not going into 6th would be a deal braker for me for stage 2. how much more torque does the raised torque limiter allow trough? and does the stage 2 wear the transmission that much faster?

been shifting it manually today and most shifts can easily occur under 1.5k rmp while under low acceleration. i think thats where it uses a lot of diesel.

Stage 3 is the one that doesn't g go into 6 as normal in D.

Stage 2 not sure if the shift points at low throttle is similar to stage 1. Stock is close to perfect with the latest trans update, but like you I found manually shifting at around 1500 gets better mpg.

Torque limits are what the trans and dde use to shift. Problem on Gasser's they were fooling the tcu by lying on torque, causing the trans to misjudge shifts. Having torque limits raised and a tune that doesn't lie about tq would not wear the trans faster, just stop it from dialing back a tune. I think stg 2.8 jr and up like the jr/bpc hybrid tunes are the ones that pass stock limits.

Loaded stage 2, here are my observations.

1) Seeing a lot of rpm flare on up-shifts.
2) The up-shifts are way to early. Unless you're really pushing it, it will up-shift early. Sixth now comes at around 41 mph. Previously it was 45 mph.
3) Shift firmness and speed is very inconsistent. Sometimes nice smooth shifts, other times sloppy shifts.
4) TC lock-up is slower than stock.

All that being said, I've only driven around 15 miles so I'll see if the learned adaptations cleans some of this up. If not, out it comes.

I think living in Fl with flat roads really magnifies some of these issues. I'll follow-up once I put some miles on it.

What rpm is the upshift at?

Flaring, have you done a fluid change? If not, it's highly recommended. The factory "lifetime" fluid is really only rated for 100k, less if stop and go severe service. It's a marketing scam that a lot of companies do today.

If so, double check the level. I had shift issues which I found out to be low fluid, despite following the procedure. ZF/bmw have this super special procedure that doesnt take into account sag/wear from mounts etc. Argh, like german perfection they probably level it on some nasa rig lol jk.

On my change I got 6 l out, but only 4 l went in to fill hole after all of the overkill trans fluid temp procedure.
I ended up on ramps and jacking it up to make the pass and rear side a bit higher, in order to fit 2 more.
My buddy who just did his 09 530xi, got 2 l more out than went in. He thinks the factory overfills a little so it lasts the lifetime. I found corresponding assurance in the ford forums that have a very similar trans to ours and they say overfilling a little is no problem at all.

Haven't really checked the rpm's at shifts but they're earlier than stock. Trans fluid was changed twice at 50k miles, currently at 64k. Transmission had no shift issues before the update.

All they need to do is firm-up and have quicker shifts. Driveabilty would be much improved.

Update: Emailed the tuner and they said they had an error; the stage 2 tune was actually the stage 1 tune on the website.

They said the site would be updated today and to "re-download the tune".

That being said, I'm still experiencing up-shift rpm flair after 200 miles of mostly city driving. I'll update again after downloading the correct tune.

Loaded stage 2 tune. Big difference, shifts like our '15 428, nice crisp shifts. This is how it should have shipped from the factory.
Had some shift flare after loading the program. I've driven about 50 miles and the adaptation has eliminated the flare.

FWIW, having tried both, I would recommend the stage 2 tune.

Hows the city driving mpg? I'm mainly concerned with stop and go traffic and stop signs in my area. Stock is a safe bet, but you got to try 1 and 2... is 2's quicker shifting smooth, if we consider trans lifetime/wear?

To soon to tell. With stage 1 over 250 miles my mileage dropped about 2 mpg. For me, the shifts were way to early and took the engine out of it's power band. Seemed like I had my foot in it all the time.

Stage 2 is smooth as butter. Quicker, crisp shifts with no harshness at all. Basically, the shifts are uneventful compared to stock. I hated the sloppy TQ lock-up and 2-3 shift, sloppy at best. Shift points seem to be stock which is ok for me.

FWIW, My weekly commutes are very repeatable and mostly city traffic in Central Florida, certainly not the Brooklyn (been there many times!). Always around 22 mpg calculated.

I recently purchased the superlicense figuring I will want to change between tunes. I'm planning to do the egr delete soon and want stage 3 for the dyno and stage 2 to run. Currently though, I have stage 1 installed and love that it eliminated the lagging behavior from stock - that alone was worth it for me. About 250 miles since installation - I drive this vehicle too inconsistently to provide an mpg review.

Note for others - follow the directions and definitely use a battery charger for backup and first installation.