A Week of A/T Manual Shifting Mode

[Ocala FR-S]

Here’s my Day 5 report of the week of A/T manual shift mode only.

Just routine work commute and lunchtime driving today. I have been using a combination of mostly paddle shifting with the floor shifter for shifting from 1st to 2nd while in a turn initiated from a dead stop. Yes, in these situations I shift while in a turn and so do you.

Greater familiarity with controls and shift points have made shifting routine. The lasting challenge will be in consistently selecting the correct gear. With a M/T, each gear has a specific stick position. You can always know what gear you’re in and what gear you’re selecting just through feel. A/T manual is relative. I swore I was in 4th gear, and I swore I paddled down two gears. I found myself in 1st gear. Maybe when braking the auto dropped me to third before I started shifting, maybe I paddled three times, maybe I was in 3rd and not 4th like I thought. I’ll never know.

It’s getting to be a practice thing now. I’ve done at least this many stupid things with an M/T, why should this be different.

[M1schiev0us]

Originally Posted by Ocala FR-S

From a dead stop, first gear winds out before you can complete a left turn in a large city intersection. If you don't mind travelling 27 feet at a steady 5700 rpms with a Camry slowly crawling up your butt while you wait for the turn to end, then fine, otherwise it's well past time to shift.

Ah, there's the rub. I read that as if you were talking about turns out in the mountains, not on the street. Mea Culpa!

As far as street cornering goes however, I've now managed to test an A/T FRS and never really encountered this issue. I found that I could clear intersections pretty easily even keeping it under 5k rpm since the Sales Rep was sitting with me. Having said that, it was just a short 20 minute test drive and I'm not sure I encountered the same type of intersections you have, so I'm going to defer to your experience and just say good luck and keep at it!

You're right though, it really is all just about time in the seat playing with the paddles. I've had my IS350 for 6 years now and the paddles are basically second nature. The rep started explaining how to shift into Manual mode as we were driving out of the lot, saw me do it without even thinking about and just start paddling away, stopped mid sentence, then showed me the quickest way to get to the closest twisty road (well, as twisty as you can get in the middle of San Diego)

[Ocala FR-S]

Days 6&7

Here’s days 6&7 report of the week of A/T manual shift mode only.

Well this ends the ritual of manual mode only driving. Nothing like having jumped into the deep end to see how the water is.

More commuting and other around town driving. Nothing new or monumental.Manual shifting is all good and fine but you are mostly trying to do what the automatic mode does very nicely for you. I will probably spend most of my time in normal auto mode using temporary manual shifts especially for downshifts when coming into turns. Next I’ll be exploring A/T sport mode.

Thanks to everyone who shared my experience here in the forum. I appreciated all the interesting comments and suggestions regarding the A/T. The A/Tin this car is a technological marvel. Second only to the vehicle’s stellar handling, I find it to be one of the most exciting aspects of driving this car.

[CircuitJerk]

Having agonized over the decision on what to choose at first, I have to say had I chosen the manual, (this is my perspective) I might have been a little jelly reading this thread.
Stuff like this is why I'm happy I chose the AT. It also feeds the geek in me a little...

[Capstan]

Originally Posted by Ocala FR-S

Days 6&7
I will probably spend most of my time in normal auto mode using temporary manual shifts especially for downshifts when coming into turns. Next I’ll be exploring A/T sport mode.

I find that the A/T on this car is generally spot-on about shifting and demands nothing concentration-wise for ordinary around-town driving, so I am very pleased that I chose it. I use automatic mode 99%. The only times I am not entirely happy are when I am going around an interesting curve and may have to hit the accelerator more than I wanted to get a downshift. Now I drive in sport mode with VSC turned off and this happens less often.

[Ocala FR-S]

Originally Posted by Capstan

I find that the A/T on this car is generally spot-on about shifting and demands nothing concentration-wise for ordinary around-town driving, so I am very pleased that I chose it. I use automatic mode 99%. The only times I am not entirely happy are when I am going around an interesting curve and may have to hit the accelerator more than I wanted to get a downshift. Now I drive in sport mode with VSC turned off and this happens less often.

I've tried A/T sport mode and like the shifts but once you reach speed it cruises in too low a gear for my liking. I'm going to try a temporary manual upshift once I reach speed to see if it that'll hold. Spirited street driving often means accelering quickly to about the speed limit then quickly leveling off. Sport mode doesn't do the last part well. I use VSC sport mode often. I've yet to find full VSC helpful or anything close to saving me from trouble. I've had the inside rear wheel brake syndrome a few times, supposedly saving me from some minor understeer. Now I've even experienced the outside front wheel braking supposedly saving me from some minor oversteer. That was even stranger. I do plan to get stickier tires sooner or later. Then maybe VSC won't always be kicking in.

[Captain Insano]

Great thread. I find it easiest to use floor shifter in tight turns from a stop. I have also experimented with paddling quickly to 2nd while starting turn but before I am too deep into turn and ithas plenty of grunt and 2nd is long enough to get through turn.

[Ocala FR-S]

Originally Posted by Captain Insano

Great thread. I find it easiest to use floor shifter in tight turns from a stop. I have also experimented with paddling quickly to 2nd while starting turn but before I am too deep into turn and ithas plenty of grunt and 2nd is long enough to get through turn.

This is exactly what I found myself doing. Early paddle or later on the floor if I'm launching into traffic.

[EK_Golfer]

When up shifting (or downshifting) do you guys find it better to get off the throttle, or just keep your foot on the throttle. I can't tell which gives smoother shifting

[CircuitJerk]

That's the point with an automatic.
You don't change the throttle input for shifting, there is no benefit.
That is unless one might be embarrased and is trying to make it sound like they're driving a manual.
Don't be that guy..LOL

[Ocala FR-S]

Originally Posted by EK_Golfer

When up shifting (or downshifting) do you guys find it better to get off the throttle, or just keep your foot on the throttle. I can't tell which gives smoother shifting

I keep my foot on the throttle for upshifts. It has the shifting all good for you on upshifts. You would just lose acceleration to lift between shifts. As for downshifts, you can get off the throttle and enjoy the electronic rev matching that blips the rpms up for you to match the next lowest gear.

[Wilsonk227]

Originally Posted by Demandred7

I appreciate the further clarification on zoomzoomers post. There is a DIY to change it to your preference.

I still like it the way it is.

All of the tiptronic/sport shift/semi-automatic transmissions that I have driven are the same as the FR-S and perhaps I am just used to it.

Or perhaps, it is just simply up is upshift and down is downshift. There just seems to be a logic to it.

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

do you have a link to this diy?

[Demandred7]

Originally Posted by Wilsonk227

do you have a link to this diy?

Scroll down a little, the DIY is in there:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...Switch+shifter

I didn't try this DIY, but, I hope this helps.

[Wilsonk227]

Originally Posted by Demandred7

Scroll down a little, the DIY is in there:

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...Switch+shifter

I didn't try this DIY, but, I hope this helps.

thanks xD i probably won't do it, just cus i don't like messing with anything electrical, but i just wanted to see what it'd be like. Can always learn a thing or two from just reading and researching xD