For those without paddle shifters this is one of the nice things about them. If in D mode the paddle shifters still function for selecting gears, they do however revert after some magical period of time. To me it sucks when you take off thinking your are in D or DS but are actually in first. Around 5 grand or so you get the hint that now you have to shift or otherwise pop it back in DS.

Actually as far as the 6MT versus the auto I have read some post that the auto in some cases was faster in a drag. This is where a sequential shift manual would come in handy where you don't have any issues with using a clutch after coming off the line.

Perry

 

Haha and i thought i was the only pathetic driver here who would think hes in DS when he's really in D. I cant tell you guys how many times i have shifted to N, and so i always drive in manual mode, and yes i also turn VDC off (as long as the weather is nice).

I've messed around on manual mode many times, taking it even as far as redlining. The first time I ever messed with the car, i shifted at exactly 7500 and there was a shift lag. I ended up redlining, and then it shifted. From there i thought perhaps the car automatically shifts when your redlining, and so the brave warrior (or dumbass) that i am, i go manual mode, overrev the car, and bam it automatically shifts for you. Of course, over revving is the worst **** you can do to your car, but hopefully my experience will help some of you.

So when dragging (if you guys do drag), dont worry. You wont overrev too much, as the car will still automatically shift for you when your redlining.

Launching our car is even funnier rofl... whatever you do, do not neutral bomb the car. Step on brake with left foot, make sure your in Manual mode, gently pressure gas pedal (i hit around 2k to 2.2k) and then release brake + press gas and zoom gogogo!

 

Okay, I'm updating all my previous posts on this subject.
Once again, I'm an idiot.
Having not fully understood DS... Defratos stated above manual mode is 'when you see the numbers'
Since I bought the car (only a few months ago) I only shifted the lever into the DS gate and started 'shifting' up and down. I never just put in it DS and left it alone.
Hence the misunderstanding.

That said I'm having a LOT more fun driving!
Even more than before! and as others have said in this post- DS certainly understands aggressive behavior and is a lot of fun.

For the record with our G-
DS won't shift to 5th until somewhere above 93.
It has only happened once while passing on the freeway. It stayed in fourth as I passed someone at 75 and then shifted to 5th. Quite fulfilling.

 

DS really has 2 "modes", I'll call them DS-high (performance) and DS-low (performance).

In your example, you shifted from D to DS at HWY speeds which will put it into DS-high, requiring high RPMs to automatically go to 5th gear (as you've noticed).

BUT ... if you are in DS, start from a stop and accelerate "normally" up to hwy speeds, the transmission will be in DS-low (and shift like it is in D) automatically going all the way up to 5th gear.

Now ... if you instead nail the gas from a stop with the lever in DS, the transmission will be in DS-high and won't go to 5th until you are at the speed you noticed.

If you think the stock transmission is fun, try a transmission valvebody modification with a transgo shift kit.

 

Very cool Terry.
No wonder you own 2 of these

 

Terry owns 2??

Is there something you're not telling us Terry?

 

Sorry ... only have one G which I just dropped off at the shop for a dead sunroof motor.

So now I get to play with a 7AT loaner and learn how the thing shifts. I don't think I've been able to get it into 7th while in DS mode yet so the 7AT might behave differently.

 

DS mode for sure doesn't shift into 7th gear

 

5AT downshifts to 4th gear when you go from D to DS at highways speeds. Braking at high speeds is the fastest way to wear out pads and warp your rotors.

 

oops. Didn't exactly mean it that way.
.... nevermind

But thanks Terry for the insight.
In another life I would actually be mechanical engineer (to actually pull the tran and perform a valvebody modification, among many other mods) but things have not gone down that path for me.

 

It did on the 2010 loaner that I have.

As a matter of fact, when I went from D to DS at HWY speeds, it went in at 6th gear, then it upshifted into 7th by itself. I verified by watching the tach change to a lower RPM. I then did a manual downshift and watched the tach jump up and the number showing was 6.

 

its never done it for me. Maybe I've been to heavy on the throttle...

 

just a quick question from a newbie (just discovered the ds thing a couple of months into owning the car, always just shifted) --- if you switch from manual or ds back to auto while driving, can this harm the tranny in any way? sometimes i like to shift and have some fun but then get on the highway and switch it back to auto while on the highway. Afraid i might be harming the tranny by doing that...thanks for the help

 

No, not at all.... I am under the belief that switching to DS just tells the computer to rev higher versus regular D..... So when you switch while driving on the highway.. All you're changing is the rev limit and watever else it changes... Mechanically nothing really changes....

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong..

 

^ Correct. No harm in randomly changing between all 3 modes.