I was just wondering...which cars have their paddle shifters mounted on the steering column (the way it should be) instead of having them on the steering wheel, which is the way most cars come?

 

The Subaru Legacy has them on the column..... And they work real well too......

 

Infinitis are mounted on the column... BMW is mounted on the steering wheel though

 

Why is "the way it should be" on the column?

What if you need to shift while turning? The paddle won't be where your fingers are.

In Formula 1 the paddles are on the wheel.

 

The Lexus IS's have them on the steering wheel. Nice to look at, but I never use them. I always end up using the shift lever out of habit, if I ever use manual mode.

 

just get IS-F...

 

The Jag XF has the "paddles" on the wheel as well.

 

I say that the paddles should be on the column because when you are in a turn, especially a tight one, your hands might not be in the 9-3 position. The steering wheel might be turned in who knows which position, i.e., during a u-turn. In those situations, it is easier to shift with the paddles, if need be, if you know for sure where they're at, and they're not in a different position, depending on what position the wheel is in.

For others, you might always drive with your hands at the 9 and 3 positions, but I NEVER do. I only steer with 1 hand, since I drive a manual. Obviously if I were racing, i.e. and F1 car, I'd have my hands in only one position the whole time, because their steering wheels only allow for one grip. There are no other options. You can also get away with just the one grip on a F1 car because they never need to take their hands off of the wheel, since they hardly turn. Their steering ratio allows for the driver to make enough steering adjustments without ever worrying about taking their hands off.

But I'm talking about daily driving. When making certain turns, or u-turns, we take our hands off of the wheel depending on how many times we need to turn the steering wheel. Once we take our hands off it is more difficult to find the proper position on the wheel to shift, let's say, if the wheel's paddles are at 12 and 6, than it would be if we knew that the paddles are on the column at 9-3 all the time, no matter what position the steering wheel is in.

These are just my thoughts. I don't plan on driving a car with any type of automatic tranny for a long, long, long, long time, but just in case, I wanted to ask this question.

 

Who needs to shift while performing a U-turn?

Plus, having to reach even beyond the steering wheel to grab a paddle would seem much more difficult than being aware of the position of the steering wheel. Imagine having to hit the windshield wipers or turn signal indicator lever while in a high-speed turn. That's what grabbing the paddle on the column would be like.

 

Maybe I didn't explain properly. I'm trying to say that there are times when we take our hands off of the wheel, and when we put our hands back, they usually go to the 9 and 3 o'clock position. If the paddles were at 12 and 6, we wouldn't put our hands where the paddles are, because that's not a comfortable driving position. My point is our hands won't always be in the 9 and 3 position in terms of the steering wheel. Most of the time...maybe...all of the time...no.

Also, I shift during a u-turn all the time? I'm always in 2nd by the time I complete my turn. If we are talking about left/right turns, depending on how much of a hurry I'm in, or how fast I feel like going, I might even be in 3rd gear by the time I complete my turn. Try making a left, or right, or u-turn, without ever taking your hands off of the steering wheel. It's very difficult, and in the case of a u-turn, impossible. The natural position your arms will return to is the 9 and 3 position, no matter what position the steering wheel is in. This is my point. If I'm in a turn, and the wheel's paddles are in the 12 and 6 position, it would be more diffiult for my arms to be on top of one another, to match that position, than to just simply go to the column, in the 9 and 3 position, to shift gears.

 

Wow didnt know people put this much thought into paddle placement.

If i recall, the "proper" way is to do the shifting before entering the turn. Not during. Of course thats said for manual transmissions.

Now you even got me curious as to where most companies put their paddles.

 

It was a random thought that just crossed my mind.

 

It's clearly a matter of personal preference.

 

 

A proper driver does not shift while cornering, it upsets the balance of the car. You'll notice watching pro's that the select the gear to carry them through the corner then grab the upshift just as they straighten up.

 

Most of these cars allow you to shift using the shifter in addition to the paddles. So if you are driving one handed you can just reach over and shift with your other hand like on a manual...

 

appreciate the thought from how they originated in F1s.

But lets be honest, paddles on conventional cars are purely gimmicks. most consumers dont use em. and chances are, if the paddles were located on the column, customers would start complaining about a feature that they dont even use. its a lose-lose risk for the manfucterers to inconviently place paddle shifters on the column.

however, on a car like the Legacy, im not suprised that they are on the column, as many subaru buyers are race enthused. plus burus are likely to be modded or track outfitted.

 

^^^Duly noted. Any other cars with column mounted paddle shifters?

 

...go to the source.

where are they located on Ferrari w F1 trannies?

...or is that surface mounted push button at the "horn" locations?

 

The funny thing I noticed was that the paddles are quite long on my Subaru. This allows for some fingertip shifting if my hands are close to the 10/2 position. Also, they allow a full override regardless of the shifter position.

So, I can use the paddles anytime, and they work pretty well being on the column.

 

I would imagine many manufacturers put it on the column to save cost. Placing it on the wheel requires that they be run through the clock spring which requires a new design.

 

^ true..

 

They're on the column on the Ferrari...