Do you ever use a gear selection other than D?
- Thread starter ZZman
- Start date
- Status
Patman
Staff member
My Corvette has a manual mode that allows me to use the paddle shifters on the steering wheel and I find myself using them about half of the time. I prefer to leave it in drive around town and when stuck in traffic though.
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
When I had a proper AT before, I would select "2" while in stop-and-barely-go traffic. My old Legacy would actually lock the 4EAT in 2nd gear; this caused it to get up and go more slowly, but also prevented unnecessary, continuous shifting. Besides, I'm not usually the type to ride the guy-in-front-of-me's bumper, so I could typically get through traffic without being annoying to the people behind me, by simply revving up to 2-2.5k RPM and then engine-brake down when things slowed down again. If I timed things correctly, I could sometimes get through traffic without having to hit my brakes! On longer trips, such as on the NJ Turnpike, where the most likely cause of slowdowns on one side is rubberneckers ahead of you for something on the OTHER side, in which you never truly stop-stop, but you can be delayed over an hour just for that!
With Subaru's Eyesight and X-Mode I rarely use a lower "gear" in either of our current CVT's now during inclement weather. It does a pretty good job of raising RPM and engine-braking while going down hills, too. Rarely do I find myself having to manually change "gears" to help with engine-braking in our Subies.
With Subaru's Eyesight and X-Mode I rarely use a lower "gear" in either of our current CVT's now during inclement weather. It does a pretty good job of raising RPM and engine-braking while going down hills, too. Rarely do I find myself having to manually change "gears" to help with engine-braking in our Subies.
With the 8HP45 in my 2er I'm more likely to simply move the gear selector into the Sport gate. The autobox will then hold gears longer and not automatically upshift after a hard braking application leading up to a corner.
I play with the shift paddles every so often, but I've found on the track that the 8HP45 will-when left to its own devices-do I want it to do 95% of the time.
I play with the shift paddles every so often, but I've found on the track that the 8HP45 will-when left to its own devices-do I want it to do 95% of the time.
My CX5 Mazda has a 6 speed auto with manual override. I like to manually go through the shifts when having some fun. Ed
Whenever I drive my wife's Q5, I put it in S mode instead of D. I think 'D' stands for 'drowsy'.
double post
It's in D probably 98% of the time. The few times I use the manual mode is to either prevent the tranny from upshifting or in winter to start in second gear when it's really slippery.
In my Mazda 3 I occasionally use it for fun since it will bonce off of the rev limiter in the manual mode.
In my Mazda 3 I occasionally use it for fun since it will bonce off of the rev limiter in the manual mode.
Last edited:
D is for Day
P is for Parking
N is for Night
R is for Race
P is for Parking
N is for Night
R is for Race
Pick-up with load in the back, use 2 or 1 going down hill. OD off towing the boat.
Bronco use 1 or D in 4x4 Lo-Range a fair amount
Most Ford automatics can be forced into 2 when going going down hill by selecting 1/Lo above 25 mph. They'll just go to 2 instead. Been doing that since the 1970's or so ...
Bronco use 1 or D in 4x4 Lo-Range a fair amount
Most Ford automatics can be forced into 2 when going going down hill by selecting 1/Lo above 25 mph. They'll just go to 2 instead. Been doing that since the 1970's or so ...
Last edited:
I never used to use the other gears but I use them in my Camry. The auto tranny fights with me and loves to upshift too soon. Really needed to use the shifter when I was engaged in some spririted driving on a twisty turny road with a Porsche. Camry was too slow to respond in D. Had to use to a lot of shifting to keep on the Porsche's tail.
My last two auto cars have had what I think Ford/Lincoln calls "select shift"-in any case you push the stick over from the D position and can tell it when upshift or downshift.
I use 2nd or 3rd for snow starts, then occasionally will pre-emptively donwshift if I'm going to pass in a situation where I want to move fast(2 lane road). I also do this in anticipation of any event where I will need to accelerate.
My LS was actually kind of fun to drive in manual mode. It pretty much did whatever you told it to with the caveats that you couldn't start any higher than 3rd gear and it would block a shift that would damage the engine. If you were in 4th or 5th and came to a stop, it would automatically drop back down to 3rd. The MKZ bugs me-it will still allow a 2nd or 3rd start, but otherwise blocks a lot of upshifts or downshifts that would be safe but that the car doesn't think I should do them.
In past cars, I would use O/D off to force a downshift before accelerating, and use L or 2(however it was marked) for snow starts.
Of course, there's also engine braking, although it doesn't work nearly as well in an auto as in a manual. Still, when driving in the mountains I will often flip O/D off or use the select shift downshift to help hold the speed downhill without using the brakes too much. I'd rather not ride the brakes to hold speed and instead only give them an occasional tap as needed in that situation. If something comes up where I NEED to stop immediately, I'd prefer to not have them start fading when I need them the most.
I use 2nd or 3rd for snow starts, then occasionally will pre-emptively donwshift if I'm going to pass in a situation where I want to move fast(2 lane road). I also do this in anticipation of any event where I will need to accelerate.
My LS was actually kind of fun to drive in manual mode. It pretty much did whatever you told it to with the caveats that you couldn't start any higher than 3rd gear and it would block a shift that would damage the engine. If you were in 4th or 5th and came to a stop, it would automatically drop back down to 3rd. The MKZ bugs me-it will still allow a 2nd or 3rd start, but otherwise blocks a lot of upshifts or downshifts that would be safe but that the car doesn't think I should do them.
In past cars, I would use O/D off to force a downshift before accelerating, and use L or 2(however it was marked) for snow starts.
Of course, there's also engine braking, although it doesn't work nearly as well in an auto as in a manual. Still, when driving in the mountains I will often flip O/D off or use the select shift downshift to help hold the speed downhill without using the brakes too much. I'd rather not ride the brakes to hold speed and instead only give them an occasional tap as needed in that situation. If something comes up where I NEED to stop immediately, I'd prefer to not have them start fading when I need them the most.
In my GTI all the time. D is for traffic and if the lady drives it. I'm usually in the manual mode. I has an "S" option but that actually holds revs artificially too long IMO. This is a little different being a dual clutch trans though.
On my truck its mostly D, I'll take O/D off with the button if I'm doing lots of hills. Occasionally I'll move it to 3rd if it hasn't had a good higher RPM run in awhile.
On my truck its mostly D, I'll take O/D off with the button if I'm doing lots of hills. Occasionally I'll move it to 3rd if it hasn't had a good higher RPM run in awhile.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
I just use D in the Sonata
In the Camry sometimes I turn off overdrive to make it downshift easier so I don't have to smash the gas pedal.
In the Jeep I use 3 while towing, and 1-2 while off-road at low speeds so it doesn't shift around to much.
In the Camry sometimes I turn off overdrive to make it downshift easier so I don't have to smash the gas pedal.
In the Jeep I use 3 while towing, and 1-2 while off-road at low speeds so it doesn't shift around to much.
Yes!! Every opportunity on any automatic, from the lame D, 2, 1 to full manual mode- no matter what. If it allows any level of manual gear selection, I'm on it
- Status
Similar threads
