[kihun]

let me see.. i've had manual since i was 18.. starting from civic si, 350z and m3.. i was looking to buy another MT for 335i but i just went with auto.. i needed to buy a car very same day and i pulled the trigger and bought a AT.. so far so good.. i like the DS mode and shift paddle mode.. of course i do feel like i am not controlling the car most of the time... but whatever.. i feel so much comfortable now..

[Ch3ss]

Sold my E92 AT to pick up an E90 LCI MT. Took awhile before I found the right car but I'm glad I made the switch. Even though mine did have the M3 paddle shifters it was just not the same.

[Grendeltouring]

My lease was ending on my '10 E90/335/Xdrive/auto, found an '11/E91/328/M-sport/6MT at my dealer and swapped cars the day I saw it. I gave up 70hp and nearly 100 lb/ft, but I don't miss it at all. I love the combination of the rear-drive/manual/sport suspension, car is much more involving to drive than the 335 was. I'm about to take it on a 7k mile round trip soon, and I don't think I'd be looking as forward to driving the auto 335 this much.

My 335 had paddles and I used them all the time, but I missed having a manual. I thought about waiting for the F31, but when I found out that they wouldn't be importing any of the F31 wagons with manuals I jumped on this E91.

[GI335I]

Originally Posted by tofu-

someone is paying you $700 to switch to swap your AT for their MT?

sounds great.

I'd do a AT to MT swap too if it's no $ out of my pocket

Yeah well My mechanic would charge people a standard 1500$ (700$ for tranny, 800$ for labor) for a tranny swap from manual to auto. He said that every one or two months someone converts their E92 to automatic in his shop, so next time Id give him my tranny for 700$ and he installs the manual tranny in my car free of charge since the other guy already is paying for labor, the whole process takes 2 days.

[tofu-]

I have a feeling he'd get a lot of business if you posted his shop on the forums

[catherineanh]

there's advantages and disadvantages in both! but no, i do not regret!

[ridge racer]

Originally Posted by 135Pats

Not particularly, I commute daily in DC, it's a 6 mile slog that takes an hour…it would be absolute misery with a 6MT. As far as AT goes the ZFs in 135s and 335s are pretty damn good.

+1 for DC stop n go traffic.

[GI335I]

Originally Posted by tofu-

I have a feeling he'd get a lot of business if you posted his shop on the forums

Its in Lebanon bro
Around here the labor is so much cheaper. I brought M rep skirts and front bumper, got them painted and fitted for 150$ :P

[derryck]

I like having my DD an auto but I would go nuts without a stick to drive. I have a very heavily modified 300zx tt that's a manual with no traction control, DSC, etc...only ABS.

[idrift4wd]

i only hate my car when i drive a friends 6MT. Other then that i dont regret my decision. i would regret it if it was slower then a 6mt but its not

[AddictedToBavarian]

Yea, I regret it, but I got over it. In a couple years I'll buy a MT E36 M3 track toy.

[Desert_Fox]

Nope. These DCT and steptronic transmissions allow me to play around and shift gears when I want to be aggressive, and then let the computer do the work when im tired and just want to commute.

[Dozhdbog]

Nope, but I'd prefer the snappy shifting 8 speed of the new 3 series or, better yet, the DCT of the 335is or M3.

[Rollo`]

I sold my 6at that I had only had for 3 months to get a manual. It makes a bigger difference on the 328 though--all the power of a 335 plus the better zf transmission would have been ok I think.

I drove a 2011 loaner 328 with the zf tranny and it was much better than the GM transmission I had in my 09.

[chazzz]

No regrets. I'm happy with automatic in my 335i. That way, I won't have to worry about push the clutch pedal and shifting all the time during the bumper-to-bumper traffic. The auto makes my life a lot easier.

The auto ZF is quicker than manual. No kidding.

[9ball]

I don't regret it. I am getting lazy as I get older and like not having to shift in traffic. I have never used the paddles. My cars a 328 and not that fast anyway. My second car has a 6 speed manual.

[NoTempoLimitN54]

Originally Posted by AlterZgo

...6MTs are dinosaurs. They are slower, less efficient, and can be a pain in hours of stop and go traffic. But, they add a massive amount of fun to driving, have a very direct feel, and are virtually indestructible if you decide to add more power.

I'm also a manual transmission commuter in SoCal. I change my route to find the path with the least intersections and least stop-and-go traffic. I avoid the really bad traffic areas of "the grid", like the areas near downtown L.A.

When traffic is flowing I don't mind shifting at all. It keeps me from getting bored. I find the prospect of driving a sports or GT car with a conventional torque-converter automatic transmission to be an unexciting prospect.

A few points:

1. Manual transmission 335i is NOT slower. BMW's published data shows 0-60 mph 0.2 seconds faster than AT. Only the 335is/M3 DCT is faster than the manual.

Fuel economy is the same with both transmissions, based on EPA estimates.

When I state the above, usually someone posts something like this:

"Yeah, yeah, Mr. double-clutching race school graduate, what about a really bad driver launching badly and shifting slowly in the manual 335i vs. another idiot in an auto trans 335i who just stomps and steers? The auto would be faster then right?"

Yes, if you want to go as fast as possible with no skill needed on your part by just stomping and steering, the ZF 6AT in the 335i does a pretty damn good job from what I hear, and you will beat a bad driver in a 6MT 335i.

2. Contrary to a persistent myth (probably started by car salesmen who didn't have manual 335is to sell and wanted to B.S. the buyers) manual 335i N54 does NOT cut boost during shifts (it cuts ignition timing instead to maintain turbo rpms).

3. Due to certain peculiarity of the 335i (probably a lightweight flywheel) I learned quickly that to upshift smoothly in normal driving, you need to -just barely- lift your right (throttle) foot during the upshift (not lifting substantially like in most cars). If you upshift really fast you can even "freeze" your right foot not lifting at all (light partial throttle acceleration). Others members here have confirmed this. If I'm barely lifting at all, there's going to be net zero reduction in turbo rpm during the upshift.

Originally Posted by Quasimodem

Nope. A stick is just busy work -- work one does to make oneself feel better about not having to work too hard to receive a benefit. If I feel the psychological need to take some credit for my transportation, I will ride a bike.

Dude, you have a 335d, cool car, but it's only available in 6AT. So it's not like you had a choice. As far as your psychological analysis... It's not about busy work, it's about CONTROL.

Originally Posted by GChase

...Choosing an AT came down to the fact that there is a larger abundance of used ATs than MTs, which means better options, and much cheaper prices. Sad that BMW doesn't reduce MSRP of a new car and charge more for AT.

(my emphasis)

Interesting... can anyone else confirm/deny the pricing issue? I only seriously looked at 6MT 335i, I never compared AT and MT car with similar year/miles/options.

Also, now that BMW has made the 6AT standard equipment and the 6MT an option (option code ZMT), they are basically charging a "manual transmission tax" of about $1500.- since that is what you used to have to pay for the 6AT option (the manual trans is cheaper to manufacture).

This more than anything else is going to kill of the traditional manual transmission BMW.

[sammy_0559]

I do regret it... If I had a MT I'd just be getting a clutch right now FML

[zanye08]

Originally Posted by pits200

I wanted to show people that I'm richer than the MT guys and could afford to splurge on the automatic transmission, I just wanted to show my wealth and actually didn't want an AT.

Now seriously, 90% of the time I'm content and happy with my AT but then there is that other 10% where I wish I had some gears to row through.

No regrets, you can't always have the best of both worlds.

Haha, that's how it is in Europe..where most cars are manual and as a sign of wealth and luxury you get the automatic for no other reason than that..

[KwlAznKid]

yes sometimes, but in the end if i could only choose one i'd choose auto

but i may be weird since i like driving stick in traffic cuz i hate holding onto the brake. yea i'm weird

[marine24]

Originally Posted by messi

I thought I would have enjoyed it and it would have been better for the traffic but I miss driving a stick so much. Just doesn't feel the same way or feel like I am getting the most out of the car esp as my second car is a stick albeit not a powerful car but a small hot hatch. Driving around twisters just doesn't feel the same with the paddle shifters. So bad that I would consider selling my car. I mean dont get me wrong the tranny is great this is just personal preference. Anyone feel the same way.

I felt the same way, so when a friend said he was in the market for a 335 sedan I sold him mine and got a 6mt coupe. I love it; feels more real to me.

[Quasimodem]

Originally Posted by NoTempoLimitN54

Dude, you have a 335d, cool car, but it's only available in 6AT. So it's not like you had a choice. As far as your psychological analysis... It's not about busy work, it's about CONTROL.

It is about the FEELING that you are in CONTROL.

As you will note from all the posts here, people dont care about fuel economy, people dont care if it a little slower for the average driver, people dont care if they cant drink a cup of coffee and accelerate on tight turns.....

People here are CONTROL freaks. (nothing wrong with that)

And they have to do things which make them FEEL like they are in CONTROL.

Anytime you put more work into something, you will feel more accomplishment. Will you feel better if you watch a movie about somebody climbing Mt. Everest or you actually watching a movie about YOU climbing Mt. Everest?

The gear shift has transmorphed from a necessity to another device we use to make us feel like we are in control of what is going on. In addition, it allows those of us to express ourselves to others around who can hear our engines scream way beyond the ideal RPMs for gear change.