Stick shift or Paddle shift?
Discussion
What do you prefer?
Have you ever driven the same make of car with both and which did you enjoy the most?
I love driving a manual, that slight pause on the up change and (not every time) getting that blip on the down change right.
Do you wish your particular car had another type of gearbox?
Have you ever driven the same make of car with both and which did you enjoy the most?
I love driving a manual, that slight pause on the up change and (not every time) getting that blip on the down change right.
Do you wish your particular car had another type of gearbox?
Stick 
especially the Caterham where there is no 'linkage' as such- the lever is about 5" long and fits directly onto the selector rail 
Mondeo is less satisfying as the 6-speed takes a lot of stirring to keep the (diesel) engine in its torque band.
especially the Caterham where there is no 'linkage' as such- the lever is about 5" long and fits directly onto the selector rail Mondeo is less satisfying as the 6-speed takes a lot of stirring to keep the (diesel) engine in its torque band.
Edited by HustleRussell on Wednesday 14th March 10:17
I think my preference order is:
H-gate stick with clutch pedal
Sequential stick with clutch pedal
Sequential paddles with clutch pedal
Sequential paddles without clutch pedal
Sequential stick without clutch pedal
Full automatic
I've never driven an H-gate without a clutch pedal to know where to rank that.
H-gate stick with clutch pedal
Sequential stick with clutch pedal
Sequential paddles with clutch pedal
Sequential paddles without clutch pedal
Sequential stick without clutch pedal
Full automatic
I've never driven an H-gate without a clutch pedal to know where to rank that.
rhysenna said:
What do you prefer?
Have you ever driven the same make of car with both and which did you enjoy the most?
I love driving a manual, that slight pause on the up change and (not every time) getting that blip on the down change right.
Do you wish your particular car had another type of gearbox?
Stick shift? Too much American TV shows you I reckon Have you ever driven the same make of car with both and which did you enjoy the most?
I love driving a manual, that slight pause on the up change and (not every time) getting that blip on the down change right.
Do you wish your particular car had another type of gearbox?
I think it depends on the car and how you drive it/where it's used. 6.0 V12 XJ12 certainly suited an automatic and was silky silky silky smooth. But I like the sequential style shift in my Roadster, it adds a different layer of fun and makes it feel like a mini GT race car or rally car as you bang through the gears foot planted on the throttle.
But then I like the tactile feel of a manual in certain situations too.
300bhp/ton said:
Stick shift? Too much American TV shows you I reckon
I think it depends on the car and how you drive it/where it's used. 6.0 V12 XJ12 certainly suited an automatic and was silky silky silky smooth. But I like the sequential style shift in my Roadster, it adds a different layer of fun and makes it feel like a mini GT race car or rally car as you bang through the gears foot planted on the throttle.
But then I like the tactile feel of a manual in certain situations too.
Stick shift sounds cooler ( that's my excuse and I'm gear sticking to it) I think it depends on the car and how you drive it/where it's used. 6.0 V12 XJ12 certainly suited an automatic and was silky silky silky smooth. But I like the sequential style shift in my Roadster, it adds a different layer of fun and makes it feel like a mini GT race car or rally car as you bang through the gears foot planted on the throttle.
But then I like the tactile feel of a manual in certain situations too.
Jimmy No Hands said:
toon10 said:
I can't comment as I've never driven a car with paddles!
Me neither! I would still go stick shift either way though.I'd probably rate my preference as such:
Sequential race box with a stick and a clutch for downshifts
Conventional H-pattern manual
Paddles
Slushbox
I love proper sequential race gearboxes, nothing more satisfying than instantaneously banging it up through the gears and having proper control on the downshifts. I'd rate my favourite as the X-trac unit in the Evora GT4. A cliche, but literally like a rifle bolt, and so precise.
We had paddles in our cars last year to prevent driver related issues, but I would have preferred the manual shifter.
Sequential race box with a stick and a clutch for downshifts
Conventional H-pattern manual
Paddles
Slushbox
I love proper sequential race gearboxes, nothing more satisfying than instantaneously banging it up through the gears and having proper control on the downshifts. I'd rate my favourite as the X-trac unit in the Evora GT4. A cliche, but literally like a rifle bolt, and so precise.
We had paddles in our cars last year to prevent driver related issues, but I would have preferred the manual shifter.
on a track or playtime a manual is more fun but duel clutch is faster, you don't have to lift to change and you can change mid corner
and in traffic manuals are just painful ...
ironically i keep going for the paddles in this oil burner barge i have atm
and in traffic manuals are just painful ...
ironically i keep going for the paddles in this oil burner barge i have atm
Edited by Dave Hedgehog on Wednesday 14th March 11:23
Dave Hedgehog said:
on a track or playtime a manual is more fun but duel clutch is faster, you don't have to lift to change and you can change mid corner
and in traffic manuals are just painful ...
I'm now imagining you with a really weak left leg and left arm if you find driving a manual in traffic "painful" and in traffic manuals are just painful ...
ewenm said:
I'm now imagining you with a really weak left leg and left arm if you find driving a manual in traffic "painful"
I drove to Gatwick from Newcastle last Thursday and then the return journey on Friday in a manual c-class. Various stop start traffic and road works but I had no problems with the manual at all. It would have been easier in an auto but it wasn't painful. The only painful part of the journey was the dugga dugga chug of the poverty spec diesel engine. Issue is you get a great degree of performance from paddle-shift (and H-gate for that matter).
I've driven some of the truly great H-Gate cars (The Integra DC2 has a glorious H-Gate) but only ever driven an automatic with paddles, not a automated-manual like a DSG or something special like a GT-R.
I've driven some of the truly great H-Gate cars (The Integra DC2 has a glorious H-Gate) but only ever driven an automatic with paddles, not a automated-manual like a DSG or something special like a GT-R.
Both are fun in their own way - properly heel-toeing into a corner with a full manual just makes you feel that much more part of the whole process. Flappy paddles are great for going for brave late braking and wringing every last bit out of the car.
Generally, I prefer a manual, but the old man's TT in auto around town and flappy mode in the twisties is undeniably fun.
Generally, I prefer a manual, but the old man's TT in auto around town and flappy mode in the twisties is undeniably fun.
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