[mgasaad]

Hello All, I am on the M3 waiting list at my local dealer and since I am waiting on DCT it seems that I will have to wait until 2009. I found a 06 M5 in great condition with 12000 miles only. Here is the problem, I am very concerned with the SMG on this car. I have never driven SMG before but when i drove this M5 it was love at first sight but I have to say the transmission is very harsh and confusing. even in full automatic mode and at the lowest setting it was still uncomfortable in a stop and go traffic. I also noticed that sometimes at a complete stop the car stays at 2nd gear and the launch afterward is very slow and clunky. The kind sales person advised me to try to anticipate the shift and left my foot off gas but that onlly made it worse. I am not sure if this in normal or if there is something wrong with this particular car. What makes me more worried are the negative reviews and owners complaints i read about SMG in the M5 2006 model in particular. My lack of experience with SMG is the reason I am seeking help here. I also have to mention that the car still has its warranty for the lease period i will have it for. I was also wondering if there is any way i can have the car's transmission checked by an independent party prior to commiting to it. Any input here will be highly appreciated.

[wj4]

M5board may be of better help to you.

[RRGOO7]

you need to get use to SMG...there is nothing wrong with the car it starts in second because the bars are all way the down making it more fuel efficient

[T Bone]

People who hate SMG are stupid journalists. Owners are not the ones complaining. You just need to learn how to drive SMG, you can do it smoothly in traffic.

Most of the crticisms of SMG are by people who don't own it.

It rocks.

There have been some problems with reliability on earlier M5s but go to a BMW dealer with the seller and pull up the record. If it hasn't failed, it likely won't.

[RRGOO7]

I love SMG.....Launch control is fun too

[Garrett]

Originally Posted by mgasaad

Hello All, I am on the M3 waiting list at my local dealer and since I am waiting on DCT it seems that I will have to wait until 2009. I found a 06 M5 in great condition with 12000 miles only. Here is the problem, I am very concerned with the SMG on this car. I have never driven SMG before but when i drove this M5 it was love at first sight but I have to say the transmission is very harsh and confusing. even in full automatic mode and at the lowest setting it was still uncomfortable in a stop and go traffic. I also noticed that sometimes at a complete stop the car stays at 2nd gear and the launch afterward is very slow and clunky. The kind sales person advised me to try to anticipate the shift and left my foot off gas but that onlly made it worse. I am not sure if this in normal or if there is something wrong with this particular car. What makes me more worried are the negative reviews and owners complaints i read about SMG in the M5 2006 model in particular. My lack of experience with SMG is the reason I am seeking help here. I also have to mention that the car still has its warranty for the lease period i will have it for. I was also wondering if there is any way i can have the car's transmission checked by an independent party prior to commiting to it. Any input here will be highly appreciated.

The SMG learns your driving style... the previous owner probably didn't "step into" the engine much, so it has anticipated that your a casual driver.

Go re-drive that car and pound it from light to light..in auto mode. It should start to adjust to YOUR driving style...!!

[hl0m4n]

smg does need getting used to. it is a really fun, advanced, and exciting gearbox. smg had problems at the beginning but now they are very rare expecially on 07-08 models. 06 with 12k miles and no past problems i would say your alright.

to keep it brief, the more bars you have on the lever the faster the you will shift. for ideal driving its best at s3 or 4, 5 even is ok. automatic mode is not really auto as you mentioned but once you get used it it is such an amazing system to work with.

you have launch control, different shifting settings, drive modes, and the very advanced suspension settings, the m button the steering wheel. ability to control 400 hp or 500 by a push of a button, etc.

any other questions let me know.

http://m3smg.com/tech_info.html

[mgasaad]

thank you guys for your help. it is making me feel a lot better about SMG. A little history about this M5. maintenance records show no transmission problems however the reason the previous owner got rid of it is because he was having trouble with the I drive software according to the sales person. according to him he told me that after having the same problem with the software twice the original owner used lemon law and BMW north america agreed to buy the car back from him and helped him with a new M5. They also assured me that the software was upgraded on the car and it is functioning very well now. also they assured me that the software malfunctions had nothing to do with the transmission. Tomorrow i will look at the full maintenance records for the car and hopefuly if all look good i will complete the deal.
One more thing, I tried so hard to get on the M5 forum/board but it will not allow me to post threads. but you guys have been very helpful

[mgasaad]

Originally Posted by hl0m4n

smg does need getting used to. it is a really fun, advanced, and exciting gearbox. smg had problems at the beginning but now they are very rare expecially on 07-08 models. 06 with 12k miles and no past problems i would say your alright.

to keep it brief, the more bars you have on the lever the faster the you will shift. for ideal driving its best at s3 or 4, 5 even is ok. automatic mode is not really auto as you mentioned but once you get used it it is such an amazing system to work with.

you have launch control, different shifting settings, drive modes, and the very advanced suspension settings, the m button the steering wheel. ability to control 400 hp or 500 by a push of a button, etc.

any other questions let me know.

http://m3smg.com/tech_info.html

thanks for the link hlom4n. Oh i hope i will get used to it. I will be driving this car daily. although my office is three minutes from my house, very unsual in chicago. I am not planing on driving this car hard at all, I just love the power it provides in straight line and the fast take off at the stop lights.

[E90ice]

You'll have to learn to drive the SMG.

One of my friends test drove an M5 SMG and he was vey smooth with it. But its because he owned SMG cars in the past.

Don't worry about it. You just need to get used to it.

[AtoB]

how much?
i just saw a 06 M5 SMG with 15K for 67K down the road from me.

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by mgasaad

I am not planing on driving this car hard at all, I just love the power it provides in straight line and the fast take off at the stop lights.

In all honesty, if this is the case then I think you'd be better off with a used E55/E63. More straight line power, smoother transmission. The M5's agility would be waisted if you weren't going to use it.

Just my $.02. Not trying to offend just doesn't seem like a car that would suit your needs.