thedavidfe

Hi guys,

Wondering if any of you use the sports mode (manual paddle stick) at all? I only know how to drive automatic.
Is it just me or i find that acceleration is faster on s mode than d mode.
Since i don't know anything about manual driving here, any tips to a better sports mode driving experience would be greatly appreciated here.

dat dude

It would be slightly faster as you're starting out in a lower gear and "more rpm's" are available to you. I wouldn't necessarily call the sports mode manual in any sense as I think the car will change gears if you don't.

JT4

Shifting in manual mode with the paddle shifters is nowhere the same as driving a true manual transmission. With a manual trans you need to engage the clutch in order to change gears. Not to mention applying the correct amount of gas while lifting on the clutch in order to get the vehicle into first gear.

On the paddle shift trans in the RX all you are doing is pulling back on the shift lever to change gears, there is no manual interaction from the driver to engage the clutch. Try it, but just be aware of the sound of the engine and your tachometer so that you don't over-rev the engine.

However, on the paddle shift trans there are a couple of fail-safes built in to help prevent the driver from causing engine or trans damage. So even in manual mode, the gears will automatically change if the engine speed is faster than it should be, this is to help prevent the engine from over revving. Also, if the engine speed drops it will automatically downshift to a lower gear to help prevent the RX from "bogging down"..

vlad_a

I never use manual mode because I drive a manual.
It sounds counter-intuitive, but I find manual mode being only a gimmick to me.
Just let the auto do its thing behind scenes and don't try to take over.

Tips?
Don't "downshift" too low on slick surfaces. If you do, don't let go of the gas.

CanadianRX

I use sport mode all the time , when I'm merging into traffic I just pop it to S so the car keeps it in the power zone longer. Works great when making a right turn or as I said merging through traffic.

User 41924

The way the Manual mode works in an RX is that you are setting the highest range gear the car will us (until you over rev, in which case it will override you). So, if you have selected 3, the car will use 1, 2 or 3 moving between them as necessary. If you select 4, it will us 1,2,3, or 4, etc. What manual mode DOESN'T do is make the actual shift any faster. It is my understanding the the IS F will use the gear you have selected, and only that gear. I assume the same is true for the other true F series (not FSport).

I use "Manual" mode to downshift when I want the engine braking, but it's not very effective. It also helps when you anticipate the correct gear for exiting a turn, as it can eliminate a delay while it figures it needs to be in a lower gear. Other than that, I almost never use it to up shift. I would be willing to bet that when you let the car decide on it's own when to shift, you will out accelerate someone using manual mode only. However, the computer doesn't know when it needs to hold a gear because you'll soon be braking for the next turn. So in the case where you might be playing on some fun mountain roads, you might be able to do a bit better on your own. Sport mode actually helps in this case because it WILL hold a gear longer. The computer is much smarter, faster, AND better at determining the best gear to be in given the requirement. Keep in mind that it's also monitoring the accelerator position, braking, traction, and steering input thousands of times per second. I can't do that!

I understand that "fun" is a relative term, and the RX is no sports car! Still, it can be fun to play in manual mode occasionally. I just gave up thinking I can do as well as the computer overall.

JT4

I will do this on occasion and I find it works well..