I was parked in a field at a paintball event and I came across two young men admiring my X3. While this is not a completely unusual event, even with all the mud and dust on her pretty Highlandgrun paint, I took no notice.

Later, one of the guys approached me as I was putting gear in the trunk and asked me if I had to wait a long time for my special ordered X3 and I told him that I had purchased the car when it was three-years-old. He replied that he had approached and examined every BMW "X" vehicle that he came across for a period of almost two years and, according to him, he had only ever seen one other X with a manual transmission aside from mine (a 5spd X5).

I quizzed him a bit on that, and he went on to say that he had approached and peered into the cabins of maybe 200 BMW X vehicles in that period of time and had only ever seen two clutch pedals.

That got me to thinking... how many out there have X's with manual transmissions?

I am going to guess that there might be more of them in Europe, but I am not sure why I would think that. Seems like most of my fellow Americans to whom I speak about this (other than BMW owners) are devotees of automatic transmissions. Certainly there are VERY few other small SUV/SAV's that even offer manual transmissions as options.

So... X'ers with a stick... sound off!

Where are you and how do you like your X_?

Cheers,
Drum


Oh, I guess I ought to add that I have put almost 10K on my 2005 X3 Sport since I bought it in April. It is a great car and I would and do recommend it. Yesterday, I did a 300 mile highway loop and consciously drove the car as efficiently as I know how. I kept the speed down below 70 mph, coasted and drafted behind permissive truckers and other vehicles where possible and used the 6th speed all the way down to just below 2000 rpm. The average MPG (per the OBD)? 30.5 mpg!

That is just FINE by me.

subscribed as I am now thinking of picking up an x5 with a manual sometime in the near future as a tow vehicle.

My 64-year old mother loves hers... it is a '00 or '01 (I forget) X5 3.0i with a 5 speed and almost no optional equipment. It is as stripped down as one can order a Bimmer, just the way she likes it.

Anyway, she loves her X5. I have driven it also and find that the 5 speed leaves me wishing for six on the highway, but it is very adequate for around town and, I would guess, low gear towing. We have never tried that task though.

Great cars.

D

Only 3.0 X5's were available with a manual. All V8's have automatics.

My 2002 3.0i X5 is manual; ordered it that way. I felt it wass more of a sports care than an SUV, and still feel that way!

I own a 2006 X3 3.0i with a 6 speed manual transmission. It makes driving a SUV so much more fun. My other car is a 2006 Z4 3.0si. It also has a 6 speed manual transmission. That should come as no surprise.

Only 3.0 X5's were available with a manual. All V8's have automatics.
Actually I've seen some 4.6's with a 6 speed manual gear box.

Only three 3 pedal X owners?!?

I admit that I expected them to be on the rare side, but not this rare.

Wow.

D

Our next one might be :dunno

Well, I would certainly recommend one.

Here's another reason; in my experience, the average juvenile does not know how to drive a stick shift car. Further, the typical juvenile car thief first checks to see how many pedals are under the steering wheel. If there are three, they move on. Not sure how many (if any) BMW's are typically stolen by juveniles, but I figure anything that saves me from even a fraction of that hassle AND is more fun to drive, is well worth the search/wait.

D

BMW's have locking steering racks, they are typically flatbedded when stolen.

Last Winter, the local high school kids were stealing any (automatic transmission) cars that they found "warming up" outside while the owners were inside the house.

I never would have guessed what a common practice this was if I had not had to see all the reports and so on. About twenty kids succeeded in stealing about 60 cars from November until about February. Every single one had it's keys in the ignition and every single one had an automatic gear box.

The kids would hide the cars in remote neighborhoods, keep the keys and use them whenever they wanted until the cars were found.

This story is also a good reason for getting lojack.

Anyway...

Lot's of cars have "locking racks" and still get stolen without flatbeds. There are plenty of car owners who are less than careful with their wheels I guess.

D

I have a manual X3. Occasionally I do miss an automatic, but not often. And it keeps my teenage daughters from driving it.

subscribed as I am now thinking of picking up an x5 with a manual sometime in the near future as a tow vehicle.

There are no X5 with manual anymore, not even here in Europe.

I am telling you... when there are no longer any cars with manual transmissions available for me to drive, then I shall no longer drive.

:)

Yea 2007 X3 with the 6 speed. The new engine is a good upgrade compared to the earlier 3 liter X3's.

I bought it spot at the dealer within an hour of seeing it. In one year have piled on 28,000 miles without a single blip of a problem. FLAWLESS CAR!!!!

Average 28 mpg consistently on the highway. Fun to drive, great gas mileage better performance. Why everyone doesn't want a manual is beyond me.

There are no X5 with manual anymore, not even here in Europe.
looks like I'll be sticking with used then. :az

What kind of mileage are the X5 manuals getting city/highway? The X3s have some decent numbers.

Edmunds.com rates the manual and the auto with the same mpg. Is this what you guys are seeing also?

subscribed as I am now thinking of picking up an x5 with a manual sometime in the near future as a tow vehicle.

Don't do it. That tranny won't take it. We towed a Yamaha Rhino (race rhino) with one and in 6 months, the tranny was slipping. Rhino's don't weigh much.

I am telling you... when there are no longer any cars with manual transmissions available for me to drive, then I shall no longer drive.

:)

+ INFINITY

no manual trans = no drive :shifty

What kind of mileage are the X5 manuals getting city/highway? The X3s have some decent numbers.

Edmunds.com rates the manual and the auto with the same mpg. Is this what you guys are seeing also?


I'd like to know this as well.

Last Winter, the local high school kids were stealing any (automatic transmission) cars that they found "warming up" outside while the owners were inside the house.

I never would have guessed what a common practice this was if I had not had to see all the reports and so on. About twenty kids succeeded in stealing about 60 cars from November until about February. Every single one had it's keys in the ignition and every single one had an automatic gear box.

The kids would hide the cars in remote neighborhoods, keep the keys and use them whenever they wanted until the cars were found.

This story is also a good reason for getting lojack.

Anyway...

Lot's of cars have "locking racks" and still get stolen without flatbeds. There are plenty of car owners who are less than careful with their wheels I guess.

D

well whos fault is it that they left their keys in the car to warm up the car??
blame laziness?

Just picked up an 05 X3 3.0, black with tera leather that has a 6spd tranny for the wife It took months! to find.

Greetings all.

I am the proud new owner of a 2k5 X3 with manual transmission. I spent 8 months searching the internet for the right vehicle with the right options AND a manual transmission. Thus far, I love the vehicle. This is my first bimmer.

I've been driving a manual transmission since I was 18 and hate when I have to drive an automatic.

Long live the 6-speed !!!

Don't do it. That tranny won't take it. We towed a Yamaha Rhino (race rhino) with one and in 6 months, the tranny was slipping. Rhino's don't weigh much.
do you mean that the clutch was slipping or are you referring to an automatic x5?

What kind of mileage are the X5 manuals getting city/highway? The X3s have some decent numbers.

Edmunds.com rates the manual and the auto with the same mpg. Is this what you guys are seeing also?

2001 3.0 X5

18 to 19 city
21 to 25 highway depending on your speed

This is with an Intake and Conforti chip.

looks like I'll be sticking with used then.

I am selling my 2002 5-speed manual X5. Are you in NJ? If interested, PM me.

My parents own an 03 X5 4.4i Sport in Alpine White...30k miles...babied very much...it has a Steptronic transmission...but when they were shopping for one they considered a 3.0i with a 6 spd. They actually came across many of them...they are found more in the NY/NJ area...

I have seen quite a few here in the New England area. They're not that rare, because it was a factory option on 3.0i X5s...it wasn't special order.

i'll chime in, I love my 2004 X5 6-speed, just wished i could get a short shifter for it. But its an awesome truck to drive.

Hi,

I bought one back in May of '01 because it was the only SUV with a manual, and because it was a BMW. No regrets 90,000 miles later. I do wish the 5th gear were significantly taller so I could run lower rpms at 75-80 mph, but that is my only complaint. Okay, that and the clutch delay valve.

I usually average about 19.6 with mixed city/highway (small town a few miles from the city) though that has been down a bit lately, perhaps time for new O2 sensors. The camshaft position sensors (both) went out in the last year and that really dropped the mileage. Now I am back down to 19.1, but that may also be the switch to winter gas formula.

Cheers,
Randy

Further, the typical juvenile car thief first checks to see how many pedals are under the steering wheel. If there are three, they move on. Not sure how many (if any) BMW's are typically stolen by juveniles, but I figure anything that saves me from even a fraction of that hassle AND is more fun to drive, is well worth the search/wait.
D

Well I fine example here with my friend. She drives a like-new shape Orient blue/tan leather 325 Cic.
This happened last year (summer 2007) she was driving home top down, with her boyfriend about 4 am, they were stopped at gun-point by two males around 18-20 y/o. One of them demanded the keys, my friend calmingly gave them the keys and said "take it". Then here's what "the guy" said: "d*am! it's a stick! you can keep this! and returned the keys. Then he took their wallet/purse and ran away....
So yeah...that happens...

I know I know its not 100% mine but my dad has an 06 x3 with the 2.5 in a 6 speed, not too much engine to power it along considering that my 525i has a very similar engine but its a peppy car and is very very fun to slide around it the snow.

Greetings all.

I am the proud new owner of a 2k5 X3 with manual transmission. I spent 8 months searching the internet for the right vehicle with the right options AND a manual transmission. Thus far, I love the vehicle. This is my first bimmer.

I've been driving a manual transmission since I was 18 and hate when I have to drive an automatic.

Long live the 6-speed !!!

Congrats on your new ride! I totally agree with you...I hate when I have to drive an automatic as well...regardless of how far I have to go!

Hi Everyone!
This is my first post as I'm a newbie here.

After months of looking, I just bought a 2007 X3 with a 6spd manual (yay!)
I had to buy it out of state and hence have already put 1500 miles on it driving back.

For me, a manual transmission is a must. At first, I thought that would be to
my disadvantage, since the supply of those is so small. But, after getting
(what I consider) a really good deal on it, I'm starting to think that the general
public's overwhelming desire for automatics might make the demand even
more minute than the supply! The dealer apparently couldn't sell this car
because people would see the stick shift and then turn the other way.

I'm curious, anyone out there agree this is a decent deal?
-2007 X3 with 13,000 miles
-premium pkg
-sport pkg
-navigation
-cold weather pkg
-xenon
-park distance
-premium audio
-metallic paint
-rear airbags
-privacy glass
-servotronic
-factory alarm

paid: $27,800

I'll chime in here as well. My wife and I own a 5 series and an X5, both stick. The X5 is my daily driver, and since I race motocross, I use it to pull my bikes and "Pit" out of the back of it during races and practices. I absolutely love this car in it's manual transmission. It's an '01, and every time I drive it the feeling of rowing through the gears makes me smile. The gearing is quite different than in our 5 series (E39), more geared like a truck, so it runs through the gears pretty quickly if you are on the gas, whereas the 5 series will run all day in a gear. I have heard about issues with the auto transmissions, so I am very happy to have had a reliable manual X that shifts great.
Yep, I am in the boat that I wish 5th gear was taller and that the RPMs were dropped at 80ish, but it never hiccups, and it wil run 90-95 all day, and the rpms aren't really that high, we are just used to other cars and they way they run. In the following model years ('04) they went to a 6 speed, but I have heard that even the 6th gear wasn't tall enough. Small complaint really. For an SUV, this car is FUN to drive. I have the 4.6 20" rims on my X and it stiffened up the handling perfectly.
I get about 19 - 19.5 over all MPG and low 20s on highway. Not bad at all.
Unfortunately, the new X is fairly larger, with a 3rd row seat and NO MORE STICK, no I am going to continue to take care of my X, perhaps pick up an 8 series, and look elsewhere for my next daily driver. I remember the days when the BMW claim to fame was being able to special order ANY MODEL in a stick. Ah well. The way I see it, the Cayenne is the "Last Man Standing" as far as that size SUV offered in a standard transmission 6cyl.

p.s. I read an earlier post that stated that they saw a 4.6 in stick. For the record, as also stated earlier, the X5 was NEVER offered in a V8 in manual in any trim in the X. what you probably saw was an X5 6cyl with 20s like mine, with perhaps the front and read cowlings.

It's funny, I know a stick X5 isn't all THAT rare, but I have to say that whenever I take it in for maintenance, the mechanics ALL comment on it, that they hardly ever see one, and many say they had never driven one. It sure makes you feel special. :)

-Sterling

Actually I've seen some 4.6's with a 6 speed manual gear box.

Well, I can think of one way this would happen.

1. Buy a 3.0 with stick.

2. Remove 3.0 badges.

3. Apply 4.6 badges.

Good to see so many manual owners here.