If you are driving using the paddles with the transmission is in the sport mode, do you need to stop the car in order to restore the transmission to the drive mode? Can you switch with the car in motion? I have a 2012 Fit Sport and have not found the car manual clear on this. Thank you for your help.

 

On the fly is fine.

 

I don't have paddles on my Cdn Sport Auto so I am wondering how you like them? Their doesn't seem to be much discussion on their use.

You say Transmission in Sport Mode? Never heard of this mode. I do have a throttle controller that I added.

Lacking paddles I tend to just shift my auto down to 3rd using the stick.

 

this

 

Technically, its called sequential shift mode rather than sport. And it's still paddle shifters mated to an autotragic transmission. Its useful for wringing out some higher revs from the engine, but its not like driving a stick. I haven't ever driven a DSG gearbox with paddles so I can't compare it to that either.

 

The 2012 Sports automatic model has two different transmission settings, D(drive) and S(sport) are on the floor.

I have found that the way the transmission is geared, the car is pretty quiet on the freeway at 70mph. The engine stays at around 2500-2600 rpm. When I tested the base model with automatic transmission which didn't have the paddles,the range was more like 3500 rpm and seemed more noisy.

I am also finding that I need more time to adapt to freeway driving in this vehicle. It feels much different from my prior BMW 5 series. The 5 had a more "stuck to the ground" feel and this car feels very different. It seems more "hoppy".

 

You need a white owner then. I find mine fine on the hwy at 70-75. A bit more movement with snows on 15" though as more tread and sidewall.

I leave my TC set on Eco 4. I tend to forget I have it even though it is sitting right there on the steering column.

 

It is interesting that when I drove the base model, the "hoppy" nature on the freeway was more prominent. Even the salesman who was new and not very familiar with the Fit noticed it as well. Some of my perception may be clouded by the difference in vehicle size and the many years of driving my prior car.

As a aside, the car has Dunlop tires. I seem to be having difficulties finding the expected mileage for the tires. The salesman thought they were 30k.

So far, with most of the driving being in town we are getting around 28mpg, close to double of my 5 series. We are not driving aggressively as the manual says to be conservative in driving for the first 600 miles for the engine protection and I think 300 miles for the brakes.

 

ive gone from manual mode to auto mode in my AT while driving. no issue.

 

The hoppiness disappeared and the happiness appeared when I replaced the stock tires. They may as well have put wooden wagon wheels on the car...The tracking, cornering, comfort, and noise level all noticeably improved. And that is by switching the factory tires for snow tires, which are traditionally noisy...Switching to 15 inch wheels with all-season tires made me even happier...

 

But a weird thing happened in my car...I had it in "S" mode, and pushed the shifter to go to "D", but it went past "D" and into "N" instead. Shouldn't you have to push the button on the shifter to go to "N"?

 

^ no you can freely slide it between N-D-S with no issues the button jsut to put it in R and P

 

Should be a button press to go from D to S.

 

yea now that i think about it, it might have been a button to go D-S but not S-D

 

For those in icy and snowy climates you can put the transmission into "S" mode then shift up to second gear while stopped. This will allow you to leave a full stop without breaking traction as easily. Once you start speeding up you just push the shifter to "D" and keep going.

I use the paddles often to override with "D" is doing. Either to downshift while approaching an intersection or to upshift while slowly accelerating.

 

I noticed that switching from [D]rive to [S]port/[S]equential immediately puts the transmission into 3rd gear. Is there a way to have it shift into 4th?

 

Yep, I had the same thing. Went to studded snows on 14" rims. Everything but the road noise improved (expected that though, since studs are not quiet). I am now on my summers (gave up on snows this winter), which are UPH all seasons in 205/50r16 and everything is much better.

 

You know I did this when a %$^&% Taxi Prius cut me off. I was in 'N' and I nearly pissed in my pants--The engine screamed and I almost had a collision. I don't know what came over me, shifting to 'N'

 

It should stay in whatever gear the tranny was on in D at the time. So click on the right paddle when in doubt so you know what gear you're in. Just me...

 

When your driving at speed, say 55 MPH, and shift to Sport mode, it's more like disabling an overdrive mode on other cars. Gear changes are slightly different in "S" before using the paddles. The actual Sport mode doesn't kick in until you use the paddles.