Drove an '04 645 SMG
 

One of the sales managers at my local BMW dealer is a friend of mine and he knows that I'm looking to get a new vehicle. He called me last week to tell me about a jet black/beige '04 645 - SMG with 29K on the clock. I never drove an SMG so I thought I'd give it a try.

Well, I drove the car for maybe 20 miles or so - mix of highway and around town. Overall I really liked the car - looked super and was pretty loaded, although I didn't like the fact that the sunroof only tilted and didn't open.

The SMG transmission was really interesting. I was expecting something similar to a steptronic and really never did understand the difference (not sure if I really understand the difference now, either). I'm not sure if something was wrong with the car or if it was my lack of experience, but it was quite a challenge to smoothly drive the car in manual mode. It really felt like a true manual without a clutch - it would even roll back a bit on inclines when starting off, just like a real manual. I felt like I had to get on and off the gas at just the right time to make it smooth and this was something that was clearly going to take me a bit of time to master. Also, the drive-line felt a bit clunky - like it needed u-joints. It wasn't terrible, but it was noticeable. My dealer friend told me that while this car may have been a bit more loose than a new SMG, this is how they are and it's normal. I didn't think I could deal with that daily - not in a BMW. If it was a manual 6-speed, that car may be in my garage right now as I thought the price he gave me was great...

All in all it was a cool ride and the tranny was certainly interesting, but it just felt too unrefined to me and I didn't want something that I'd have to concentrate so much on to drive it smoothly.

Those of you w/SMG experience, was this car a clunker or is this really how they are?

http://xoutpost.com/gallery/files/4/9/DSCF1322.JPG

Yeah, 6spd is a must for me.

The car I drove looked exactly like yours, Wag (at least from the outside), same wheels too - I thought of you the second I saw it. I forget though - is yours jet black or black sapphire? In any case, I'm sure you're lovin' it with that 6-spd. If it was a manual, we'd-a-been twins!

BTW - do you feel any clunkiness in yours with the manual?

No clunkiness. Mine is Black Sapphire with black interior (Premium/Sports/Cold pkgs).

My 545 had a 'clunky' feel to the transmission but the 645 doesn't, though I do believe the share the same trans :dunno:

Personally, I'd be wary of getting a used car with SMG. Too many potential parts to go wrong.

Back in 2004, before BMW invented all the brake functions like Start off Assistant, Comfort Stop, etc... you had to manually engage the Start Off Assistant on SMG. I'm not sure what it is on the non-M cars, but in the M3 you held the - paddle for a few seconds, and then accelerated. The brakes would hold the vehicle for 2s before letting off to prevent rolling back.

Manual...so much easier :)

I disagree. The SMG is a manual without the clutch.

I too thought I would never want a sports car without a manual until I drove the M3 with SMG.

I knew instantly I wanted it.It does take some time to learn the proper technique but after a few hours you become comfortable and can shift it as smooth as an automatic.

I also like the fact that you can put it in Drive and its almost like an automatic.

Sorry man, we disagree on that. I've been in the E46 M with a manual and smg, far preferred the feel of the manual. If I ever decided to get a 'performance German ride' with a non-manual, it would be an Audi...the crew that defined clutchless manual.

SMG is made for performance, it shifts faster than manual and in 1/4 its faster to have a smg eventho that might not be your purpose, but thats why SMG is a option. Also, SMG and Steptronic or totally different, the SMG shifts way faster, even when compared to the new 335i which is a updated steptronice. I would take the SMG but for a daily driver i also would be lost in the choice.

Hey X5JAY, how does the 645 dive in Auto?

I think the 6series has SMG I not II, thats in the e46 m3, so it should have a similar shift time to the new steptronics

It drove pretty well in auto mode and it was definitely less clunky, but the clunk was still there. If that was normal, it would frustrate me for the life of the ownership. That said, after driving for a few minutes and figuring it out, I was able to drive it a lot more smoothly, but I had to think about what I was doing the whole time. I'm sure it would be more instinctive after a while. Although I probably didn't give it enough time to make a real sound judgment, at this point I have to agree w/Wag - I much prefer a real manual with a manual clutch.

Jay, you're right that there is a learning curve with shifting smoothly with SMG. It is after all a manual transmission at heart. I'm sure you'd only get better at it.

I'm with Ryan though: imo, it would be much more enjoyable with a clutch pedal and manual shifter. :thumbup:

nothing like 2-3 consecutive, well executed heel and toes at the track.. I got rid of the ferrari F1 in my Challenge Stradale which shifts a lot better than the SMGII or SMGIII and went straight to a manual in my F430... absolutely no regrets..

As Adam once told me.. heel-toe'ng, it's good for the soul. :)

Case & point...

I agree I would go 6 speed all the way, but what's the dilio with the sunroof only tilting and not sliding is this normal on a 6?

Where would you like it to go, 3/4 of the roof is glass :)

If it were to retract it would have to hang off the car.

Wait till DCT shows up in non-//M cars.

Good point...:thumbup:

Oh that should be real cheap to fix when it breaks :rofl:

$.02, something like the Scion TC's pano roof would make me happier, I like having an open roof...
The 6MT is the way to go, I've driven both SMG and DSG, that is the place VAG has beaten BMW. I haven't tried the Sport Auto or the new Dual Clutch GBox yet though...

Ironically, you can't get any performance Audis with DSG. The S6 and S8 are both only available with automatics, the RS4 is only available with a manual, the S5 is only manual, the S4 is both, and nobody knows for sure about the RS6 yet. I'm crossing my fingers for more DSG, though.

the problem with SMG - i have it on my E46 M3 - is that it requires CONSCIOUS thinking to execute smooth up- AND down-shifts. conversely, a traditional 6spd manual can be executed totally subconsciously. accordingly, SMG is very fatiguing in a sort of psycholgical way- you have to always TRY to be smooth; meanwhile, a traditional manual certainly requires more work insofar as physical interaction with the car, but "psychologically" it's not fatiguing at all.

Just my 2c after logging nearly 30K miles on my M in nearly a year.

Good description - thanks!

heh sure thing :)