[satz]

agree that "M" mode is great! But....shouldn't a so-called 'Driver's Car', still have an auto that kicks downs responsively?

[MJ80.]

I mean manual mode by the way, i dont personally drive outside of it at anytime ever.

Satz its hard to say without driving your car wether or not its just a typical automatic double kickdown, which is never fast anyway or if somthings wrong. But its an auto and not a high performance one, so i wouldn't expect miracles. A double kickdown is always going to be a long process outside of a dct that can actually jump the two gears.

When i first got my first 335 coming from an auto e46 i was super impressed with how it drove even stock (6at) but after a year or so you grow out of it pretty quick and manual mode is a given if your driving it with purpose. You likley are outgrowing it and starting to become unsatisfied with performance.

[BSG335]

^ yep.

I went E46 325 to E90 325 to E92 335.

When I had the E46 it was the most incredible auto transmission I'd ever experienced. When I got the E92 it was a whole new level.

Now I'm looking at xhp and deciding which stage would suit my driving and the fact that my wife and others may drive my car as well.

I really disliked the transmission in the E90 after coming from the E46, even after adaptation reset etc. Anyhow that's long gone.

I do a lot of phone calls and planning whilst driving so am mostly in auto, just for the smoothness and not having to think much about what the car is doing. When it's time for some engaged driving it's definitely M mode.

[xQx]

Originally Posted by BSG335

Now I'm looking at xhp and deciding which stage would suit my driving and the fact that my wife and others may drive my car as well.

If *anybody* on this thread thinks Stage 3 D mode is too harsh or aggressive for a 'grandma driver' - speak now.

IMHO there's really no reason for Stage 1 or Stage 2. Yes, Stage 3 "S" mode is aggressive, but your wife isn't going to be driving the car in S mode. D mode is sedate enough that unless you'd just got out of another E9x/E8x, you wouldn't know it wasn't stock.

[BSG335]

^ nice. Good to know.

[Drawn05]

So I take it that most people in here are forgoing stages 1-2 and just running stage 3? Any issues so far with it?

I'm on stage 2 (and only FBO) but maybe I should upgrade to 3. Just worried about removing the safeguards.

[Cameroncook1252]

It appears that every time I start the car after sitting for a while, the car chugs very hard and then dies. Could I have a bad flash and need to reflash it? Anyone else have this issue?

[DYOOS]

Originally Posted by Drawn05

So I take it that most people in here are forgoing stages 1-2 and just running stage 3? Any issues so far with it?

I'm on stage 2 (and only FBO) but maybe I should upgrade to 3. Just worried about removing the safeguards.

I'm in the same boat. I'm FBO, and looking to run xHP in the near future. I don't want the car to be aggressive as other non-car-enthusiasts people may drive it as well. I honestly take the car out for canyon runs and don't track at all.

Other than an aggressive S mode, what are the downsides, if any, of going with Stage 3?

[xQx]

Originally Posted by DYOOS

I'm in the same boat. I'm FBO, and looking to run xHP in the near future. I don't want the car to be aggressive as other non-car-enthusiasts people may drive it as well. I honestly take the car out for canyon runs and don't track at all.

Other than an aggressive S mode, what are the downsides, if any, of going with Stage 3?

Purchase price for the software/license. That's all.

Even if you weren't sport focused and were a regular family car I'd recommend flashing with Stage 3. In version 1.0 D mode was about equal with stock standard, and S mode about equal to the Alpina flash. Since then it's got better and better with every revision (of which there have been nearly 10, bringing them to 2.0).

With the latest flash "D" mode shifts are so smooth it almost feels like a CVT, and I'd say the shift-points are about the same as they were from the factory.

For an extra ~$72AUD you can now get the customization license that lets you change things like if it holds you in gear and bounces off the rev-limiter in M-mode, or upshifts at your choice of RPM. You can modify the shift speed and shift RPM's to find a balance of performance / harshness that suits you and your car. You can enable or disable the 'kickdown shift' button and change the behavior of the reporting of your gear on the dash.

The only negative is it's about twice the price of MHD (I think) and it's reasonable to question "is it worth that much money?" but if the question is "does Stage 3 xHP substantially improve the car without introducing any downsides", my answer is an unqualified "Yes."

As for longevity, I've been running it since it came out and have not had any issue. Mechanically, clutches wear as they engage and disengage slowly (as they slip), so increasing clutch pressure and decreasing shift times actually should _increase_ the longevity of components (decrease wear).

[assassinsbrotherhood]

I have also been running stage 3 and have the option to switch between maps, but do not need too. Stage 3 is comfortable enough for everyday driving and just kick her into sport or manual and its a whole new ball game. I have been totally happy with the purchase and fault free.