Lets hear it about the automatic trans, what are your reactions to it's performance and workings. Also, lets hear a bit about how it works, ie: when does the computer override your gear selection? Shoot, lets just hear anything you have to say that relates to the automatic.

 

Its a fun little option... But i think it needs to be more responsive... i.e. when i am reving high in any of the gears and shift it lags a bit... doesnt have the bite like a good ol clutch ya know... I understand its not a race car, but seems like it could be a lil better IMO...

 

auto stick is lame period.

all your doing is asking the car to upshift or downshift, and if the computer determines that it is safe to downshift without over-revving, or the car will have enough power to maintain speed after upshifting, it will let you upshift.

the computer will intervene before you do any damage to the engine or transmission.

i've driven several cars with better auto-stick set ups than the scion xB's is, my dad's porsche cayenne s with a tiptronic 6 speed, my mom's subaru legacy 2.5 gt with an auto-stick 5 spd, and my bro's cls 550 with a 7 speed gear box. it is utterly joyless, the car just listens to commands as suggestions, and then eventually gets back to you with a response and by that time, the reason you wanted to shift is long gone.

so if you want to shift, get a manual, if you don't, get an auto. and if you want to be a poseur, get an auto stick.

 

Wow a little condescending... I think it is a fun option to have. The computer shifts it at pretty low rmps, so being able to let it get up to the red line then shift is nice every once in a while...

I have driven both a BMW 3 series and an Acura CL... both were fun to put into sport mode... But of course its NOT just like a manual...

 

there is only one place i have driven where i wished i had auto with sport shift mode, and that was in my 05 explorer.

on I-68 east between lavale and cumberland, there is a long right hand bend going up a hill, and i would have to fight the truck to maintain control because it would downshift unexpedidly and invoke brief moment of oversteer, which was scary when between and 18 wheeler and a concrete retaining wall.

so in that situation, it could have been handy to have a transmission that would hold a for me and not make me so skiddish on that one stretch of interstate, but

 

Just get the automatic, put it in drive and drive it. These are not meant to be race cars so no sense banging up and down on the autoshift like we are driving a darn Ferrari. They are no different then any automatic made for the past fifty years. You could always shift an automatic manually if you want to. Our cars are NO faster shifting them manually as apposed to just leaving them in drive. The only time I can see a benefit to using the sport shift is to downshift to third gear when approaching a big hill while I am towing something.

 

I understand that its not much different from downshifting any other manual trans. If you hold it in say, second, will the engine rev to redline, and bounce off a limiter, or will it just upshift itself? I'm not getting it for the fun of shifting, I have a three speed '73 Land Cruiser for that. haha
Thanks!

 

Woo! for more xB2 people running Sundown!!!

Sundown, FTW!!

 

Yessir, Sundown lays down the smackdown!

 

You know thissss!!! I've been trying to convince people here on Sundown.

My 3000D @ a 2ohm load stays cool and voltage doesn't drop below 11.7volts at idle... Can't complain!

 

Drop a 300A alt in there and turn that sucker down to .5 ohms. Then you'll be smackin! Not many amps can claim they go down to .5 ohms!

 

I already dropped 4bills on a 180a... I'm waiting until I can afford a pulley from NST. I should've waited on my reply from Iraggi instead of getting this 180amp one... Gah.

 

has anyone been able to figure a way to force the "sport shift" to hold a gear? ie reprogram the eprom for the shift points. it would be great to hold hi gear to almost chugging for improved mpg, the rest would be gravy.

 

The Sport Shift is a complete waste. I would have preferred having an extra gear in the auto than the Sport Shift.

 

IMO, I love the auto stick. I use it everyday. Most of you are in the mindset that people using auto stick are using it to race or red line. Just the opposite for me. I use it to shift early and get better gas milage. If you don't mash the gas, the xB will normally shift into 2nd around 2800 and into 3rd about 3500. When I use the autostick, I can shift into both around 2500 rpm. I have seen my xB go from an average of 24.3 mpg to 25.2 mpg.

 

i have (or my GF has.....) an 02 is300 with sport-shift, and its fun to use for a little while, it shifts pretty quickly and smoothly about 200-300 rpm after you hit the button located on the steering wheel!

but i usually drive with the ECT power button on if i want the tranny to hold gear til redline, works seamlessly

only fun thing about the auto-stick is downshifting around corners

 

When you use this "auto-stick" on the automatics, do you have to let up on the gas or can you just tap it into the next gear while keeping your foot on the gas?

 

It is an automatic transmission. Why would we need to let off the gas?

It is not related to a manual transmission in any way.

 

I use the "auto-stick" feature every day and love it. This dated 4 speed AT is far from the best AT available today but what does anyone expect in a $17,000 car? I use it to engine brake and to hold a lower gear on exit ramps, hills, passing, etc. It's a great feature to have and I wouldn't want an AT without it.

In answer to someone's question, it will hold a lower gear and bounce off the rev limiter if you forget to upshift. Don't ask me how I know this...

 

I was just making sure, i didnt wanna be using it and be screwing up the transmission or something else because I wasnt letting up on the gas... Lol.