The dreaded Automatic Transmission Feel - Page 6 - Toyota GR86, 86, FR-S and Subaru BRZ Forum & Owners Community

BRZPDX · 12-11-2013, 08:59 PM

Grass is always greener, I do miss driving MT, but the AT is nice as well. We'll see if it can hold up going FI in a couple weeks..

mid_life_crisis · 12-12-2013, 12:15 AM

Since this is a thread for automatics, I have a question for other drivers of AT models.
Am I imagining things or is there a point when the programming of Sport mode abruptly becomes seriously more aggressive? As if at a preset mileage (breakin period?) it changes to a different program. Mine suddenly started running all the way up to redline before shifting and if the throttle is lifted it keeps the car in the right gear to keep the engine up in a very high rpm range, ready to take off if I floor it again. It stays up there for several seconds, too. I personally love the change but wonder what happened.

TwinturboCamry · 12-12-2013, 11:30 AM

Your driving style changed. If you hammer it, the computer knows you want power and holds the revs. That's all. You can drive around normally on sport and stay under 3k if you dont put ur foot into it.

chiefshayan · 12-12-2013, 11:42 AM

I really like the automatic transmission in this car. When I originally wrote this post, I was just thinking that "only enthusiast would drive manual, and automatics are lame". After more time with the car and a track day, it's actually a lot of fun. I'll be the one to admit, I'm not the best manual driver on a track, it takes a lot of concentration and precision to go fast around a track shifting gears. I saw people missing gear shifts all over the track, not keeping the rpms high enough after a turn, and I felt I would probably be missing a lot of gears too.

I talked to people and they said they enjoy manual even if it means a slower time because of human error, and I agree. As long as your having fun in your car nothing else matters!

But this automatic is not like the dreaded BMW smg system, or the audi tiptronic (sucked). It lets you pretty much shift when you want (other than downshifting into a gear that would break past 7400 rpm) and is pretty quick on the shifts, I would say even similar to VW's dual clutch system. Plus the automatics will be receiving upgrades from companies such as SSP performance with upgraded clutch, higher stall torque convertors, and upgraded transmission coolers to handle big turbo/SC power.

SirBrass · 12-12-2013, 12:58 PM

I sometimes wonder if I should have test driven an auto brz, but I was only interested in manual b/c I was unaware of the quality of the AT in this car. However, it's probably a "grass is greener" issue with me there. The MT is fantastic & the best I've ever driven. Even in traffic, it's not hard, but I've only driven MT for years so it's no big deal.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

jamesm · 12-12-2013, 01:05 PM

the problem with the at isn't the shifting action, which is actually pretty nice. the problem is the gearing. it's just way too tall, and makes an already sluggish car even slower. that said, if i was building a turbo drag car, it'd probably be an automatic as the gearing would be a benefit in that case.

s2d4 · 12-12-2013, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesm

the problem with the at isn't the shifting action, which is actually pretty nice. the problem is the gearing. it's just way too tall, and makes an already sluggish car even slower. that said, if i was building a turbo drag car, it'd probably be an automatic as the gearing would be a benefit in that case.

Just change the final drive?

jamesm · 12-12-2013, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s2d4

Just change the final drive?

i've been thinking about that. now that i've gone turbo the mt gearing is too short. auto gearing would be more appropriate lol.

s2d4 · 12-12-2013, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesm

i've been thinking about that. now that i've gone turbo the mt gearing is too short. auto gearing would be more appropriate lol.

lol, I am going the other way around, no turbo so yeah.

SirBrass · 12-12-2013, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesm

i've been thinking about that. now that i've gone turbo the mt gearing is too short. auto gearing would be more appropriate lol.

You can change your final gear ratio, or is it the ratio between the gears that's the issue.

Btw, both AT and MT have the same final reduction ratio: 4.100

kuhlka · 12-12-2013, 02:20 PM

Long term goal has always been a supercharger to bring the car more into my STI's power range, so I have zero problems with the taller gearing. It just means keeping the revs higher at autocross and better MPG on the freeway.

OrbitalEllipses · 12-12-2013, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirBrass

You can change your final gear ratio, or is it the ratio between the gears that's the issue.

Btw, both AT and MT have the same final reduction ratio: 4.100

If I had a turbo, I'd probably get a taller FD. Changing space between gears is something best left to the motorsports world. I haven't seen a single gearset released for this car yet.

Wonder what a turbo AT with shorter FD feels like though.

jamesm · 12-12-2013, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirBrass

You can change your final gear ratio, or is it the ratio between the gears that's the issue.

Btw, both AT and MT have the same final reduction ratio: 4.100

the actual gear ratios are way taller in the at though, right? certainly seems as such from driving one.

OrbitalEllipses · 12-12-2013, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jamesm

the actual gear ratios are way taller in the at though, right? certainly seems as such from driving one.

They are. Two overdriven gears versus the MT's one.

12-12-2013, 12:15 AM	#72
mid_life_crisis Senior Member Join Date: May 2013 Drives: FR-S 10 #103 AT Location: NC Posts: 1,519 Thanks: 101 Thanked 599 Times in 347 Posts Mentioned: 5 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Since this is a thread for automatics, I have a question for other drivers of AT models. Am I imagining things or is there a point when the programming of Sport mode abruptly becomes seriously more aggressive? As if at a preset mileage (breakin period?) it changes to a different program. Mine suddenly started running all the way up to redline before shifting and if the throttle is lifted it keeps the car in the right gear to keep the engine up in a very high rpm range, ready to take off if I floor it again. It stays up there for several seconds, too. I personally love the change but wonder what happened. __________________ Necessity may be the mother of Invention but Desperation is quite often the father. “Sex is like Bridge. If you don't have a good partner, you'd better have a good hand.” - Mae West Papa said, "son there's a lot of evil temptations out there. Best to try 'em all so you know which ones to avoid."

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12-12-2013, 11:30 AM	#73
TwinturboCamry Banned Join Date: Oct 2013 Drives: 4 wheels Location: Canada Posts: 122 Thanks: 7 Thanked 162 Times in 45 Posts Mentioned: 0 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	Your driving style changed. If you hammer it, the computer knows you want power and holds the revs. That's all. You can drive around normally on sport and stay under 3k if you dont put ur foot into it.

12-12-2013, 11:42 AM	#74
chiefshayan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Drives: 2013 AT Firestorm FRS Location: Berkeley Posts: 433 Thanks: 185 Thanked 184 Times in 88 Posts Mentioned: 7 Post(s) Tagged: 0 Thread(s)	I really like the automatic transmission in this car. When I originally wrote this post, I was just thinking that "only enthusiast would drive manual, and automatics are lame". After more time with the car and a track day, it's actually a lot of fun. I'll be the one to admit, I'm not the best manual driver on a track, it takes a lot of concentration and precision to go fast around a track shifting gears. I saw people missing gear shifts all over the track, not keeping the rpms high enough after a turn, and I felt I would probably be missing a lot of gears too. I talked to people and they said they enjoy manual even if it means a slower time because of human error, and I agree. As long as your having fun in your car nothing else matters! But this automatic is not like the dreaded BMW smg system, or the audi tiptronic (sucked). It lets you pretty much shift when you want (other than downshifting into a gear that would break past 7400 rpm) and is pretty quick on the shifts, I would say even similar to VW's dual clutch system. Plus the automatics will be receiving upgrades from companies such as SSP performance with upgraded clutch, higher stall torque convertors, and upgraded transmission coolers to handle big turbo/SC power.

12-12-2013, 01:05 PM	#76
jamesm Banned Join Date: Mar 2013 Drives: 2013 FR-S Location: Orlando, FL Posts: 2,929 Thanks: 1,166 Thanked 2,293 Times in 1,180 Posts Mentioned: 313 Post(s) Tagged: 4 Thread(s)	the problem with the at isn't the shifting action, which is actually pretty nice. the problem is the gearing. it's just way too tall, and makes an already sluggish car even slower. that said, if i was building a turbo drag car, it'd probably be an automatic as the gearing would be a benefit in that case.

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