Can a Steptronic take it?

[MooseX]

Is the 5 speed STEP' as durable as some say?

I know when I downshift from 4 to 3rdi in my Xi it doesn't really love it..sort of slight mini clunk. All the other gears shift fine though.

I can't seem to find a decent 6 speed car. I might have to cave and go ottobox. The one 6 speed I considered turned out to have a salvage title..first time I drove it he said it was clean..then all of a sudden it's salvaged.

[Mtnman]

I had one until 180k+ and it was fine. I thought it ,ought be going when i traded it, but it prob had another 20k on it before it really went.

[MooseX]

IF I do go otto I'll be changing out the fluid more often. It says 'lifetime' but IMHO that's horse d*ng

The otto car I'm considering is an '06 and has 86k

[Avetiso]

I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with that guy. Asshole, probably.

I'd stick it out for a manual. Depends what you are going to be doing to the car as well. If you do get a step, Dinan software plus SMG wheel mod, FTW.

[Avetiso]

I had one until 180k+ and it was fine. I thought it ,ought be going when i traded it, but it prob had another 20k on it before it really went.

Is there any way to really gauge? I mean if it had 180k and still ran fine, how do you know it couldn't last another 100k? Or 150k? :dunno

[MooseX]

exactly..I'm waiting as long as possible.

Watching Craigs is driving me crazy..not to mention all the other Cars.com type sites. Most are dealers and I'm not big on buying from a stealer. They don't barter so much and probably won't cut me any slack on the bill of sale price adjustment tax saving deal

[Avetiso]

Some dealers might. Big chain dealers might be strict, but small time dealers will haggle.

[MooseX]

I got away with it once. I just flat out lied about a car I bought in Texas... and the DMV never checked.

My last car the seller backed my play..saved me a bunch of $$

[MooseX]

and yes if I go otta I'll surely do the SMG wheel mod + software.

IF... I'm not giving up. I'm waiting the otto car out..It's been for sale for over a month. each week I'm sure his bottom line shrinks a little bit more.

[Avetiso]

You can buy my salvage. :rofl

[MooseX]

you know most salvage cars get a bad rap. Most shouldn't be totalled. The latest salvaged ZHP I test drove was 'keyed' all over. It needed a paint job so the insurance company totalled it.

[Avetiso]

Yes, I know. I played a few thousand of them at auction. Some of the salvaged cars are ridiculous, but conversely, some clean title cars should have been salvaged.

[JupiterBMW]

johnrando should chime in here. I drove his car before he had the SMG wheel mod, and it was awesome then. Paddle shifters are awesome no matter what, so you can't go wrong there. He can tell more about the Dinan step software. I don't recall if that mod was on his car when I drove it...

[Hermes]

change your fluid to Redline D6 ATF and and some LubriMoly or something similar, my step shifts like butter compared how hard it was before (appx 90k on "lifetime fluid").


He can tell more about the Dinan step software. I don't recall if that mod was on his car when I drove it...

he already had the software before wheel mod, but he likely also had the sprint booster on as well when you drove it ;)

[JupiterBMW]

Haha, yeah JP, he definitely had the sprint booster on there, also the sport button mod. I messed around with all 3 modes of it. But, it was also the first time I met rando, so I was being quite cautious with his beauty!

[johnrando]

The SB was on but not the Dinan s/w nor the paddle shifters. I had them on but then sent the wheel in for a redo so they were off by the time you got here Joop. Definitely that combo is the way to go. The STEP s/w doesn't do a lot, but it's just enough combined with the paddles to make the driving/shifting experience more fun. With that combo, it shifts quicker at high revs. So, while I still believe manual is the best/most fun way to drive a car, some situations just call for at STEP and this makes it fun to drive. The other good thing about the STEP is you can't screw it up, if you try to shift to something the computer doesn't like, it won't let you. So, feel free to STEP up if you want, nothing wrong with that at all, but certainly a manual would be a first choice if it makes sense for you. Trust me, driving in LA, I'm very happy to have a STEP many times.

BTW, I'd change the transmission fluid every 60K, even though they say lifetime.

[Alex]

Hold out for the 6MT, not having a third pedal is one of only two things that I regretted about my ZHP. (The other was getting a 4 door over the coupe)