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2010 2011 BMW 5 Series Forum F10 BMW 5-Series (F10) Forums General 5-Series Sedan and Wagon (F10 / F11) Forum 2014 Manual 535i... Is it even worth ordering
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      06-28-2013, 02:35 PM   #1
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2014 Manual 535i... Is it even worth ordering

Has BMW announced if it will have a 6 speed manual i or xi.

I know its been discontinued on the 550i. Are we just left with an i manual? I've gotten to the point these days of even questioning if a manual is a good fit for the 535i. Days of the lighter e60 have moved into a beautiful, 7 series based 535i. Maybe the Automatic is best?

Also, if you get sport auto, does it still have that abrupt slamming sound from the fast downshifts? I only heard it in the 650i sport auto convertible. Does it even make a sound on the 5?
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      06-28-2013, 09:10 PM   #2
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Are you talking about a sound that's good (i.e "by design") or you mean like an abrupt "not good" clunky sound from downshifting?
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      06-29-2013, 07:53 AM   #3
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I bought a 325i manual new in 2004 and drove it for nearly a decade. I also like to drive my wife's 2007 Boxster S which is a manual.

The 8 speed automatic is a gem. Mine is the sport version with paddles so I haven't tried the non-sport version. In comfort mode the shifts are imperceptible if you aren't looking at the tach. You can hear and feel the shifts in sport mode with your foot in the gas, but they aren't rough. Best of all, there is absolutely no sensation of torque converter slippage like there was in the automatics of a decade ago. We used to call them slushboxes, but I haven't heard that term in a while.

I used to think the ultimate transmission would be a really good dual clutch setup. Now with this 8 speed I think I have something as good or better than a DCT.
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      06-29-2013, 08:56 AM   #4
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A manual in a 4200 pounds luxo sedan, why even bother?
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      06-29-2013, 09:39 AM   #5
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Because it will be fun to drive. Why else?
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      06-29-2013, 09:56 AM   #6
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I'm a former 6 speed driver and wouldn't even consider this car with one. The 8 SAT is perfect in this car.
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      06-29-2013, 06:27 PM   #7
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^^ couldn't agree more. I prefer manuals but in the F10 the SAT is a better match. In a M3 or 335 then I'll take the manual for sure.

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      06-29-2013, 08:51 PM   #8
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Threads like this will spark up debate obviously. But I think it's all personal preference. If you like driving manuals, get it. If not, stick with the auto. I believe you can't go wrong with either of them. I drove the auto and it was great, but I just preferred the manual in the end.
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      06-30-2013, 01:10 AM   #9
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I leased an F10 535i with 6MT for three years. As far as MT's go, it's very smooth to drive. Absolutely smooth shifting action. The clutch pedal is definitely set up to be a smooth, easy clutch. It's not grabby and sporty like an M-car.

It's a wonderful MT to drive, but be aware that (IMHO) it has a laid-back attitude compared to more sporty cars.
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      06-30-2013, 07:48 AM   #10
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The *SAT* 8 Speed is really the most impressive auto I've ever experienced. I want to say I like it more than the PDK in the 991 911 I drove but would have to drive one again to verify.
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      06-30-2013, 08:05 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chuddism View Post
Because it will be fun to drive. Why else?
Its no fun sitting in traffic with a manual, its not like we are talking about a Mazda Miata here.
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      06-30-2013, 11:21 AM   #12
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8 speed auto fits the car perfectly - I wouldn't even bother about a manual.
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      06-30-2013, 11:21 AM   #13
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What's the difference between SAT and regular AT? Just the paddle shifters and software?
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      06-30-2013, 11:27 AM   #14
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+ a different shift lever and the with the LCI it should get launch control.
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      06-30-2013, 07:22 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wildcardz View Post
What's the difference between SAT and regular AT? Just the paddle shifters and software?
Paddles, software, much nicer shifter (almost worth the price alone) with a leather base), and someone said a different "valve" or something but not sure about that.
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-Recents: '13 BMW 535i M Sport: Black/Black. & Some MB's.
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      06-30-2013, 08:50 PM   #16
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I agree with MikeRR and previous posts of the same theme...I have a 2011 F10 AT and a friend test drove my car repeatedly while he searched for a similar build, but with MT. He went into the search with the MT being a go/no-go criterion based upon no experience with BMWs at all but his history of other smaller, lower-powered MT cars. I found his MT F10, we both test drove it, and he bought it. During the test drives, I thought that the MT was not a good match to the level of luxury the car presents, nor the power that the engine develops. After his six months with the car, he is disappointed that he passed up several really good deals on AT and SAT cars while holding out for MT, and he says he'd not buy MT if he had to make the choice again. Our spouses also agree, they both like AT more. They perceive the AT to be more luxurious, and they appreciate its rocket sled-like acceleration. Not that spouses have much to say about the choices that we make in the cars that we buy...
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      07-01-2013, 08:34 AM   #17
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I have a MT and JB4 on my 2011 535i I've driven both, IMO 6MT your more in-tune driving feeling then what I felt in the SAT. The downside yes traffic jams on I85
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      07-01-2013, 10:23 AM   #18
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I would definitely want to be in tune with cars like a Z4 or maybe a Porsche 911, but why would anyone want to be in tune with a big luxury sedan? There is a reason why rolls Royce don't make stick shifts and why some exotic sport cars now come in auto transmission.
The BMW ZF 8 speed transmission is a gem, I bet its pretty pricey too. Its beyond me why would anybody want to pay more for a manual transmission which cost less to make. Add in the 4 mpg penalty and the slower acceleration, its almost like paying for punishment.
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      07-01-2013, 03:40 PM   #19
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You like them or you don't. A MT is more fun to drive for many, me included. I've driven the SAT. Actually had one for a weekend to try out. The automatic simply isn't close to the same sensation or experience. It isn't bad, it is just different. You didn't care for a MT, so you didn't order one. And that's great. But to suggest that there is no reason to be "in tune" with a car like the F10 bespeaks ignorance. With or without your smiley faces included. If you enjoy driving a manual transmission, the version mated to either the 550 or the 535 is a joy to engage and control. IMO.
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      07-01-2013, 03:43 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by K-A View Post
Are you talking about a sound that's good (i.e "by design") or you mean like an abrupt "not good" clunky sound from downshifting?
Its a thunk, a mechanical sound. I have been told its the fast shifting of the transmission. AM I right?
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      07-01-2013, 04:58 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Boulder Bill View Post
You like them or you don't. A MT is more fun to drive for many, me included. I've driven the SAT. Actually had one for a weekend to try out. The automatic simply isn't close to the same sensation or experience. It isn't bad, it is just different. You didn't care for a MT, so you didn't order one. And that's great. But to suggest that there is no reason to be "in tune" with a car like the F10 bespeaks ignorance. With or without your smiley faces included. If you enjoy driving a manual transmission, the version mated to either the 550 or the 535 is a joy to engage and control. IMO.
You are obviously one of few dying dinosaurs out there that still prefer a stick in a luxury sedan. The ZF 8 speed is almost a perfect fit for this car, there is a reason why BMW will not be making anymore stick shift for the 2014 550i, dinosaurs like you are becoming extinct. It not just me that does not care for a manual tranny in a car like the F10, its 99% of the 550i buyers out there, that's why it is discontinued.
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      07-01-2013, 05:14 PM   #22
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What, no double smiley face to accent the passive-aggressive commentary?
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