Just got home from a quick trip to a friends house. I took the X and decided to keep the transmission permanently in "sport", something I haven't done in years in an effort to be more fuel efficient. I took I-85 for a few exits and took advantage of the complex on and off-ramps to have some fun with my vehicle.
Wow!
I don't know if it's the adaptive transmission or if I just forgot from lack of use, but the transmission in S mode was almost perfect. It was like the car could read my mind and keep the tachometer exactly where I wanted it. Every time I would accelerate after letting off the gas, the transmission would always have the car in the right gear and instantly give me what my right foot was asking for. I don't know what it's called or if I'm describing it well, but it felt like I had all the torque available, all the time. The X handled like I have never felt it handle before in S mode.
I tend to keep it in D, but always downshift manually when decelerating for traffic or turns but also to keep the car from coasting. I wondered if the adaptive transmission really did anything since my X hasn't seemed to change the way it shifts in D mode. Maybe it took everything that it learned and applied it to S mode.
What ever it was, it was the best experience that i have ever had with an automatic transmission. My other cars are a Mini Cooper S and a Clubman S, so I never get into the X and feel like it's nimble. But that has changed. Tonight's ride home still has me smiling right now and its been a while. Tonight my X was so awesome and after seven year and 85K, it has me more impressed than ever.
Thank you BMW, for an automotive marvel.
Rui