6 speed auto

[Lukaszgsxr]

Guys would like to know how good is 6 speed auto in z4 . I will be going to see 30i manual in few days but started to thinking about auto as well . Would appreciate any feedback. I used to have 3 series but it was 2016 car with new 8 speed auto which was very good

[Dave 2 dogs]

I personally love the auto box in my 3.5i
It’s very smooth and quick changing.
I’m sure most on here would agree that the Auto is a good box .

[jenniferlouise]

Morning. I’ve got a 23i with the 6-speed auto. I’ve also had a 325i with the newer dual clutch 8 speed. They ain’t the same thing… the older ‘box does what it’s designed to do for us lazier cruisers. Personally I like it; the car rarely goes searching for a gear as it’s got less to choose from! Still drops down well and pulls nicely. I personally like the paddle shift; push for down, pull for up, same on both sides. Why didn’t this catch on?? It seems to work well with the also-aging straight six power unit. I’ve got 50k miles on my e89 and as far as I know the gearbox and clutch system have never had an issue.

If i had the money and I was in the market, I’d simply go for the newest I could afford, so prob a 35 with turbos and 8-speed, but I do love the analogue feel and sound of my 2010 Z4

I guess the best option, if you’ve time, is go look at both (or all three incl manual) options before parting with your cash.

Good luck!

[Zed Baron]

I've got a 23i auto also and I love it (same setup as the 30i), the only thing I didn't was the original paddle shifters (found them awkward to use)... so I changed them to the newer style, much better.

[jenniferlouise]

I've got a 23i auto also and I love it

One of only 740 out there (howmanyleft)

[Silverstar]

I came from a 2017 F20 with the 8 speed auto to my current E89 30i with the 6 speed auto. Yes the 8 speed is the better box BUT for me I did not feel like it was a downgrade to this 6 speed. It's a very good gearbox perfectly suited to the 3.0 inline 6 and performs well enough. I've applied the XHP Flashtune to mine and have to say now it's very close to the 8 speed box. IMHO BMW manuals leave a lot to be desired in most cases and the autos are better suited to their cars.

[Lukaszgsxr]

Thanks for all the replies, I was worried because it's older type of auto it's going to be slow to respond making this car lazy . I may need to think twice now what type to get .
Silverstar could you elaborate on your gearbox flash , what's actually this flash is doing , it's something you can do on your own ?

[2k35is]

I have the same 6 speed auto in my 2009 e91 325d(3 litre) estate . Its a great gearbox just gets on with the job and is geared at about 40mph/1000 revs which suits the engine torque.
When I had the z4 35i dct always thought it was short geared for a 7 speed box( about 30mph/1000 revs particularly with the enormous torque from the n54 engine
Anyone know what gearing is in 6th with 3.0 litre N52 Z4

[flybobbie]

I wish now i had an auto.
The manual box on my 23i is not very nice, 1-2 crunchy, spoils the ride. Sometimes like now cold weather i go 1-3 gear till box warms.
Was like it at 29k miles when bought and still the same at 101k miles. Crunchiness varies with temperature, time of year.
In fact my other vehicle a Berlingo has much better gearbox and steering. My long distance choice of transport.

Had bad experience with auto MR2 put me off autos. That's more the engine posn. and oily wet road and kicking down on roundabout exit!

[E63]

I don't have an E89, but I have the same gearbox in 2 of my cars. For normal driving they are fine. They don't have the feeling of older autos because the torque converter can lock up much earlier, giving a more direct drive with none of the slip that an older style slushbox would give you.

Software plays a big part too. In both my cars, D will give you slow and smooth gear changes. Flick the gear lever to the left, push the SPORT button and the characteristics totally change. Changes are faster, you get rev-matching, everything feels different.

xHP allows you to fine tune your gearbox. More information available here: https://rbttuning.atlassian.net/wiki/sp ... es/1114518

Whilst the ZF8 is a better gearbox, with a ZF6 and xHP you can bridge the gap.

The E89 had the ZF8 with the 18i, 20i and 28i. Granted, they are all 4 cylinder models compared to the 6 cylinder models you are looking at, but it does give you the chance to evaluate the differences.

Anyone know what gearing is in 6th with 3.0 litre N52 Z4

Around 28 or 29 MPH/1000 RPM for the auto.

[Lukaszgsxr]

Thank you all for the reply, I will take into consideration auto option as well . They are more common will be easier to find the right one for sure

[Silverstar]

Thanks for all the replies, I was worried because it's older type of auto it's going to be slow to respond making this car lazy . I may need to think twice now what type to get .
Silverstar could you elaborate on your gearbox flash , what's actually this flash is doing , it's something you can do on your own ?

It's basically software tuning for the gearbox ECU and gives you quicker shift times, rev matching and other improvements to make the car more responsive and fun to drive. One of the features I like is the ability to use sport mode on the motorways and it still gives you 6th gear above 140 kph but anytime you need to overtake etc you have instant accelaration, it also allows you to have proper manual mode so the box will only change up if you choose to (when in manual paddle shifter mode). Using a wifi OBD adaptor you can flash it yourself, it's pretty quick and simple to do. Here is a link to their website, seems they have rebranded as Xautomotive but they were called XHP Flashtool.

https://www.xautomotive.com

[Lukaszgsxr]

Thanks mate will look into it , sounds like nice option to have

[True-Blue]

I've got a 23i auto also and I love it

One of only 740 out there (howmanyleft)

I’m fairly sure ‘how many left’ is wildly inaccurate

[jenniferlouise]

The older 6-box was a carry over, I believe, with the older 6-pot engines which, in one form or another - aside from the SMG boxes - were common across BMW models and well proven. Someone out there will undoubtedly have a horror story but I always prefer an auto. Let’s be honest, the E89 is not a car you’re regularly going to try to wring the neck of, so a manual seems a compromise. That said, I’ve not driven a manual E89 and many will vouch for its purity for driving. Interesting some here stating they either love their 6-shift auto or are saying they would prefer an auto over their manual. Whatever you go for, you’ll enjoy your E89 I’m sure. Make sure to keep the forum updated on your shopping journey.