What gear is best?

[GTR1400MAN]

Assuming instead of 'suggesting' a gear it just selects it instead

I don't remember driving a car with an automatic gearbox where I've not overridden the gears; they just don't pick the gears I want at the time I want them.

DCTs are very good now. Don't forget you actually have a lot of control over when it changes gear (unlike a slush box) with your use of the throttle pedal. It's a different style of driving/control.

My car does have manual mode and flappy paddles and you can over-ride (for a few seconds). All of which I used quite a bit at first, but now rarely use. The most common over-ride I use is to select manual and a fixed gear for descents, and at times I may down change on approach to an increased speed limit just to be even smoother/subtle than the kick down.

[Gareth]

DCTs are very good now. Don't forget you actually have a lot of control over when it changes gear (unlike a slush box) with your use of the throttle pedal.

StressedDave demonstrated control of the slush box just using the accelerometer and explained how he often saw Met Police doing that. I played around with it under his guidance and managed to downshift before a bend then hold the gear through the bend.

[GTR1400MAN]

StressedDave?

I've not owned a conventional auto but found the DCT was much more influenced by the throttle than any conventional auto I've test driven in the past. Maybe it's just the DCT is more up to date and I'd find the same with a modern slush box.

[Gareth]

StressedDave?

StressedDave

[jcochrane]

DCTs are very good now. Don't forget you actually have a lot of control over when it changes gear (unlike a slush box) with your use of the throttle pedal.

StressedDave demonstrated control of the slush box just using the accelerometer and explained how he often saw Met Police doing that. I played around with it under his guidance and managed to downshift before a bend then hold the gear through the bend.

Hi Gareth. In the early days of autos I would usually activate kickdown on the approach to a bend to get into a lower gear. Is this what Dave showed you?

[Gareth]

In the early days of autos I would usually activate kickdown on the approach to a bend to get into a lower gear.

Definitely not kickdown. As I recall the idea was, on approach to a bend, to lift slightly on the throttle then blip to trigger a downshift, then apply enough throttle to keep it in that gear into and through the bend. Probably best to ask Dave for a proper explanation.

[Jonquirk]

Lifting off will reduce the load on the transmission. Reapplying power will be sensed as an increase in load; the box will downshift to meet the expected demand for power and remain in that gear until the load eases again.

On an unrelated note: I used to drive John Deere Gators, which are utility vehicles with a rubber belt CVT. if you come off the power at the top of a hill the vehicle will gain speed as you are effectively free wheeling. To get engine braking it is necessary to reduce throttle setting gently so that the engine pulley doesn’t drop to its smallest size and release the belt. It can be quite disconcerting as only the rear axle has brakes, and they aren’t that good.

[jcochrane]

In the early days of autos I would usually activate kickdown on the approach to a bend to get into a lower gear.

Definitely not kickdown. As I recall the idea was, on approach to a bend, to lift slightly on the throttle then blip to trigger a downshift, then apply enough throttle to keep it in that gear into and through the bend. Probably best to ask Dave for a proper explanation.

Apologies for my choice of words. By kick down I didn't mean as in putting your foot to the floor but as you explained to force a lower gear by creating an overload situation. You may remember Jane S-S who often used this technique.