///// Steptronic Trans. Questions \\\\\\\\

samoe93 · 10-19-2007, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mantis

well if u live in NYC all u need is 1st gear anyway

LA is pretty bad too. where in LA are you?

That's no lie... I'm on the west side, Westwood area. Lucky that work is only a mile or two from home. It'd be tough to justify the car except I'm always visiting friends up on Sacramento and SF, and PCH is just fun as hell to drive between Cambria and Carmel, so it's basically a road trip and weekend car. Going to Vegas will be the new car's first big destination.

BMWE90 · 10-19-2007, 08:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by achien

Let us know how long it takes the next time you shift from 3rd gear to 6th gear...

not sure if this was a sarcastic post but it's still pretty damn quick. Besides, I really cant imagine the circumstance in which you'd need to go from 3rd directly to 6th.

penny31 · 10-19-2007, 10:38 PM

definietly go with stick if ur a driver. i got paddles n auto.. whenever ur a stick driver and u go to paddles and step.. it just isnt the same. its a good auto but id def. go for the manual especailly if uve had a manual b4. who cares wat shifts faster.. its all bout the joy of driving.

Insider · 10-19-2007, 10:58 PM

The step is ten times better than the manual in my '02 M3, and more fun IMO. It's great shifting through the gears in the step while in manual mode. In the M3, it was just jerky and not as fun.

ChrisMT79 · 10-19-2007, 11:38 PM

Well my last post on this topic is to say. My fiance is from Taiwan/Vancouver. When I'm there I get to drive to Whistler in her dads M6 paddles and her brothers 335i manual. So much fun in the mountains I yern to drive one again when I get home. Then I have my manual 330ci which is modded, but do I get to enjoy the pleasure of a manual in the midwest? NO. No hills, no moutains, no chance. Other than traffic, just makes the car a pita. Other than the occasional track or meet, I've had the 330ci for 3 years now and hardly used the potential of a manual. Now getting the step and driving it, I feel it will be much more practical and if someone else has to drive it I wont have to worry about someone not knowing how to drive a stick or giving them a chance and risking them blowing my engine. With that said, thats my reason for switching my option from a manual to the steptronic with paddles. Take it for what its worth guys/gals, but thats why I chose the steptronic w/paddles. And after spending 53k loaded I'm not looking back.

ShinySteelRobot · 10-20-2007, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BMWE90

Besides, I really cant imagine the circumstance in which you'd need to go from 3rd directly to 6th.

I do that all the time, it's called "skip shifting", and it's one of the handy things you can do with a MT.

For example...
Often I get up to freeway speed on the highway onramp from 1st-3rd (shifting at redline 1->2 and 2->3). Redline in 3rd will have you well into freeway speed range. Then, shift into 5th or 6th so the engine can rest, and just cruise down the road at 2k rpm. It's a handy technique to blow past slower traffic in 2-lane onramps.

BTW (pet peeve here) I really hate people that merge onto the freeway lanes at like 30-40 mph. I know a lot of cars on the road are mediocre at best, but I mean, c'mon.

samoe93 · 10-20-2007, 01:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinySteelRobot

BTW (pet peeve here) I really hate people that merge onto the freeway lanes at like 30-40 mph. I know a lot of cars on the road are mediocre at best, but I mean, c'mon.

+1

Taittinger · 10-20-2007, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinySteelRobot

I do that all the time, it's called "skip shifting", and it's one of the handy things you can do with a MT.

For example...
Often I get up to freeway speed on the highway onramp from 1st-3rd (shifting at redline 1->2 and 2->3). Redline in 3rd will have you well into freeway speed range. Then, shift into 5th or 6th so the engine can rest, and just cruise down the road at 2k rpm. It's a handy technique to blow past slower traffic in 2-lane onramps.

BTW (pet peeve here) I really hate people that merge onto the freeway lanes at like 30-40 mph. I know a lot of cars on the road are mediocre at best, but I mean, c'mon.

Yes, this was mentioned. I do this but cannot go directly from 3 to 6; I just make the progression quickly through the gears, or just flip it to D. I wonder if that makes the jump right to 6 or if it goes through a progression.

Taittinger · 10-20-2007, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinySteelRobot

BTW (pet peeve here) I really hate people that merge onto the freeway lanes at like 30-40 mph. I know a lot of cars on the road are mediocre at best, but I mean, c'mon.

Or the ones that actually come to a complete stop at the merge.

Robert · 10-21-2007, 04:12 AM

How well does the auto hold the gear when you are in paddle mode? Would it upshift when you redline or downshift when you are too slow?

Also, open to anyone, when you track the car do you get disorientated with the paddle positions with a 180 wheel flip.

Taittinger · 10-21-2007, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobbo

How well does the auto hold the gear when you are in paddle mode? Would it upshift when you redline or downshift when you are too slow?

Also, open to anyone, when you track the car do you get disorientated with the paddle positions with a 180 wheel flip.

Do not know about redline but it does downshift when engine speeds drop near idle. The paddle functions remain the same with the wheel inverted.

achien · 10-21-2007, 09:42 AM

Seriously, it would go: click (~0.3 sec. upshift to 4th), click (~ 2 sec. upshift to 5th), click (~2 sec. upshift to 6th).

Steptronic only does well on single upshift. When you need to go 2 - 3 up-shifts in 1 - 2 sec., or down-shift and up-shift again within 2 -3 sec, it take much longer than MT.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taittinger

Not sure when that circumstance occurs but the amount of time it takes to flick the paddle three times I imagine.

BMWE90 · 10-21-2007, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinySteelRobot

I do that all the time, it's called "skip shifting", and it's one of the handy things you can do with a MT.

For example...
Often I get up to freeway speed on the highway onramp from 1st-3rd (shifting at redline 1->2 and 2->3). Redline in 3rd will have you well into freeway speed range. Then, shift into 5th or 6th so the engine can rest, and just cruise down the road at 2k rpm. It's a handy technique to blow past slower traffic in 2-lane onramps.

BTW (pet peeve here) I really hate people that merge onto the freeway lanes at like 30-40 mph. I know a lot of cars on the road are mediocre at best, but I mean, c'mon.

Yeah I guess when you put it that way. I usually dont redline the engine for daily drives though. Heck I dont even redline the car when I go canyon carving.

10-19-2007, 10:38 PM	#47
penny31 Lieutenant 66 Rep 571 Posts Drives: 2016 m4 - Austin Yellow Join Date: May 2007 Location: Los Angeles, CA iTrader: (0)	definietly go with stick if ur a driver. i got paddles n auto.. whenever ur a stick driver and u go to paddles and step.. it just isnt the same. its a good auto but id def. go for the manual especailly if uve had a manual b4. who cares wat shifts faster.. its all bout the joy of driving.
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10-19-2007, 10:58 PM	#48
Insider Captain 15 Rep 710 Posts Drives: 2007 335i Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: 4,500 feet above sea level iTrader: (0)	The step is ten times better than the manual in my '02 M3, and more fun IMO. It's great shifting through the gears in the step while in manual mode. In the M3, it was just jerky and not as fun. __________________ http://www.insiderpicks.com - The world's best stock picks.
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10-19-2007, 11:38 PM	#49
ChrisMT79 Lieutenant Colonel 380 Rep 1,517 Posts Drives: 2015 F80 M3- Alpine White Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Everywhere iTrader: (6)	Well my last post on this topic is to say. My fiance is from Taiwan/Vancouver. When I'm there I get to drive to Whistler in her dads M6 paddles and her brothers 335i manual. So much fun in the mountains I yern to drive one again when I get home. Then I have my manual 330ci which is modded, but do I get to enjoy the pleasure of a manual in the midwest? NO. No hills, no moutains, no chance. Other than traffic, just makes the car a pita. Other than the occasional track or meet, I've had the 330ci for 3 years now and hardly used the potential of a manual. Now getting the step and driving it, I feel it will be much more practical and if someone else has to drive it I wont have to worry about someone not knowing how to drive a stick or giving them a chance and risking them blowing my engine. With that said, thats my reason for switching my option from a manual to the steptronic with paddles. Take it for what its worth guys/gals, but thats why I chose the steptronic w/paddles. And after spending 53k loaded I'm not looking back. Last edited by ChrisMT79; 10-20-2007 at 02:00 AM..
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10-21-2007, 04:12 AM	#54
Robert Major General 480 Rep 6,967 Posts Drives: 135i -> is350 -> Tesla M3 perf Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Socal iTrader: (1)	How well does the auto hold the gear when you are in paddle mode? Would it upshift when you redline or downshift when you are too slow? Also, open to anyone, when you track the car do you get disorientated with the paddle positions with a 180 wheel flip.
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