I have a BMW with tiptronic transmission. To change up I have to push the lever forwards, and rearwards for downshifting when using the manual option. This seems counter intuitive to me.
I have asked a few people what they regard as the preferred way and the results seem split fairly evenly.(Amongst those who can grasp what I am on about.) I know the V8 supercars arent tiptronic, but they move the lever rearward to go up a gear.
Question: Should the lever be moved rearwards to select a higher gear!
What say you!
monaro17,
Sep 30, 4:27pm
Ive always thought the same. As you brake you lean forward thus the lever should go forward to move down a gear. All commodores and falcons have it this way but most euros have it the other way.
3tomany,
Sep 30, 4:33pm
supercars are sequential being a manual that shifts by pulling or pushing, tiptronic is an automatic with a d.i.y stick
edangus,
Sep 30, 4:34pm
Chrysler is side to side. its the most user friendly I have had so far.
gammelvind,
Sep 30, 4:35pm
It's because they were designed for left hand drive!
NZTools,
Sep 30, 4:45pm
Pulling back for an up change and pushing forward for a downchange is more natural, One of the tractors i drive is set up the opposite, and there is nothing worse than heading down a very steep hill, andtrying to pull back on a lever to downshift, while you are sliding off the seat
edangus,
Sep 30, 4:51pm
Smarty pants. nah it just feels more natural (like the old standard H manual box) whilst you are not going back and forth the side to side from 1st to 5th is very fluid. Its actually also a very smart box too. Not suited for towing though (well thats what the blurb said).
kevymtnz,
Sep 30, 4:58pm
so true
bmc460,
Sep 30, 5:03pm
Thats why we have seatbelts in tractors.
supernova2,
Sep 30, 5:25pm
I think of it like a motorbike up for up and down for down.Then convert that to a car so back for up forwrad for down.Same motion just the pivoit point has changed.
smac,
Sep 30, 5:41pm
Most people would thinking of forward being up.!
Humans are notorious habit formers, either will feel natural with a bit of use.
unbeatabull,
Sep 30, 6:00pm
This. From racing a shifter kart I can tell you it is far far easier. Although, on a road situation, it probably doesn't really come into affect, just personal preference really.
stevo2,
Sep 30, 6:16pm
Mazda has it sorted. Forward = down, rearwards = up:)
ralphdog1,
Sep 30, 6:38pm
Mazda 3 @ work, forward to change up. Counter intuitive in my mind, I agree with OP
bit,
Sep 30, 6:42pm
So is tiptronic as econmical as manual!
robbo36,
Sep 30, 7:13pm
Yep, I prefer my XR6, forward to downshift and back to upshift whereas my Aurion is opposite and doesn't "feel" right. On more than one occasion I have downshifted in the Aurion when meaning to upshift, doh! Amazes me it "lets" you select 1st at such a high speed! I have never shifted the wrong way in the coon, as it seems natural to me. The wife disagrees, as she prefers the Aurion as it is shifts "correctly" in her books. That is why men are from Mars and women are from Uranus, i think that's the book title! lol
wasser61,
Sep 30, 7:29pm
And how does that work/
thewomble1,
Sep 30, 10:12pm
If you are in DRIVE in an ordinary automatic you move the lever towards the back of the car to select a lower gear so I would assume the same direction would get you a lower gear in atiptronic car.
smac,
Oct 1, 5:34am
Just shows what assumptions get you.
smac,
Oct 1, 5:35am
Some are, some aren't. Depends on the engine and the transmission and the car and the driver. The last one is the reason most economy ratings aren't worth the ink/pixels they're written in.
budgel,
Oct 1, 8:56am
It seems that what is intuitive for one is not for another. At the age of 62 this is my first automatic vehicle . I have spent my adult life moving the gearlever back (on the straight part of the shift pattern) to go up. It seems so natural to push the lever forward as a corner is approached and then back after one has gone through it.
I remember having the same dilemma when a mate was installing a switch for an anchor winch on a vertical face behind the wheel of his launch. Some thought up for up, others thought it should point the way the chain was moving toward the bow roller from the locker.
doctor_evil99,
Oct 1, 9:00am
why can't we have a poll to see if windscreen wiper stalk should be on the left or right hand side steering wheel column.European left.Japansese right.Holden Astra (European) and still got it on the RHS.confused!
kokako14,
Oct 1, 9:53am
I reckon the old Valiants had it right.buttons on the dash, no gear lever at all
budgel,
Oct 1, 10:02am
Yep, after driving the BMW for a while I often turn the wipers on in my Mazda ute when approaching a corner.
zak1998,
Oct 1, 1:09pm
think you don't have a BMW as you go down to change up and up to go down is on my 2011 X5
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