I am curious how well the 2014 RDX paddle shifters work. I have always bought and loved vehicles with manual transmissions and clutch. I enjoy shifting and being involved with driving.
I test drove the RDX and was impressed, but never got to use the paddles due to the short test drive.
Please let me know if you use them all the time, or selectively, and what "setting" seems to work best. Do you find it odd to have those but no clutch?
Does the transmission help with controlling engine speed when downshifting?
Any comments are very much appreciated.

 

The paddle shifters aren't spectacular, they are decent for high revving situations but there is some lag AND if you don't manually flip them the computer will engage.

I'd have rather the $ on tech for that get put into something like lane departure or even LED tails.

 

They're not bad. Kinda nice when you want to override the computer on revs, or if you like to do engine braking while coasting. The computer will kick-in and prevent any damage, forcing a shift if revs get to high or too low. That said, I can't say I use them often or anything.

 

They are handy if you drive in hilly areas so you can use some engine braking. Otherwise... Meh.

 

About the only time I use them is on a long downhill. I descend from 8,100 feet to 4,800 feet in about 12 miles from a ski resort to the base elevation where I live. I rarely have to touch the brake or throttle when I use the paddle shifters.

Jim

 

They're a nice touch, though kinda unnecessary in an SUV. I only really use them to downshift when I need some extra engine braking. You could use it to downshift while prepping to make a pass too, but the transmission is usually quick enough to downshift when you floor it anyway so I rarely do it manually.
If you want to make it as manual as possible you can shift into sport mode and use the paddles. That'll keep the transmission from bumping out of manual mode if you don't use one of the paddles after a few seconds. Might be handy for snowy conditions but I haven't had a chance to try that just yet this year.
And yes, the system rev matches when you downshift.

Ultimately I'm with Type X - I would have traded the paddle shifters for something else, like auto-dimming sideview mirrors tied into the rearview or rain sensing wipers.