I have a 2008 Fit Sport (automatic) with paddle shifters. I've owned the car since about 2011 and I find myself never really using them.

Does anyone actually use these? If so, can you describe typical usage cases?

If you don't use yours, why don't you? I'd love to hear feedback from other owners.

 

I use mine about 90% of the time since I always with it was a proper manual. The only complaint I have about the system is it won't respond going from 3rd into 2nd from about 20-25 mph, and I wish there was a "kick" feature (like in german cars, where theres an extra notch in the foot pedal telling the computer to drop into the lowest gear possible). Other than that, no complaints. Shifts are quick and I like that it'll consistently hold gear without shifting on its own.

the only concern I've had with using them as much as I do - I let off the gas between shifts, as if it were a manual (stupid af, I know) and I've always been curious to whether or not that adds any additional stress onto the torque converter. I'm at 42k miles and haven't had a single transmission issue *knock on wood*

 

I use mine when driving in the foothills and mountains, never in town or when it is flat

 

I find myself using the paddle shifters a lot when I traveling up and down the canyons which have a lot of 8% grades with slow sweeping turns. It's a nice feature to avoid hunting between second and third gears. Instead I will keep it in 2nd most of the time going up which keeps the rpm under 5 k. Going down the canyon I use third most of the time but will drop to 2nd if the road is clear to accelerate out of the turns.
Normal driving around town or traveling on the interstate, I will rarely use the paddle shifters unless I want to upshift early if the transmission is still hanging on a lower gear.
Overall, for an automatic, this one is pretty decent. It downshifts when I need a little more juice and with the good spacing in the gears, it rarely is caught in the wrong gear.

 

I use it 90% of the time. I love paddle shifters especially if you got down pipe and full exhaust. Upshift and downshift is music to my ears. Sometimes i change gears during cutoff and the sound it makes when shifting gears is awesome.

 

on my 09, i use it mostly for downshifting before a turn (blip throttle to smooth shift), but shifting up i just let the car do it on its own.

and i hate paddles that turn with the steering wheel. it is such a stupid design .. especially when making left-hand turns. my arms are all twisted up.

 

I use the paddles all the time especially to downshift when entering a turn. I also use them when in stop & go traffic. In this situation, if it looks as if there's going to be a long stretch of just first/second gear crawling, I like to keep the transmission in sport mode. This essentially locks the transmission in the gear of your choice allowing you to crawl along without constantly stepping on your brakes.

On the other hand, my daughter who drives the other Fit, never uses them. My wife, who drives a manual transmission, will always use the paddles when driving my car.

 

Use them all the time. Especially on this weekend's road trip, left the thing in Sport mode and in 5th gear with cruise control to keep the tranny from downshifting going up hills.

 

I use them all the time for engine braking going down steep hills and for down shifting a gear to get a little extra short boost when accelerating without having to floor the gas peddle. All of this is done in auto mode though. I seldom use them in sport mode except for the occasional winding back road.

-Dustin

 

I would use them more, but I don't know how to drive a proper manual and apparently I don't know how/when to shift. :/

 

They are really handy when the weather is not so great. I prefer engine braking in snow as I feel like it gives me more control. I also am more partial to a proper manual, and have owned several, so that's probably a learned behavior.

I use them on the wife's subaru in deep snow as well.

 

Gran Turismo is a great training tool

 

what I do on occasion is while coasting to a stop (keeping it in D) go from 3 to 2. Once I start back up it automatically goes back into full auto mode. Or if you are coming fast into a turn, blip it twice down to get into 2nd and then accelerate nicely out of the turn. Again it will automatically go back into full auto once you start cruising.

 

+1, Only wish would have been if Honda had set it up so it would rev match on down shifts. . Other then that I only use them once in a while.

 

I bought forza 3 and 4 but I only ended up playing it for a few weeks. Maybe if I had a wheel to use instead of just a controller I would have enjoyed it more.

 

nope. most of the time I just sit in traffic...