'AutoStick' - Thoughs on usage?

[westwind77]

The 'AutoStick' (is that the proper term or should I call it the 'Sport Mode'?)how many of you use/play with it on a daily basis? I believe the books said to keep it out of that for the 1st 1k miles. Well I recently broke it (1k) and have been 'playing' with it a little, it's kind of fun Question is, will this really wear on the tranny or is it fine to use? I have never owned a true stick, driven a few over the years though. I will say it's nice to drop it a few and have the power instanly, not having to 'mash' the pedal and wait for the tranny to downshift when having to pass people on a 2 lane road. The 4R downshifts so smoothly with it too, almost dont need the brakes! A big part of me is thinking it is not the 'best idea' to be using this feature a lot as I am sure it was not intended for it. I could drive the wifes 6-speed Miata but that is just not the same Happy Friday!!!
*Stupid forums not allowing you to edit the title, arg*(Thoughts)

 

[Quentin]

The 'AutoStick' (is that the proper term or should I call it the 'Sport Mode'?)how many of you use/play with it on a daily basis? I believe the books said to keep it out of that for the 1st 1k miles. Well I recently broke it (1k) and have been 'playing' with it a little, it's kind of fun Question is, will this really wear on the tranny or is it fine to use? I have never owned a true stick, driven a few over the years though. I will say it's nice to drop it a few and have the power instanly, not having to 'mash' the pedal and wait for the tranny to downshift when having to pass people on a 2 lane road. The 4R downshifts so smoothly with it too, almost dont need the brakes! A big part of me is thinking it is not the 'best idea' to be using this feature a lot as I am sure it was not intended for it. I could drive the wifes 6-speed Miata but that is just not the same Happy Friday!!!
*Stupid forums not allowing you to edit the title, arg*(Thoughts)

Probably good for driving in the snow... but that is about all I would ever figure I'd use it for. Shame they don't offer a proper manual transmission anymore. This will be my 1st automatic and only the 3rd that has ever been owned by my family (mom, dad, brothers, and wife!).

 

[dwulffusa]

What functionality does the 'AutoStick' give you that wasnt available in the previously in the 4th gen, ie the ability to step from D (5th (on 05-> V6s on all V8s) to 4th to 3rd, 2nd, 1st etc.
Sure it seems simpler to tap it over and go up and down sequentially, but the ability to do that is no different from before, just how you get there. What it should do is respond to your command, ie when you tap it back - downshift IMMEDIATELY, and when up tap it fwd, upshift IMMEDIATELY, and hold that gear, no matter where your throttle position is. That = control. But from my experience on 2 test drives in 5th gens, it still operates like an old auto deciding for itself when it should upshift. If your foot is firmly on the gas and you upshift, it still holds...

Maybe I am a control freak, but that annoys me.

 

[westwind77]

What functionality does the 'AutoStick' give you that wasnt available in the previously in the 4th gen, ie the ability to step from D (5th (on 05-> V6s on all V8s) to 4th to 3rd, 2nd, 1st etc.
Sure it seems simpler to tap it over and go up and down sequentially, but the ability to do that is no different from before, just how you get there. What it should do is respond to your command, ie when you tap it back - downshift IMMEDIATELY, and when up tap it fwd, upshift IMMEDIATELY, and hold that gear, no matter where your throttle position is. That = control. But from my experience on 2 test drives in 5th gens, it still operates like an old auto deciding for itself when it should upshift. If your foot is firmly on the gas and you upshift, it still holds...

Maybe I am a control freak, but that annoys me.

Well for me I had a 99' Durango, never had any of that ability, it was D on the column or 2 or 1st. Was not something you really 'played' with. From what I can tell it does respond immediately, or as fast as an automatic can. It does hold the gear you have it in, but it does have a couple safe features, if you rev it too high in the gear it will upshift so as not to damange the engine, and it will not downshift if it senses that when it does it will have the rpms way too high. Both of those I think would be good to have, dont see a reason why you would want the abilty to redline the 4R, do you? It gives you the ability to have power when you need it, but in a safe way for the 4R.

 

[harper7]

Mine shifts exactly like a sequential gated shifter should. The computer will override you if your revs,not gas pedal pos., don't match the torque of the torque converter so you can't tear anything up.My BMW SMG sequential gated shifter was the same way.

Once you are over the 1000 mile break in .Your not going to hurt anything by using/playing with it. I play with mine shifting at 5000rpm all the time.Start in 1st and shift at 5000 going thru the gears shifting at 5000. It has a rev limiter at 5500rpm to protect the engine:naughty:

Also putting it over in S-mode on the highway to pass or merging on the highway will instantly drop it down 1 gear.

 

[JBgotM]

Mine shifts exactly like a sequential gated shifter should. The computer will override you if your revs,not gas pedal pos., don't match the torque of the torque converter so you can't tear anything up.My BMW SMG sequential gated shifter was the same way.

Once you are over the 1000 mile break in .Your not going to hurt anything by using/playing with it. I play with mine shifting at 5000rpm all the time.Start in 1st and shift at 5000 going thru the gears shifting at 5000. It has a rev limiter at 5500rpm to protect the engine:naughty:

Also putting it over in S-mode on the highway to pass or merging on the highway will instantly drop it down 1 gear.

Yeah, yuo can play with it and not hurt it. They have tried to keep people from their own ignorance/mistakes. The Toyota is not actually a sequential though. It's is an auto tranny that lets you suggest what gear you would like to be in. Its just a different interface. It still has a torque converter. A true sequential is a computer controlled clutch (no torque converter) on a "manual" tranny. Manual is almost a misnomer there.

 

[harper7]

The Toyota is not actually a sequential though. It's is an auto tranny that lets you suggest what gear you would like to be in. Its just a different interface. It still has a torque converter. A true sequential is a computer controlled clutch (no torque converter) on a "manual" tranny. Manual is almost a misnomer there.

True, The tranny in the 5th's are actually what they call a manumatic.Google it , most manufactures call it one thing or another but I believe Porsche and their Tiptronic were the first back in the 90's.

My M3 was an actual sequential with a computer operating a hydraulic manual clutch with rev matching, a SMG . with paddle shifters on the steering wheel .Never had to let off the gas like a reg. clutch. The new M3's are bad a**...they have a SMG with a 7 speed double clutch.

I don't think Toyota knows what to call it so in their own words it is a "5-speed Electronically Controlled automatic Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i) and sequential shift mode" even though they sometimes call it "sport" mode.

 

[mikeync]

The dumbest thing with this thing is that it starts in the 4th gear - always. Like seriously how the heck programmed this?

I haven't tested it when I am driving very slow to confirm, but if I am driving fast (should be in 5th gear) it goes to 4th. If I am sitting still it shows the 4th gear.

What it should do (and my Acura did) is it should go to the gear your car is in at that specific time. So if you are still and shift over to it - then give me the 1st gear - not the 4th gear.

I used it fairly frequently on my acura to move in and out of lanes, pass-cars etc, but if it defaults to the 4th gear then I don't anticipate using it much on the 4Runner.......

The only time it should change on its own is if you hit red on the RPM -- that safety feature should be there, but besides that any gear should be allowed at any time.

 

[Jesse1983]

What it should do (and my Acura did) is it should go to the gear your car is in at that specific time. So if you are still and shift over to it - then give me the 1st gear - not the 4th gear.

agreed

 

[westwind77]

The dumbest thing with this thing is that it starts in the 4th gear - always. Like seriously how the heck programmed this?

I have a feeling they have it done like the old 'overdrive' buttons, locking you out of the highest gear for towing. It is not a sports car/suv so they probably thought it was better to do it that way than to drop to the gear you are in. I do agree that it would be 'fun' to have it drop to the current gear if you need it in a flash.

 

[mikeync]

They could have locked you out of the highest gear without putting you in 4th gear. This is how my Armada works -- can't get the highest gear when using their "shift". But it does put me in the gear I am in while I am driving.

The point of that stick is to take over the shifting of the car on the fly -- if you have to hit it several times to get into the right gear then the function is not a useful one....

 

[JBgotM]

True, The tranny in the 5th's are actually what they call a manumatic.Google it , most manufactures call it one thing or another but I believe Porsche and their Tiptronic were the first back in the 90's.

My M3 was an actual sequential with a computer operating a hydraulic manual clutch with rev matching, a SMG . with paddle shifters on the steering wheel .Never had to let off the gas like a reg. clutch. The new M3's are bad a**...they have a SMG with a 7 speed double clutch.

I don't think Toyota knows what to call it so in their own words it is a "5-speed Electronically Controlled automatic Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i) and sequential shift mode" even though they sometimes call it "sport" mode.

I'm very familiar with the M3s. I went the M roadster route myself. :

 

[nighthawk]

Probably good for driving in the snow... but that is about all I would ever figure I'd use it for. Shame they don't offer a proper manual transmission anymore. This will be my 1st automatic and only the 3rd that has ever been owned by my family (mom, dad, brothers, and wife!).

I wish the 5th gen had a manual. They could have just put the FJ Cruiser's tranny in there. *sigh* I don't think I'll ever be able to own a 4Runner. I have a Rav4 right now (1st automatic vehicle) and I absolutely hate it. For the first time in my life, I found myself paying for a vehicle I don't even like driving. If only my wife was willing to learn to drive stick (or if I had enough money to own two vehicles at home).

 

[Quentin]

I wish the 5th gen had a manual. They could have just put the FJ Cruiser's tranny in there. *sigh* I don't think I'll ever be able to own a 4Runner. I have a Rav4 right now (1st automatic vehicle) and I absolutely hate it. For the first time in my life, I found myself paying for a vehicle I don't even like driving. If only my wife was willing to learn to drive stick (or if I had enough money to own two vehicles at home).

I was discussing stick shifts in larger vehicles w/ a friend that is planning on buying a Ram 2500 diesel. After thinking back to driving my dad's F250 and the FJ w/ a stick, I think I'm actually OK w/ an automatic. When I was test driving the 4Runner, the automatic seemed to fit pretty well. I guess what I'm saying is that you'll end up w/ a very truck-like stick shift in a vehicle of this size, and I've never known them to be "fun". Plus, the FJ actually gets worse milage w/ the stick than the auto. I've assimilated.

 

[LyteFly]

I guess what I'm saying is that you'll end up w/ a very truck-like stick shift in a vehicle of this size, and I've never known them to be "fun". I've assimilated.

That sums up my opinion as well :thumb3:

 

[nighthawk]

I was discussing stick shifts in larger vehicles w/ a friend that is planning on buying a Ram 2500 diesel. After thinking back to driving my dad's F250 and the FJ w/ a stick, I think I'm actually OK w/ an automatic. When I was test driving the 4Runner, the automatic seemed to fit pretty well. I guess what I'm saying is that you'll end up w/ a very truck-like stick shift in a vehicle of this size, and I've never known them to be "fun". Plus, the FJ actually gets worse milage w/ the stick than the auto. I've assimilated.

That's cause the FJ stick shift is full time 4WD and the auto is part time 4WD. I have driven the 3rd gen 4runner in manual before and I really enjoy it. If the autostick on the new 4Runner works like I think it does, then that may be a compromise, but I still prefer manual over auto any day.

The way I think the autostick works is that when you have it in sport mode, you can choose what gear the vehicle will be in and it will only upshift automatically if you get to the red line and it will not downshift even if you ask for it if the downshift will put it past the red line. This differs from the conventional auto in that if you put it in D, it goes through all the forward gears, but if I say put it in 3, then it'll go through all the gears up to 3rd gear and will not go past 3rd unless it will damage the engine by not doing so. Is that how it works?

 

[rclangelan]

This 4Runner is the first automatic vehicle I've even owned. I use the Sportshift religiously for decelerating before braking. It's also great in the snow, for both upshifting and downshifting. I've been using the heck out of it these past 2 days (thank you East Coast Blizzard!)

I use it a lot when climbing long hilly roads too, way better than waiting for the "D" mode to decide when to shift for you. I like to run a gear low in most cases and really wind it out.

I normal accelerating conditions, I leave it in "Drive."

It takes some getting used to, but if you use it enough, it begins to feel second nature. I still find myself swinging my left foot at thin air from time to time, and I miss the 6 speed manual I had in my Tacoma, but I'm digging the Sportshift too. No complaints.

~ Ryan

 

[mikeync]

No complaints.

~ Ryan

Would you not rather have the vehicle shift to the gear you are in over the 4th gear every time?

 

[mikeync]

This differs from the conventional auto in that if you put it in D, it goes through all the forward gears, but if I say put it in 3, then it'll go through all the gears up to 3rd gear and will not go past 3rd unless it will damage the engine by not doing so. Is that how it works?

This is an interesting question and I would like to see if anyone knows. On my Acura it would be "just" like driving a stick shift. Whatever gear I put the thing in is the gear I would drive. It wouldn't downshift or upshift unless I hit red. I assumed the same for the 4runner, but if it works as you say it would be one "justification" for why it goes to the 4th gear every time. Not a good justification since it is still stupid, but at least an attempt at one

 

[rclangelan]

Would you not rather have the vehicle shift to the gear you are in over the 4th gear every time?

Yes, that would be a nice feature for future transmissions. No question. But I just try not to let little things like that bug me... no need to go grey prematurely.

~ Ryan