I agree about agressive driving. DS and DS engaged are two separate things. If you engage DS and drive normally, there is NO change vs. D. Not even holding the shifts longer or faster shifts. However, slow down kind of fast in DS while coming to a stop and it will react. Slow down at highway speeds and jump on the gas...then the car is "engaged" in DS...and actually holds gears, won't shift under 4k and agrresively downshifts. In this aggrerssive mode, the tranny performs very well.

 

When I first experienced the downshift flare it was kind of odd. Since then I have reset the ECU and so far so good, hope it stays that way.
Is it the worst tranmission, no, slight getting used to but not the worst in anyway.

I have been in X5's and Benz's that have had more severe shifting where it floats a bit then shifts hard causing a slamming feeling which is much worse.

 

You don't have to be in Manhattan to experience this. Try any of the major highways like BEQ, Long Island Expressway, or Cross Island. Drive for a week in the morning or evening, and I imagine you will start cursing about the G's 7AT.

 

I've owned alot of cars and the majority have had finicky transmissions where it doesn't upshift or downshift on cue. The G is about average IMO in that regard regarding quirks and with a 7 speed being the norm these days I think these hesitations are not only for the G but for other cars with 7 or 8 speeds.

While I believe some people are having major problems (like with any make, remember people who are not happy with the car go online to complain not the people who are satisfied). I also think with many others it's starts playing with your head where you magnify the littlest hiccup and also start driving a way you don't normally drive just to replicate and then declare it crap. Is it butter smooth? No but very few cars are these days.

It's like paint. Every (and I mean every) manufacturer has owner websites where people say the paint is crap and chips too easily etc... Like I said I've owned alot of different makes and the incidence of chips on my G is not any more or less than any other car I owned. But this problem is more easily remedied. Stop tailgaiting and the chips will magically disappear. I do 70% highway driving and I've had the car 2 months and I have one stone chip and that was being too close to a truck. Stay at least 3-4 car lengths behind on the highway and you won't be complaining about the paint anymore but judging by the cars I see on the road only about 20% follow at the proper distance. If you are saying that you follow way behind and you still get a gazillion stone chips then you are either exaggerating about your lack of tailgating or your stone chips.

 

I totally agree with you...my biggest complaint about the car is the Gas, Brake, Gas hesitation situation while driving in city traffic. I've never owned a car with this problem.....and I find it frustrating.

 

No complaints. 7-speed automatics are still relatively new, so I can understand why there may be some very minor drivability issues for a few years.

Don't want lag? Just pop it over into DS, then manually shift into a speed-appropriate gear.

 

happy here from day 1, they did apply the tsb recently but nothing to fix.

 

Nope. I have one of the 7-speeds that was from the first batch delivered to North America in 2009. I've never had any issues with it and prefer it to the 5-speed on the previous cars.

 

Transmission is my biggest complaint, absolute garbage. Almost every time I take my foot off the gas to slow down then hit the gas to speed up it hesitates for a second, engages, and then throws your head back into the headrest. Even after upgrading ECU. Had a few people drive the car and they all complain and/or makes them nauseated.

 

The transmission programming is the worst thing about this great car. Around town, upshifts are way too late. 3500 rpm in first gear just keeping up with normal traffic is ridiculous! No wonder gas mileage is poor. Then, once up to speed, it drops into 6th gear and the engine is lugging up hills at 1400 rpm. Using the paddle shifters isn't much better because shift commands are often ignored and the response is soooooo slow when they do happen. At lower speeds, flooring the throttle sometimes results in no downshift so the car feels gutless when that happens. At highway speeds, downshifts are too slow as if the computer has to pause and think about what gear to choose. If there was an aftermarket transmission reprogram to address these issues, I'd gladly pay for that!!!

 

Nah.... Decided it is not in my own financial self-interest to post my complaints. (i.e. resale value)

 

I have zero complaints with my 7 speed.
I've read the complaints and have tried to duplicate them, but still no problems. As far as I know my transmission has never been flashed. It has been to the dealer twice for the first 2 free oil changes. Sometimes they will do an update without telling the customer.

As of now 2/3 's of the 7 speed automatic owner's on this poll have no complaints and like their transmission.

It might be helpful if the owner's put their build dates with their praise or complaints. We might find out that the troublesome tranny's were built at different times then the trouble free ones. They might also have different software in them to comply with some type of EPA regulation.
My G37's build date 12/09

 

How do i find my build date?

I have an auto 2008 G37S. No complaints here. I do know what most are talking about with the lag in power off the line, and short lag between gas, break, gas. I recently bought a a Hypertech Sport Programmer, and it fixed this issue for me.

On a side note, every time i get a loaner from service, i get stuck in a G35 sedan, and that sucker seems to fly when i step on it. But maybe thats cause im pushing the loaner to the brink of time warp. lol

 

I'm assuming you have a coupe becuase there was no 2008 G37S sedan and the G37S sedan comes as a manual only. If you have a 2008 G37S coupe then you have the 5 speed automatic, not the 7 speed. The 7 speed was introduced in 2009.

 

My build date is located at the bottom of the driver's door jamb. When I open my driver's door and look inside toward the bottom it shows my tire PSI,etc on a sticker. Below that and a bit further aft is the build sticker.