Cars with Flappy Paddle Shifters, Question.

Hey a quick question, having really only  driven traditional manual transmissions I thought about something on those flappy paddle shifters. I know they are sequential up and down shifts but must you down shift when you come to a stop or  will the transmission know you have come to a stop and  reset (downshifted)  back to first gear? I know some of these manual/auto box set up are programmed to override your manual shifting going up or down even if you did not flap the paddle but I was just wondering   what they do when you come to a stop?

TIA

They downshift for you. It won't allow you to stop and try and restart in fifth gear.

In the end there's always a computer that thinks it knows better than you.

Speaking of which, I found that in the AUTOMATIC Mazda3, in sport mode if I shift to 2nd right after taking off and simultaneously going WOT, I can shift it up through all the gears to 6th while keeping it matted, and it'll be slow as hell but it won't downshift out of whatever gear I put it in.
Poor car. I really should be nicer to it.

Talon wrote:They downshift for you. It won't allow you to stop and try and restart in fifth gear.

Ok, so as you come to a stop you need not have to do any down shifting with the downshift side flappy paddle? That flappy paddle is basically only used by the driver for downshifting as need be on roads the driver drives on given the right speed and engine revs.

It's all on my mind in that I've never driven one of these type transmissions but it looks more and more as if that is the future of driving. As such it's a bit sad as with manual transmissions you have TOTAL control but these flappy paddle ones your wish seems that it may not be the computers command.

Tailhappy wrote:In the end there's always a computer that thinks it knows better than you.

Speaking of which, I found that in the AUTOMATIC Mazda3, in sport mode if I shift to 2nd right after taking off and simultaneously going WOT, I can shift it up through all the gears to 6th while keeping it matted, and it'll be slow as hell but it won't downshift out of whatever gear I put it in.
Poor car. I really should be nicer to it.

Yes you should, those are nice cars overall. 

Les_Vipers_rule wrote:

Talon wrote:They downshift for you. It won't allow you to stop and try and restart in fifth gear.

Ok, so as you come to a stop you need not have to do any down shifting  with the downshift side flappy paddle? That flappy paddle is basically  only used by the driver  for  downshifting as need  be on roads the driver drives on given the right speed and engine revs.

It's all on my mind in  that I've never driven one of these type transmissions but it looks more and more as if that is the future of driving. As such  it's a  bit sad as with manual transmissions  you have TOTAL control but these flappy paddle ones your wish seems that it may not be the computers command.

Correct. It will downshift itself as required. If you're going 55 in 6th gear and slow down for a red light, it will downshift through the gears as required whether or not you hit the paddle.  The car won't let itself stall out, so once you hit 30 or so, it will go to 5th, 4th, ... until you stop and end up in 1st.  Well, the Mustang would let you start out in 2nd because it had plenty of torque to do so... but you get what I am saying.

Some of them will even upshift for you when the car hits redline.  That's annoying because I'll hit the upshift paddle, it sometimes will shift twice because the CPU told it to, plus me hitting the button.

Most cars I've driven with paddles, they aren't that fun, honestly.  If you're just putting around town, it's almost pointless. It's better than a true auto, but not nearly as fun as a MT.  I would like to get some time with one around a track to see how well they do when pushed, but doubt that will ever happen.

Not all do that. Some will hold the gear until you shift.

Talon wrote:

Les_Vipers_rule wrote:

Talon wrote:They downshift for you. It won't allow you to stop and try and restart in fifth gear.

Ok, so as you come to a stop you need not have to do any down shifting  with the downshift side flappy paddle? That flappy paddle is basically  only used by the driver  for  downshifting as need  be on roads the driver drives on given the right speed and engine revs.

It's all on my mind in  that I've never driven one of these type transmissions but it looks more and more as if that is the future of driving. As such  it's a  bit sad as with manual transmissions  you have TOTAL control but these flappy paddle ones your wish seems that it may not be the computers command.

Correct. It will downshift itself as required. If you're going 55 in 6th gear and slow down for a red light, it will downshift through the gears as required whether or not you hit the paddle.  The car won't let itself stall out, so once you hit 30 or so, it will go to 5th, 4th, ... until you stop and end up in 1st.  Well,  the Mustang would let you start out in 2nd because it had plenty of torque to do so... but you get what I am saying.

Some of them will even upshift for you when the car hits redline.  That's annoying because I'll hit the upshift paddle, it sometimes will shift twice because the CPU told it to, plus me hitting the button.

Most cars I've driven with paddles, they aren't that fun, honestly.  If you're just putting around town, it's almost pointless. It's better than a true auto, but not nearly as fun as a MT.  I would like to get some time with one around a track to see how well they do when pushed, but doubt that will ever happen.

Thanks,

I guess they are still better than just sliding a lever into "D". Sadly I think manumatic/ dual clutch transmissions are going to be the future soon. I doubt there will be many new cars with true manual transmissions in a decade or so. I guess one still gets to pick and choose what gear and how to shift these flappy paddle shifters if they want, as long as the computer nanny can be set to NOT interfere much if at all .

I do know some cars do have less computer nanny stuff in this regard.

Kia optima Sxs have paddle shifters they are very lame and serve no purpose

Flappy Paddles aren't worth it unless the transmission can back them up. I've driven an Audi with the DCT and it is excellent. Crisp, firm shifts. Held Gears well. Not really any nannys.

I drove a C6 Vette with the shifter "buttons" on the steering wheel. It held gears fine, but the shifts were not crisp. It didn't feel right.

flappy paddles on a daily basis suck, as you actually need 2 hands at the wheel. you can't eat a burger and drink a coke while on the phone with someone, cause you can't shift anymore.

with the stick shift, at least you could use your burger hand to move the stick.

fuck this "advancement", i rate it in the same category as the hazard lights that come on when you look at your fucking brake pedal. who the fuck wants hazards when the light turns orange? seriously? and all fucking new cars have it nowadays.... soriously, i'll fucking hazards your fucking dealer face you fucking cockhead car manufacturer

gimme a fucking stick and let me apply brakes without the fucking hazards fucking flashing about all over the fucken place you fukcing cuntbags

Sadly for manual shift gearboxes the days for such are coming to an end soon. Too few (esp. in North America)  know how to  nor care to drive a stick. More and more models of cars including performance ones  come with few if any manual  stick options. Too bad IMO. Oh, I still see sticks being around for maybe another decade or so  for new cars   but after that   one will have to buy and drive older and older cars.

So if  flappy paddle shifters are going to be the main way one can   manually shift  with any authority their car's  transmissions at least I hope the manufactures  will let drivers programme  or such  how  we want to use them and  to be able to programme out  driving nanny aids.


It's like this lane departure and brake assist shit! I've had lane departure warning on all my cars going back to the day.

1: It's initially my two eyes working with my brain to tell me to stop from  weaving out of my lane.

2: The other car driver's horn  honking at me if  my  built in lane departure warning fails.


Brake assist is the same, my two eyes  working with my brain tells my leg and foot to move from the gas pedal to the brake pedal. I see no other reason for all this  shit  except  for assholes who  text  and/or yak on a cell phone as they drive.  HEY  FUCKING  ASSHOLE  PUT THAT PHONE DOWN AND JUST FUCKING DRIVE! The fucking text message   will be there for you when you stop at a safe place and that phone call will go to voice mail FUCKERS!

once i can't buy cars without teh fucking hazards lights, it's the time i won't buy a new car. ever again.


i've asked my fiat dealer once. he sid there's nothing he coulddo, so i told him there's no chance in hell i'd ever buy any of his shit ever again.

ascona wrote:once i can't buy cars without teh fucking hazards lights, it's the time i won't buy a new car. ever again.


i've asked my fiat dealer once. he sid there's nothing he coulddo, so i told him there's no chance in hell i'd ever buy any of his shit ever again.

This must be a European thing? If I understand  you are saying that when you press your brake pedal that the hazard (blinking) lights come on and  flash all the while the brake is pressed? If so then what stupid logic is that?

The driver behind you sees the brake lights and as such we expect this. IMO seeing the flashing hazards  going off too is a distraction to the driver behind you.

Jeebus this bureaucracy shit is  going totally retarded.

Hazard lights only come on under extreme braking. I saw it for the first time overseas a few years ago and it was really unexpected.

In the last few months I have driven a robotised manual, a DCT, a new auto Camry and a new manual Yaris.
The DCT (in our A3) is the most advanced transmission I've used. Shifting is instant, you can't really upset the car and it will shift down as it reaches stall speeds. So coming up to lights etc. you don't worry about shifting down. One of the faults is actually one of it's strengths for me - neither D nor S are good settings for spirited driving. S holds shifts right til redline, which is too hectic. D shifts a bit too randomly and too early into second, meaning it isn't as smooth as it should be.
Manual does give full control unless you like stalling or hitting engine cut-out.
That said, the paddles are attached to the wheel, which sounds good but is worse in practice than if they were attached to the column.
The DCT is the next best thing to a manual and objectively better. But if you like a manual with well spaced pedals and a good gearchange, you will not be satisfied.

Swerve wrote:Hazard lights only come on under extreme braking. I saw it for the first time overseas a few years ago and it was really unexpected.

Yep. I see it on Porsches while going around the track. It's more of a distraction than an aid.