[cGodin]

6MT here as well (she's on order right now and being built).

Reasons why manual vs. stick:

-I've always had stick in my cars w/the exception of my '04 TT 3.2 S-Line coupe which only came with Audi's DSG at the time (in my defense, it's technically a manual transmission with two clutches, I just didn't have a clutch pedal to operate it )

-Aside from select hyper cars, most sports cars meant for the road I want to control and enjoy the feeling and accomplishment of a perfectly timed shift and no matter how good they are, unless they have a hyper fast manual shift system a la DSG/S-Tronic, Ferrari's F1 tranny, Porsche's PDK, etc. then at some point or another every automatic or sport auto, although some are very good, have done something I didn't want at the exact moment I wanted it to and that annoys me...

-Also, I don't see the performance or fuel economy differential to be a deal breaker as I tend to drive very economically when I'm not having fun, I get 34mpg highway out of my '13 F30 335i with MPPK and about 25-28mpg around town. I think that's fantastic for a car with such power and expect to get the same from the M235i, if not more! As for the tenth or two tenths of a difference in 0-60mph time, let's face it...this will come down to adhesion, driver skill, etc. if you truly end up doing some stop-light run. Frankly, I only see those sorts of marginal differences making a difference on a track and I would still argue a skilled driver will make better gear decisions than the computer.

So, long winded answer, but my reasons for getting a stick and cannot wait!

[apg13]

Quick question for those of you with a 6-speed in the M235i: is the shift knob illuminated? The only BMW 6-speed I've ever driven is an E92 M3 and I enjoyed that feature.

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by apg13

Quick question for those of you with a 6-speed in the M235i: is the shift knob illuminated? The only BMW 6-speed I've ever driven is an E92 M3 and I enjoyed that feature.

Not illuminated, but the dash 'gear change' is a indirect source for which gear your in.

[Diver]

These manual vs auto threads pop up regularly. One would think that half the owners drive a manual. The real take rate is under 10%. I guess the manual transmission drivers have a lot on their mind.

[golf4501]

Originally Posted by notime

Not illuminated, but the dash 'gear change' is a indirect source for which gear your in.

Only in Econ or Comfort mode. You don't get the gear change in Sport mode.