[siicom]

What is your driving style? Do you have it in auto only or manumatic? Do you always downshift at a ramp or when passing? Do you let it roll before red light? How fast do you usually drive, what was the fastest you ever did on the road (non track)? In manumatic do you leave it in m3 or m4? Do you use gear lever or paddle? What other interesting driving style/technique you'd like to share?

[AzureHaze]

D and DS mode from a stop is next to useless for me due to the unpredictable jerkiness (JBD makes it worse) so I'm always in manual shift mode.

Once I'm on the freeway with no traffic though, I switch to DS mode. I used to have to downshift to pass someone but no longer had to once I installed the Sprint Booster in red mode. Don't have to mash the throttle anymore but the turbo lag is still there.

I have no preference on the gear lever or paddle shifters but there a slight lag on the latter that you wouldn't notice unless you've owned and driven the car for quite some time.

[Hoooper]

D, pretty much always unless im either having fun or stuck in traffic which I will use the paddles. DS I never use since its pretty much worthless at picking the right gear, it doesnt hold gears correctly when having fun and doesnt give me the low revs I call for when using manual in traffic.

[335dFan]

I will preface my answer by saying that I have been driving since 1962, and have had about an equal number of automagics (7) and stick (8); I don't have any particular preference; it depends on the car for me. I don't miss a stick on the 335d at all, with a couple of exceptions explained below. I do not have the sport package, and so have no paddles. The manuals were a BMW 2002, a Porsche 911e, a VW bug, a VW Jetta, a Chevy Vega (ugh!), an old piece-of-junk Opel, an early Honda Accord, an older Datsun 610 (or 710). BTW, the Datsun had a very nice engine.

I always drive in D with the following exceptions:

a. At the track I put it in DS, but I do not attempt to manually shift. I have not found it useful, primarily because the transmission seems to have a mind of its own with regard to when it obeys my command anyway. You can't have uncertainty on the track.

b. Coming down out of the mountains I will often use DS and manual downshifting to better regulate my descent. This is about the only time I would like a stick.

[Mik325tds]

Originally Posted by Hoooper

D, pretty much always unless im either having fun or stuck in traffic which I will use the paddles. DS I never use since its pretty much worthless at picking the right gear, it doesnt hold gears correctly when having fun and doesnt give me the low revs I call for when using manual in traffic.

Same here. I use manual mostly to control early upshifts or D when I'm lazy. DS only to get rid of some carbon that collects in the exhaust. Most usefull when annoyed by a tailgater
In order to improve mpg I shift to Neutral a lot to let it roll or long stops at traffic lights. Not sure if the tranny likes that though.

[Chief Orman]

I shift the car manually more and more. This is based mostly on driving style but also because I am running a tune which, irrespective of brand, tend to exacerbate the poor shifting quality on our cars. On quick freeway hops I throw it into DS. When I am trying to take off fast from a standstill, I manually put it in first and let the transmission shift on auto when it hits redline. With a 4800 redline trying to shift the car for the first three gears is waste of time in my view.

[siicom]

Chief, I tried that trick and it work beautifully. If I started in m1 it will reset to m2 and if I started in m2 it will go to m3 at redline

[WreckerX5d]

I drive in D most of the time, except the few occasions I like to have fun. During those times I use manual mode and traction off. I go fast enough to get the occasional speeding ticket, and maxed it out once (non sport).

This car isn't the fastest out there, but it's pretty fun to drive normally. I actually never have much of a desire to go full throttle. All my other cars I had previously I usually had to floor it a few times during the day.

[mob17]

Usually D in auto for daily commute to work. I sometimes downshift manually to slow down. Even with my tune it always picks the right gear, no jerkyness, not sure why other people have problems with a tune...

DS mode i only use in manual when having fun

[m80theWolf]

I'm in D 98% of the time. I'll shift manually in the real twisties to hold a gear. I also drop into manual when I'm approaching a shaper turn. Whenever i get to about 20 mph and turn, D likes to put me in 3rd at about 1200 rpm and lug out of the turn. I like to manually leave it in 2nd and stay in gear through the turn.

[stevers314]

Like an asshole. Managed 21.5mpg out of my last tank and a big portion of my commute is 55mph highways.

I tend to leave it in D, sometimes DS if I'm navigating through idiots because the transmission seems to always know the gear i don't want it in. On long freeway trips I put it in M6 because it has plenty of power to make most maneuvers and the downshift into 5th just wastes time.