View Poll Results: E-shift?
Gotta have it
46
38.98%
Don't need it
14
11.86%
A plus but not a must
56
47.46%
Manual cars only
2
1.69%
Voters: 118. You may not vote on this poll
E-shift, can't live without it....
05-25-04, 01:31 PM
#31
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Texas
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Overall I prefer manuals over automatics, but I do like my GS as a great car to cruise around town in.
I think the e-shift is too slow on the upshifts, but I do use it sometimes to downshift.
Anyone here ever drive an SMG car? (Ferrari 360 Modena, BMW M3 or Toyota MR2)
I think the e-shift is too slow on the upshifts, but I do use it sometimes to downshift.
Anyone here ever drive an SMG car? (Ferrari 360 Modena, BMW M3 or Toyota MR2)
05-26-04, 01:16 PM
#35
Lexus Champion
It's a little better than a straight-up auto, but nowhere even close to a true manual or even close to many other manumatic systems out there.
-You can't shift to first gear ever. Why?? I personally have never driven a manumatic that would not let you go into first gear. Is this common? It has not been on any lincoln, volvo, acura, or bmw product I've driven in manumatic mode.
-The gear you choose is simply considered a 'suggestion'. If the GS thinks that you need a lower gear than you've selected then it will downshift for you. In other words, if I'm in 4th gear accelerating and push the throttle down a little too much (still nowhere near floored and nowhere near lugging the motor), it will downshift as though it were in automatic mode and completely ignoring the fact that it says "4" on my dash. It doesn't even reflect the gear change on the dash. Most other manumatic systems I've driven... especially those on cars like BMWs, Acuras, etc, all will stay in exactly the gear you tell them to unless the car is literally about to stall... and even then, they'll tell you that they're downshifting so you are still in good communication with the car.
Likewise if I'm in 4th gear and want to upshift to 5th early... I push the button to go to 5th but it won't until it would have anyway in automatic mode.
So basically the manumatic shifting is no different than saying "You should stay in 'X' gear or lower... whatever you think is best for me". Hmmm... where does that sound familiar? Oh yeah... people have been able to do that for the last 20 years with automatic transmissions by just moving the gear selector manually from OD to D to 2 to 1. Except they could actually go into 1st gear whereas using the steering wheel controls, I can't.
-The manumatic shifting is not any quicker/crisper than the regular granny auto shifting. Don't they realize that if you're in manumatic mode than you probably want the car to shift quicker and firmer? The stock settings take nearly a full second from the time I hit the button to the time I'm fully in the next gear, which is just too much.
Again, let me reiterate: I love my car. I like the controls on my steering wheel better than just a plain ol' automatic transmission.
I do, however, think that it's nowhere near a true manual or SMG, and I do think that they could have done a much better job of designing the e-shift feature for our cars without adding any more expense or complication to things.
Even if they decided that some old lady might accidently get into e-shift mode and blow her car up if it wasn't for all of the safeguards and limitations they put on e-shift... at least make it a c-best setting where the dealer could, at the owner's request, change the e-shift to a 'sports mode' program.
Or heck... just make the 'sports mode' on the ECT switch turn the e-shift from standard to 'sports' operation.
-You can't shift to first gear ever. Why?? I personally have never driven a manumatic that would not let you go into first gear. Is this common? It has not been on any lincoln, volvo, acura, or bmw product I've driven in manumatic mode.
-The gear you choose is simply considered a 'suggestion'. If the GS thinks that you need a lower gear than you've selected then it will downshift for you. In other words, if I'm in 4th gear accelerating and push the throttle down a little too much (still nowhere near floored and nowhere near lugging the motor), it will downshift as though it were in automatic mode and completely ignoring the fact that it says "4" on my dash. It doesn't even reflect the gear change on the dash. Most other manumatic systems I've driven... especially those on cars like BMWs, Acuras, etc, all will stay in exactly the gear you tell them to unless the car is literally about to stall... and even then, they'll tell you that they're downshifting so you are still in good communication with the car.
Likewise if I'm in 4th gear and want to upshift to 5th early... I push the button to go to 5th but it won't until it would have anyway in automatic mode.
So basically the manumatic shifting is no different than saying "You should stay in 'X' gear or lower... whatever you think is best for me". Hmmm... where does that sound familiar? Oh yeah... people have been able to do that for the last 20 years with automatic transmissions by just moving the gear selector manually from OD to D to 2 to 1. Except they could actually go into 1st gear whereas using the steering wheel controls, I can't.
-The manumatic shifting is not any quicker/crisper than the regular granny auto shifting. Don't they realize that if you're in manumatic mode than you probably want the car to shift quicker and firmer? The stock settings take nearly a full second from the time I hit the button to the time I'm fully in the next gear, which is just too much.
Again, let me reiterate: I love my car. I like the controls on my steering wheel better than just a plain ol' automatic transmission.
I do, however, think that it's nowhere near a true manual or SMG, and I do think that they could have done a much better job of designing the e-shift feature for our cars without adding any more expense or complication to things.
Even if they decided that some old lady might accidently get into e-shift mode and blow her car up if it wasn't for all of the safeguards and limitations they put on e-shift... at least make it a c-best setting where the dealer could, at the owner's request, change the e-shift to a 'sports mode' program.
Or heck... just make the 'sports mode' on the ECT switch turn the e-shift from standard to 'sports' operation.
05-26-04, 05:28 PM
#37
Lexus Test Driver
I don't use it much except when I want to engine break the car going down a steep hill or something....or if my radar detector goes off and I don't want him to see my brake lights on.
A couple of questions....some may have been answered, but I'm still unsure:
1 - At a redlight, I can downshift to "2". Am I really in 2nd gear OR am I really in 1st gear? If I'm really in 2nd, I think it'll be a neat thing to have when it snows. Put it in snow mode and put E-Shift on, so that you start in 2nd gear.
2 - When I'm travelling 30MPH in DRIVE and I decide to move the shifter to "M", 5th gear gets selected. But I don't think I was in 5th gear when I was in DRIVE. Any reason?
3 - I'm driving in 5th gear @ 70MPH. I slow down from 70MPH to a stand still, but I choose NOT to downshift as I slow down. When I'm at a complete stop, I'm still in 5th gear. When I accelerate again, am I still in 5th gear? Or will the car know I forgot to downshift and start me in 1st again?
To me, it's a neat thing to have, but I usually drive in a lot of traffic, so I let the slushbox do its job. I only use it on nice Interstate cruises where I want to slow down without overeheating the brakes.....or to slow down if I just passed a cop.
A couple of questions....some may have been answered, but I'm still unsure:
1 - At a redlight, I can downshift to "2". Am I really in 2nd gear OR am I really in 1st gear? If I'm really in 2nd, I think it'll be a neat thing to have when it snows. Put it in snow mode and put E-Shift on, so that you start in 2nd gear.
2 - When I'm travelling 30MPH in DRIVE and I decide to move the shifter to "M", 5th gear gets selected. But I don't think I was in 5th gear when I was in DRIVE. Any reason?
3 - I'm driving in 5th gear @ 70MPH. I slow down from 70MPH to a stand still, but I choose NOT to downshift as I slow down. When I'm at a complete stop, I'm still in 5th gear. When I accelerate again, am I still in 5th gear? Or will the car know I forgot to downshift and start me in 1st again?
To me, it's a neat thing to have, but I usually drive in a lot of traffic, so I let the slushbox do its job. I only use it on nice Interstate cruises where I want to slow down without overeheating the brakes.....or to slow down if I just passed a cop.
05-26-04, 09:46 PM
#38
Pole Position
1) It should reset to 1 when you come to a complete stop, at least that's how it works with Hondas.
2)At 30MPH, you're probably in Overdrive so when you go into Manual, it gives you the 5th gear. Just count how many times the tranny shift in auto by the time you reach 30-40Mph.
3)Again, it should reset it to 1st.
Ed
2)At 30MPH, you're probably in Overdrive so when you go into Manual, it gives you the 5th gear. Just count how many times the tranny shift in auto by the time you reach 30-40Mph.
3)Again, it should reset it to 1st.
Ed
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