Z4 with SMG

The Z4 comes with a new SMG transmission. It's new because it's supposed to be different than the SMG that the older M3's used. People complained that the SMG in the M3 was inconsistant and generally horrible to use.

Anyone have experience with the SMG in the Z4? I'm looking to buy the Z4, but I have my reservations about getting a Z4 with the SMG.

The Z4 comes with a new SMG transmission. It's new because it's supposed to be different than the SMG that the older M3's used. People complained that the SMG in the M3 was inconsistant and generally horrible to use.

Anyone have experience with the SMG in the Z4? I'm looking to buy the Z4, but I have my reservations about getting a Z4 with the SMG.

I test drove a Z4 with the SMG before I bought my car with the steptronic. In automatic mode, in my humble opinion, the SMG is jerky, slow and basically a miserable thing to drive.

Just my personal opinion, but if you plan to use it in "automatic" mode frequently, opt out of the SMG and get the steptronic. If you will be using it as a manual most of the time then it would be OK and a lot of fun.

Since I do a lot of city driving, an automatic is a nicety and made more sense for me and my kind of driving.

I would suggest taking a long test drive in a Z4 with the SMG on a few different types of roads before you opt for the car with that option.

Hope that helps.

Nancy

its not as reliable in the z4 as the smgII in the M3. And not as adjustable.

The Z4 comes with a new SMG transmission. It's new because it's supposed to be different than the SMG that the older M3's used. People complained that the SMG in the M3 was inconsistant and generally horrible to use.

Anyone have experience with the SMG in the Z4? I'm looking to buy the Z4, but I have my reservations about getting a Z4 with the SMG.


I have an SMG Z4, it's going on a year old at this point. Around December BMW came out with a SW upgrade to help control the shift points and it's worlds better to drive now. Like the other poster I wouldn't drive it in "automatic" mode, however as a paddle shifter it works very nice.

I own a 04 Z4 3.0 with the steptronic as well. I didn't get the SMG becuase it was 1500$ extra and most of all because everyone i know that has a M3 says even that the SMG shift like crap in city driving, automatic and manual mode. I kinda went out and bought my Z4 on a spontaneous itch one day. Bought it right off the lot same day. If i could go back and do it over again, i would have probably just waited a week or so and got one with a pure 6 speed manual. Manuals may shave a few tenths of a second of a 1/4 mile or 0-60 time, but thats when you have Mario Andretti hitting every gear perfect for Motor Trend ;)

Car & Driver had a Z4 with SMG

check the link

BMW Z4 with SMG (http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=17&article_id=9150&page_number=1)