Mine doesnt even going at 70mph+ and 5000 rpm+. It stays put in 3rd. Dealer claims this is normal for 2009 TSX. The 2010 TSX loaner I drove does shift to fourth.

 

Sport goes to 5th doesn't it?
Dealer told me D it stays in 4th but in Sport it goes to 5th and rides the RPM curve all the way...

 

In my '09 S stayed in 3rd. Haven't tried the '11 yet because I'm still babying it for the first 600 miles.

 

I have a 2010, in S mode it shifts to third, then to get to 5th gear I have to use the paddle up shift.

 

Yes it does go to 4th in S mode.. @ speeds way above legal...

how do I know, cause I've reached that speed. Roughly 90mph in S (6000+ rpm) it shifts to 4th...

I did it inadvertently.. I am never in S mode unless I need to be.

 

Thanks. That means nothing wrong with my car. But this is a horrible setting, especially given that paddle shifters are there. It should shift to 4th by 5K rpm or so.

 

In sport, it's meant to be used with paddle shifts. If i remember right, the reason it automatically shifts is to avoid damage to the engine. SO the only reason it would shift up in S is if you drive the RPMs all the way up to near the red zone. So really you can't call it a "horrible setting" if it's there just to protect your engine

 

I havnt ried the "S" mode yet but is it more sportier? What I mean is does it feel to respond faster and add speed?

 

s mode should really only be used for the paddles in my opinion.

 

why? even without the shifters, S mode will hold the gear till redline

 

cause its really only good for going and once you get to your desired speed it just hangs in the lower gears and is very annoying i prefer full control over it well as much as the computer will allow.

 

I am so happy that someone asked this question. The owners manual does say S mode will shift to 4th, but doesn't say at what speed. S mode does shift gears 1,2,3 at normal speeds so long as you don't touch the paddles.

What you can't do is lock out 5th gear and have the transmission shift normally between the first 4 gears. I would gladly trade the paddles for that capability. I think paddles are a questionable benefit on a torque converter type automatic anyway.