Originally Posted by Crimguy

I have the manual and overall think it's a good one. Shifter is smoother than my Audi, about the same as my Infiniti. I do agree that reverse should require a push inward of the stick to prevent accidental engagement when hunting for first. When I got my 535i with the auto and sport packages I thought I would never have need to get a manual again - it was just so fast to shift. I test drove the F56 auto and thought it was very good but not quite at the level where I'd dismiss the thought of getting a manual tranny. Close but not quite. When relying on the auto to pick gears I didn't feel it was choosing the right gear many times and that turned me off.