Might shift
I recently purchased a Honda Jazz 1.4 ES I-SHIFT and am very disappointed so far, just not getting at all used the deceleration and lurching back when the car is changing up, and, as I do a lot of town driving, there's lots of stopping and starting and slowing down. And yes I am a careful 50-something lady-driver who previously drove an old manual Nissan Micra. I'm not sure if there's anything in the system that needs to be tweaked or if that's just how it's meant to be. The Honda dealer just says I need to get used to it. I've driven an automatic in the past it's always been fairly smooth with no constant awareness of gear changes. Also the braking is rather sharp - does that ease off after a while? But I must say I do like everything else about the car - the space, comfort, and love the deep sapphire pearl. I'm beginning to wish I'd bought the manual.
Asked on 25 April 2009 by
Answered by
Honest John
You can get used to it and adapt yourself to driving it smoothly. The first thing to remember is that an I-SHIFT is not a 'press and go' automatic. It is an automated manual in which electronics and machinery dip the clutch and change the gears of a manual transmission. The greatest torque reaction and greatest strain on any gearbox and clutch is in the change up from 1st to 2nd. So the electronics damp the acceleration between upward changes. This is the "lurch" you feel. But if you anticipate the changes and drive with a lighter throttle, they will be perfectly smooth. You can also take over by using the paddles. Automated manuals vary considerably from car to car. The best I have driven was the Dualogic in a FIAT QUBO, which even managed full throttle upchanges quite smoothly. But the Jazz I-SHIFT is one of the best of the rest. So if I was you I'd persevere, and if you do I think you'll get the hang of it. Honda needs to think about providing a 5-speed torque converter auto in the Jazz, as it does in other World markets and already does in the UK in the Civic as an alternative to its I-SHIFT. Video test of he 5-speed auto in the Thai market Honda City at www.honestjohn.co.uk
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