looking for a manual but they are rare (somewhat in contradiction to so many forum attenders owning a manual :-).

: There are two different auto's too; a four-speed and a five-speed (a steptronic I believe, the 5-speed is for the 'newer' models). The four-speed has three different settings of which the sport-setting really does the trick...but yes, I find the downshift a little slow too, even kickdown takes a 'while'.

: But after reading an article about the introduction of the 850i in which the auto was favoured above the manual, I'm reconsidering.
: The 'problem' witch the manual was/is that releasing the throttle causes the fuelflow to be cut of. This make the ride less smooth...it can be prevented by some extra throttle in between shifts but that takes skill/attention...

: By the way: the journalists loved the car (looks, gimmicks and drive). The introduction also mentioned that the manual would lead to less fuelconsumption as if it would matter to those who could afford such a car (their words...).
: It was on the other hand one of the first production models offering a six-speed (sixth-gear = overdrive) !

: some other remarks:
: - the engine has loads of torque and auto's work very well on that sort of engines.
: - BMW use/produce very good automatic transmissions.
: - You can concentrate on steering the car (or do things that take your concentration of it)

: One other remark: a drove a '92 525i with auto (5-speed 3-settings) too...compared to the auto of the 850, the 850's responds much better...but that could but wear and tear too...

: Another (small) advantage: it is somewhat harder to wrong-shift an auto...in used cars that is a pro...manuals could be mistreated more easily (clutch, over-reving)...

: Disadvantages:
: - it's much harder on the breaks.
: - in city-traffic, people behind you see a lot of breaksignals

: (and over here in the Netherlands, automatics are less common than manuals...mainly because of the higher fuelconsumption, smaller engines (which don't combine very well with auto's), higher price...)

Marco makes an excellent point r.e. the manual e31: The coordination between the throttle and the clutch is citical for smooth, seamless accelleration and gear changes. IMHO, this is especially true starting from a complete stop in 1st. With all the torque available (100 lb ft at idle!), I will often use 2nd if the car is rolling at all. And as Marco points out, releasing the throttle between shifts results in the engine dropping instantly to idle, requiring attention to rpm management. With time and practice, this can all be done by feel, sound, and timing.

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