your transmission of choice is....(poll)
 

first please answer the poll, then continue reading.

I say BMW dealer lots have too many automatics. Finding a stick is an arduous task these days. The only stick on the lot may be the awful color that no one wants. If this trend continues, the manual drivers are going to have to custom order their cars. Does anyone else see this as a problem/annoyance?

ummm even exotics do not come with good ole manual trans anymore so i don't know why this is surprising?

not surprising, but not how I would have it. I think bmw is a "driver's" car and should be kept that way

heh i think BMW is first and foremost upper class luxury car.....

thats the problem i was having when I was shopping
too many slushboxes and manual box were rare.
I was a step away from buying a M3 smg at a good price
but the smg held me back
I need my clutch...

The people have spoken...that's all. Most prefer auto's because of traffic.
That and 5 and 6 speed Step's are always in the right gear when driving.
BMW sells cars that people prefer. If more preferred a stick, BMW would sell more.
George

6 spd - only way to go......

i gotta differ, at my local dealership tehre are few autos. all the used cars are stick.... or smg for the m3 (50/50 split)


i think the best of both worlds would be 6speed with a torque converter taht caught just at stall point but didnt make lurch

I'm lazy, and with L.A. traffic i prefer the slushbox w/slowtronic.

I test drove a 2000 911 with the tip, and i didn't really feel any lag between shifts.

Depends on the situation. Living up in the middle of nowhere without traffic, give me a manual eight days a week! LA traffic or in a commuter car, give me an auto.

what i prefer: proper manual
what i have: tiptronic :(

Well the majority of responses here are going to be manual, because most people here are here because they are, well, fanatics. Car enthusiasts. However, in the real world...most people just want their automatics to tool around with.

I would trade my 5sp for an SMG..got luv the paddles

Yeah. These results are going to be a little biased.

If you have a BMW you have steptronic.

Ron

Stick and no it's not THAT bad in heavy traffic.

Porsche's Tiptronic is a different animal. Especially in the newer models...faster than stick. Eventually BMW will catch up and the newer Step boxes will lag less and less, and pull harder... ie. in 2010 maybe? :eeps:

Stick is more fun to drive by far though.

I prefer manual, but unfortunately, use my car to commute. Traffic being as bad as it is in the DC area, it would be a pain to drive stick. I do wish I had stick when there is a stretch of no traffic though, as the auto trannies suck, even in the "manual" mode.

Most people buy BMWs for one of two reasons:
1. they like to drive - small group that actually would buy manual, probably majority of members here
2. they just want to say they own a BMW, but can careless about performance - probably majority of BMW owners and (me being one exception), most people that get auto trannies, because they can't drive stick.

manual only way to go...only cars i have ever owned have all been stick....

None of the above, after driving the VW/Audi DSG. I predict that it will replace manuals almost completely, as well as most conventional automatics.