Been driving with all gears for a couple of days, with mixed reactions.
Remember, I am new to automatics, never had one before. Good impressions, it is very economical, relative to how it used to suck the amber liquid. The shift pattern of the tranny keeps the engine revs really low, so even at 75/80 on the motorway, it is not showing much over 2 or 2.5K.
Bad impressions, if you want to move smartly along from this 2k engine speed, a shove of the pedal gives mixed response. It picks up, but in top or third. Leisurely. Yawn.
Kickdown works, but again mixed response. Firm push, it gets the lower gear, seems to wonder a second or two, "what's required here?", and then moves along nicely. Burying the welly gets real movement, slight hesitation, then bang, drops maybe to second, redlines in no time and shifts up, moving very smartly all the time.
The general impression I am getting is the response of a car with turbo lag. The only real idea of what it can do was when I start it in 2 range. Stamp on it , it finds first and power mode, up to redline and shifts up. In second, it powers on, you can keep power on or ease off, in second, it can't move up to third, so you are still up in the 4 to 7 thou power range. This way it really shifts along. If I was dicing with someone, this is how I would do it. Not too happy with the box deciding we need to go up to third while I am still enjoying the powerband in second.
Am I being over critical? Are they all hungry for changing up quick? Maybe I am just too used to the Honda VTEC surge, and high revving bikes.
Joe
