What are your thoughts on Paddle shifting and a Manual gear box.

I love driving a manual gearbox and the joy of it, but what's up with the Plastic Paddle shifting... I don't see anything special about it.

 

For daily driving, the paddles are alright. It, along with some throttle manipulation, helps keep the torque converter from locking and unlocking all the time when driving in traffic as well as the frequent gear shifts. For spirited driving, they are pretty niffy. I don't have to worry about missing a gear and damaging the trans or engine by over-revving since it will lock out the gear if you are going too fast.

Driving with the paddles have gotten old after 6 months of having the car (I paddle daily). I would much rather have a manual though because I am a control freak. I've developed a bad habit now that I reach for a shifter every time I up-shift and the thing about it, I've never owned a manual and only driven one once.

 

The whole raison d'etre of paddle shifters is that you minimize the hand movement needed for swapping gears, so that in theory your hands are always left on the wheel.

In competition driving, this certainly has its benefits (Formula 1 and WRC drivers use them), and for everyday use, you're better able to react to emergencies because your hands are always ready on the wheel.

The construction of the paddles isn't standard however. For example, Porsche has idiosyncratic push-pull "toggles" on the wheel spokes for its PDK dual-clutch gearbox, and many a carmaker has opted to make the paddles move along with the wheel as you turn (which is potentially confusing), as opposed to how Ferrari and others have done it - stationary and column-mounted (which subscribe to the philosophy that you do all your gear-changing and braking before the turn).

Some cars have manual shifters that already require very minimal hand movement from the wheel, however. The best, most recent example I could think of was the old EP3 Civic Si/Type R. Lots of people in the motoring press liked how its high shifter knob placement mimicked that of a BTCC Touring Car's, literally just a handspan away from the steering.

The thing with paddle-shift gearboxes is, most of them are connected to garden-variety automatics. Very few of them are real manuals, although dual-clutch gearboxes seem to address that.

 

I couldn't bring myself to buy a car with paddle shifters, let alone pay more for it.

 

You know, I never really thought about it much, but this is exactly why I bought a MT - plus the fact that I could simply not see the Fit with an auto tranny.

 

Hmm i have had a MT Fit and Now a AT with paddle shifters. I like the AT better for road trips and around town. But i hate the paddle shifters there crap if you ask me i have used them twice. I would not mind a MT Fit again though. But for me a AT is nice but once again can't stand the paddle shifters they are not the same as shifting a MT.

 

I hate paddle shifters with a passion.....takes less skill to drive fast with those....although i hate anything that makes cars less dangerous/easier to drive....traction control, abs, stability control, launch control, awd, etc.

 

My Fit has paddle shifters. I don't use them. I just put it in drive and go. So simple!

 

if the paddles are stationary on the steering column and if the AT is a non-torque converter with electronic clutch (DSG/SMG type), and if there are winding roads in my neighborhood, i might consider getting the paddles.

until then, MT all the way. the Fit's paddles are a joke how it spins with the steering wheel when you turn, and how slushy the torque converter is. Fit in AT form should've just come with a regular AT with selectable gear-hold like on the civics imho!

 

I'm waiting for the 2011 FITs. Must admit I'd be very pleased if they offer a six speed. Anyway, for this small car with the small engine I'll stick with a manual transmission. I enjoy the feeling of control (I have three cars with a "stick" transmission) and additional acceleration. And ... it's just plain more fun to drive.

 

A few folks around here will be quite surprised if they offer a six-speed MT. Welcome to the forum - post up in the GE8 when you get your ride, good luck.

K_C

 

Quite surprised or ready to swap out missions? :D

 

Yah, I too would be interested if they offered a Fit with a 6MT and aggressive gearing for 1st-4th. the GD's gearing, especially 2nd gear is too tall for its weak engine and rpm is too high for expressways in 5th.

 

Without a shift knob in your hand, you're just a passenger.

+1 for the 6MT

 

I drove my sisters GD with paddles once.............once

 

Afterwards did it make you feel like dressing in drag?

 

I don't get all the name calling and petty bickering...or the smack talk of boy racers in econoboxes with manual transmissions...yes you get better mileage when you aren't driving like a maniac, yes you have marginally better control over the car, but I can creep in traffic without having to do a leg press, and at the flick of a button my car downshifts so I can make it through a light or pass someone on the freeway.

For commuting to work the automatic transmission is a much better choice for me, I can relax and listen to my music rather than performing an aerobic workout in my car for neglible mpg or mph...I have faster and more comfortable cars-one with a stick shift even, but my automatic Fit Sport with the shifters is a great commuting econobox, and isn't that what it was designed for?

 

the paddles are good for mountain riding

 

haha yeah the rpm's on the 5MT is too high on expressways in 5th. It's about 3.5k 70mph around there. Most 6MT are around 2.5k 70mph.... better mpg?? maybe.

 

No? Should it have?