2003 6MT 4dr vs 2004 Automatic

[Dathaeus]

Has any one owned and driven or at least thoroughly tested these two? I am going to take a look at a 2004 Auto 4dr tomorrow and in the pics it looks exactly the same as my car, to my eye anyways, they could be twins. Understood the throttle/shifting is probably going to be a bit softer even with Steptronic, but otherwise, is there anything I can look out for that I would not already be familiar with in my 2003?

[flyfishvt]

I've always owned manual tranny cars. Never owned a 6 speed but most 6 speeds are just a normal 5 speed with an extra gear that saves gas at highway speeds. I just bought a 2004 330 vert with an auto. It's a fun car. It pulls a lot harder than I expected. Especially considering the verts are heavier than the coupes and sedans. The auto tranny shifts smooth. Put it in sport mode and it raises the shift points for a bit more spirited driving. It's probably one of the better auto trannies I've driven. This is my first experience owning a car that has drive by wire gas pedal. I was surprised by it. I expected it to feel flimsy and cheap but it seems to reproduce the feel of my e36 gas pedal pretty well.

All that being said....if you really like manual tranny nothing really compares. The manuals have better throttle response. You feel more connected to the car. I'm happy with my purchase. I got 99% of what I was looking for. I probably won't keep it more than a couple years anyway. If you do a lot of stop and go heavy traffic you would probably like this auto tranny.

Just mt 2 cents.

[legoman67]

The only differences between 2003 and 2004 sedans would depend on the options each car has. there were no model wide changes in these years.

[Dathaeus]

I've always owned manual tranny cars. Never owned a 6 speed but most 6 speeds are just a normal 5 speed with an extra gear that saves gas at highway speeds. I just bought a 2004 330 vert with an auto. It's a fun car. It pulls a lot harder than I expected. Especially considering the verts are heavier than the coupes and sedans. The auto tranny shifts smooth. Put it in sport mode and it raises the shift points for a bit more spirited driving. It's probably one of the better auto trannies I've driven. This is my first experience owning a car that has drive by wire gas pedal. I was surprised by it. I expected it to feel flimsy and cheap but it seems to reproduce the feel of my e36 gas pedal pretty well.

All that being said....if you really like manual tranny nothing really compares. The manuals have better throttle response. You feel more connected to the car. I'm happy with my purchase. I got 99% of what I was looking for. I probably won't keep it more than a couple years anyway. If you do a lot of stop and go heavy traffic you would probably like this auto tranny.

Just mt 2 cents.

Ya I did hear that the e46 auto5 are some of the best ever made. But I am so spoiled feeling that connection you talk about, from the foot to the wheels, ya any auto feels like mush. But sometimes beggars cant be choosers so I was going to get whatever e46 I could until I find the one I want, but I think I have 99% decided to keep my 2003 6mt so ya... hoping for the best.

[meeceboy78]

I have owned the auto and i never had an issue with it at all. its probably more of a personal preference to be honest. my buddy has the 6sp version and his is definitely more fun to drive, feeling much more responsive and gets you more engaged with the car. i liked my auto but it was more of a cruiser in comparison. hope that helps.

[Dathaeus]

I have owned the auto and i never had an issue with it at all. its probably more of a personal preference to be honest. my buddy has the 6sp version and his is definitely more fun to drive, feeling much more responsive and gets you more engaged with the car. i liked my auto but it was more of a cruiser in comparison. hope that helps.

Ya that goes along with all my other thoughts... I love driving, started with a manual fairly early in life, feel in love with it immediately learning on the roads of the Bronx on the way back from the dealer LMAO... I think I'll be happy just keeping mine.

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[Jackson42]

We've got an '03 325iT (5-speed auto) and an '04 330Ci (6-speed manual). So of course the comparison isn't exactly apples-to-apples. The auto is a fine transmission - for an auto. You can put it into manual mode and click up and down as you wish, and in sport mode, it is much more enthusiastic about its shifts. But the six-speed is one of the most engaging manual transmissions I've ever driven - it just invites you to row through the gears. My preference is the 6-speed - by a wide margin.