Quote:
Originally Posted by somer
Finally got to drive a F90 and as expected was disappointed in the transmission. Frankly the manual operation is a generation behind the old DCT box and that's a real shame. In 55k miles on my F10 I've done maybe 100 in automatic mode so favorable automatic operation is something I don't even care about.
- The gears are too short, trying to go around a corner from a standstill in first gear and hit a paddle simply is a chore and you're almost forced to use the gear stick to do it. There is a certain sense of occasion in the F10 when winding out the engine in 3rd and 4th gear for example since it is geared so long. The F90 just rips through gears like it's nothing.
- Paddle response and overall input delay is lacking big time especially on up-shifts at say 1/2 to 3/4 throttle and is really annoying coming from a DCT.
- Actual shifts just seem inconsistent from what I found, the 1-2 shift actually seemed OK for the shift time but 2-3 often time the car bucked like the computer pulls all torque for a momentary lapse and I simply didn't like it.
Now does this kill the experince of the car? Not really.. but for me I'm swaying more towards finding a 2019 M6 GC when the time is right over an M5. I really expected the transmission to feel different than say a 340i but it honestly doesn't.
Admittedly I am a gearbox snob of the highest regard. I think people who thought the DCT was bad in their M3/M4 were right on the money, despite it being the same Getrag unit the programming was wayyyyy different, the inputs were delayed compared to the F10 and the shifts never felt as crisp.
All my bitching comes from a place of understanding the pickle BMW was in when trying to go AWD with the new car and figuring out a transmission to use. A lot of use didnt understand why they couldnt use the ZF 8DT unit in the panamera but as we found out is substantially heavier than the auto box. Also the input delay on the new 8DT unit seems to be terrible from what Ive seen from videos of the panamera and then sure enough Chris Harris mentions it also in his review of the new 992 carrera. It's also telling that the Porsche GT cars are going to be sticking to the old 7 speed PDK unit for responsiveness and weight reasons.
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Hmmm, how many miles did you do on the test drive? How many miles were on the car?
Combined, I have ~90,000 miles across F10 and F06 DCTs and ~6,000 in the F90. Some of what you say resonates with me but your conclusion doesn't. Like you, I drive in manual mode ~90% of the time but I'm not *unhappy* with the new tranny. That said, you'll note my deliberate double-negative wording--the DCT is still my preference... but I remain very happy with the car because, to me, the transmission is most certainly good enough when viewed as a part of this fantastic machine as a whole.