<5er> Automatic transmissions?

["Miller, Michael C" <michael.c.miller@xxxxxxxx>]

I am considering an older used 5-series to complement our '76 2002.  The
problem is, my wife does not ever intend to learn to shift.  So, I need an
automatic.  Are any of the automatics worth a darn, performance wise?  Quite
a while ago I drove a nice 528e automatic at the local BMW dealer, but it
didn't seem to have any guts, no real response.  Felt like a Ford automatic.

Has BMW offered one of those manual shifting automatics like the Porsche
Tiptronic?  If so, how long ago was it introduced?

Or, are automatics just boring no matter if its BMW or Ford?

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