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Ok, I have M3 with SMG II & it does take a while to get used to, but I have never driven the M3 in 6 speed manual form so I can't give you a comparo. Now, I love driving manual tranny & my first car was a BMW was a 5-speed manual. However, after driving the M3 SMG for almost 3 years, I love it! There is nothing like it rev-matching when downshifting! Upshifts can be smooth once you master it. It is like mastering driving a manual for the first time. Now, I have a '04 M3 with the latest SMG design & software & it is much smoother & reliable than when it first came out in '02. In fact, in SoCal traffic, the SMG is great as well as sporty hi-speed driving. However, a short test-drive may not give you enough time for proper evaluation. IMHO, I am glad I got the SMG.

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