Paddle shifters

[lowlevelhell]

Body-on-frame doesn't define a truck. The X5 is much more of a truck than a car. You can't hide 5000 lbs.

[Kzang]

Originally Posted by kip1

I drove a Q5 and even compared to that the X5 feels 2x as heavy and even with m suspension it really feels huge. Please name a car it out handles and you are not allowed to say Q7, ML, GL or XC90... I own a X5, I chose it, I know how it handles. For a big SUV it is good, close to Cayenne, but any wacon outhandles it.

Watch this video...

[MattBianco]

Originally Posted by Kzang

Watch this video...
<video>

I feel like The Dude in the Big Libowski. I just want to close my eyes and listen to the sound.

[Kzang]

Originally Posted by lowlevelhell

Body-on-frame doesn't define a truck. The X5 is much more of a truck than a car. You can't hide 5000 lbs.

Because the X5 drives and behaves more like a car I'm going to say its a crossover, and not a truck. And yes, Body on Frame usually defines a truck.

[lowlevelhell]

Originally Posted by Kzang

Because the X5 drives and behaves more like a car I'm going to say its a crossover, and not a truck. And yes, Body on Frame usually defines a truck.

I'm not sure you're understanding what a truck is. Do many trucks have body-on-frame for strength purposes? Yes. Do all trucks? No. Does body-on-frame make a vehicle a truck? No. Does unibody mean more car-like chassis manners than a truck? No.

Many, many cars out handle the X5. Probably most cars sold in America will out-slalom the X5 (on equal rubber) and will hold equal or better on a skid pad.

It's a great handling vehicle for what it is. But it is what it is. And that's sort of why we buy them!

[kip1]

Originally Posted by lowlevelhell

I'm not sure you're understanding what a truck is. Do many trucks have body-on-frame for strength purposes? Yes. Do all trucks? No. Does body-on-frame make a vehicle a truck? No. Does unibody mean more car-like chassis manners than a truck? No.

Many, many cars out handle the X5. Probably most cars sold in America will out-slalom the X5 (on equal rubber) and will hold equal or better on a skid pad.

It's a great handling vehicle for what it is. But it is what it is. And that's sort of why we buy them!

This is what I tried to say. We are all owners here.

On Sachsenring in the newest Auto Bild Sportscars the 575hp X6M did a time of 1:38.47, a 450 bhp Seat Leon Cupra did it in 1:34.8.

How did we go from the original topic to this?

I bought the X5 because it keeps my kids safe and I fit a lot of stuff there, I would never take it to the race track. Why would you not take a smaller car to the track? Do you need all the luggage with you?

I think we should stick to the original topic about paddle shifters.

[lowlevelhell]

I don't think we're having an uncivil discussion. Quite the opposite. I think we've kind of said all that we can say about the paddle shifter debate.

[AGV]

Just wondering, does professional bmw drivers (like these https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...=bmw+ring+taxi) use HUD in M mode, for more precise shifting?

[ZOHVI]

Originally Posted by r33_RGSport

AGV , I tried to use it when I was at the track last year.
With the MT blood flowing in my vein, I can't get used to it yet.
Even with a muffler, you can't hear the engine when you have the helmet on.
I wish there is RPM and Gear position indicator on the HUD, because the way the instrument cluster is located, I have to duck down to see where I am at, which is a distraction when you are on the track.

At the 1/4 mile? If so, what was your ET and trap speed?

[r33_RGSport]

Originally Posted by ZOHVI

At the 1/4 mile? If so, what was your ET and trap speed?

No, I don't like doing 1/4 mile.
I do road course track. You can find it on one of my thread.

[hyde]

Does paddle shifter also have a delay when downshifting where you coast for a second or so in neutral then it downshifts. This is extremely annoying when downshifting to take turns or help with engine braking. F15 really needs to tighten the transmission and forget about fuel consumption especially in Sports mode and even more so when you are in Sport and M/S mode.

[RR-NYC]

Originally Posted by lowlevelhell

Personal opinion: paddle shifters are largely a gimmick. The ZF gearbox in sport mode shifts faster and smarter than Joe X5 Guy can do. They're fun, but they're not for real performance. That being said, learn your engine's powerband and learn to use your tachometer.

Sport auto only knows when to shift for optimal straight line performance but not faster; its the same transmission on the same car. Shifting from 4th to 5th happens in the same amount of time

There are instances, in spirited driving, that the car's computer has no idea what lies ahead of you and what would make the most sense- if you want to ride the gear out through a sweeping turn, for example. It was the same in my M3 and with any automatic mode.

[lowlevelhell]

Originally Posted by RR-NYC

Sport auto only knows when to shift for optimal straight line performance but not faster; its the same transmission on the same car. Shifting from 4th to 5th happens in the same amount of time

There are instances, in spirited driving, that the car's computer has no idea what lies ahead of you and what would make the most sense- if you want to ride the gear out through a sweeping turn, for example. It was the same in my M3 and with any automatic mode.

Faster as in it has no human-induced hesitation or thinking, nor does it wait for your fingers to wag.

You can hold a gear with it, but accelerator load and trail braking will cause the sport programming to hold the gear, too.

[akhter]

when i had a e90 335 m sport i use paddle all the time. normal was too slow and sport was too aggressive. paddles made it perfect.

on f15x30d with the 8sp i don't miss it much. normal or sport work fine.

however i tried using the paddles and they are too small. i really have to reach for them and i don't like their positioning.