Smooth? Too much shifting? How does it compare to the MB 5 speed (if you've owned one)? Just curious.

Mine's silky smooth. I love it, although I will always miss a manual.

Shifting is smooth. The tranny keeps you practically just above idle during normal driving, somewhere in the range of 1300 rpm to 2300 rpm typically. Hence, if you need instant acceleration, there is a definite delay, unless you manually shift. It is more noticeable here since the rpms are already starting so low.

Just my opinion.

I have the 7 speed and it is very smooth except it seems to jerk on the down shift at low ( stop and go traffic) speeds which I will ask the service advisor to look at.

I do have one concern apart from that, yet speaking to the low RPM's the engine is running at. It is true you can cruise at almost 80mph at just at or around 2000 rpm. Most times, unless I "get on it" the rpm may never exceed 2200-2500 rpm. It seems to me, that the engine is actually needing to run up a little "hotter" to move the oil around better and to burn contaminants. I have a friend who owns a Auto shop and he told me the other day that MBUSA has issued a Service bullitin that the FSS should be changed to 6000 miles, and it lays out a procedure for dealing with "engine sludge" in FSS autos using Mobile 1. Any Comments? I know I am switching and using a 5000 mile interval now. I ran the last to 6000 miles and it was BLACK when it drained. Is Mobile 1 Black in color?

Mobil 1 is definitely not black. It is relatively light brown, and similar to other motor oils. I for one am definitely not waiting for the 10K intervals.

Really smooth, although I seem to notice the lower gear change more, although I wouldn't call it jerky.

I love the 7 speed in my ride.... Although it may never be really appreciated in town, its true colors really shine on the highway. I really have no comment about it shifting to much as you can hardly detect it unless your looking at the tach. On our yearly trip to Idaho I noted the engine was turning just over 2100 rpm at 100 mph.... I think thats great and is due to the fantastic gas milage I also noted....27 mpg....
Low rpm equates to better fuel economy and less stress on the engine....

Nahhhh, your oil is getting were it needs to get just fine and your rpm has nothing to do with "burning" contaminates... Your engine temperature does... As long as your engine gets to normal operating temperature during your drive the oil will easily burn all moisture (condensation)...

I have both the 7 speed and a 5 speed. The 7 speed is considerably smoother and faster shifting than the 5. I rarely notice shifting, but a slight tap on the accelerator will cause a subtle downshift.

At cruise speeds, it quickly downshifts and will pass anything on the road.

7-Speed is very smooth in "C" mode, in "S" it's a little jerky between 1-2-3... but that's the point (i.e. stay in gear for higher revs).

Using the manu-matic shifter can be a problem with 7 gears to go through... add the annoying delay the manu-matic seems to add when you select a down shift, it's sometimes hard to get into the "right" gear i.e. you have to step down say two or three gears if you're coming into a corner... but I often find I downshift too many gears and have to upshift again. I know you can press and hold the shifter to the left and it should select the "right" gear for you... but that doesn't always work.

Mileage has been great... I get better mpg on this V8 compared to my Volvo I5.

The transmission is amazin. You don't even know it exists it is that smooth. It feels like you are in an electric street car (train here in Toronto).

ALl the gears give you an huge choice of where to put it. I love it on downshift.

Anyways.. It is one of the best features of the car.

Just so all you guys know there is a 7G software update available at the dealers..

What does the update do?

runs nice....l love it. i do have that little jerk from slowing down to starting up in stop and go traffic....

Harley- Ok that makes sense about operating temps. I may have overstated that the oil was "Black"... Maybe a dark dark bronze.... What the hell- I am changing on every 5K anyway.

"Low rpm equates to better fuel economy and less stress on the engine...." this is a generalization that needs to be squashed.....it's not true. It depends on many variables.

Well of coarse there are many other variables that determine gas milage when your talking about different cars, but remember the question was the difference between the 5 and 7 speed trannys and since this is a w211 forum I can only assume the original question pertained to the exact same car, with exact engine, same body (aerodynamics), tires and rims, etc.... The only difference being is the trans and the driver.

So, Its only logical to come to the simple conclusion that the 04 with the seven speed gets (documented) better gas milage than the 03 with the 5 speed.... This can only be due to the fact of the lower rpms at crusing speed created by the lower gearing of the seven speed transmission.

Your free to disagree, so lets hear your reasoning how the exact same cars (except for the trans and driver) can get different milage at highway speeds???

most of the time its pretty smooth. the downshifts at low rpm get jerky sometimes. same with upshifts when the engine is still warming up (or tranny?)

I dont have the software update ill have to take it in.

Mine feels extremely stiff when shifting from Park position to Reverse. It drives me crazy. Is this normal?

Mine doesn't exihbit any of the low speed shifting jerkiness that others have mentioned. I also have never brought my car in yet, so I don't believe I have the software update. Hence, I'm not sure I want them to change anything.

Kenechi,

The shifting from Park to Reverse on mine is very smooth. This is all I have to compare with, however.

I think the "jerky" feeling some are experiencing during warm-up is the trannys unwillingness to up shift during this period... I believe this is designed in the programming so that the catalitic converter will warm-up faster so to burn cleaner faster.... During this warm-up period the trans will keep you in a lower gear longer, so if you remove you foot from the gas pedal to quickly the car will have a down shifting feeling hence the "Jerk".... I notice this in my car and quickly accepted it as normal.... As soon as the car warms up (quickly I might add) it goes away and shifts beautifully.