I ordered a 5AT that should be coming in March.

Just for the heck of it, I went to the dealer today to try out a 6MT (He had an 6MT Antharcite w/ Navi on the lot).

As the title says, this was one fun ride!

I've read about how smooooth the shift / clutch was - and it's no exaggeration! It was the most effortless shifter I've ever used. If you've ever driven a stick in the past, you owe it to yourself to at least try driving the 6MT once while you're shopping.

I would have swapped for my previously ordered car if he had a Parchment interior. Since I'm paying so much for this ride, I figure I should wait an extra couple of months to get the colors I really want. I'm planning on driving this baby for at least the next 10 years ... a few extra months won't make that much difference (but they're going to be the longest months in my memory).

 

Dude, dit the same, same car. I now have an anthracite 6MT Nav Quartz. You didn't say what color the interior in the car was. But, I'm glad I got the 6MT, the gearing is so much better than the auto and the shifter is so slick. I'm also glad that I got the quartz. It doesn't show shoe marks, etc. as badly as the parchment does and it blends better into the aluminum and dash.

 

żGotJazz?

Just curious as to why you have to order a 5AT? Is that with Navi? I'm asking becuase the dealer where I ordered my 6MT w/Navi (exactly the same color combo that you test drove) had tons of 5AT's and 6MT's without Navi and a few of the 5AT's with.

Also, when did you order?

 

greenseed - I ordered a 5AT / Desert Mist / Parchment / Navi. Maybe the only one on the planet.

 

Since you are ordering, why not the 6MT / Desert Mist / Parchment / Navi ? Seems you really like the 6MT.

 

Very true!

The reason I ordered the 5AT is for only one reason - rush hour traffic. If I didn't have to deal with the daily 30 miles of "stop & go"s, it would have been no decision at all - the 6MT would have won.

I never even gave the 6MT a thought while I was shopping for this very reason alone. After noticing that I haven't read a single negative thing about the 6MT in this forum, I decided to try it out.

żGotJazz?

 

I agree with ALVON. Unless your driving in city traffic, why not re-order and wait for a 6MT? I had a 99 M3 and I lost interest in it BECAUSE it didn`t have a stick. I first put an order for a 6MT in Sept. and got it end of Nov. Those were the longest days of my life, but glad I waited.

 

I would have thought that the car would not be good in traffic. Now I have changed my thinking. The clutch is so light that it does not matter that much. I have driven in crawling traffic (never over 5 mph) for about a mile or two and did not get 'tired'.

However, I do have a second car with auto so I can switch whenever I want.

 

Yeah, but my problem is 30 miles of rush-hour every day. I used to drive my manual 323i through this, and sometimes my left leg would start to get tired and my left knee was hurting (OK, so I'm getting old and falling apart).

The clutch on the 323 was definitely heavier than the TL, tho.

 

You made your point