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'Budget' cars with paddle shift?


Cook my sock

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As a long time owner of paddles I can inform you that I never use them.

Better question is what type of gearbox.

Double clutch.

CVT

Or just an old plain automatic.

I have to agree.... paddle shifters can be useful or useless - the type of AT is what's going to determine the gear change speed, not the paddle shifters.

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I prefer a manual transmission but my Ford Focus is an automatic. I use the manual mode when in the mountains. I much prefer the engine braking than riding the brakes. The brakes on my old Nissan had 150,000 KM on the original brakes. I'm always a bit amused when the vehicles in front of me show brake lights all the way down the grade.

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I prefer a manual transmission but my Ford Focus is an automatic. I use the manual mode when in the mountains. I much prefer the engine braking than riding the brakes. The brakes on my old Nissan had 150,000 KM on the original brakes. I'm always a bit amused when the vehicles in front of me show brake lights all the way down the grade.

Cheaper to replace brakes than transmissions.

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I prefer a manual transmission but my Ford Focus is an automatic. I use the manual mode when in the mountains. I much prefer the engine braking than riding the brakes. The brakes on my old Nissan had 150,000 KM on the original brakes. I'm always a bit amused when the vehicles in front of me show brake lights all the way down the grade.

Cheaper to replace brakes than transmissions.
Not if your brakes overheat from overuse and stop working
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I prefer a manual transmission but my Ford Focus is an automatic. I use the manual mode when in the mountains. I much prefer the engine braking than riding the brakes. The brakes on my old Nissan had 150,000 KM on the original brakes. I'm always a bit amused when the vehicles in front of me show brake lights all the way down the grade.

Yep - nothing beats good old "gear tummadah" for absolute control. Even AT's that allow gear manipulation wont' always want to respond quickly to your gear change command, or hold that gear you wanted it to.

Smarter AT's have inclinometers and accelerometers so they know when you're going downhill or uphill, and can vary their shift program to suit - but they still can't see an impending hill or descent like the driver can wink.png

Edited by IMHO
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Why does my manual Jazz run away with itself when going down Doi Inthanon in first gear? The gearing's really short, so I would have thought that would help keep the speed down, but I actually have to ride the brakes.

Engine size and compression ratio is probably the issue. The larger the engine, that is piston size and cylinder volume and probably stroke and higher the compression ratio the more engine braking you can get. My previous car, Nissan Bluebird SSS 2.0L had an overdrive button. It worked great in the mountains. Just a press of the button to move to a lower gear or back to normal gear.

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I prefer a manual transmission but my Ford Focus is an automatic. I use the manual mode when in the mountains. I much prefer the engine braking than riding the brakes. The brakes on my old Nissan had 150,000 KM on the original brakes. I'm always a bit amused when the vehicles in front of me show brake lights all the way down the grade.

Cheaper to replace brakes than transmissions.
Any decent truck will auto change down when it gets a bit steep. Probably not enough though Edited by JAS21
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Why does my manual Jazz run away with itself when going down Doi Inthanon in first gear? The gearing's really short, so I would have thought that would help keep the speed down, but I actually have to ride the brakes.

Engine size and compression ratio is probably the issue. The larger the engine, that is piston size and cylinder volume and probably stroke and higher the compression ratio the more engine braking you can get. My previous car, Nissan Bluebird SSS 2.0L had an overdrive button. It worked great in the mountains. Just a press of the button to move to a lower gear or back to normal gear.

Thanks - v interesting.

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