Abrupt dowshift
 

Drove my second X5M today for a test drive and noticed a rather violent abrupt downshift when cruising at about 35 then stepping into the accelerator about half throttle. This was in auto mode without the M button depressed. Did not feel normal nor good. Car had 30 miles on it. Has others noticed this? Or was this unique to this vehicle.

Some things don't change...

If it feels like somebody hit you from behind.. No, that's not a feeling I've had in the X5M.. But have definitely felt that in BMW's before. For example, in my BMW 750i and in my X5 4.8is, I would say at least once a week a downshift would literally feel like someone just rammed us from behind. Scared the shit out of me more than a few times.

Hope it doesn't exist in the new models.

I experienced a rather premature down shift(not so abrupt to classify as a rear end)in sport mode as well. I have been using the car in manual mode as I feel the regular mode of auto prematurely upshifts and lugs the engine. I find myself driving in the 6th gear around town. So at least for now while I am trying to break the thing in, manual mode it is