Glacier6

So.....I've never driven a manual and this is my first "sport package" type of car. I want to have a little more fun with the car but I am completely unexperienced with these. Are there general guidelines to using the paddle shifters such as, what RPM range to upshift and what RPM range to downshift?

I thought I read in the manual that the car will automatically downshift, but I really don't want to screw up the tranny or engine. Any advice would be appreciated.

snagitseven

The paddle shifters are identical to the manual tiptronic shifter found on Audis for many, many years. They simply temporarily override the automatic gear shifting as if you had a manual tranny but with no clutch. There are sensors to prevent you from over-reving the engine in a gear and the tach and the seat of your pants will let you know when to shift. Big fun quotient when playing on the twisties.

dicktahoe

I use paddle shifters a lot when I want to use Engine Braking coming down hills, and I don't want to ride the brakes. If you want maximum acceleration, you want to shift just before Red Line. You can do that with the Paddle shifters, or just mash the throttle and the Automatic Transmission will do it for you.

Glacier6

So they're basically idiot proof?

snagitseven

Yes. If you reach redline in a gear, the transmission will override and shift up to the next gear automatically. If you try to manually downshift too soon, the transmission will not allow it until the correct max revs for that lower gear are reached.

Richard Solomon

The transmission is basically idiot-proof, and the paddle shifters place requests with the TCU (Transmission Control Unit). The TCU will upshift at redline and downshift when it thinks necessary. I can't speak to the ZF 8-speed in the I4/V6 cars specifically, but in general the TCU will resume auto mode some time after you request a shift unless you put the lever into the Manual gate. Even in the Manual gate, though the TCU will follow the above up- and down-shift rules.

In short, you can't hurt it, but you probably can't improve it much either.

As a multi-decade 3-pedal driver, I don't find the paddle shifters to really be in any way comparable to a true manual transmission. I'm learning to drive the S-tronic, but it's still a request-based system - you ask the TCU for something and hope the request is granted.

Cyncris

something else that you should know is that, if you plan to drive in twisties for a good while, put the transmission in manual mode and you can control it from the paddles.
If you are just coming up to your favorite on ramp or lone switchback leave the transmission in drive or sport and just use the paddles through that set of turns, after a few minutes of driving normal the car will take back over the shifting duties again.

NVThs1

As far as giving it gas, don't put the needle in the red. As others have said though the car will shift itself when you are at risk of doing that. When slowing down, even with the paddles engaged, the car will downshift automatically. Or you can downshift yourself. I have never driven stick but I shift down at the 10mph ticks. So if I hit 60 I am in 6th, 50 I am in 5th, so on. I don't try to shift into 1st.

Like others said, these cars are smarter than us. It knows when to efficiently shift. I use the paddles when I want to take advantage of more tourque and HP for passing. Plus I like the sound of the exhaust at the higher revs. Otherwise I am not race car driver, so I just shift around based on sound and feel along with the tach numbers as well.

u2jrmw

Just to clarify, if I use the paddles to shift up and don't touch them on the way down, the car will do pretty normal downshifts? it won't wait until the last minute and do a weird late downshift?

NVThs1

Yes. If you paddle your way up to 8th gear yourself, you can bring the car back to 0mph without touching the paddles and it will not shift "funny" at all. You will see the gears change on the dash. Also, the green arrow up next to the selected gear means it is a shift point in case you need that for reference.

Lastly, the car will also not let you shift into a gear that is not needed. For instance doing 35mph is not possible in 8th gear. It will not let you shift that far ahead if that makes sense. I tend to see the green arrow at 55mph to hit 8th.