Hello. I'm new and only recently found out about the FIT. I really like it so far.

I have a question, what are the " wheel-mounted paddle shiftters" that come with the automatic transmission sport version?

I don't know how to drive manual, which is why I want the automatic. Will I need knowledge about clutches and gear shifting if I get an automatic sport?

What do the paddle shifters do, and how do you use them? I read somewhere on the forum that there is a "D" mode and an "S" mode. What are those?

Thanks.

 

"S" mode just allows you to manually select gears using the + and - padels. There is no clutch. It works the same as a "sportronic" shifter in other cars. It's still an automatic transmission.

For instance, if you wanted to pass someone in a regular Auto, (or in "D" mode on the fit) to downshift and speed up, you would press harder on the pedal and the car will automatically shift to a lower gear. In "S" mode you can use the + and - padels to downshift and upshift at will. Or you can leave it in "D" and drive like normal.

-THE DON

 

You do not need to learn anything new for this... in D mode it functions like a regular automatic. However, D mode also offers the ability to click the left paddle (-) to make a downshift. This is more convenient than having to kick the accelerator down for a downshift when passing or climbing hills. And S mode gives you the ability to shift the auto transmission up or down at your own liking (without a clutch or any footwork), simply by clicking the paddles. They won't allow you to over-rev the engine, so it's safe and easy to give it a try!

 

I guess I posted too slowly, haha. At least I can verify I was right.

 

what is upshift, downshift, and when do you do it?

sorry but I don't know much about cars

 

Upshift means shifting to a higher gear.
Downshift means shifting to a lower gear.

If you need passing power, then you would downshift to a lower gear to accelerate faster. Like say your cruising on the highway at 5th gear, and then you can downshift twice into 3rd gear.

If you are going down a steep hill and you want to engine brake, you can also downshift in this situation. So you can go down the hill in 3rd gear instead of 4th or 5th.

If you are going up a hill and want more power, then you can also downshift in this situation.

 

Since this is the latest thread on the paddle shifters and seems to be educationally oriented, I'll ask this here. When you shift with the paddles, do you have to take your foot off the gas, or do you just click the paddles and keep going?

 

I think some Ferrari have similar paddle shifter layout. Of course the similarity stops there.

 

Click and keep going.

 

First, even if you do get the sport automatic, you can completely ignore all those features. Just leave the stick in 'D' and drive as you would any other automatic. Don't touch the paddles.

To explain what the paddle shifters do without explaining gearing.... okay, here we go. Say you are driving a long a flat road and there's a hill at the end of it. Your automatic car will start going up the hill and go "hang on, I am losing speed" and kick into a lower gear to compensate - that's when your engine gets louder and your speed starts climbing again.

If you are in a manual car or an automatic with a paddle-shifter, you can take advantage of the fact that you the driver can see the hill coming. You can say "I am cruising now, but as soon as I start going up the hill I will start losing speed so I will go into a lower gear as soon as I hit the bottom of the hill" to avoid the loss of performance between the time you start going up the hill and your automatic figures it for itself. With the Fit, you can click on the left paddle and the car will get louder (downshift) at that point.

Same with other circumastances in which you anticipate the need for extra power, such as overtaking and so on.

Anyway, if you are an A-to-B driver don't worry about it, but you might want to take into consideration that it is a feature that is "worth" something, and therefore if it means nothing to you you might be happier with the cheaper base model, or a cheaper car in that class.

 

thanks, this feature seems cool. So you downshift when you anticipate the need for more power. When would you upshift?

 

Back in mid 80s when Honda has "semi automatic", I always let my foot off the gas when doing manual shift. The paddle shift concept is borrowed from formula one and I am not certain if this is required. I just feel "safer" when doing any sort of up/down shift to let off the gas padel.

Inquiring mind wants to know the fact from expert here also!

- Tim

 

Well there are a couple of rare occasions you'd want to upshift in 'D' mode (starting on an icy surface for example) but mostly the upshift on paddles is for people who drive in Sport Mode (S rather than D on the stick) where you take over the decisions of when to upshift and dowhshift over from the automatic. For example, you upshift when increasing speed. The automatics tendsto do a good job for upshifting for you in 'D' mode, so unless you are driving in 'S' mode you are unlikely to want to use the upshift paddle much I don't think.

 

Well I can't tell you when to feel safer, but I certainly didn't let up to downshift when test driving the Sport AT. It defeats the point as you mostly want to downshift to increase power. I don't see any need to let off the gas.