Reading you folks and your opinions on manual transmission s, made me wonder if It is worth learning how to use the paddle shift on my Subaru. Currently, I will put it in manual mode and use first when ascending steep dirt roads with loose rock/gravel. Don't really know if it helps much. I pretty much only drove manual, including dump trucks, etal before my Prius so do know a bit about shifting kris
Got 'em on my Outback. Do they work like the 2 & 3 that used to be on the column shift of my old Ford Falcon? Never bothered to look into how they work.
They're like chopsticks. Use 'em if you want. Ignore them if you don't. (It's STILL a 'two pedal' car either way.)
i have never used paddle shifters butToyota must think they are popular. The 2025 Camry XSE has paddle shifters and all 2025 Camrys have "fake gears" if you wish to use them. I think they run MG1 at fixed speeds to simulate gears.Since there is no B shift, the only use I could see would be to "downshift" into B mode manually. Radar cruise does use B mode so it does exist.
I don't have a Subaru but the closest I have is Model 3, Full Self Driving: Right thumb wheel for speed adjustment Both brake and accelerator pedals override Turn signal stalk for lane changes Screen map finger control for navigation and route planning Voice activated navigation commands IMHO, any vehicle automation reduces the driver attention load so we can plan, safely take better routes, and enjoy the trip. Let the car do as much of the drudge work as it can and you get to more fully enjoy the trip. Bob Wilson
Never had a car with paddles (must not start canoe jokes…) but suspect I’d relegate them to the same dusty corner of my attention as ECO and PWR buttons on my Gen 3.
Had them on the Sonic, Camry, and now Outback. I use them for downshifting on descents and sometimes coming to a light. Also had to use them on the Camry on one hill when it would start gear hunting. The Sonic was the only one I tried fully driving with them, but I didn't see any benefit for me to do full time. Different makes of automatics with these manual-like options(they can be used without paddleshifters) work in different ways. Different automatics can also work differently with the gear selection without a manual-like mode for gear selection. The Sonic was a step transmission with a manual mode that was the closest to working like a standard transmission. Barring the computer deciding damage to the car could happen, the transmission stayed in the gear you chose. Also a step transmission, the Camry had a sequential mode. It worked like selecting a gear on an old automatic. Selecting a gear told the computer that was the highest gear you wanted, and it would shift as normal up to that one. Sequential mode is just having all the gears available to choose for an automatic without each one taking up a slot on the shifter. Never looked into how the Outback's worked. Since it's a CVT, I guess it just changes the max engine rpm limit. I wish there was a way to turn off the virtual step transmission. With easy acceleration, you won't notice it, but it just exist for those afraid of change. Yep, it is mostly a variable B 'gear' on Toyota hybrids. From the previous gen Camry manual, the lower gears should also improve acceleration. That wasn't something I tried while using B in the old Prius, so maybe that isn't new to the b gear.
when I had the Prius I did use B from time to time on long downhill stretches but have not yet gone there with the Camry.
Our first car was an 81 Civic, with the Hondamatic transmission, basically an automatic with manually selected gear. All 2 of 'em if I'm not mistaken.
As to the OP question of whether paddle shifters are worth it? They are convenient, and can be said to be safer since they let you keep both hands on the wheel, but they aren't letting you do something that can all ready done by the main shifter. They're nice to have, but I don't see them as something to be a deciding factor over a model or trim. My 2016 was a SE. They weren't on the other trims.
Had trouble sleeping and got up to take GABA and while waiting to have it take hold, was watching You Tube on my LG TV. Found a vid by a red-haired guy named alex (last name starts with a P). A salesman for Bachman Subaru. He ran through paddle shift basics. Take-away seems shifters can be very helpful snow, ice, mud and steep highway decents. But especially helpful when trying to merge onto expressways etc. as they can get you up to speed faster. The base Subaru 2.5 engine is famously pokey.
I love the paddles in my Mazda 6. I really only use them for descent control and I'm not in the most mountainous region of Pennsylvania, so I don't touch them all that often. But they work great and I appreciate the shorter reach and fast reaction vs. the stick.
Guess I should add that for steep downhills, I use X-Mode on my outback. Through a combo of brakes and gas and transmission -- at least that is how I understand it -- you can pick a speed between 1 and 13 mph. I use it all the time on dirt tracks. What is Subaru X-MODE? | Subaru
