Tiptronic autoboxes

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Sat 24 Jan 2004 10:06
Tiptronic autoboxes - Mad Maxy
I've noticed that HJ sometimes moans about tiptronic autoboxes being counter-intuitive in 'manual mode'. He reckons it should be nudge forward to change down, nudge back to change up. (He comments favourably on the new Mazda 3 which operates that way.)

Maybe there's a logic in nudging forward to make further onward/forward progress. But to me it doesn't feel right. I'm with HJ: pull back to change up - and I did make the odd mistake when I test drove a BMW 3 with tiptronic.

But are most manufacturers getting it wrong? If so, how can they have made the mistake? Why are they still making it?

What's the Backroom view? Are HJ and I in the minority?
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Sat 24 Jan 2004 11:25
Tiptronic autoboxes - Carole
I have an MGF, and now I've got the hang of what at first seemed very complicated (what with the steering wheel paddles and the sports mode and all) I never get the direction wrong, and I think a forward movement for moving up the gears makes perfect sense. But it would be interesting to see what every one else thinks. (Mind you, I'm a bit lazy lots of the time, and just stick it in sport mode. And as the car has a twitchy rear end I sometimes don't even do that if it's a bit wet on the road, because it's so easy to be too heavy on the acceleration.)

A steptronic box seemed a good idea at the time.....
Carole
PS Are tiptronic and steptronic the same thing, just a manufacturer's different terminology?
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