Many of the newer cars with automatic transmissions allow the driver to shift gears -- giving them the impression that they are in control of the gear selection. But for transmissions that have floor mounted shifters (not the steering column mounted paddle shifters), what do you consider to be the more "natural" way to shift? I can think of 4 possible directions:

(A) push forward to up shift, pull back to down shift
(B) push forward to down shift, pull back to up shift

 

I have a right / left tap set up in my MB E430 and S430.
And while it technically lets you shift... it's really useless for spirited driving.
You can't get by the inherent decision making that's goes under under the sheets.
It will downshift when ready and up shift when ready.

I don't know if it is better in the AMG flavors.

 

I drove a 4 cylinder Mazda 6 rental for a week a while ago. Nice car, btw. It had a shifter that you could pull for upshifts and push for downshifts iirc. That would strike me as the most natural, although it is a poor replacement for a nice extended H pattern and a third pedal. I used it a few times, then just put it in full auto mode.

I wouldn't mind trying one of the new dual clutch automatic manuals (or manual automatics?), though.

 

I've got quite a bit of experience with these, having owned Audis with their TIP transmissions and Subarus with their version of same -- not to mention various and assorted rental cars.

Choices C and D -- side to side -- are just plain stupid, IMO.

The choice between A and B depends mostly on what you're used to -- that is, you get a car with this feature and get used to it, and it feels like the way it's "supposed" to be. I know this because what I'm used to is A and I got a Mazda rental, which was backwards (B). Absent my experience with the Audis and Subarus, I think I would have thought of B as more natural, but I'm just used to the other way now.

What I tend to do, though, is to use the steering wheel buttons/paddles that many of these cars have.

And I agree with tof, the Audi DSG transmission is what I want. HPH

 

I have Audi's tiptronic but I couldn't tell you which way it shifts unless I went out looked. I've used it but don't recall which way it works. I agree with HPH, I just adjust to what works. It's like trying to find reverse in a stick shift without a pattern showing. Try one way; doesn't work try the other.

 

Oh I think I could do with the the new AMG SL65 dry clutch auto.
I know I'd certainly be willing to try it out for a while.

 

I'm sorry, but the question should be, "Which unnatural act is least unnatural?"

;-)

 

But which way is up-shift? Is it left to up-shift (choice C) or is it right to up-shift (choice D)?

The thing is that once you get used to one way of shifting, it is unnatural to do it the opposite way. But if you are not used to any way of shifting, what would be "natural" for you?

Unlike shifting into reverse with a manual transmission, you don't usually have a lot of time to think about shifting while driving. You are usually stopped when shifting into reverse, so you have time to hunt for it; but there is no time to think when you need to up-shift.

 

There are going to be many people out there who do not believe this, and that is fine, because what I'm about to post is factual, and if Marco (matrix) finds this thread he will be more than capable of backing up my statement.

Here is the interior


The shift pattern is laid out like this.
P
R
N
4 5
3
2 1

I just love it! 5 to 4, 4 to 3, or 5 to 3 are all popular shifts for me. I do not row up through the gears much as I'm happy to keep the rpms as low as I can to save fuel, but downshifts are done a lot.

The incredible thing about this manual shift 5-speed being mated up to the 5.6 V8 with 315+ hp and 400+ lb/ft is just how smooth it actually works. I have driven several sport sedans and I have never been in one that can match the shifting characteristics of the Titan, yes, I said the pickup blows away sport sedans.

I think/contemplate it is the drive-by-wire of the Titan that allows the engine to rev match before dropping into the lower gear. When you keep your foot constant on the gas and down shift, there is zero weight transfer forward or to say it another way, the vehicle does not judder or jerk, it just makes a perfectly smooth downshift, it's mind boggeling actually. And the cool thing is, I can downshift to any gear I want, say I'm going along at 70, I can row all the way down to 2nd. Immediately it will rev match down into 4, and then as I get on the brakes and it is able to shift itself to the next lower gear it does, then, when it gets all the way down to the lowest gear you have selected, you can pound that gas pedal to the floor and it will never upshift automatically, it will bounce off the rev limiter all day until you manually upshift.

 

The most natural and normal theory. If you play video games, this is usually the set up also.

I think shift-tronic is dead technology though. It does majority of the shifting for you and it is very delayed. Also, it doesn't allow error, it corrects the user mistakes. This goes for the paddle shifting also, its too much of a science and automatic.