How many times are you guys, going to talk about this topic?????????
Uh, isn't the point of a forum to discuss and answer questions posed by members and visitors? Since there are always going to be new members and visitors as long as the car is being sold, I think these types of questions will always be asked. There's no requirement for you to view any post or thread that you don't want to discuss anymore. Just like television, you can always change the channel.
Also, the hesitation is much more noticable when the car is cold (exacerbated because, when your car is cold, you tend to accelerate slower). I just took my little guy out and about for errands (made three stops), and by the end of it he was shifting much smoother than when I started...
I took my first test drive last week and I was a bit uncomfortable with the hesitation I felt with the shifting when in automatic. Going from 1st to 2nd seemed too soon and the "pause" between almost felt like the car was thinking about stalling. The dealer said that they are all like this. To me this was almost a deal breaker. I didn't like the feel of it. I am hoping it's something that I am going to get used to. I have driven standards and to me, I would not be shifting that soon from 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd. I know with the paddle shifters I can do the standard mode, but, I wanted to relax with the automatic, and it just didn't seem right. I have not seen anyone write about it....is it just ME???
Actually, this car is not automatic at all. It has an electronic clutch (not an actual one, naturally), but the computer makes the decision when to shift. Whenever I encounter a situation where I might get hesitation, like going up hill from a very slow speed I shift to Manual mode, but I don't use the paddles, I use the stick. Push forward for UP gear and backward for DOWN gear. Much easier than paddles, as you don't have to chase them on a turn. I find this works quite well and isn't as much work as the "old" standard shifting, in my opinion.
Yes, this has been talked about endlessly - and is the singlemost negative that both reviewers and new drivers levy against the car.
It need not be that way if people all just come to the realization that this is a manual transmission - and that can't be repeated too many times. It's a manual transmission - not an automatic!!!!
Also, since it is a manual, then why don't people use it in the manual mode? The smart engineers have made the shifting so easy by removing the clutch pedal factor - anyone can drive this car and shift like a pro. It's as simple and easy as flicking a finger - literally! You can avoid the delays, the bucking, the coasting, the worry about not having power when turning etc. Just use the simple and efficient manual mode - it's not an automatic!
If you shift in manual mode, the shifts can be quick and so smooth that a passenger can't tell when the shift takes place. You do need to lift the throttle just as you do with any manual shift. If the throttle is lifted slightly when the transmission is shifted and then smoothly re-applied the shift is very smooth and immediate.
Lets face it - the transmission sucks and should be thrown in the garbage. My Honda Super Cub 50cc from 1963 shifted better. You could write the Magna Carta in the time it takes to shift from first to second. It's just something you put up with because the rest of the car is so cool. In its defense though, it really sings on mountain roads with smooth pavement. You can do totally stupid things with the paddles, like overcook a corner and downshift from 3rd to 2nd in mid-corner with the gas flat down and it doesn't blink or toss you in the ditch like you deserve and you can barely feel it.
How 'bout the DSG dual clutch 6-speed from the VW Jetta/Audi 3? I'd pay extra... please...
Lets face it - the transmission sucks and should be thrown in the garbage. My Honda Super Cub 50cc from 1963 shifted better. You could write the Magna Carta in the time it takes to shift from first to second.
Do you have an '08? In our '09, it's the opposite; it seems to shift out of 1st too soon (usually halfway through a turn at a red light, LOL). The only time it stays in 1st is when you first start it and drive away; takes a long time to go from 1st to 2nd.
Drive it like the manual it is and you should have no problems with the lag between shifts. That is why I drive mine in manual mode. In auto mode the shifting seems exagerated
Lets face it - the transmission sucks and should be thrown in the garbage.
Please let's stop this denigration - it does not suck when used in manual mode and you learn how to shift it effectively. It is poor in auto mode and as far as I'm concerned, if a driver insists on using the pretend auto mode then they also deserve to have difficulties. It was a serious mistake to give people the impression that this can be an automatic. It is so easy to use the manual mode so why contiune to use auto and bad-mouth the transmission? it is a manual, not an automatic!
I find the transmission to be refreshingly easy and fun to use. It shifts as quickly and smooth as any other manual, can be shifted either with paddles and a finger flick or by the shift lever which is either thumb or finger flick operated as well - and with no clutch to bother with. There is also no issue with having to place the lever in a specific gate - you just flick the lever forward to upshift and backward to downshift - what could be simpler or easier? Great!
The only criticism might be that first gear is much too low. Gear ratios could be revised somewhat.
Why denigrate? - why not celebrate and publish the positive aspects of the transmission and car instead and help people to understand it's benefits and effective use? - be positive, not negative.
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