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[sasuke]

I'm just getting use to mine and wonder what people normally use? If you use semi auto, do you downshift, I find that odd and still need to get use to it

[Timelord Mitchturbo]

When I had an semi auto (softouch) forfour I always kept it in auto... Cause I was lazy lol

In manual mode though, the gears go down on they're own when you apply the break. Dunno why lol but it makes driving the auto in manual mode easier I guess.

The best thing about driving it in manual mode is that you can adjust the gears before they would do in fully auto... There is some serious lag in gear change in auto mode.

[CrazyG]

It all depends on how you drive (or feel on the day I guess)...
I prefer to use 'self selected' gear change..aka manual most of the time.
I change up to the next gear before the auto would do it most times.
And as for down changing....well as I'm usually driving 'spiritedly' I select the next
gear down to assist retardation. 
On the other hand, there are the odd days that i just plonk it in A and let it do it's own
thing, and change up and down when it wants. 

[basilbrush]

You can let it downshift itself in manual mode, but you could still be left in 6th at 30mph when you need to accelerate again. If you downshift a couple of gears yourself and leave it a bit late the gearbox will decide itself to drop yet another gear for you. In auto mode the lowest three gears have the worst changes. I found it smoothest when moving from standstill to use manual for 1st and 2nd and for 3rd move the lever to the A position and let the box do the rest of the changes. It seems everybody has their own way of handling this gearbox and even then they find themselves having a change and doing it different. At least on a longish journey you can whack it into Auto and forget about it.

[Unknown]

For about 2 years I chose auto over manual but now use manual mode, allows for slicker and quicker shifts. You can either drive it economically and shift early circa 2000/2500rpm or drive with a bit more oomph at 3000/4000rpm.

I find auto mode too lumpy driving smoothly, if you're driving with a bit more zest the auto mode works surprisingly well. It's good for cruising too on long m-way stints.

It's each to their own, my girlfriend uses auto mode cos she tries to gate each gear (like a true manual).

Additionally economy is better in manual mode by about 10%.

[sasuke]

Thx for the replies so far, after using the car for a week I'm finding myself starting off in auto and then changing the gear up every so often when the auto doesn't do it. Noticed when starting up the car and going it won't change up a gear until it gets to the RPM the auto normally does it at. Have also found around 60mph auto mode still insists on 5th gear when it could quite easily go into 6th which is when i upshift it myself. I'm finding I put it back into auto mode when slowing down

[mr singh]

how hard are you pushing the accelerator peddle! it will tell you to stay in 5th at 60 if there is a slight incline, strong head winds and how much gas you are giving

[sasuke]

I'm normally trying to stay at a constant 60mph, the RPM is around 2,000-2,100 in 5th which I believe is why it's not changing up into 6th, if i give it a bit more throttle to take the RPM to around 2.2k then it will go up to 6th, thats why i just upshift it myself, at which point the RPM is around 1.7k in 6th gear

[CrazyG]

Mine won't go into 5th until 30mph....or 6th until over 40mph. That's in manual 'mode'.

And if I use 'A', it hangs on to first gear way too long if I give it the slightest bit of 'welly'.
It did that even before I ever started down the modification trail......