I did not have to use manual shift much at all in the mountains towing. I just used sport mode and it figured it out. Only had to use manual maybe 10% of the time.

Steady state driving with the 35i the usual temperature goal is 109c. Drops to like 94 for hills. If you are seeing temps just over 100 it's doing its job to keep temp lower and oil thicker to protect the engine under load.

Killer price on the gear suggestion knob. I see them used for over $300 USD on eBay.

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2011 E70 • N55 (me)
2012 E70 • N63 (wife)