Just my opinion, but the paddle shifters are what they are...which is a way of gaining some control over the gear selection of your Automatic transmission. But an automatic is an automatic...and a manual is a manual...and the feel and driver feedback is imo not very comparable.

I've owned Manual Transmissions..and loved them.
I've owned Automatics...and loved them.

I now own an Automatic 2010 Sport...with the paddle shifters. I've read posts from others declaring how much they like them...how useful they can be. My PERSONAL experience? I can't get into using them. It always just feels like what it is...which is dumbing down your automatic transmission...suddenly it isn't "automatic"...

It's IMO NOT like having a clutch..and a gear shift. Which is more a direct interface between driver and machine...and much more precise.

I'm still trying from time to time to like the paddle shifters...but in over a year? I have to admit I've barely used them...

 

What feedback do you get from the transmission? Mine comes from the engine, my butt, and my eyes and hands. I shift accordingly. Using my fingers to shift is a whole lot quicker than with my clutch and gearshift. There's a couple of supercars here, a Ferrari and a Lambo that cannot be beaten for shifting on the fly. The 370Z paddler likeise. Shifting up in a corner always yields faster out of the corner and it does so in a Fit as well, just not as quick. But in F! where ONLY performance counts it's paddlers that are used.
The manual clutched transmission is on its way out, replaced by better transmission shifting mechanicals. There's no dumbing, only smarter.

 

I think the point others are making though is that the Fit still uses a torque converter, which isn't all that awesome relative to a clutch based transmission. Now I agree that having some control over gear selection is better than not. It's nice to be able to get a passing gear engaged before jumping out into the other lane to pass, for example. But a slushbox is still a slushbox; you'll still lose the energy in the fluid, for example.

In short

AT<AT with paddles << Traditional Manual or DSG

 

Oh come on? I've driven both automatics and manuals...and you can't tell me there isn't a significant difference between the driving experience of a Clutch, Gear Shift and manual transmission vs. Tapping a Paddle on your Steering wheel to input requests to an Automatic transmission.

I admit it's my subjective opinion...but whenever I try to use the paddle shifters that's how I feel...like I've suddenly put my Automatic transmission into "stupidity mode". I don't like the feel.

In the past? I've loved a clutch and a manual transmission. It's allows a much more direct and almost (dare I say it) intimate connection.

Whenever I offer my opinion on the paddle shifters, people become offended. Listen? You like em? More power to ya...I can see where they are what they are and offer "something" more than just having a straight automatic....

But IMO what driving with paddle shifters "is" is NOT what driving a manual transmission is...

I've tried for a year to get into using the paddle shifters and just can't like it...

 

yup. those paddles are a pain in the ass especially when turning. i have hit the down shift numerous times. i must say in all fairness with such a small engine using the paddle shifters does stop the auto from downshifting. very irratating. but hey i can live with that.

 

I have a MT Civic and an AT Sport Fit. I use the S-mode with paddle shifters on the Fit all the time. They are nothing close to a substitute for a real MT, but they are still better than a pure AT.

 

i've only had my 2011 sport fit for a month. before this i had only MT hondas -- for a reason. but this last year i developed an issue with my clutch leg and found shifting painful. when my CR-V decided to start falling apart (literally), i decided it was time to get a new car and this time i would get an AT to save my leg. my ex seems to think i should learn to "use" the paddle shifters -- so i have tried. i'm not an overall fan but they can be helpful because i often find myself saying to the car, "shift, damnit". in those instances, i shift with the paddle shifters. they will never replace the MT for me and i don't know if they will offer me any more control in NE winter driving conditions the way a MT would ... but i'm willing to give it a go ...

 

I liked the idea of the paddle shifters but they are slow to respond. Had a 1998 Dodge with and autostick and a 99 Dodge also. Honda should have made the Fit's paddle shifter as responsive as Chrysler's set up.

 

The day Honda starts taking a page out of Chrysler's playbook is the day that Honda dies.

I do hope Mr. Marchionne pulls the formerly great american mark out of that hole they've dug themselves.

 

Functionality-wise, the paddles do the job. Practicality-wise, they don't cut it. Now if it was on floating rings or longer paddles (cost more I'm sure), maybe. As it is, you'd have to keep both hands at 9/3 to make use of it.

The Fit doesn't pull enough G's or go fast enough to warrant both hands on the wheels at all times. Just my opinion. I hardly use them. But nice feature...

 

The major flaw is the constantly moving paddles
unless the vehicle is going in a straight line.

I want to be able to toss that wheel around and
not have to think where my "shifter" is but rather
just instinctively reach for it... as I used to when
driving semi.

So that major flaw interferes with their effective
use during everyday driving of the vehicle. Fix the
position of the paddles and the feature instantly
becomes much more usable for those who want
to be somewhat more engaged when driving.

 

i havepaddle shifters. i didnt realize there was so much usfull stuff. this thread was very informative.
i have owned both a manual and a automatic. I noticed on a particular drive going up a hill. the automatic got hot and the manual shift did not.. It was a 2,ooo foot gain. I did some reading about transmisions so at that point I really wish i still had my manual base fit

 

There's nothing wrong with liking manual transmissions; I've preferred them for 65 years. But paddle shifters are an improvement in selecting gears. On track for example paddles are exact shifting no matter what the track position while manuals require considerable care in determining just when and where to shift gears. Thats the reason for modern F1 and related hipo cars having hydraulic shifted gears rather than clutches per se. If you're into invlvement instead of performance then a manual transmission feels better But for precision the paddles are better.

 

Funny I had exactly the opposite observation. Chrysler's pb auto was not nearly as responsive as Honda's paddles. I remember Chrysler's taking forever to shift gears for no other reason than I had to reach over to the pb's to use them and then waiting for the shift to happen. My autostick didn't seem much different.
But if you want to see how responsive paddle shifting can be drive a Porsche or Ferrari. Less than 50 ms shifts are coming on street cars.

 

Well if we're going that route then might as well throw in the Formulas and Rally cars... those I like...

 

yep, that's wat i said long time ago too. the fit's paddles are pretty much just a sales pitch just like hyundai's latest cars not pairing BT to the latest phones out in the market. paddles needs to be affixed to the steering column to be functional.

imho honda should go back to the shift-lever manual mode. they were MUCH better.

 

COSIGN! I totally agree with that so long as it still shifts as fast as the transmission currently does and is set up were up shifting is pulling back and down shifting is pushing forward. A lot of people say it feels backwards but that doesn't compute to me since you usually pull straight back for the 1-2, 3-4, and 5-6 up shift for a non-dogleg manual gear boxes and the reverse order for down shifting.