How do you drive your PDK?
Discussion
Just curious to know how people drive their Porsche with PDK and any observations they have.
Mine is a 981 S with sport chrono, in general commuting when I want to arrive at work relaxed I use the normal mode. I find the coasting and stop start really good on the motorway, and when I arrive at my office after 25 miles or so I have averaged 40mpg.
When driving for any reason other than commuting I would like to say I use sports plus with manual mode, but the gear changes are awful especially the downshifts at lower speeds, and the engine blips on downshifts are incredibly artificial. Overall Doreen from driving school could do better.
For that reason I don't bother with sports plus unless on track which is a shame because I like the reduced ESP, so I just use sport mode and suddenly the shifts are more in keeping with what you would expect.
That said I don't like the way sport mode disables stop start or hangs on to 3rd gear at 30mph, if I was fussy I'd also say the throttle is overly sensitive.
Final thought, does it do any damage to keep the car in drive with the handbrake on? Currently I put it in park or neutral but I don't like the delay when selecting back to drive, its a little embarrassing when sat at a green traffic light with the engine revving while waiting for the moons to align before the gearbox decides to work.
Oh well it will do for the time being, but I wouldn't buy another.
Mine is a 981 S with sport chrono, in general commuting when I want to arrive at work relaxed I use the normal mode. I find the coasting and stop start really good on the motorway, and when I arrive at my office after 25 miles or so I have averaged 40mpg.
When driving for any reason other than commuting I would like to say I use sports plus with manual mode, but the gear changes are awful especially the downshifts at lower speeds, and the engine blips on downshifts are incredibly artificial. Overall Doreen from driving school could do better.
For that reason I don't bother with sports plus unless on track which is a shame because I like the reduced ESP, so I just use sport mode and suddenly the shifts are more in keeping with what you would expect.
That said I don't like the way sport mode disables stop start or hangs on to 3rd gear at 30mph, if I was fussy I'd also say the throttle is overly sensitive.
Final thought, does it do any damage to keep the car in drive with the handbrake on? Currently I put it in park or neutral but I don't like the delay when selecting back to drive, its a little embarrassing when sat at a green traffic light with the engine revving while waiting for the moons to align before the gearbox decides to work.
Oh well it will do for the time being, but I wouldn't buy another.
Maybe I'm lazy but I tend to leave the thing in Drive (w/o Sports or Sports plus settings) and let the box do its thing unless I'm on empty motorways or doing some deliberately spirited B road driving when the paddle things and sportier settings do get used.
In my Alfa 156 Selespeed GTA, on the other hand, I use the paddles at all times except in very heavy town traffic when I feel it ridiculous to do so. But then the car is new to me, and blipping the throttle still amusing, and the synchro is also a bit wonky on third so manual operation makes more sense.
In my Alfa 156 Selespeed GTA, on the other hand, I use the paddles at all times except in very heavy town traffic when I feel it ridiculous to do so. But then the car is new to me, and blipping the throttle still amusing, and the synchro is also a bit wonky on third so manual operation makes more sense.
When using it to go to work (M1 cruise) auto/sport. When pressing on manual/sport or sport+. Rarely leave in standard auto as don't like the way it changes up so early. Often pull both paddles to put in neutral and engage parking brake. Pulling a paddle instantly puts it back into drive. No need to move gear lever at all.
981c
Vast majority of time I'm in auto and sport, manual on my favourite B roads. If there's limited traffic and surface is good, or going through a tunnel I'll be in sport plus, manual, comfort chassis, PSE on.
Rarely use the coasting feature as on motorway I'd be using cruise where possible. Did have a 981 boxster without cruise and was amazed at getting mpg in 40s with this on.
Start stop is only ever on if i forget to switch it off.
Vast majority of time I'm in auto and sport, manual on my favourite B roads. If there's limited traffic and surface is good, or going through a tunnel I'll be in sport plus, manual, comfort chassis, PSE on.
Rarely use the coasting feature as on motorway I'd be using cruise where possible. Did have a 981 boxster without cruise and was amazed at getting mpg in 40s with this on.
Start stop is only ever on if i forget to switch it off.
I'm curious as to how long people took to get used to using PDK? I've limited experience with PDK, DSG and their ilk and I'll be upfront and say that I don't like them, simply as I find them boring. However, I tried the PDK in a 718CS recently and I can see its appeal in auto but I cannot get my head around using paddles, particularly as they're small and to me, awkward to use. The gearchanges in auto were rapid and smooth in all modes except sport+ which I found to be unusable in auto, maybe it's designed primarily for manual use only? The changes in sport+ were super-quick, I'll give it that but I found it jerky and unsettling and when you are sitting at the national speed limit, the car is still revving its nuts off in too low a gear. I see from comments above that some folks use sport+ a lot but I found it to be unusable for general road use.
Is there a nack to using PDK in manual or is it simply something that you get used to over time?
Is there a nack to using PDK in manual or is it simply something that you get used to over time?
Edited by ONtheROCS on Tuesday 30th May 19:47
ONtheROCS said:
I'm curious as to how long people took to get used to using PDK? I've limited experience with PDK, DSG and their ilk and I'll be upfront and say that I don't like them, simply as I find them boring. However, I tried the PDK in a 718CS recently and I can see its appeal in auto but I cannot get my head around using paddles, particularly as they're small and to me, awkward to use. The gearchanges in auto were rapid and smooth in all modes except sport+ which I found to be unusable in auto, maybe it's designed primarily for manual use only? The changes in sport+ were super-quick, I'll give it that but I found it jerky and unsettling and when you are sitting at the national speed limit, the car is still revving its nuts off in too low a gear. I see from comments above that some folks use sport+ a lot but I found it to be unusable for general road use.
Is there a nack to using PDK in manual or is it simply something that you get used to over time?
Play more computer games with a FFB wheel Is there a nack to using PDK in manual or is it simply something that you get used to over time?
Edited by ONtheROCS on Tuesday 30th May 19:47
ONtheROCS said:
Is there a nack to using PDK in manual or is it simply something that you get used to over time?
The knack to manual is to pull a lever when you want to change up or down. Just like using a clutch to change gear. Not sure I understand the difficulty.Edited by ONtheROCS on Tuesday 30th May 19:47
Personally never use auto/sport+ on public roads as I don't need to hang on to every last rev, and just feel a berk! I see this being for track work imo.
mr pg said:
The knack to manual is to pull a lever when you want to change up or down. Just like using a clutch to change gear. Not sure I understand the difficulty.
Personally never use auto/sport+ on public roads as I don't need to hang on to every last rev, and just feel a berk! I see this being for track work imo.
I don't find it difficult per se', I just don't find it natural and I struggle to get used to it after 25+ years of driving a manual gearbox.Personally never use auto/sport+ on public roads as I don't need to hang on to every last rev, and just feel a berk! I see this being for track work imo.
90% of the time I'm in lazy auto mode. 10% of the time, I'm in sport/manual mode. I rarely use Sport Plus unless I'm on a proper drive out or showing it off to someone, it's just way to antisocial for most public roads. When I'm at lights/traffic, I keep it in drive and just foot on the brake. Is there too much to over think!?
When I see kids and they're like "rev-it, rev-it" and I'm feeling like a child myself, I'll pull the two paddles, which knocks it into neutral and rev it, then tap one of the paddles and away to go.
I don't understand how people cannot get on with it, even if you would prefer a manual. It's not complicated IMO.
I suppose you could sell and get one with a manual box and a new porsche badge for your rear boot lid. Two birds, one stone and all that
When I see kids and they're like "rev-it, rev-it" and I'm feeling like a child myself, I'll pull the two paddles, which knocks it into neutral and rev it, then tap one of the paddles and away to go.
I don't understand how people cannot get on with it, even if you would prefer a manual. It's not complicated IMO.
I suppose you could sell and get one with a manual box and a new porsche badge for your rear boot lid. Two birds, one stone and all that
987.2
Auto 99% of the time.
Paddles are handy to pre-empt a sudden acceleration i.e. overtake. Sports mode is cool for a bit, agree with comments that hanging on to every last rev makes you look a bit strange. Would consider Sports+ if on track.
Manual mode is great but rarely use it for changes up; the long gearing means you're approaching national speed limit in 2nd. Do however like the fact gear change can be initiated by the gear stick in manual mode (up & down). Nice touch.
My biggest gripe with the box is motorway driving. Now it may be the new smart motorways and fact you go from 50 to 70 often, but there is no middle ground for gradual acceleration. Either it's 'box down to 6th, 3k revs for a second, back to 7th or an incredibly slow acceleration (+1mph/s).
Love the box in general. Best of both worlds with manual mode.
Auto 99% of the time.
Paddles are handy to pre-empt a sudden acceleration i.e. overtake. Sports mode is cool for a bit, agree with comments that hanging on to every last rev makes you look a bit strange. Would consider Sports+ if on track.
Manual mode is great but rarely use it for changes up; the long gearing means you're approaching national speed limit in 2nd. Do however like the fact gear change can be initiated by the gear stick in manual mode (up & down). Nice touch.
My biggest gripe with the box is motorway driving. Now it may be the new smart motorways and fact you go from 50 to 70 often, but there is no middle ground for gradual acceleration. Either it's 'box down to 6th, 3k revs for a second, back to 7th or an incredibly slow acceleration (+1mph/s).
Love the box in general. Best of both worlds with manual mode.
Not a Porsche, but probably comparable to a degree.
always in manual mode with the paddles
always in sport mode unless there is standing water/ice
whenever stopped for longer than a few sec, I put the box into neutral
initially I always drove with exhaust flaps open, but now feeling it is a little embarrassing in the city so leave them closed/no longer manually override
always in manual mode with the paddles
always in sport mode unless there is standing water/ice
whenever stopped for longer than a few sec, I put the box into neutral
initially I always drove with exhaust flaps open, but now feeling it is a little embarrassing in the city so leave them closed/no longer manually override
I only use Normal if in traffic. Rest of the time I leave it in Sport. Sport plus is just unnecessary. Even if you're not going for it Sport is just better than Normal. It is a bit revvy when you first turn it to Sport but it calms down after a bit when it realises you're being a granny. But the moment you give it some it wakes up very quickly to what it should be doing.
I have tried Sport Plus in manual mode a couple of times. I was trying to detect the difference in the traction control settings between Sport and Sport Plus.
I dont have the big paddles as I have the heated multi wheel - so little paddles which do up and down on both sides. Sometimes the little paddles are a bit fiddly. If you grab the wheel in a sharp bend you can accidentally knock it down a gear which is a bit annoying.
Has anyone successfully launched?
I have tried Sport Plus in manual mode a couple of times. I was trying to detect the difference in the traction control settings between Sport and Sport Plus.
I dont have the big paddles as I have the heated multi wheel - so little paddles which do up and down on both sides. Sometimes the little paddles are a bit fiddly. If you grab the wheel in a sharp bend you can accidentally knock it down a gear which is a bit annoying.
Has anyone successfully launched?
Manual mode all the time, and yes I've played a lot of Gran Turismo/Forza Doesn't matter how clever the computer is, it will never be as good as your brain when it comes to knowing what gear you want to be in. Also I have the centre bypass and Carnewal remote mods, sometimes auto mode will downshift too much and it becomes very loud/quite embarrassing...
I've tried launch a few times (on a closed airfield) and it's so easy to use you could probably use it at a traffic light GP
Doesn't matter how clever the computer is, it will never be as good as your brain when it comes to knowing what gear you want to be in. Also I have the centre bypass and Carnewal remote mods, sometimes auto mode will downshift too much and it becomes very loud/quite embarrassing... I've tried launch a few times (on a closed airfield) and it's so easy to use you could probably use it at a traffic light GP
Shaoxter said:
Manual mode all the time, and yes I've played a lot of Gran Turismo/Forza Doesn't matter how clever the computer is, it will never be as good as your brain when it comes to knowing what gear you want to be in. Also I have the centre bypass and Carnewal remote mods, sometimes auto mode will downshift too much and it becomes very loud/quite embarrassing...
I've tried launch a few times (on a closed airfield) and it's so easy to use you could probably use it at a traffic light GP
Yeah the downshifting really goes into overdrive if you brake anything more than reasonably lightly. Doesn't matter how clever the computer is, it will never be as good as your brain when it comes to knowing what gear you want to be in. Also I have the centre bypass and Carnewal remote mods, sometimes auto mode will downshift too much and it becomes very loud/quite embarrassing... I've tried launch a few times (on a closed airfield) and it's so easy to use you could probably use it at a traffic light GP
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