E46 M3 SMG REVIEW - LOVE or HATE? CSL Owner's Review - Acceleration Auto vs Manual - Full Road Test
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- Is the M3 SMG transmission good? What is the BMW M3 E46 SMG gearbox really like to drive and live with? What is an M3 SMG like in comparison to the manual M3 gearbox and why did it get so much hate? Should you buy an M3 with an SMG gearbox? This BMW M3 SMG2 transmission review tries to give you a true honest opinion from an actual E46 M3 owner's perspective rather than someone who has just gone for a test drive, I do a full road test showing the SMG gearbox being used in S1 to S6 settings as well as the automatic settings so you can see and hear for yourself how SMG changes gear, how fast it shifts, when it revs and auto blips on the downshifts (mine is the M3 CSL which runs different SMG software to the regular E46 M3 but you can get yours remapped to run CSL software) and just how good the SMG gearbox really is. There’s also plenty of that intoxicating M3 CSL intake sound and a few tunnels with wide open throttle thrown in for good measure!
I’ve done quite a long review on this one, because I wanted to really try and cover all aspects of the SMGII in use under varying conditions, such as fast road use, slow driving in traffic, pulling away under soft and hard acceleration, launching 0-60 with the SMG, and whatever else I could think of…
Hopefully this video goes some way towards helping you decide whether you should buy an E46 M3 with SMG gearbox and just how good the SMG transmission actually can be when learnt and used correctly.
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Thanks for watching!
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Absolutely agree, I purposely bought an SMG because it adds so much to the character of the car. Those full wot bang up shifts.. Can't get that in a manual.
100%
Spot on! I absolutely LOVE my SMG… particularly now that I’ve relocated the pump assembly to a serviceable location.
Having got both a manual and an SMG e46 M3 at present I 100% agree with you.
As much as I'd prefer the manual, the SMG is actually perfectly fine for daily driving use (which it currently gets from me)
I hated it initially but once I got used to driving it, it's far smoother and enjoyable and certainly capable of hard but also daily driving
I have two 05's, one being a SMG. I enjoy driving the SMG more.
I'd love to see all these SMG haters change gears within 65 milliseconds with any manual gearbox - this transmission is seriously rapid when it comes to shifts!
Yup. I can outrun a manual in my SMG all day long.
I got a build journal tune done and it makes shifts a bit smoother and gives me rev matching like the CSL. I always drive in S-5 mode and have no issues at all. I put it in sport mode once in a while for a little quicker response. You can also reset the SMG by holding down both paddles in neutral for a few seconds at say 40mph. It will then learn your driving patterns. Not sure if that is for manual driving or automatic.
The Negative comments only come from know it all BOY racers...... BUT they forget to mention one MAJOR point about the SMG.... The reason why BMW only used the SMG in their fastest E46 M3 build ( the CSL ) .... Because they knew that the racing box was the SMG and not the boy racer wanna have a 6 speed manual box...... No Argument.. Full Stop...
Great video Al, agree mate it's no where near as bad as the reviews make out. I think it actually adds a bit of character to the car
I've used the auto mode just once. I drive only in manual mode and like it very much. It's a part of the m3's character and wouldn't change it for manual. Cool video!
Great review, learn how to use it! I like my SMG and wife doesn't drive manual so for now it has to stay..
I have an SMG , and I just love it ,.. The funny thing is that I never even try the auto mode, maybe a few seconds the very first day, but really I just think about it as a pure manual transmission, without the clutch, and faster and more efficient downshifts, and faster and more aggressive upshifts, with the added benefit of having stick and paddles to change gear, so you can actually be more efficient in tracking. It might not be as efficient as modern transmissions that are seamless smooth etc ,, but the truth is that I absolutely prefer this transmission, it is just a super manual without a clutch. I don't have that raw manual feeling with the newer transmissions, boring.... so I would consider a manual if I ever get a newer model.. SMG is just a manual on steroids, and never to be driven in auto NEVER.
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I love the feel of a shifts and agree totally you need to know how to drive it properly 👌
I have a 02 SMG. Had it for 10yrs... LOVE it. Wouldn't want a 6speed. I just keep fixing things when they go wrong, b/c for me.. the style, fun, and etc.. just can't be matched. By modern cars. Just something special about the e46 m3's. And i love the SMG.
Love my Smg convertible. Great value. 1/4 a manual coupe and 1/10th a CSL!
Yeah i live in the same U.S i owned a e30 and I loved it and looking into to buy a smg m3 e46 and it looks so much more fun than the 6speed
I love smg by the way you feel that subframe because you don’t wanna lift ! Think of it this way go drive a manual car and shift with no lift it will feel the same way on the subframe sir .
Nice SMG 2 review took me a little while to get use to the box but once learnt it’s a great drive but yes I never use auto mode at all.
I blame people like Matt Watson
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That was the fastest 17 mins of my life very nice I have an 02 smg was planning of doing the manual swap but I have learned to love it if it does fail I’ll be doing the swap untell then it’s smg
It will never “fail”. The hydraulic pump assembly may fail, but it will only be the motor; not the pump itself. Just rewind the motor. While you’re at it, relocate the assembly to a serviceable location. If/when mine ever fails again, it will be back on the road in
SMG actually came from BMWs partnership with Williams F1 team. Gives faster and more accurate shifts and is safer as you keep 2 hands on the wheel. You have to drive it like a manual, just without a clutch - which is what it is! Only slow shift on mine is down into 2nd
Just coming from what I hear others say, they're both fine, and the SMG is perfect for daily-driving, but the SMG is just too unrefined and prone to failure. Still incredible for its time, but manual takes the cake.
The problem is the E46 manual wasn't that great a manual in the first place so it gets slated too 😆. Personally I love the SMGII in mine but perhaps that's because it's the CSL so has the csl software. Each to their own though and I still like a decent manual gearbox 👍
The only real ‘problem’ with the SMG is the location of the brushed motor for the hydraulic pump. Brushes eat through the commutator. That’s when you get the Cog of Death light.
Just rewind the motor… and while you’re at it, relocate the pump assembly to a serviceable location. I keep a spare motor on hand, so when it fails again I will have her back on the road in about 15 minutes.
Excellent vid. You're not considering getting it converted to manual by Everything M3's?
Thanks very much! Definitely not converting to manual, really no need. I do hear lots of good things in general about Everything M3s though, may end up using them for some other bits in the future.
Converting to manual is a sacrilege. Pretty soon, SMG will be ultra rare and valuable. If you relocate the pump assembly to a serviceable location, SMG (motor) failures can be resolved in less than 15 minutes😂
Great video. Don't forget to change the chf11s fluid. Changing it will give the mechanical parts a longer life.
Not so much. The hydraulic system is closed, and so fluid really never does need replacing. The only real ‘problem’ with the SMG is the location of the brushed motor for the hydraulic pump. Brushes eat through the commutator. That’s when you get the Cog of Death light.
Just rewind the motor… and while you’re at it, relocate the pump assembly to a serviceable location. I keep a spare motor on hand, so when it fails again I will have her back on the road in about 15 minutes.
I have en e46 m3 with smg and like it, but I think I need the CSL tune because it’s not great. I do also own an f80 and love that DCT
I did CSL tune, and it’s okay. Not real a world of difference, though. SMG is the way to go, though. 6MT comes nowhere close in performance.
I've owned an M3 SMG for 15 years, & it's fantastic. I much prefer it to having a standard manually operated gearbox.
question, how often did you have to actually service the transmission?
@@nate7243The only time I needed to do anything with the transmission was when the clutch was replaced in 2014. At the time I also took the opportunity to replace the SMG Actuator Solenoid. The changing of the transmission flued & pressure checks were carried out at the same time. Other than that, everything has been fine.
I drive s4 mode most of the time.
s4 is definitely my preferred one too just for normal driving
Having had mine for 14 years now I must say it took me a while to get use to it, I keep it on S4 for daily driving and on auto "works for me". I will say this you will find out that if you launch it on the track your times will be better on Sport, S6, DSC off on auto.
I just had a clutch and slave cylinder replaced in my e46 m3 SMG . It grabs a little harsh and fast now
I’m hoping as I drive it , the on board computer re-adapts ?
A lot of people don’t like it because smg tranny are far more expensive if you have problems I only got rid of my because I had electrical problems that shorted out two of the computers and my cluster then I had problems with the smg electronic pump. It would go into neutral while driving on freeway at 65 mph by itself. And I would have to pull over and turn the car off and on before I can put it back to gear.
For me, the debate is less to do with SMG vs DCT/ PDK etc. As you say, that's an unfair comparison. It's SMG vs manual. I've driven both - admittedly not for hours/ days. I haven't sussed how to "work around" the SMG box &, for me, that's the crux of the matter. I'm not sure you be obliged to learn how to work around it. It should just "be". The manualised version simply feels like how the CSL should have been in the first place. I don't think there's much (any?) downside to getting EverythingM3 to stick a manual box in it when a) it's using all OEM parts & b) it's 100% reversible. Each to their own, though, I get that. It's still worth a call/ trip to see Darragh, though, just to try out a manualised car. It's astonishing - especially with the revised diff...
The negative feedback is obviously linked to theyr experience. The problem is that its a high tech automatic gearbox that may require more servicing than regular gearboxes, so it actually costs more. But people have been whining about expensive stuff since forever. I personally prefer a stick shift, but it does not give me the overpowered perspective to ruin another technology. Its maintenance and discipline, if you are interested in technology its all fine, but when it comes down to D sizes then people can go to wars with opinions even when they are wrong. It's about validating yourself isn't it? I personally like this gearbox, because its how an automatic should work in a perfectionists mind. But I still like good ol stick shift, because I get that extra punch when I need.
i had a 330ci with an smg gearbox. when it worked it was alot of fun. but it broke down on me so oftern, and it was so expensive to fix every single time. the mechanics sometimes didnt know what the issue was, so the car would be 2-3 weeks in the dealership. it was so frustrating. i know it was an smg1 instead of smg2 in m3 but still, i gives me nightmare till this day.
Acceleration was never the problem, it’s the wanky driving experience day-to-day.
Have to agree to disagree David, i find day-to-day driving more than acceptable in mine.
@@al-s and if everybody looked the same we’d get tired of looking at each other. Manual should have always been an option.
@@al-s agreed. Mine is way better than I expected. Yes a few quirks for sure. Vital they are fettled though.
I am owner of m3 smg2 2004 the car is magnificent s4 mode is my favourite 🚀🚀
I don’t get it. But to each their own. I got a SMG (cheaper) with full intention of converting it asap.
It’s like having your sister sitting next to you. You are driving, she is shifting. Sometimes she gets it, sometimes she messes up.
You are breaking into a corner aggressively and need to make a downshift. You pull the paddle, the shift comes in a little delayed, without a blip. Your rear locks up and starts walking a bit. Screw that, it’s going to get replaced with a brilliant short shifter from CAE.
Try a CSL gearbox software remap first if you've just got a regular SMG, the E46 manuals aren't much to write home about.
I can't fault mine, its definitely quicker/better on track too, plus you'll get the rev matching with the remap. Each to their own though.
Smg is very nice 👌💪
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