[djcowlin]

Originally Posted by un1eash

Automated car wash that pulls the car through, but why anyone would be using one of them is the question you should be asking.

US thing?

[Londoner]

Originally Posted by demc1982

I have changed my driving style after reading some of the comments on here regarding not slow coasting and leaving it in drive.

What were the comments?

[Londoner]

Do appreciate your original point though. Although it's purportedly illegal to coast, is nice to have the option and as you say, lots of other manufacturers don't restrict their auto box.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

I'm amazed st all the quirks people have when driving. I just drive with the car in D and that's pretty much it for a journey, maybe with the occasional push left for a quicker entry to a roundabout. I certainly don't use N for anything when driving. If stationary for more than a minute or so I might put it into P if I can't see me moving for a while longer, but that's about it.

I too am not sure why N exists, but would rather BMW and ZF told me how to use it than speculation on here.

And in 30 years of driving I've never had to reverse with the door open.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Stainy

That'd be about right.....going backwards (slowly), so no real need for a seatbelt and no real way you can look out of the open door......which genius thought that one up.

The seat belt 'get around' seems to be part of the interlock, to ensure safety, like shutting the driver's door properly, (without a seatbelt), before you can get Drive or reverse. Accommodating those who can't be trusted to drive safely.

Who's liable if you smash into something, with your head out of the door? You can hear it, "BMW shouldn't have let me do it".

[Londoner]

Guess it is a bit of a quirk.

I'm constantly changing between D and S, plus switching the SS off/on.

To OP - as previously alluded to, the closest you're going to get to being able to coast in neutral is putting it into eco pro, which apparently does exactly the same when not applying throttle?

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Goneinsixtyseconds

I'm amazed st all the quirks people have when driving. I just drive with the car in D and that's pretty much it for a journey, maybe with the occasional push left for a quicker entry to a roundabout. I certainly don't use N for anything when driving. If stationary for more than a minute or so I might put it into P if I can't see me moving for a while longer, but that's about it.

I too am not sure why N exists, but would rather BMW and ZF told me how to use it than speculation on here.

And in 30 years of driving I've never had to reverse with the door open.

Agree we do see some strange driving quirks across the forums.

Neutral is not required for normal driving of an Auto. Has it's place, but not something most will need in normal day to day driving.

We have Neutral, and where it is in the shifter sequence, due to legislation from many moons ago. "P-R-N-D-L" became the accepted industry standard to simplify driving (and add safety) when using different Autos. We don't often see the L (Low) on most modern Autos, but the same layout continues today.

[doncarlyon]

Start engine
Press Sport
Put into D

Sometimes use the handbrake, not very often though. Its still in D until I want to Reverse or I switch the engine off.

Never used Neutral, although it will let me put it into neutral while driving along as long as my foot isn't on the accelerator. I can then put it back into D without touching the brakes or pressing the release button.

[rosstin]

Originally Posted by Stainy

That'd be about right.....going backwards (slowly), so no real need for a seatbelt and no real way you can look out of the open door......which genius thought that one up.

Let's not forget poor Brian Harvey

[Busted]

Originally Posted by rosstin

Let's not forget poor Brian Harvey

wow! How did you even remember this!!?? Big fan i take it!??

[Londoner]

Originally Posted by Busted

wow! How did you even remember this!!?? Big fan i take it!??

[Hooded]

Originally Posted by Goneinsixtyseconds

I'm amazed st all the quirks people have when driving. I just drive with the car in D and that's pretty much it for a journey, maybe with the occasional push left for a quicker entry to a roundabout. I certainly don't use N for anything when driving. If stationary for more than a minute or so I might put it into P if I can't see me moving for a while longer, but that's about it.

I too am not sure why N exists, but would rather BMW and ZF told me how to use it than speculation on here.

And in 30 years of driving I've never had to reverse with the door open.

Agree, .. I see no need to put the car in neutral during a car journey with an automatic

[1966-TR4]

I don't like sitting clamped on hot brakes so I use Park.

I also rarely use Stop/Start, but I discovered that you can put it into P while stopped on the stop/start, remove foot from brake, then once you reapply brake and shift into D, the car will start. Occasionally useful.

[Nobby Clark]

Originally Posted by Goneinsixtyseconds

I too am not sure why N exists, but would rather BMW and ZF told me how to use it than speculation on here..

As previously mentioned, some car washes pull the vehicle through.
Also, how would you move the car with no power? If it’s in gear or park, you’re stuck.

[rosstin]

Originally Posted by Busted

wow! How did you even remember this!!?? Big fan i take it!??

Look I'm just happy that next time I'm eating a baked potato while reversing with my door open, someone at BMW is looking out for me

[Watsey]

Originally Posted by rosstin

Let's not forget poor Brian Harvey

Apparently when he came round in hospital and asked whether he was going to be able to walk again, all the medical staff started started singing "all right, all right, everything's gonna be alright !"

I'll get my coat

[jdrally]

Originally Posted by Watsey

Apparently when he came round in hospital and asked whether he was going to be able to walk again, all the medical staff started started singing "all right, all right, everything's gonna be alright !"

I'll get my coat

Thought you would of said that the good news is that you can walk again, but the bad news is you can still sing.

[Wills2]

Originally Posted by Watsey

Apparently when he came round in hospital and asked whether he was going to be able to walk again, all the medical staff started started singing "all right, all right, everything's gonna be alright !"

I'll get my coat

I heard that when it was time to be discharged they asked him to stay another day....

[Hooded]

Originally Posted by Wills2

I heard that when it was time to be discharged they asked him to stay another day....

[imperfectluck]

I suppose I'm a bit different given the only times I let the car stay in Drive is in the thick of nyc traffic but outside of the I've been enjoying using manual mode exclusively.

I also roll the car into neutral when at stop lights since my F30 misses the auto halt function that my G05 X5 has to avoid the foot fatigue when at a stop for a decent amount of time.

I do understand my driving habits are probably apart of a much smaller crowd but it's second nature to me now not using N for coasting but more so to avoid sitting with the brakes applied occasionally (I don't do this when I know I'll have to shift back into gear soon as it's pointless then) and our zf8 tranny sings much better to me when I tell the gearbox to shift.

[JustChris]

Originally Posted by djcowlin

US thing?

Any car wash that puss the car along...which is loads in the UK.

No one else ever done an ASDA or Tesco wash

P, S or R! Will be a bit of a problem and engine isn't supposed to be running so engine off whilst in N.

Last few cars have been coated so it's been a long time, I'm genuinely surprised people haven't seen this. Maybe more car washes are jet spray jobs now.

[thescouselander]

Originally Posted by JustChris

Any car wash that puss the car along...which is loads in the UK.

No one else ever done an ASDA or Tesco wash

P, S or R! Will be a bit of a problem and engine isn't supposed to be running so engine off whilst in N.

Last few cars have been coated so it's been a long time, I'm genuinely surprised people haven't seen this. Maybe more car washes are jet spray jobs now.

I doubt there's many people on here that would subject their car to a mechanical carwash.