Pros and Cons of Manual vs Automatic Shifting?

[Lemonsqueezy]

I like having mine in manual when I start to accelerate, the first gear shift timing is really slow to shift when going up a slight incline. Usually around 4000 RPMs. (Is this normal?) But then I us automatic about 60% of the time.

[Pee-wee German]

Just wish we had tap both paddles for Neutral like other paddle shifters. Maybe in a smart 3.0 upgrade?

[Mexico]

Hi u all. I am new at the forum.. Great one by the way!! I spent a full tank using only manual shifting, and another one only automatic....to my surpise, driving the same roads to work, manual shifting gave better mileage than automatic.... This is my personal finding.

Saludos from mexico

[BB Benz]

Originally Posted by Lemonsqueezy

I like having mine in manual when I start to accelerate, the first gear shift timing is really slow to shift when going up a slight incline. Usually around 4000 RPMs. (Is this normal?) But then I us automatic about 60% of the time.

YES, IT IS! I have a hill immediately to the right of my drive way when I turn right on to the highway and accelerate up the hill. On any flat road, it would be shifting already. This car detects inclines and prefers not to upshift on hills unless you back off the gas a little more than normal to allow it to shift. It still prefers to rev a little higher on a hill before you relax the pedal to let it shift. If you shift it manually, it will follow instructions unless it decides you shifted on a hill entirely too soon and over rides with a down shift. That usually doesn't happen to me unless it was in automatic mode and it upshifted too early as it didn't anticipate a short steep incline. Then it is only a two second downshift and it shifts back up. OOOhhh, that is a bit quirky!

[jwight]

Originally Posted by Mexico

Hi u all. I am new at the forum.. Great one by the way!! I spent a full tank using only manual shifting, and another one only automatic....to my surpise, driving the same roads to work, manual shifting gave better mileage than automatic.... This is my personal finding.

Saludos from mexico

to SCoA!

Check out the Mexico forum: http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/f96/

[Commander Cody]

No need to tar and feather our northern neighbor, fortow. I thought it was a reasonable and thought out article put forward in good faith.

And now for the iceing on the cake.

We've read about what mode to accelerate in at the stoplight, where the torque is and all that...

Here's the barnburner method to get you up to 0-60mph in 13.3 sec.

"For best acceleration, put the transmission in manual and power-brake to 2800 rpm. Once you're moving, initiate the 1-2 shift at 5200 rpm to avoid the limiter, then follow the upshift arrow on the dash for subsequent gears."*

* ROAD & TRACK march 2008

Yes sir - front wheels up in the air and the crowds looking at your undercarriage as the flames hurl from behind.