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TonyEX
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So, our TSX has paddle shifters.. You are supposed to use them full time when in "Sport" mode. The driver then mostly controls the gearing (limitations as shifting into 5th too early or forgetting to downshift when slowing down will override you into 3rd and 1st).
So, in "Sport" mode you're supposed to drive fast and waste gas.
However, it dawned on me that I can use the paddle shifters to keep the engine in the highest gear possible at all time.. hence getting better mileage.
So, off the line, on light/part throttle I'll upshift into the next higher gear at 2400 rpm or sooner. The car won't accept 5th gear unless it can pull 2400 rpm but it will hold it down just under 2000.
When coming to a stop I let the car downshift.. which it will also only do at the last minute in order to keep the engine from stalling. In essence giving the driver the benefit of the doubt until the last possible second.
Results so far are interesting, this is still early but i'm seeing 19mpg+ whereas before, driving in "Drive" and equally mellow, I got 17mpg.
We'll see, but it's and interesting concept.
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BorisHonda
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As you can see from the experience, you do not have control at all. Paddle shifters are created so drives Assume they have control but it is mostly like 'play with paddles, do not talk on the the phone' scenario. They are good for engine breaking though... And I doubt you can stall automatic?!?!?!?
Computer will override whenever it thinks you are not right so paddles are a joke. You cannot hold certain gear if computer decides you are in wrong.
Up shifting happens when you reach certain speed, not RPM (as from my experience).
If you want good mileage, buy stick shift; there you can shift into whatever gear and keep it there. Will you break an engine, it is up to your skill.
Have fun!
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TonyEX
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BorisHonda wrote:
As you can see from the experience, you do not have control at all. Paddle shifters are created so drives Assume they have control but it is mostly like 'play with paddles, do not talk on the the phone' scenario. They are good for engine breaking though... And I doubt you can stall automatic?!?!?!?
Computer will override whenever it thinks you are not right so paddles are a joke. You cannot hold certain gear if computer decides you are in wrong.
Up shifting happens when you reach certain speed, not RPM (as from my experience).
If you want good mileage, buy stick shift; there you can shift into whatever gear and keep it there. Will you break an engine, it is up to your skill.
Have fun!
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No, actually the TSX gives you a lot of control.
This is what I see... with the shifter on "S":
On upshifts, you can choose an upper gear if you're above 2000 rpm.
On upshifts, 5th gear can not be engaged unless you're above 2400 rpm ( I think that's about 35 mph or so ).
Slowing down, if you forget to downshift, as you slow down the transmission will drop to 3rd.
When you come to a stop, the transmission shifts into 1st.
The shifts are MUCH faster than I can effect in the Civic Si. MUCH faster. The one aspect of the paddle shifters I really like is that going into a turn, I can preselect down two gears -click, click- without taking my hands off the wheel and the transmission will seamlessly do the shifts as soon as possible while I hunt for the apex.. then at the apex, I find myself in the right gear.
The more I use the paddle shifters, the less I miss the Sport Shift on the console.
There's one place where the location of the paddles is awkward though. Making a left in a small intersection off a stop... since the wheel is turned quite a bit (more than 90 degrees) it's hard to reach and upshift into 2nd. I usually just flick it through the wheel with my left hand... but this is at very slow speeds so most folks would not be shifting at that point... I guess I'm a bit insane in my quest for efficiency. ;-)
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FiSH-Chan
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BorisHonda wrote:
As you can see from the experience, you do not have control at all. Paddle shifters are created so drives Assume they have control but it is mostly like 'play with paddles, do not talk on the the phone' scenario. They are good for engine breaking though... And I doubt you can stall automatic?!?!?!?
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In heavy traffic, automatics are always faster than manuals. Cutting in and out of slow moving jams and others doing the same thing (which is mostly what happen with my drive), driving an automatic will always be faster. With a manual you have to press the clutch and shift, by then the person next to you with the automatic is already in front of you. Or you have to be always ready with the clutch at all times and it gets really tiring when everything is not moving and when they do and you're not ready it and someone cut to you and you're still not moving it becomes furstrating. Trust me I know I have been driving my wife's car and things I can do with the Honda I simply impossible to do that (not helping also is the crappy MT and the crappy engine). In case you are wondering, we chose the MT for budget reasons, need a cheap point A-B second car.
Also, no you can never ever stall an automatic car or even flappy paddle one no matter how hard you try.
TonyE wrote:
The shifts are MUCH faster than I can effect in the Civic Si. MUCH faster. The one aspect of the paddle shifters I really like is that going into a turn, I can preselect down two gears -click, click- without taking my hands off the wheel and the transmission will seamlessly do the shifts as soon as possible while I hunt for the apex.. then at the apex, I find myself in the right gear.
The more I use the paddle shifters, the less I miss the Sport Shift on the console.
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TonyE, although we have very different cars.. but in my opinion leaving it in full automatic with a very light foot will be more efficient than with S mode, and in my case when the AT warm up it becomes super efficient as the lockup become superagressive for fuel efficiency.. so much it gets a bit annoying so using flappy paddle control fixs that. Full auto will downshift gears and keep in gear by itself right to the last minute too.. so I think if you want efficient the best way is to not think about it at all and just concentrate on the road enjoy the music from sound system .. :)
I only use the paddles for downshifting to 4th or 3rd before braking, cornering or going uphill, or when I feel like more preceisly shifting at whatever point I want. Other than those reasons anyone can use without paddle
Just sharing..
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VTEC_Inside
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I disagree about autos always being faster in traffic.
If I'm in slow moving traffic I'm typically in 1st or 2nd, maybe 3rd, revving closer to 3k.
If I want to move I punch it and go. In your typical auto I'd punch it and there would be a momentary lag as it downshifted to the lowest gear possible and then took off.
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FiSH-Chan
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VTEC_Inside wrote:
I disagree about autos always being faster in traffic.
If I'm in slow moving traffic I'm typically in 1st or 2nd, maybe 3rd, revving closer to 3k.
If I want to move I punch it and go. In your typical auto I'd punch it and there would be a momentary lag as it downshifted to the lowest gear possible and then took off.
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I am talking about stop-go traffic. Move 3 feet, then stop. Move 5 feet, then stop. I know I can't just keep pressing the clutch all the time waiting for the car to move or there is a sudden gap. Sometimes there is such a long wait I put it in neutral. Then there is a sudden open gap on the left side for example, I will need to be really quick to get into gear to get there, either have to be ready all the time or have to watch ahead (which is what I do, but sometimes there is just a bus or SUV in front blocking your view and you can't know until the traffic moves again)
There is a possiblility for the automatic to get caught out when at really low speed, yes. But it does not happen very often. But that is why paddle is useflu.
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TonyEX
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FiSH-Chan wrote:
BorisHonda wrote:
As you can see from the experience, you do not have control at all. Paddle shifters are created so drives Assume they have control but it is mostly like 'play with paddles, do not talk on the the phone' scenario. They are good for engine breaking though... And I doubt you can stall automatic?!?!?!?
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In heavy traffic, automatics are always faster than manuals. Cutting in and out of slow moving jams and others doing the same thing (which is mostly what happen with my drive), driving an automatic will always be faster. With a manual you have to press the clutch and shift, by then the person next to you with the automatic is already in front of you. Or you have to be always ready with the clutch at all times and it gets really tiring when everything is not moving and when they do and you're not ready it and someone cut to you and you're still not moving it becomes furstrating. Trust me I know I have been driving my wife's car and things I can do with the Honda I simply impossible to do that (not helping also is the crappy MT and the crappy engine). In case you are wondering, we chose the MT for budget reasons, need a cheap point A-B second car.
Also, no you can never ever stall an automatic car or even flappy paddle one no matter how hard you try.
TonyE wrote:
The shifts are MUCH faster than I can effect in the Civic Si. MUCH faster. The one aspect of the paddle shifters I really like is that going into a turn, I can preselect down two gears -click, click- without taking my hands off the wheel and the transmission will seamlessly do the shifts as soon as possible while I hunt for the apex.. then at the apex, I find myself in the right gear.
The more I use the paddle shifters, the less I miss the Sport Shift on the console.
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TonyE, although we have very different cars.. but in my opinion leaving it in full automatic with a very light foot will be more efficient than with S mode, and in my case when the AT warm up it becomes super efficient as the lockup become superagressive for fuel efficiency.. so much it gets a bit annoying so using flappy paddle control fixs that. Full auto will downshift gears and keep in gear by itself right to the last minute too.. so I think if you want efficient the best way is to not think about it at all and just concentrate on the road enjoy the music from sound system .. :)
I only use the paddles for downshifting to 4th or 3rd before braking, cornering or going uphill, or when I feel like more preceisly shifting at whatever point I want. Other than those reasons anyone can use without paddle
Just sharing..
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It all depends on how the automatic has been calibrated.
In the 97 3.2CL 4AT, often the automatic would pause just when you wanted it to downshirt NOW.... The way to solve it was to shift the handle by hand...
And in some of those GM products tuned for high MPG the transmissions are very slow to downshift.
In stop and go traffic, with an MT car, I usually keep it in 2nd gear and rest my right hand on the shifter anyhow. I keep my feet the clutch and gas pedal and use engine braking to slow down. Hence, I can shift pretty fast if I have/want to.
Efficiency wise, in the TSX, I also keep the computer to display the instantaneous mpg.. I'm doing better.
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