Quote:
Originally Posted by Wheelwright
Downshifting from 3rd to 2nd is difficult in BMW geaboxes because you can inadvertently get stuck on the reverse gate. Blame idiotic BMW/Mini reverse gear engineering which prioritizes comfort/laziness over shift precision and speed (Audi/VW do this right because in their setup reverse gear never gets in the way). I feel that OP doesn't have a skill or experience to shift smoothly to 2nd gear using this stupid BMW setup. I don't blame him. I myself would have bought Audi S3 without a second thought if it was offered with a manual transmission just because you can shift VAG gearboxes much faster.
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Wow, it's crazy for me to read this; my opinion and experience are the exact opposite of yours. I've never driven a manual Audi, but I have driven several late-model VW manuals, and for me, the reverse position and selection process in the M235i is *much* better than the VWs.
One of my favorite things about the M235i manual is how much force it takes to get the shifter to go left when shifting into reverse. It blows my mind that anyone could accidentally shift into reverse--it takes at least 10 times more force to get it over there than it does to move into any other gear. It takes so much intention to get it over there, I never have to worry about it.
On the other hand, VW gearboxes only require a modest downward force to get into reverse (which is located in the same place on the gear 'map' as BMWs), which, for me, was much, much easier to do accidentally. I did it many times. Anyway, that's my 2¢, obviously we've had pretty different experiences.
Also, as per OP, I've never had any problem doing a rapid shift from 3rd to 2nd--from what you've said, I'd say there is something wrong with your gearbox.