[clivem2]

I've seen little mention of what I find is a huge improvement with the LCI auto box setup. When I put the car in Sport mode via the button I find shifts are really fast and if I'm using a lot of power I get a great shove as the gears shift very quickly. I suspect this alone is responsible for the 0.3s faster time to 60mph for the LCI (for the 35D). Selecting Sport via the shifter does not enable these crisp and very satisfying gear changes.

Did these changes come with the LCI or were they coded after I got my original 2011 model?

Could it be the 465lb/ft of torque from the 35D which makes me notice the wonderfully aggressive shifts?

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by clivem2

I've seen little mention of what I find is a huge improvement with the LCI auto box setup. When I put the car in Sport mode via the button I find shifts are really fast and if I'm using a lot of power I get a great shove as the gears shift very quickly. I suspect this alone is responsible for the 0.3s faster time to 60mph for the LCI (for the 35D). Selecting Sport via the shifter does not enable these crisp and very satisfying gear changes.

Did these changes come with the LCI or were they coded after I got my original 2011 model?

It is down to car software updates. LCI or Pre LCI, as time progresses and BMW engineers find bugs in the system, they carry out updates. This is typically twice a year. If older cars do not go into dealerships for problems, then they stay on the older software standard.

In December 2014 my Pre LCI xDrive30d M Sport (63 plate)went in for several minor issues and my friendly BMW Tech advised me of this and told me that my car had been updated to the last standard, to get rid of a minor bug. Accordingly my car (pre LCI) would be identical in times to the LCI model.

With all due respect, you would never feel the difference of 0.3 seconds, and anyway the 0-70 mph and the 50-70 mph would/could/might be identical to the previous car.

Just get hold of a digital stop watch and try to get the shortest time between starting and stopping it. A group of us tried and the best ever achieved was 0.17 seconds. The norm was 0.3 seconds. This was in the 1980's (1983) when the International Car Show was held in Earls Court and I won the brake reaction test on a particular day (1st day). My prize was a day out at the Ian Taylor Racing School at Thruxton being taught how to drive very fast cars (including a formulae Ford). That is where the group of 6 of found out all about measuring ourselves against the clock.

I drove a Golf GTI in those days and the 0-60 time was very quick (so was the 0-100) because the car's gear ratios were constructed as such. However the top speed was only 112 mph.

Enough said. I hope you enjoy your new car.

[clivem2]

I'm not saying the 0.3 to 60 can be felt, that's not my point at all, in 40+ years of driving 0-60 figures have been relatively meaningless. My last X3 was a 30D anyway so the comparison wouldn't hold up. It's that the gearchanges are so much more satisfying, not at all slushy....which they can be in Comfort.

It's interesting that the Alpina X3 has a reprogrammed box for faster shifts, it's seems BMW have caught up. The shifts feel very like the McLaren 650s I drove at Milbrook a few months ago...thought the 650s was of course a lot faster.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by clivem2

It's that the gearchanges are so much more satisfying, not at all slushy....which they can be in Comfort.

Agree with your statement about 0-60 times, but you brought it up, that is why I responded as such. I had my licence in 1959. In those days, 60 mph was fast.

Mine has never been slushy in Sport, no matter how it is selected, so perhaps it is down to software as you say.

The gear changes are meant to be slushy (slower or more gentle if you like) in comfort or Eco Pro. That is one way BMW manage to get cars to give better fuel consumption.

Exactly the same on my 2012 320d F31 Sport.

[clivem2]

The reason I mentioned 0-60 times was that when the LCI was announced the specs showed improved 0-60 time but the power, torque and weight of the vehicles was unchanged (virtually anyway). At that time I suspected it was BMW marketing playing games to enable their specs to look better vs the competition, ie Porsche and Audi. When I got my LCI I realised the reprogrammed shifts were probably the reason for the change in spec.

In Eco-Pro and Comfort the shifts are somewhat slushy, much like many autos. With the shifter set to Sport the shifts are less slushy but not ultimately tight. It's with Sport selected via the PC button when the shifts become far more like those of a DSG box. This progression of gearchange speed is IMO very well judged.

[P1Fanatic]

Not really had enough time to test between Sport on the shifter and the Sport button although have done a few standing starts from the lights and have been impressed by traction and acceleration.

I too noticed the much better figures for the LCI 30 and 35d but I doubt very much that a gearbox update on the same physical gearbox would make up that time. I would have thought they would use manual mode for setting the benchmark times anyway. More than likely its either BMW being a bit conservative Pre LCI or polishing the figures for LCI. Lets face it who bothers to extensively test them. I searched high and low for proper tests on 0-60, 30-70 etc or even people posting vbox results or similar and found nothing at least for standard X3's.

[AlphaMendoza]

Originally Posted by Peter_R

Agree with your statement about 0-60 times, but you brought it up, that is why I responded as such. I had my licence in 1959. In those days, 60 mph was fast.

Mine has never been slushy in Sport, no matter how it is selected, so perhaps it is down to software as you say.

The gear changes are meant to be slushy (slower or more gentle if you like) in comfort or Eco Pro. That is one way BMW manage to get cars to give better fuel consumption.

Exactly the same on my 2012 320d F31 Sport.

You really are an old geezer! But keep on enjoying the 3.0D. I have a 2.0D and its good for me (but slushy in Eco mode)

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by AlphaMendoza

You really are an old geezer! But keep on enjoying the 3.0D. I have a 2.0D and its good for me (but slushy in Eco mode)

Less of the old geezer. There is nothing wrong with the 2.0d that you have. They keep their price and are always in demand.

The smaller engine was not for me because being an old geezer and retired I am a low mileage user and wanted and could afford the 3.0d. Also I do not want to be the richest old geezer in the graveyard.

After having a 2007 pre LCI e91 325d M Sport that I had remapped and (went like the proverbial s--t of a shovel) then an F31 320d Sport that was not as good, I wanted to get back to more powerful 6 pot diesel.

Anyway, I drive more in slushy mode unless a boy racer tries it on and then off we go from the lights in Sport mode.

[djdewet]

Not sure about other markets, but at least in South Africa, the 35i and 35d comes standard with the Sport Auto Box , which is supposed to have faster shift times that the standard box. Could it be that your 30d had the normal auto box and the 35d the sport Auto Box.

I have a 2012 35i and have not driven any of the other models, so cannot really comment on how they compare, but my 35i does seem to shift extremely quickly in Sport mode, and give a proper shove in the back .

Just my 2c worth.

[Peter_R]

Originally Posted by djdewet

Could it be that your 30d had the normal auto box and the 35d the sport Auto Box.

No! My car is the X3 xDrive30d M Sport. It has the Sport Auto Gearbox with paddles.

You cannot specify the 30d or the 35d with manual gearbox in the UK.

[djdewet]

Sorry Peter , maybe that came out wrong, the only model I believe you can order with Manual Transmission is the 20i and 20d models in some regions.

What I was referring to is that there is two different Automatic gearboxes available. The standard Automatic Box and the Sport Automatic Box. In some regions the Sport Automatic Box comes standard on some engine derivatives. You also get the Sport Automatic Box if you have MSport (as in your case).

Haven't found any definitive answer on what exactly is different, but everything that I have read so far seems to suggest that apart from getting paddle shifters the programming is also slightly different to allow for faster shifts.

Also, I was really saying this in relation to Clive's original question about his 30d vs 35d. See his 35d is MSport, not sure whether his 30d was MSport (Sport Auto Box standard) or not.

Hope full this makes it a bit clearer.

Nice looking ride by the way

[clivem2]

Originally Posted by djdewet

Also, I was really saying this in relation to Clive's original question about his 30d vs 35d. See his 35d is MSport, not sure whether his 30d was MSport (Sport Auto Box standard) or not.

My 30D was an MSport too but without paddles as only the 35D got paddles in 2011, it did have the sport box. My guess is that BMW simply use software to achieve the more rapid changes in Sport on the sport box.

[Peter_R]

djdewet

Ah. Yes. I understand!

To be honest, unless I am "playing" I do not use the paddles much, because in "Sport Mode" it is nigh on impossible to out think the software.

Occasionally if I on a roundabout and want to be one gear lower, then I use the paddles, but flooring the throttle with the 258 bhp gives the appropriate response from the car.

Peter

[clivem2]

The only time I find the paddles useful is when I want engine braking. There's a long steep hill I generally drop about 3 gears for. I know current thinking is that it's cheaper to replace brakes than fix transmissions but staying on the brakes for a few hundred yards just doesn't seem like the best technique.