2007 BMW X5 – Six-speed Steptronic transmission

Last year's six-speed manual transmission, a rare treat for enthusiasts in a segment almost completely dominated by automatics, has been dropped for 2007, as has the five-speed automatic. The only available transmission this year is a six-speed Steptronic automatic, which features regular, manual, and sport modes, though paddle shifters are absent. As with the BMW 7 Series and various products from the likes of Mercedes-Benz, the X5's shifter isn't moved down through the gears in a traditional way. Instead, it's a drive-by-wire system, with slight clicks of the knob serving to electronically change gears. It takes some getting used to, and seems like another possible case of technology for the sake of technology.