Unless manuals can out perform BMW's auto it is over for manuals. Coming from manual only cars I changed 5 years ago due to manuals not being important anymore. Even a special manual order will not be imported by BMW New Zealand. If you want a manual you'll need to change brands.

Racing cars do not have manuals and haven't done for many years.

 

Unless manuals can out perform BMW's auto it is over for manuals. Coming from manual only cars I changed 5 years ago due to manuals not being important anymore. Even a special manual order will not be imported by BMW New Zealand. If you want a manual you'll need to change brands.

Racing cars do not have manuals and haven't done for many years.

 

Lol...man up! Why'd you even want a manual?! Apologies, I'm drunk in Vegas!'n

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I was a dyed-in-the-wool manual fan for 20 years - wouldn't have touched an auto, and I hated them with a passion whenever I drove a rental car which had one. But I really wanted the adaptive cruise control on my new 125i, and the only way to have it was with the auto gearbox. Having seen so many positive comments both on here and from car-loving friends, I bit the bullet and ordered an auto.

It took about a week for me to get used to it, but now I have, there's no way I'd buy a car with a manual gearbox again. The ZF8 is a superb bit of kit; it's not like the bone-headed auto boxes of old which were always in the wrong gear. The ZF8 is in the right gear 95% of the time, and the changes are seamless and almost instantaneous - you only know its changed gear because you can see the rev counter move. If you want manual control, there are the paddles or the manual shift mode, but having played with both briefly, mine just stays in auto 99% of the time. But moving in traffic, parking, manouvering - all of these are so much easier with an auto; yes, a manual is more fun if you are caning it on a quiet twisty country road, but 95% of my driving is crawling through town or sitting on motorways, and for that, an auto is just a better option.

Seriously - don't dismiss the car you want just because it's not available with a manual box - the ZF8 is good enough that you won't miss one.

 

There's no demand for it.

I know everyone has there own opinion and i'm happy to respect that, but I'm not sure i agree with that or whether sales of 120d's demonstrate that. Do they sell more Auto 120d's than Manuals?
If its all about performance and nothing else why do some choose highly spec'd 120d's over basic 125d's for the same money?

 

I've a 120d SA and love it. As mentioned the gear changes are smooth and effortless plus if you want some fun, put the box into manual and use the paddles. Personally I prefer to have both hands on the wheel and be able to change gear using the paddles when pressing on.

There are probably a few reasons why the 125d comes with auto as standard some of them being emissions and performance. Maybe it's to attract the executive that wants a small compact car with a bit of poke and the luxury of an auto. Also I don't think it's all about the UK market either. If other countries sell more 125d autos then it's more cost effective to make it a standard option.

I've also noticed that the 125i LCI now comes with an auto as standard as well.

 

It's the same with the 225d but to be honest I wanted an auto anyway.

I have read it's to do with the amount of torque. You can always manually shift anyway with the lever or flappy paddles if you really wanted to.

The popularity of automatics is on the rise as their just so good. I read the M235i sales figures a week or so back and something like 80% are autos. In the U.S. It's rare to drive a manual and they say it could be the same here in the near future.

 

I guess I'm the dinosaur and from what everyone has said, I need to get a test drive arranged to see for myself.

If you come to stop at the lights do you still need to put the auto into neutral if you want to avoid "riding" the internal clutch or is this not the case in the new ZF8 autos?

Thanks folks

 

If you come to stop at the lights do you still need to put the auto into neutral if you want to avoid "riding" the internal clutch or is this not the case in the new ZF8 autos?

I don't think BMW intend you to put the ZF8 into neutral except for very brief periods between D and R, as neutral disables the engine's auto stop-start. I've been told it doesn't cause any wear to leave it in D with your foot on the brake, but it's annoying for whoever is behind you to get your brake lights in their face! I tend to put it into P if I'm going to be stopped for more than ten seconds or so; otherwise I leave it in D.

 

I guess I'm the dinosaur and from what everyone has said, I need to get a test drive arranged to see for myself.

If you come to stop at the lights do you still need to put the auto into neutral if you want to avoid "riding" the internal clutch or is this not the case in the new ZF8 autos?

Thanks folks

I don't think even older auto's ride the clutch in D if you stop

 

I guess I'm the dinosaur and from what everyone has said, I need to get a test drive arranged to see for myself.

If you come to stop at the lights do you still need to put the auto into neutral if you want to avoid "riding" the internal clutch or is this not the case in the new ZF8 autos?

Thanks folks

I don't think even older auto's ride the clutch in D if you stop

Clutch?

 

Pistonheads listing more manual f series 120d's than auto's, so plenty have bought them.

Imagine the real reason is the £1500 premium for an auto? Presumably the same reason you can't get the top-of-the-range 125d in Sport or SE trim.

 

i'm upgrading to a 140, but wouldn't upgrade to the new 125d auto, its great as a manual option and makes me feel connected to the road! i'd rather stay with the older shape.

 

£700 of the £1500 cost of the box goes back on the residual.

 

It's one of those arbitrary decisions made by BMW.

Similar to not offering the 125d with XDrive or the 120d XDrive with only Auto.

Given the modular nature of car manufacture these days, it wouldn't be difficult to offer those options, but I guess BMW know what market segments they want to compete in with what product, and tailored to what they think people will want to buy.

They seem to do ok I suppose!

 

£700 of the £1500 cost of the box goes back on the residual.

But that will be lost if there's no manual option to give the auto it's premium.