Manual Mode?

[santo]

New IS300 owner here with a question about e-shifting. When driving in manual mode and shifting with the steering wheel paddles, is it possible to damage the transmission if you're not shifting at the right time? From what I can tell in the owners manual the car will shift for you if you don't do it. Is that right?

I have very limited experience driving with a stick, but I want to take advantage of the e-shift as long as there isn't a posibility I'm killing my car!

[bartkat]

New IS300 owner here with a question about e-shifting. When driving in manual mode and shifting with the steering wheel paddles, is it possible to damage the transmission if you're not shifting at the right time?  From what I can tell in the owners manual the car will shift for you if you don't do it. Is that right?

I have very limited experience driving with a stick, but I want to take advantage of the e-shift as long as there isn't a posibility I'm killing my car!

←

The car won't shift to any higher gear than the one you have selected. If you are in "3", then 3 is as high as it will go. You won't hurt the car any though because when you hit red line, the engine will cut out. Downshifting too early might be a little jerky, but I don't think the car will get hurt.

If you just drive in manual mode, and leave it set in "5", then the car will shift normally, you just have the option to use the steering wheel buttons if you wish.

[MagicMtnDan]

You can't really hurt the car. But my guess is you'll get tired of the button shifting. I don't care to use them at all - too small and too hard to find except when you're just driving in a straight line. Once the roads get curvy the buttons become much harder to find. I don't bother anymore. I am looking forward to the real deal - real paddle shifters are coming in the IS. And the left paddle will be downshift while the right paddle will do the upshifting (unlike the current car which has upshift buttons on the front of the wheel and downshift buttons on the back - what a waste).

You can see the paddles on the new IS here:

[nismO to TRD]

I'm looking to trade in my GS and get a IS but can't seem to find many manuals. I read that the difference between e-shift automatic and 5-speed manual is not much. Maybe you guys/girls can help me with some feedback and tell me if it's worth the search for the 5-speed model?

thanx!

[pushatam]

driving with the e-shift is nothing like driving a real 5-speed. youre just pressing buttons which feels video-game like. if youre interested in driving a stick-shift, the e-shift automatic is not a good substitute