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2Addicts | BMW 2-Series forum BMW 2 Series (F22) Forum BMW 2 Series Coupe and Cabriolet (F22/F23) General Forum What's the deal with the 6MT in the 228i?

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      05-22-2014, 10:10 PM   #1
danimal
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What's the deal with the 6MT in the 228i?

I drove a manual 228i M Sport this morning, and I was surprised by the transmission. The throws were on the long side and almost disconcertingly light, and the clutch travel seemed longer that what I'm used to. I also noticed an annoying tendency for the engine to hold onto revs between shifts. It honestly felt more like a VW than a BMW.

From the descriptions I've read on this forum about the 235i's 6MT, I'm wondering if the 228i's is actually less sporty. I had a manual 128i M Sport as a loaner a couple years ago, and I remember being really impressed with the feel of that gearbox--the throws felt just right. I thought the 228's would feel similar, but somehow it didn't.

I should mention that I'm coming from an E90 328i with an M short shift kit, and my particular transmission has always required a purposeful shove to shift, particularly into the lower gears, so maybe I just needed more time to get used to it.

My other impressions of the car were generally positive. Compared with my normally aspirated 3.0-liter, the torque of this turbo engine is awesome. No complaints at all about the ride, handling, and braking. We didn't go on a good enough driving road to really judge the steering feel, but the heft was actually pretty decent in Sport mode. The seats, driving position, and interior quality seemed at least as good as on my car, which is good enough for me. Despite being pretty technical, I didn't really get too into fiddling with all the infotainment features, but I have the impression BMW's are better than average. I do wish this car could be had as a 4-door or 5-door in the U.S., but I can't deny that this is one very pretty coupe.

Back to the transmission, I have a couple questions:
  1. If you've experienced the manual in both the 228i and 235i, can you comment on whether you noticed a difference in feel? Was the 235i's sportier?
  2. Same question for the 228i vs. the 128i.
  3. For owners of a 228i with the manual, what do you think of it? Do you like the feel? Could you see yourself getting a short shift kit?

Thanks.
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Last edited by danimal; 05-23-2014 at 02:40 AM..
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      05-23-2014, 05:41 AM   #2
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I've been driving manuals for 40+ years. The manual in my 228 is by far the BEST manual trans I've ever owned. Had the car for four weeks now and find none of the issues you describe.
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      05-23-2014, 05:51 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tccox
I've been driving manuals for 40+ years. The manual in my 228 is by far the BEST manual trans I've ever owned. Had the car for four weeks now and find none of the issues you describe.
same here.
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      05-23-2014, 09:42 AM   #4
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I love the 6MT in my 228i. I find it's very crisp and there is NO play while in gear (I mean no slop or free play, you can feel the rubber bushings flexing if you try to wiggle). Of all the cars I've owned or driven, I'm least likely to want a short shift kit with this car than any other. I wouldn't complain about shorter throws but I'm far from feeling like I need them.

I can agree that some of the shifts lack a little bit of positive feedback, but I wouldn't classify them as too light by any means.
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      05-23-2014, 10:28 AM   #5
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The M235i transmission is not the same as the 228 and it should feel "sportier".
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      05-23-2014, 11:29 AM   #6
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One thing though, this trans gets better the more miles you put on car
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      05-23-2014, 11:50 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chris719 View Post
The M235i transmission is not the same as the 228 and it should feel "sportier".
Where are you getting this information from? Your own experience, or another thread on here that ended inconclusively but referenced different part numbers (which is not proof, since the transmissions connect to different engines).

I have always driven a manual as well, and I've found the 6mt in my 228i to be quite good. I has the opposite experience from you with regards to the revs, as I often find myself not shifting quick enough to rev match in my normal lazy driving, and I don't think I shift abnormally slow.

Last edited by Mirage_3; 05-23-2014 at 11:57 AM..
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      05-23-2014, 11:59 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mirage_3 View Post
Where are you getting this information from? Your own experience, or another thread on here that ended inconclusively but referenced different part numbers (which is not proof, since the transmissions connect to different engines).

I have always driven a manual as well, and I've found the 6mt in my 228i to be quite good. I has the opposite experience from you with regards to the revs, as I often find myself not shifting quick enough to rev match in my normal lazy driving, and I don't think I shift abnormally slow.
Check here: http://www.realoem.com/bmw/index.do
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      05-23-2014, 02:42 PM   #9
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Thanks for the feedback so far. As I said, I may just need some more seat time in the car (and time away from my car) before I can fairly judge the shifter. It's encouraging to hear from happy manual 228i owners, but I'm still hoping to hear from someone who can compare the feel of the 228i to the 235i and 128i.
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      05-23-2014, 03:34 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by m235i View Post
As I said, different part numbers on realoem doesn't prove they perform any differently. Of course they are slightly different - they are attached to different engines. Doesn't mean one is sportier or different in any meaningful way.
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      05-23-2014, 04:12 PM   #11
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There is ample evidence that the 228i uses a Getrag - GS6-17BG where the G represents Getrag.

The M235i used the ZF box, GS6-45BZ with the Z denoting ZF.

This is the same for E90 and F30 x28 and x35 cars, regardless of four or six cylinder x28i models. There is more denotion on RealOEM for bell housing differences, but that does not require a wholly different transmission.

Tldr, they are different transmissions.
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      05-23-2014, 04:19 PM   #12
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The OP mentioned it feeling different from an E82 128i though, which had the same transmission. So it likely comes down to the clutch being broken in and possible changes in shift linkage. The feeling of revs being held onto longer is likely a heavier flywheel or a simply the nature of a turbocharged N20 vs the n/a N52.
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