325ci Sport With SMG

i live with one and it takes a week to learn to drive it properly.
and now have had it for a year so any hour long test drive dont mean anything .
it doesent change down all the time. drive it like a manual but without the clutch , you dont get jerkey gear changes either if you keep your foot to the floor . i admit it is smoother if you very slightly raise your foot but like i said drive it like a manual .
the problem stems from people trying to drive it like a auto. in the auto mode it is a little jerky but not in manual.
matching gears with revs is ok too [ 14 months driving it i should know ]
like i said learn to drive it its ok but give everything a chance.
its absalutly awesome in fast mode , press the sport button to get faster changes and just keep the peddle buried to the floor , easy, changes faster than a manual.
this is my opinion as atm i am the only one with enough time with it to give a honest answer.
would i buy again ???? to be honest
yes because if you get into traffic put it in auto .
yes when traveling fast down great roads and easy overtaking .
no because i still love a manual car with a clutch .
so realy no i wouldnt buy again even though i have had no problems and like it .
ps. also owned a auto for 4 years and you cant enjoy fast blasts in a auto as they do change down at the wrong time , but great in traffic .

The SSG Gearbox you refer to is nowhere near as good as the SMG II fitted to 'M' cars, but it is still a good gearbox. It can change up and down quicker than a manual when you use it in manual mode. Obviously performance and economy are affected when you use the auto mode as it drives like any other auto.  

A lot of the complaints we seem to have stem from 2 areas:-

1) Clarkson (Git)   People just take what he says at face value without any real knowledge or experience themselves. I often ask people who say they don't like SMG II and they bleat its because of him, when asked if they have actually driven any manufacturers tiptronic/switchtronic box the answer is invariably an uninformed 'no'.

2) Peoples fear and inability to use the box - the jerkiness caused is down to the driver going into 'arcade mode' and keeping his foot to the floor when changing gear in manual mode.

The main considerations you ought to consider are residual value (SSG Boxed cars are hit hard) and people physically not wanting to buy them. I really like the box, but I would plump for a manual - unless you find an absolute bargain SSG car FROM YOUR DEALER - don't spend your hard earned buying an SSG gearbox from a private vendor if the car is out of warranty. We haven't seen enough of these cars with high miles on them to testify to its reliability. 

Definately test drive the car for longer than 2.5 miles. You need to drive it in all conditions, especially in slow moving traffic and on a stretch of motorway.

Hope these comments help!

Alternatively, consider a 330ci auto. I wanted a manual originally and plumped for the auto as I thought it would be easier to sell on eventually. I must admit I love the lazy auto but also am amazed at the transformation in the car when I move it over to Sport . I used to play with the sequential + & - 'manual' option as well, but find the Sport auto just does what I want it to anyway. Once up and running, it seems seriously rapid.

Never tried and SMG so can't give opinion but have tried manual. Liked the sound. Reasonable fun on track, (not tried my auto on track yet), but I think the auto is a better car to live with everyday on our crowded roads.

Try it. You might like it.

Hi,

Im thinking of buying my first 325/330ci. Ive test driven two manual cars and one SMG /SSG model.

I was impressed with both options, and although I like the idea (novelty)of the SMG, it did seem to lag a bit during changes (but I suspect this is down to me not being used to the system, and I only got to test drive it about 2.5 miles???

I was just wondering what peoples general opinion is of SMG on these model's is, and whether it is a. worth the money, b. adversely affects performance or c. can be prone to problems after 'x' thousand miles?

Any responses from those who have experienced both variants would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

A

Edited by Praktisk