Manual Mode
 

What is the main difference between shifting manually without pressing the button and shifting manually after pressing the button? Does it make a difference or is it just a useless feature?

I don't think the button was actually intended to turn the automatic into a manual shifter.Since it revs out pretty close to redline in power mode what would be point. Its there to keep the tranny from downshifting from second to first. So upon takeoff in real slippery stuff ya have less chance of spinning.

I have actually used manual mode to good effect in the twisty mountain roads in VT. I also drove an automatic WRX once, and manual mode helped me keep the revs up instead of having the stupid thing upshift whenever I let off the gas.

so lets say Im sitting at a red light and there is snow on the ground, (keep in mind I have FWD), I just keep it in D (Drive), and push the manual button and it will start in 2nd gear in stead of first?

Right. But if you have it in '1', and you put it in manual mode, it'll stay in 1st unless it needs to shift to protect the engine.

what year WRX? :confused:

I think to get it to do this the vehicle has to be in the 3 gear position. I'll double check but i'm almost positive.

It will stay in 1 regarless if it is in manual mode or not - until you hit redline where it will shift to save the engine.

Forgive me. I meant that I was shifting the car manually (or as manually as it was allowing me). I didn't think much of the WRX slaved to an auto-box, but I do praise Subaru for always providing the option to shift up through the gears manually. :D It certainly helped the auto WRX I drove!

Thanks, you are correct.

i thought maybe they added a manual button to later year WRX's - i have a 2002.
to get off-topic a bit, i think the 4EAT in the WRX will split the front to rear power 50-50 in '1' and '2'. i leave it in '3' for anything but highway driving - its much peppier like that. the 4EAT may be a little slower and give you less control, but i got it because its the wife's car, its a lot stronger than the 5-speed, and the electronically controlled AWD system is better than the 5-speed's mechanical AWD.

In manual mode your SVX will only start in 2nd gear if the shifter is in 2 or 3. If the shifter is in 1 or 4 you will still be starting in 1st.

Even power mode will not give you 1st gear.

I thought so thanks for the confirmation

ok, that makes sense, I'll have to take advantage of that come winter time.

as far as manually shifting is concerned, i always smell oil when i do it, so i dont do that anymore aside from i couldnt really make it do anything better then what it already did. i just use it for emergency downshifting.