Quote:
Originally Posted by kolomee
Had a loaded F30 320i xdrive as a loaner for the day while my E90 was in the shop for the power cable recall recently. The 320i was surprisingly peppy given its modest numbers; much more responsive than the E91 328i that I had the last time.
Back to the 8spd auto. Gave it a decent go and tried out the various modes during my day with it. Was it better than the other autos (including the bimmer ones) that I have tried? Definitely. Did it convince me that I can give up my MT for it? Not even close. Shifts were good, and the autobox kept the revs in the right range most of the time; but when it came time to play and switched to manual mode; there was still that brief disconnect between hitting the gear and it actually doing anything. Very minor, but enough to annoy the heck out of me. I found myself leaving the box is auto mode most of the time, which eventually bored me to tears. I missed my clutch pedal terribly.
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I too had my E90 in for the battery cable and received a 320i automatic loaner. I found the imprecision of the transmission to be unbearable. My BMW experience began with a 1972 BMW 2002 and continued on with one of every new 3 series generation up to my current E90. Alas, it seems that after 50 continuous years of ownership, the E90 could be my last BMW. Although I am not fond of Audis, it is looking like the only viable alternative. I want a small 4 door body and I don't want more power than a 328i produces. It appears, at least here in Canada, that the days of manual transmission availability in a 328i are numbered as are the days of rear wheel drive.
I notice that the "Ultimate Driving Machine" advertisements with the engine singing as the driver downshifts on a twisty road are gone, maybe because it isn't true anymore. The little BMW has become big, fat and bloated likely to better suit moms dropping kids off at school or shopping at the mall. Too bad.