What does tiptronic mean exactly

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dragontales, Sep 25, 11:50pm
im looking at getting a new car (maybe) have drove a manual for the last 10 years and im finding this word tiptronic everywhere but i have no idea what it is lol, does it just automatic ! TIA

morrisman1, Sep 25, 11:51pm
it is just an automatic which you can tell when to change up or down.

richard198, Sep 25, 11:52pm
A light touch on the gear stick changes gear electronically.

dragontales, Sep 25, 11:54pm
ok thank you

richardmayes, Sep 26, 12:12am
x1
On most cars it is a conventional (epicyclic) automatic gearbox but with a different layout to the selector gate; so instead of the first, second, third gear hold positions there is an "up" and a "down" position above and below Drive so that when you want to hold it in the lower gears you can use the selector lever like a toggle switch to click up and down through the gears like a racing car driver.

I've found that when driving quickly on a twisty road the tiptronic setup makes it quite a bit easier than a regular auto gate does to get down into the right gear before the corner, because you're not worried about accidentally pulling it back two gears instead of one.

Some flasher (european) cars have an automated gearbox of a completely different type, with servo controlled clutches etc.

dragontales, Sep 26, 12:15am
thanks for that explanation richardmayes

shelleigh, Sep 26, 1:07am
Is that the DSG gearbox!
After around 30 years of driving manuals, I'm getting an auto early next year and really like what I've read about the tiptronic gearboxs.

shelleigh, Sep 26, 1:08am
I don't know how reliable this website is but found this explanation easy to understand -
http://cars.about.com/od/thingsyouneedtoknow/a/ag_howDSGworks.htm

elect70, Sep 26, 1:23am
It only refers to the design& is licensed tocar makers who make their own versionssome good & some not so good .

rsr72, Sep 26, 1:40am
Developed by Porsche in around 1972.

dragontales, Sep 26, 1:43am
x1
what about toyota altezza's !

kazbanz, Sep 26, 1:52am
The toyota range with tiptronic have tried to capture the experience of driving a genuine "flappy paddle" tiptroning as fitted to F1 cars. Flappy paddle refers to litterally levers that hang down in the webbs of the steering wheel and you change gears using your thumb.
For day to day use a "real" flappy paddle setup is a bit cumbersome because unlike F1 cars you need to regularly turn the wheel aroundso toyota have instead fitted up and downshift buttons into the steering wheel. Push either button on the frond to upshift and any button on the back to downshift.
Reality--youll play with it for a week then just drive it 99% of the time as a normal auto

shelleigh, Sep 26, 2:00am
Kazbanz what's your opinion of the DSG's in the Golf, Passat and AudiA3's! Am looking at 2008 onwards - thanks :)

dragontales, Sep 26, 2:02am
thanks for that kazbanz so i bit of a novelty lol

kazbanz, Sep 26, 2:02am
Shelleigh I don't like them PERSONALLY.Because of that I won't /don't stock them -so in fairness Its unfair of me to comment.
DO have a readup on the experiences of previous owners

shelleigh, Sep 26, 2:04am
Thanks for that Kazbanz. What don't you like about them!
Will have a read of other comments about them.

kazbanz, Sep 26, 2:08am
Shelleigh--In a nutshell -EVERY single solitary VW,audi,fiatthat I've had in stock has cost me THOUSANDS of dollars to repair either by me with it in stock or during the first few months of the new owner having it. So I guess understandably I personally dislike em

johnf_456, Sep 26, 2:12am
The fiat man wron't be too happy .

shelleigh, Sep 26, 2:44am
Sure is understandable Kazbanz.
Just out of interest, have they all been imported from Japan!

shelleigh, Sep 26, 2:45am
Too true, Kazbanz will be in the bad books alright.

kazbanz, Sep 26, 3:20am
No its been a mixture of jap/singapore Imports (singapores were trades)
As well as kiwi new.
The one that made me feel the very worst was an Audi wagon 03 vintage.
I sold it to a really nice heavily pregnant lady and the aircon basicly died totally.

shelleigh, Sep 26, 3:35am
I like the look of those AudiA3.
You would have been gutted having such a bad run.

lookoutas, Sep 26, 4:22am
About the truth!

johnf_456, Sep 26, 7:27am
Tell me something I don't know, I got the popcorn ready.

serf407, Sep 26, 7:06pm
The biggest difference I have found between the 5 speed manual and 6 speed tiptronic I drive is the 'roller coaster' feeling of the tiptronic.
The manual has engine braking so I use the brakes less to slow down.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_transmission#Engine_braking
Group N rally cars still have manual/ dog gearboxes.