Autoshifter - not intuitive!

[TNation]

hey I agree with M3ti Compact, my Dad's auto G35X with tiptronic feels much more natural to shift compared to the X5 he had (and all other BMW's). I got used to the X5 after a while though.. and someone in this thread was right when he said it got old quickly to manual shift in an automatic, that he was right, it gets old quick. On another note about shifting, The IS-F is the fastest shifting car i've ever been in, anyone driven with the paddles behind the wheel? amazing upshifts, SO fast. Tiptronic isn't even needed.

[Bmwstylz]

It didn't always used to be this way!!

just drove an e38 740i sport (2001 model), and hop in.. without looking bump it into manual mode, and while driving it bump forward to upshift - how intuitive!

me want e38 now hehe fast lil car

[344i]

autos are auto for a reason. Get manual to solve the problem durrr

[Guilherme]

Oh wow so you gotta push the paddle forward to downshift?

Although that does make sense, as some people pointed out, it is a race car heritage I guess but when it comes to paddle shifters I guess they should make it Formula 1 style, that is, both upshifts and downshifts being pullbacks but upshifts on the right side and downshifts on the left...

[nachos23]

it's funny of all the brands you show with the Push Up, BMW is consistently ranked higher in every model evaluation conducted against all of those brands mand many of those models..... so, who has the last laugh..... Push up is not natural in a racing environment..... accelerate, pushed back into seat; pull back to upshift..... BMW is consistently considered one of the most balanced and agile vehicles produced....BMWs deisgns and technology are constantly being copied by the same manufacturers you list..... Just because most everyone else has it wrong, doesn't make them right......

[TNation]

Originally Posted by nachos23

it's funny of all the brands you show with the push up, bmw is consistently ranked higher in every model evaluation conducted against all of those brands mand many of those models..... So, who has the last laugh..... Push up is not natural in a racing environment..... Accelerate, pushed back into seat; pull back to upshift..... Bmw is consistently considered one of the most balanced and agile vehicles produced....bmws deisgns and technology are constantly being copied by the same manufacturers you list..... Just because most everyone else has it wrong, doesn't make them right......

lolololoololol

[Guilherme]

Hahahahaha, well said!

[Mr seville]

driving an auto bmw in tiptronic is like playing COD in inverted mode. end of story.

[Blades]

Originally Posted by Mr seville

driving an auto bmw in tiptronic is like playing COD in inverted mode. end of story.

I use to play in inverted mode because thats how i started off with Doom .. in fact I think that was default (or my playing of flight simulators caused it).


I have a kia in tiptronic and its setup up like all others + up and - down and I can tell you it doesnt feel natural to me. I upshifted accidentally on the highway once.

[biginstreets]

I use steptronic all the time. Id say its a 40/60 for me. I love it!

Originally Posted by M3ti Compact

Whats your problem? The thread title clearly states the issue being discussed and the issue to be bitched about.

And to answer your question of who cares; YOU. You obviously care about the issue enough to have posted your opinion already, althrough you dont have a 1 series with an automatic, and then come back, read the responses, and contribute a post with a made up statistic and which has nothing to do with the issue at hand.

ziiing!

[mstearnsy]

Anyone else think it's funny that he expected BMW to take performance/sporting advice from a gearshift in a Mitsubishi Outlander SUV?

BMW's way makes sense. It might not make sense to people driving 128s, but once you've driven 135's, M3s, M5s, etc that THROW you backwards when you step on the gas, you have no choice but to pull backwards to upshift. Same goes for when you slam on the brakes for max stopping power, you should be downshifting so you're in the correct gear after the corner, push downshifts are natural then.
I used to have a 300 hp Audi that was the wrong way, push away to upshift, and it was awful.

[hockeyfan27]

Originally Posted by biginstreets

I use steptronic all the time. Id say its a 40/60 for me. .....

Whenever I'm unfortunate enough to be stuck driving the wife's station wagon I frequently use the steptronic but mostly just for downshifting.


Subaru: push for upshift, pull for downshift

Originally Posted by mstearnsy

...BMW's way makes sense. It might not make sense to people driving 128s, but once you've driven 135's, M3s, M5s, etc that THROW you backwards when you step on the gas, you have no choice but to pull backwards to upshift. Same goes for when you slam on the brakes for max stopping power, you should be downshifting so you're in the correct gear after the corner, push downshifts are natural then.
I used to have a 300 hp Audi that was the wrong way, push away to upshift, and it was awful.

I get what you are saying, but when accelerating the "throw back" is most intense immediately after the shift, not at the top of the gear when you are about to shift. I don't think that is a huge factor. It all comes down to what you are used to/ have become accustom to.

[Bullet Ride]

Originally Posted by hockeyfan27

I get what you are saying, but when accelerating the "throw back" is most intense immediately after the shift, not at the top of the gear when you are about to shift. I don't think that is a huge factor.

Yes, but under heavy braking push foreward downshift is what you want.

Originally Posted by hockeyfan27

It all comes down to what you are used to/ have become accustom to.

I agree. All of the tiptronic cars that I've driven have been BMW's with pull back upshift, so that's what I'm use to.

That being said, I'd argue that pull back upshift is the more intuitive set-up, that's what racing guys use and you can't argue against that.


.... and for the record I think that push left/right tiptronic is asking for trouble. I've gone into quick lefts before with my hand on the shifter in tiptronic mode and the g-force would make my hand push the shifter back into regular drive, I don't want to imagine if that would have caused me to downshift instead.

[maranellobmw]

I like everyones take on motorcycle shifting...lol its funny cuz on the track a lot of guys reverse the shifting on their bikes. "gp shift" and 100% of moto gp , ama, world superbike, cdn superbikes are all gp shift. The only vehicle where shifting makes no sense stock...lol

[iverson03tj]

I think it makes more sense in a performance perspective to have it the way bmw does, but i drove a e9x with steptronic, and it felt like it didnt change gears... i like my 5/6 speed instead i like to know what gear im shifting to