A Week of A/T Manual Shifting Mode

[dem00n]

Don't know if it just me but in Manual mode with sport mode on i notice it downshifts a lot faster when you let the car downshift.

[davesrave]

Originally Posted by CircuitJerk

One thing I've noticed is in auto mode, sometimes when disabling the sport mode feature immediately after some spirited acceleration, it's as if it ignored the fact I turned it off and hangs in the latest gear until I do something.

That confirms what I've seen as well.

[Demandred7]

Originally Posted by dem00n

Don't know if it just me but in Manual mode with sport mode on i notice it downshifts a lot faster when you let the car downshift.

It isn't just you. I think this is true as well. When I plan on some spirited driving, I use both Sport mode as well as VSC Sport while in Manual mode.

[Ocala FR-S]

Originally Posted by CircuitJerk

Can you tell a difference? I sure can't. I'm headed out to go see a movie (Django) and I'll hit my secret spot on the way home to put some focus on sport mode enabled vs disabled in manual.

One thing I've noticed is in auto mode, sometimes when disabling the sport mode feature immediately after some spirited acceleration, it's as if it ignored the fact I turned it off and hangs in the latest gear until I do something.

BTW, I didn't mean to imply these claims were not legitimate, I just don't always trust a reviewer, no matter the credibility.

Personally, I haven't made the comparisons. I will next week after I finish my vow of manual only mode through this Friday. The reviews seem to be regurgitating manufacturer claims when they attribute faster shifts and throttle response in sport mode, they don't talk about it as a first hand observation. If such quicker response exists over and above the shifts in normal auto mode, then I would hope/guess such quicker response would also be experienced in manual mode no matter the circumstance (normal to manual, sport to manual, or even temporary manual while in either normal or sport).

Haven't paid close enough attention to sport mode behavior immediately after turning it off to see if it "hangs on". I believe it though. While in Sport Mode it certainly is stubborn about staying in a lower gear after lifting off the throttle. I'm usually just waiting for the upshift. It's almost too aggressive for most any street situations. I've not used it enough to really judge.

I'm on a mission to get to the bottom of what makes the A/T tick. I'll get there.

[Ocala FR-S]

Day 2

Well here’s my Day 2 report of the week of A/T manual shift mode only.

Just when I thought there was nothing left to confuse, I managed to downshift when I meant to blip the cruise control down in speed. Just a brain fart concerning what my hands are used to doing on the wheel. Other than that, I am quickly gaining a second nature as to when to shift. With my last car being an M/T, it’s coming to me quickly. Though the less I think about how to shift, the more old habits creep in. My left leg and right arm get restless each time I think about when to shift (must remember... just use the paddle). It seems there is more to unlearn than there is to learn in this process.

I am being stubborn about using the paddles over using the stick. I want to avoid confusion about how I do manual shifts. As one poster pointed out, you can’t use the stick to do the occasional manual shifts while in auto drive or sport mode, otherwise an upshift maneuver puts you in neutral. So for now, paddles it is.

[CircuitJerk]

Originally Posted by dem00n

Don't know if it just me but in Manual mode with sport mode on i notice it downshifts a lot faster when you let the car downshift.

Originally Posted by Demandred7

It isn't just you. I think this is true as well. When I plan on some spirited driving, I use both Sport mode as well as VSC Sport while in Manual mode.

I just tested that, I must be missing something. I just pounded the shit out of it for a while with that in mind and trying to spot a difference in behavior with manual and sport mode enabled vs disabled.

I'd love to be proven wrong. but it doesn't seem to be any better when I enable sport mode. Throttle response included.

[ScionFrsFan]

I really think manual mode means manual mode lol

[Demandred7]

Originally Posted by CircuitJerk

I just tested that, I must be missing something. I just pounded the shit out of it for a while with that in mind and trying to spot a difference in behavior with manual and sport mode enabled vs disabled.

I'd love to be proven wrong. but it doesn't seem to be any better when I enable sport mode. Throttle response included.

I could be totally mistaken, but, it is more in the gear change that I think that I feel it. However, it may in fact be meaningless if you were in manual mode, it just seems to make sense that the presence of a dash board light would mean something.

[exmayol]

Originally Posted by Demandred7

to my brain BMW and Mazda have it backwards (pull down to upshift).

QFT

[M1schiev0us]

Originally Posted by Ocala FR-S

I am being stubborn about using the paddles over using the stick. I want to avoid confusion about how I do manual shifts. As one poster pointed out, you can’t use the stick to do the occasional manual shifts while in auto drive or sport mode, otherwise an upshift maneuver puts you in neutral. So for now, paddles it is.

Well speaking as someone who uses a similar system in an IS350, I use a combination of the paddles/stick every time I drive so I'm in Manual mode 99.9% of the time. I generally only use the stick on side streets when I'm making a bunch of low speed 90 degree turns which forces my hands to come off the wheel to rotate. In the mountains or on the freeway I'm always on the paddles since that allows my hands to maintain contact with the wheel.

The only time I've ever made that "shift into Neutral" mistake was when I left the car in Auto because I was inattentive and didn't move the stick far enough to engage Manual Solution, ALWAYS put the car in Manual and you should never shift into neutral no matter which input you use.

Now, that is assuming this transmission uses the same logic that mine does, which is giving you manual control of your top gear, but still making downshifts for you if you go too slow for the selected gear. I.E. - I can force the car to never go above 3rd gear and ping off the rev limiter all day, but if I slow down then mash on the pedal to accelerate, the car will automatically drop into 1st/2nd gear as needed even though it says I've selected 3rd gear. So, if I feel like being lazy I stick the car in 6th gear and it functions exactly like it would had I left the car in full auto.

Does this car do that, or does it actually just hold the gear you've selected no matter what? I once used my friend's tiptronic GTI which just held the selected gear and it drove me nuts trying to re-adapt

[CircuitJerk]

Originally Posted by Demandred7

it just seems to make sense that the presence of a dash board light would mean something.

Well, I look at it as something that's ready when I make the decision slap the stick to auto mode. I hate to qualify myself in the knowledge or experience in logic and programmable controls, but this isn't uncommon for a feature to remain illuminated but not functional unless other conditions are present. In this case, one. It is simply "at the ready" with a single input change, rather than two to re-enable.

One of the benefits I've found with this is when I'm in manual mode, and I need to down shift more than a couple gears and I want the computer to do the thinking for me as to the best gear to select for the speed I am going. Sure, I can generally calculate my speed and figure what the lowest gear would be the best to land in without bouncing off the limiter, which is something we'd do with an MT.
The beauty of this is, rather than tapping the paddle or the stick to downshift multiple times; with a simultaneous flick of the wrist to auto, and mashing the pedal, it will kick down to the lowest gear and I'm off.

[BoostedWrbBrz]

Originally Posted by M1schiev0us

Well speaking as someone who uses a similar system in an IS350, I use a combination of the paddles/stick every time I drive so I'm in Manual mode 99.9% of the time. I generally only use the stick on side streets when I'm making a bunch of low speed 90 degree turns which forces my hands to come off the wheel to rotate. In the mountains or on the freeway I'm always on the paddles since that allows my hands to maintain contact with the wheel.

The only time I've ever made that "shift into Neutral" mistake was when I left the car in Auto because I was inattentive and didn't move the stick far enough to engage Manual Solution, ALWAYS put the car in Manual and you should never shift into neutral no matter which input you use.

Now, that is assuming this transmission uses the same logic that mine does, which is giving you manual control of your top gear, but still making downshifts for you if you go too slow for the selected gear. I.E. - I can force the car to never go above 3rd gear and ping off the rev limiter all day, but if I slow down then mash on the pedal to accelerate, the car will automatically drop into 1st/2nd gear as needed even though it says I've selected 3rd gear. So, if I feel like being lazy I stick the car in 6th gear and it functions exactly like it would had I left the car in full auto.

Does this car do that, or does it actually just hold the gear you've selected no matter what? I once used my friend's tiptronic GTI which just held the selected gear and it drove me nuts trying to re-adapt

if you have say 4th gear selected at crusing speed and mash the accelerator, it will not downshift unless you put it in auto or downshit yourself.

[sho220]

Originally Posted by SlvrFrs

if you have say 4th gear selected at crusing speed and mash the accelerator, it will not downshift unless you put it in auto or downshit yourself.

All that's going to do is mess up your seats...

[BoostedWrbBrz]

Originally Posted by sho220

All that's going to do is mess up your seats...

Lmfao!