As anyone who has ever driven a manual transmission will attest, when you pull the shifter (straight back) you are shifting into a higher gear. For example, from 1st to 2nd gear you pull down toward yourself. And conversely, to downshift, you push the stick toward the dash.

These patterns have been ingrained in my driving style; and after years of driving a manual transmission, this has become a habitual action.

So why then does the steptronic system reverse this order? On the TL, I have to PULL to downshift, and PUSH to upshift.

IMO, I find this to be a backward configuration. Does anyone else agree?

 

I find this perfectly normal, Pushing "up" to UP shift, and "down" to DOWN shift does make sense. Even in a manual dont you have to push up to go from 2nd to 3rd anyway, and than again from 4th to 5th?? Than again, I have never owned a manual .....

 

I don't understand this, as most of the MT's I have driven have an H pattern.

On my 6MT, going to 3rd or 5th requires a PUSH, for example. Whereas R is a PULL.

 

Yano_jl, For sportshift "Up for upshift and Down for downshift" makes sense. I dunno why you think it's in reverse. Also with your logic as DopeTL04 said, you've to push up for 2nd to 3rd and 4th to 5th.

Pug, how come R is a pull. It's a push too unless you are driving "right hand drive" verson or I dunno what you are talking about.

 

R is a "pull." Sure, you have to push it hard to the right, but you "pull" towards yourself. (Its in the bottom row, 2,4,6,R)

 

IndyCar shifters are push to downshift and pull to upshift, which I think is more natural. Most auto manufacturers I believe designed the sport-shifts toward auto users (stick drivers will always prefer stick). On an automatic, D is always first after N, then you need to pull it further to downshift to 3..2..1..etc. Hence the design of pull to downshift. I think this was done to minimize confusion with long-time auto users. I know of only Mazda as having their sportshifts the other way around (push/down, pull/up).

That being said, is there any way we can switch it in the TL?

 

Hmm... got it now. Thanks.

 

I would agree that it would seem more natural to me to pull to shift into the next gear. I think it is done the other way because people would be too easily confused considering that the a standard automatic shifter is arranged P R N D5 D4 D3 etc.

 

Good point alexcoupe, this seems more justifyable.

 

Excellent point -- and great point that only Mazda has things the "proper" way. This is discussed in driving schools (ie: Skip Barber) when they first demonstrate their sequential gearboxes (which are the correct way)

 

I too find this to be backwards. It's even like that on the G35. It drives me crazy and I have to think before I shift, because I might be shifting down instead of up and vice versa. I guess it's all those years playing video games and driving a manual transmission car and now I'm confused when I use the sport shift. I'm gonna limit my use of it so I don't pickup any bad habits incase I do get a car with a "proper" sequential gearbox. LOL

 

For my preference, I do prefer to pull for upshift gears instead of to push. Maybe playing too much video games in the past made me think of this way... As alexcoupe said, his point could be the main reason why Automakers set up the way as our SS mode.

 

In mazda's it is the opposite, it got me all confused at first when i drove it.

 

Tell me about it. I finally got comfortable with it after about 4 months of ownership, then I went to the Mazda Rev It Up event and got it all backwards.

 

hahaha yeah same here at Rev It Up. I didn't know what the hell was going on with the car until I looked down and saw it was the opposite... then i was able to gun it better