Automatic Vs Manual 3 series BMW

stts

Hi everyone,
I have never owned or driven an automatic car.I was wondering have any of you had experience in automatics? Im looking at a 320cd ,is there a big difference like mpg,service costs,problems....etc

Any advice would be appreciated.

drunkmonkey

Automatic is a bit thirster, I'd prefer a manual bmw but if I was buying a merc it would have to be automatic....

walshy123

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Automatic is a bit thirster, I'd prefer a manual bmw but if I was buying a merc it would have to be automatic....

i test drove a 01 320ci auto and manual and it would have to be the manual.

however i drove my dads 535d auto and loved it.

what year is she.

Bluehair

Huge convert to autos myself, diesels especially suit automatics. What you lose in economy you make up for in a very relaxed drive particularly in traffic. Wouldn't bother going back to manual now unless it for for a weekend only toy or a classic and since I can't afford such luxuries i'll be sticking with my petrol auto bmw

stts

walshy its 2005 diesel,i think the 320cd manual is about 40mpg,what mpg would an automatic be?

TomMc

10-15% Less MPG. If you drive an auto in a leisurely or dignified manner it is not too big a falloff in MPG figures. Drive it hard using kickdown a lot and then they do get thirsty. Although always better having a lead foot in a diesel than a petrol. Have only driven a 530d & 535d so cannot comment on the 2.0 Litre, but in the bigger engined cars the auto works very well.

On the downside while autos are my preferred choice, with higher mileage any troubles with gearboxes are much more expensive to put right and very much a specialist job, usually beyond technicians/mechanics in the dealer network. In years gone by many automatic cars with broken gearboxes were uneconomical to repair and impossible to sell on. Although autos have come a long way in the last decade or so in both engineering & reliability terms.

If you buy one auto, given a period of acclimatisation from a manual, you seldom go back. Something to bear in mind first. So I'd say if you are buying a car with low mileage and don't plan on keeping it for ages either (in case of prohibitively expensive problems with an auto gearbox as a result of high mileage / wear & tear), spend a lot of time in urban traffic or on the motorway, then auto is ideal.

traco

Had 520i, the 2.2 and it was great. For traffic the auto is great. Can't comment on the 320d but drove a manual 530d and an auto and the auto was superb, much better IMO as an executive drive and very well suited to the torque. Manual was availabel in tiptronic and shifted very quickly if you wanted a more engaging drive.

I have yet to see any reliability issues with any modern auto. The management system has total control and its virtually impossible to over rev an auto as they will shift up or down once they decide to.

See if you can take it for a weekend if its a garage sale and try it.

bigtimecharlie

Love my auto e34 520i but a bit sluggish to pick up speed. But then, in an auto just cruise and take it easy. It's lazy driving at it's best.

Had a 00 530d auto out for a spin lately and boy is it lively. Would love a "proper spin" in it.

MarkN

For a 320 it's all down to personal choice. What I mean by that is, nobody is going to turn their nose up at it when it's time to sell it on the same way they would if it was a manual 650i.

Sometimes I'd love manual in my car but when in traffic (80% of the time), I wouldn't. I also think an auto suits the pace of the 335 engine. Above all that, 3.0 litre BMWs are few and far between.

Drive both, see which one you prefer. BMW autos are super but still no match for DSG.

Balfa

If you plan on flinging it around a bit now and then, I'd have to recommend manual. I have an auto 325i and the throttle response in corners is worthless. And the sequential shifting is even more worthless. It still takes about a full second at times from moving the shifter (asking the car pretty please) to the gearchange actually happening.

While I do pine for a manual much of the time, it's been a long time since I've driven one (not my choice - there just aren't any over here), and I'm sure my left knee doesn't miss them nearly as much as the rest of me, especially since I'm not getting any younger
I think my next car will have to have a true clutchless manual or DSG or something.

As for the costs, over here at least, repairs of autos don't seem to be that much higher than manuals, but like Tom said, it's probably different in Ireland. If you're a driver that goes through clutches, at least you can rule out that expense with an auto, and it is a considerable expense!

steph1

I had a 523i auto and I loved it but it was very heavy on petrol. The auto is so easy to drive. If I ever get another 5 series it will definitely be diesel and manual.