Has anyone else noticed that when the a/c compressor is on, the transmission seems particularly jerky? Why does it work this way?

 

well your rpm jumps a few hundred when your ac is on, thus making the car work harder.

try driving with a lighter foot

 

never noticed that myself but a little more detailed description might help. When does this jerkiness occur?

 

I haven't had any problems as far a jerkiness but when the AC is on and I am doing normal driving with normal revs......between 20-35 MPH there's a vibration coming from the engine. Have you experienced this as well?

 

I find that when the a/c is on, the additional drag on the engine makes it take longer to downshift. This is really annoying when i'm in a rush.

However, if you have the a/c on and and driving normal/slow, to me, it actually makes the car feel smoother.

Its just spirited driving with the a/c + the normal shift points make it kind of annoying and may make it downshift not enough or too much.