[JT///M5]

Apparently not many of us like driving our cars in the D settings. I've only really used D3 for cruising in traffic and while talking on the phone or passengers. But I never really liked the way D3 shifted as it liked to hold onto gears and shifted quite slow. D4 and D5 held onto gears even more but shifted a little quicker. I never thought to try out D1 and D2. Well, lately I've been using the M5 to commute to work b/c my MCoupe is in the paint shop getting a custom do-over, and I discovered that D2 works a lot better for my daily driving! D2 shifts out of first earlier if you aren't hard on the gas. At roughly 3-3.5k rpms it will shift and go into 2nd and around 3k it will shift into 3rd, and so forth. Its great if you aren't trying to zip your car around. But it will hold the gears if you are more aggressive on the pedal. At least for my driving style, it works way better the the D3 setting. Although I do prefer to drive it in S4-5 if I'm trying to zip the car around town or on the fwy. But for going to and from work, D2 works pretty darn well. Gone are the jerky shifts too!

Anyone else use D2 and found that its much easier to live with?

 

[Revo]

Apparently not many of us like driving our cars in the D settings. I've only really used D3 for cruising in traffic and while talking on the phone or passengers. But I never really liked the way D3 shifted as it liked to hold onto gears and shifted quite slow. D4 and D5 held onto gears even more but shifted a little quicker. I never thought to try out D1 and D2. Well, lately I've been using the M5 to commute to work b/c my MCoupe is in the paint shop getting a custom do-over, and I discovered that D2 works a lot better for my daily driving! D2 shifts out of first earlier if you aren't hard on the gas. At roughly 3-3.5k rpms it will shift and go into 2nd and around 3k it will shift into 3rd, and so forth. Its great if you aren't trying to zip your car around. But it will hold the gears if you are more aggressive on the pedal. At least for my driving style, it works way better the the D3 setting. Although I do prefer to drive it in S4-5 if I'm trying to zip the car around town or on the fwy. But for going to and from work, D2 works pretty darn well. Gone are the jerky shifts too!

Anyone else use D2 and found that its much easier to live with?

I find D2 is a little better if you are accelerating slowly. I usually use it only in traffic type situations were speeds on the freeway just bounch between 10-30mph (and a full stop every so often). I usually stick with D3 for around town. Overall I think it's the perfect balance.

I've found even in the D modes I can "tell" the car when to shift by lifting slightly on the throttle which helps.

On the highway I stick with D3 or will bump it up to D4 or D5. I really like D5 on the freeway as it will downshift to third (D4 and D3 will only go to 4th if you are already going 70 or so), so if I need to quickly pass someone I can just put my foot to the ground (I almost always drive in P500), and the car will go from 7th to third with RPM's jumping to 6000 and it will pull up to 100 in about 2 seconds.

 

[JT///M5]

I find D2 is a little better if you are accelerating slowly. I usually use it only in traffic type situations were speeds on the freeway just bounch between 10-30mph (and a full stop every so often). I usually stick with D3 for around town. Overall I think it's the perfect balance.

I've found even in the D modes I can "tell" the car when to shift by lifting slightly on the throttle which helps.

On the highway I stick with D3 or will bump it up to D4 or D5. I really like D5 on the freeway as it will downshift to third (D4 and D3 will only go to 4th if you are already going 70 or so), so if I need to quickly pass someone I can just put my foot to the ground (I almost always drive in P500), and the car will go from 7th to third with RPM's jumping to 6000 and it will pull up to 100 in about 2 seconds.

You are correct that D2 works for when you aren't trying to hustle the car. It seems more natural in the way the car accelerates. More like a car with a normal automatic. And you're right, I like to use it in traffic situations. I don't find D3 useful for around town b/c I'm not trying to drive quickly and I just hate how it holds 1st gear until 4k. If I lift, it hesitates for like .5 sec before shifting and then when its done shifting, it sounds like I can't drive a stick b/c there is a 4k rpm pause.

I will try D5 on the fwy next time when there is no traffic. Gotta love the toll roads!

 

[rubber duckie]

thanks good to know. i never thought about trying out d2 or d1 yet.

 

[BMWPower06]

D2 is nice, just make sure to never use D1 as it constantly starts the car from a stop in 2nd gear, thus adding unnecessary wear and tear to the clutch.

 

[Brisbane M5]

I can't believe you guys.

It is S6 for me everywhere all the time. If it is really pisssing down with rain I turn DSC back on otherwise bumper to bumper traffic or not S6!

 

[JT///M5]

What don't you believe? That you're really driving a 4,000lb family sedan that just happens to have an 500hp F1 derived drivetrain? That doesn't mean some of us aren't gonna use as a family sedan lol

 

[M6Cabrio]

I use D2 only for the first 7 miles while it warms up. Then S6 for me. I never use the D setting because I can control the shifting and smoothness better manually than the car can in D mode.

 

[evilb]

I can't believe you guys.

It is S6 for me everywhere all the time. If it is really pisssing down with rain I turn DSC back on otherwise bumper to bumper traffic or not S6!

Me too. Just having it in manual mode with the shift settings to the highest is annoying to me, until the car warms up. Then it's M mode with S6 and DSC off.

I don't know how anybody drives it in D mode. Going from S6 to D mode is like turning the car from Einstein to Corky from `Life Goes On'

Brad

 

[abbaszb]

i use D2 90% of the time and agree that it feels perfect for stop/start driving (happens alot in the UK).. obviously M mode is set to S5 P500S etc.. i have read and heard conflicting reports with regards to best setting for wear on the clutch.. engineer at my local BM dealer believes D2 will have the least wear on the clutch, whereas most posts on here state the higher the setting the lower the wear.. mmmm would love to have a definitive answer with evidence backed up on this subject?!

 

[M6Cabrio]

i use D2 90% of the time and agree that it feels perfect for stop/start driving (happens alot in the UK).. obviously M mode is set to S5 P500S etc.. i have read and heard conflicting reports with regards to best setting for wear on the clutch.. engineer at my local BM dealer believes D2 will have the least wear on the clutch, whereas most posts on here state the higher the setting the lower the wear.. mmmm would love to have a definitive answer with evidence backed up on this subject?!

To my limited knowledge and what I have been told and makes sense....D2 is letting the clutch "slip", therefore more wear and tear on the transmission. S6 is the least amount of slip and extends the clutch life....

 

[gfd2726]

D2 is my favorite in auto mode.

 

[verbs]

What don't you believe? That you're really driving a 4,000lb family sedan that just happens to have an 500hp F1 derived drivetrain? That doesn't mean some of us aren't gonna use as a family sedan lol

Bollocks. Wife + 6 month old in the car still = S5 at a minimum.

 

[JT///M5]

Bollocks. Wife + 6 month old in the car still = S5 at a minimum.

Hahaha, I used to do that too but my wife still gets nauseated easily so I can't drive like that with the family in the car. But its great to scare the **** out of coworkers on lunch trips...hahaha

 

[imycool]

To my limited knowledge and what I have been told and makes sense....D2 is letting the clutch "slip", therefore more wear and tear on the transmission. S6 is the least amount of slip and extends the clutch life....

From what I've been told the, lower the setting the less the wear on the clutch. In d/s 5 the gears are slammed it, whereas in d/s 1 the clutch is a lot more gentle, and hence the delay ?

Surely the more gentle you are with the clutch, the less you will wear it out? Otherwise i'd be using launch control all the time.

Coincidently, i drive in p500 s4 most of the time, but have the M button set to p500s D5 - yes D5. That way if i quickly need to take action, all thats needed is the press of a button and simultaneous foot down, and the car launches in to optimal gear (dropping 3-4 gears at once rather than 4 downshifts) for the greatest acceleration, immediately launching off - i have found this to be the most consistent method to ward off surprise attempts from other cars to overtake you . For anticipated overtakes, i still use the paddles.

 

[Corinthian]

I think the throttle position is an important factor in any D setting.
D3 is okay if you are careful with the throttle, agree that the D2 setting is the closer to an auto

Once the oil gets to temperature, I go from P400 and D3 to P500 and D5, rarely use the paddles lately

 

[Mark Carson]

"D" mode? What the heck is that?

Oh, wait...that's what the car starts up in before I press the M button 50 feet after getting underway.

Nevermind...

I tried D mode a couple of times and decided that since I don't eat in my M6 (I did in my previous BMWs), I have no excuse for not shifting since my hands are free and "D" mode is simply not in the driving equation for me in the M6.

Your mileage may vary.

If I find myself in "D", I will try D2, thanks for the tip (but I'm not sure when I'll get around to using it).

Cheers

(D - what a joke - get a 650 if you need that regularly)

 

[JT///M5]

From what I've been told the, lower the setting the less the wear on the clutch. In d/s 5 the gears are slammed it, whereas in d/s 1 the clutch is a lot more gentle, and hence the delay ?

Surely the more gentle you are with the clutch, the less you will wear it out? Otherwise i'd be using launch control all the time.

Coincidently, i drive in p500 s4 most of the time, but have the M button set to p500s D5 - yes D5. That way if i quickly need to take action, all thats needed is the press of a button and simultaneous foot down, and the car launches in to optimal gear (dropping 3-4 gears at once rather than 4 downshifts) for the greatest acceleration, immediately launching off - i have found this to be the most consistent method to ward off surprise attempts from other cars to overtake you . For anticipated overtakes, i still use the paddles.

I wish our cars had that feature where you could hold down the - pedal and it would go down the lowest possible gear instead of having to tap, tap, tap, tap. I think the Ferarri GTO has that. I'm sure it could be programmed and the next gen M5 will surely have it. Otherwise, I may try that D5 with M mode to see how that works!

 

[JT///M5]

"D" mode? What the heck is that?

Oh, wait...that's what the car starts up in before I press the M button 50 feet after getting underway.

Nevermind...

I tried D mode a couple of times and decided that since I don't eat in my M6 (I did in my previous BMWs), I have no excuse for not shifting since my hands are free and "D" mode is simply not in the driving equation for me in the M6.

Your mileage may vary.

If I find myself in "D", I will try D2, thanks for the tip (but I'm not sure when I'll get around to using it).

Cheers

(D - what a joke - get a 650 if you need that regularly)

One could also say, why would anyone need a M6 on a small little island where everyone put puts around going 55mph on the fwy, and the fwy's are so short, you'd fly off the road before you could 200mph! lol hahahah hiha

 

[vraa]

I can't believe you guys.

It is S6 for me everywhere all the time. If it is really pisssing down with rain I turn DSC back on otherwise bumper to bumper traffic or not S6!

P500 Sport or bust