BMW manuals are a bit "notchy". I have to say their ZF automatics are a lot better.
Reviews of ZF automatic transmission
The ZF is an amazing automatic one of the best in the industry but it’s to smooth its boring imo. The AT is still a blast I just wanted a more engaging raw experience that’s really all. I do miss the comfort sometimes and god damn the gas mileage ????
The ZF8 is arguably better than the manual performance wise.
Absolutely nothing wrong with the ZF8 auto; it's a different type of fun.
The gearbox is amazing when pushing.
At a crawl and slower paces, it can be slightly jumpy and "kangarooish" as I've heard some people describe the BMW gearbox (ZF)
Besides that, it's spectacular
The ZF8 is not bad at all. IMO it's probably one of the best automatics you can have for a sports car. No complexity of a dual clutch, smooth shifting in all cases, fast enough shift speed in sport mode, and proven reliability.
The ZF8 pairs better than the manual. It’s one of the best transmissions ever made and was what Toyota tuned the supras engine around originally.
I prefer the ZF8 transmission over the GRC manual. You can’t out-shift a computer, and the responsiveness lets me engage with my style of driving.
The automatic is absolutely brilliant. The ZF8 is amazing, especially for tracking. I’ve had several people, including professional drivers, drive mine and they’ve been nothing but impressed. I’ve had mine since 2021, before MT was an option. I never even considered trading for an MT (and budget is not an issue).
The auto is amazing. Sometimes I wish I had an auto instead because the ZF is so good.
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What we know about ZF automatic transmission
The brand is registered in Germany. Official website: https://www.zf.com.
In March 2026, PartReview has a mixed opinion of ZF automatic transmission. PR Score — 95 out of 100, based on 15 reviews and 46 votes. 14 positive reviews, 1 neutral review, 0 negative reviews. Average rating — 4.6 (out of 5). Votes: 44 up, 2 down.
Users also evaluated the qualities of ZF automatic transmission:
- Shift quality - gear changes feel smooth or harsh to the driver - rated positively. 4.8 points out of 5.
- Slip - engine revs rise but acceleration is weak - rated positively. 5 points out of 5.
- Clunks - hard thuds when selecting d or r - rated positively. 5 points out of 5.
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Automatic transmission ZF in comparisons
There are 1 comparison of ZF automatic transmission with other manufacturers on PartReview.
In particular, see which automatic transmission are better: ZF or OEM FORD .