09-01-2017, 01:49 PM | #1 |
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Do you regret getting the 6MT
I did some forum searching could not seem to find a thread focused on this specific topic. I apologize if I missed it. Perhaps it may help others when wavering on a 6MT or going with the more readily available and common 8AT.
I've owned my M235 6MT for 19 months now. I have test driven a 8AT M235 and it was stellar, but I stuck to my guns and ordered the 6MT. Here are my opinions, good and bad. I'm in the process (fingers are crossed) of acquiring an M2 and that too will be a 6MT. Short answer: All things considered below, I do not regret my decision. 1) The 6MT feels quite connected, especially after adding the MP shift knob which solidifies shift feel and reduces the throw a bit. Plus it looks great. The shifter makes a pleasant "snick" when rowing the gears. It's 80% of the feel of a Honda S2000 which I think has one of the best feeling shifters around. 2) The 6MT really comes into it's own when driven in anger. It becomes quite smooth while also feeling very robust. 3) Heal toe and rev matching downshifts during hard driving is really easy. 4) The clutch pedal throw is overly long which is annoying. I have made my own thin clutch stop and have also tried varying thicknesses of stops, but it still doesn't remedy how high the clutch pedal stops at the end of it's travel. It stops about 1" above the brake pedal. It really should be even with all the pedals. The Ultimate Clutch Pedal can remedy this. 5) The clutch take-up point is short and feels like it moves a bit. The clutch catches in the middle of the pedal travel. I find that annoying. It means you need to be quite in tune when starting out in 1st and the 1-2 shift or else you'll come off looking like a rookie with jerkiness. Sometimes even with your best efforts, you'll end up looking like a rookie. I blame BMW's self adjusting clutch and heavy dual mass flywheel. 6) You can sometimes feel the DME slightly upping the throttle/rpms to try and assist you when leaving in 1st. It's like it thinks you're going to stall so it changes the throttle linearity. I find it annoying as it can sometimes make for a jerky start. I've been driving manuals since 1989. I don't need help. 7) The 6MT is terribly easy to modulate the clutch and throttle on a 1st gear, dead stop hard launch. 8) The gearing is a bit too long. 2nd winds out to the lower 70s and 3rd into the 105mph range. Gearing needs to be about 5% to 10% shorter and it would make the 6MT feel more lively and the car would probably be a bit quicker in the 1/4 mile. 9) Skip shifting and slow/lazy shifting are nice options to have considering the low rpm torque available. With an auto, you don't have this option. Shifts are always fast and you still have to go through all the gears. 10) You can hear the dual mass flywheel chattering a bit in 1st when you're in an enclosed area like a parking garage. 11) You feel more driveline slack because your shifts are slower than an auto. 12) It's damn hard to spin the tires on a 1-2 shift on most surfaces in warmer temps. When the tires don't spin, the shift can be rather abrupt on the 1-2. 13) A hard, full throttle 2-3 shift is damn easy to rip. 14) There's more turbo lag with the 6MT. 15) In the Sport+ and DSC Off, BMW has somehow managed to make it so most of the boost is held on high rpm, hard shifts. I'm not sure how they've accomplished this, but it's impressive. It can make for eerily smooth shifts on the 2-3 and 3-4. 16) There have been 6MTs replaced with syncro issues. It seems to be the most common issue that effects the gearbox. The 1-2 syncro seems to be the most common failure. Otherwise, the gearbox is quite stout. In the M235, it's the same gearbox as the M2/3/4 minus some beefed up syncros. It's my understanding the M240 6MT uses the M2/3/4 gearbox. 17) There's lots more exhaust burble on coasting since the car is in gear more often. 18) You can leave the car in 1st while crawling in traffic and the car won't stall unless you're going up a steep grade or slam the brakes. 19) The "Oh damn! It's a 6MT!" reactions. Last edited by XutvJet; 09-01-2017 at 04:26 PM.. |
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09-01-2017, 01:56 PM | #2 |
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Nor I, not for a moment!
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09-01-2017, 02:22 PM | #3 |
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Drives: 2014 320i 6MT M sport
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No regrets.
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09-01-2017, 02:43 PM | #4 |
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Yawn.
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09-01-2017, 03:06 PM | #5 |
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But yet, you're here and taking the time/energy to respond, as an automatic owner....
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09-01-2017, 03:13 PM | #6 |
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I hope he isn't driving with one hand and typing with the other :-)
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09-01-2017, 03:27 PM | #7 | |
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Great summary, your write-up makes me even more confident that I made the right decision when I spec'd the 6MT for my 2018 M240i....only 4-5 more weeks until it arrives |
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09-01-2017, 03:41 PM | #8 |
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09-01-2017, 03:54 PM | #9 |
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Going from forward to reverse in the 6-spd manual is easier.
If you spin and find yourself going backwards or reverse 180's the clutch is easier to disconnect the driveline. Women can can drive manual w/4"heels and your worried about what? Last edited by overcoil; 12-16-2017 at 10:51 AM.. |
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09-01-2017, 04:03 PM | #10 | |
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[in jest, in jest]
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09-01-2017, 04:23 PM | #11 | |
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The 3/4 series N55/B58 cars come with 3.23s. SO, if the differential pumpkin cases are the same between M235/M240 and 3/4 series, that would mean you could buy the M Performance LSD for the 3/4 series and swap it into your M235/240 and gain some gearing plus the LSD for ~$2,000. I've been researching this and still haven't found the answer. My guess is they're the same differentials, but I want a solid answer before proceeding. The other option is to go with a differential vendor and they'll install a 3.23 or 3.46 with your choice of an LSD, but it's pricier (~$3,000). There are a couple M235 6MT running 3.46 gears and they claim it's the single biggest improvement in driving feel and acceleration and track use. I worry a 3.46 might be a little too deep for an M235 on OEM height tires for a daily driven M235. |
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09-01-2017, 04:46 PM | #12 | |
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Maybe better to have 2 cars - one for DD and one for racing.
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09-01-2017, 05:44 PM | #14 |
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I regret not getting the 6MT. The ZF8 is a phenomenal transmission, but I've been a stick guy my whole life. Even in DC rush hour traffic, I've never minded having a manual shift. Now I'm bored while driving to a certain extent. I wanted the xdrive for my daily driver, so compromises were made. Wish it didn't have to be one or the other with BMW.
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09-01-2017, 06:11 PM | #15 |
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No regrets. Let me add a few more positives:
1) You get a lot fewer of your friends asking if they can drive it. Only about half of my friends drive stick. Only half of those can do so with confidence. 2) Built-in theft deterrent. 3) Letting your kids shift from the passenger seat (on non-crowded roads). You control the clutch, gas, and steering - they get their first feel of a manual transmission. The only time it sucks is when my wife's car needs repairs. She doesn't drive manual, so if the repairs are going to take some time, I have to rent a car for her to drive. This is a very small price to pay. DBinOC |
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09-01-2017, 06:14 PM | #16 |
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09-01-2017, 06:17 PM | #17 |
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I test-drove an M2 with the MT and was disappointed. I found the throw too long but most importantly the auto-blip is intrusive and unnecessary for those of us who can manage high-RPM downshifts manually and you cannot disable it without switching off every traction-control system on the car, i.e. basically putting it in track mode. I found this unacceptable and will likely go for the DCT in the M2 because of it.
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09-01-2017, 06:20 PM | #19 |
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I think you hit on the difference. For some, the value is in the driving experience inside the car. Others are concerned with who else might be faster...and there's always someone faster, and I sincerely do not care, as long as I am having the most enjoyment actually driving the car that I can have.
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09-01-2017, 07:34 PM | #21 | |
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There are only a couple of autos I would even consider, this 8 speed is just hard to beat, and I absolutely love the 6 speed in the 2 series. |
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09-01-2017, 07:40 PM | #22 |
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I loved the write up.. A good, in depth realization of what I was on the fence about for months when making up my mind between 6MT/8AT.. I really wanted the manual..
Sportstick said it best above, "there's always someone faster, and I sincerely do not care, as long as I am having the most enjoyment actually driving the car that I can have." If my back wasn't so messed up, I would have done it in a heartbeat.. That being said, the bulletproof ZF8 is the best possible alternative to a preferred manual setup.. (Actually, the ONLY other alternative..) But it was interesting to see what I wanted to experience for myself. |
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