can u shift anytime u want in the at trans w/paddle shifter using sport mode? or does it shift for u @ a certain rpm? can some1 clear that up for me, ive heard many different things

 

on D mode, you can shift manually, but it will go back to auto selection after i believe 5 sec.

on S mode, it will shift 1-3 on redline (i think, i havent gone that high in RPM), then you have to manually do 4-5

 

o ok, then its not bad , if it shifts for u @ 3000 rpm on sport mode, i might as well get a manual -_-

 

Just to clarify....S mode it will only shift for you (1-3) if you haven't engaged the paddles. If you have, you have to shift with the paddles or you will bounce of the rev limiter.

In sport mode with the paddles engaged its pretty much a completely clutchless manual car. Except for the whole automatically shifting to (1) when you come to a stop.

 

thank god, alright now i will prob get the automatic trans, maybe dec-jan (17 year old)

 

yea, once you are at a light tap the paddles and you can bounce it off the red line all you want.

 

you should get a manual transmission.

 

D: You can shift manually, but it will take over after a few seconds. However, if you shift manually for a purpose (i.e. to hold speed going downhill) it will respect that and hold that gear until you push the throttle. It also will override shifts at times.

S: It is in a "wind out the gears" sport mode until you touch a paddle. Once you touch a paddle, it stays in manual mode until you shift out of S.

S (manual) gives you full manual control, with a few caveats:

It will downshift to keep from lugging. If you slow, it will downshift rather than stall.

When you come to a dead stop, it reverts to first.

If you attempt to upshift to a gear that would lug, it will refuse (the indicator will show the gear you tried to shift to intermittently flashing).

Lastly, the lockup torque converter is unaffected by manual mode. If you floor it in M5, it will unlock the torque converter, which (at highway speeds) will raise the engine speed by ~500 RPM. This is a bit like having an extra ratio in there, but it is less efficient because some of the energy is lost to slippage in the coupling.

Aside from a CR-V I owned briefly (a deal to trade my truck and drive my exwife's car for a few months until I bought the Element), I've only had stick shifts in my 14 years of driving. This is the first automatic that has caught my attention and maintained probably 4/5 of the fun of a manual. I can have fun hammering through the gears, but I also have a nice spot to stretch my left leg where the clutch would be, since the foot-rest feels really close and a bit on the small side... I fear that I'm going to wear away a spot on the carpet where my toes extend over the top of it!