Flappy paddles - do you use them?

[The Pielander]

I've had my Cupra over a year now and I've only recently started to use the paddles on the steering wheel for manual gear shifts. I've gotten so used to using the gearbox in D and S modes that I've found manual mode quite difficult to get my head around. Here's my thoughts - do you agree / disagree?

1. Changing up and down manually is more satisfying on a twisty A or B road blast than S mode.

2. 7 speeds makes my brain hurt when pootling around. I have to remember to be in a gear (or two) higher than I would in my old 6 speed Ibiza.

3. Roundabouts have caused some panic as when the steering wheel is turned the paddles don't fall easily to hand. I've started to use the gear lever on these occasions but I still get a bit muddled.

4. When pulling away quickly, say into moving traffic, 1st and 2nd gear are over so fast that you can almost make 3 quick pulls on the upchange paddle.

5. It could just be me but the up and down shifts should be swapped over on the steering wheel. My brain says '+' on the left hand side so I have had a mistakes with this.

Overall, I really like M mode when I am alone on the road but if I'm in traffic I find it quite taxing. With a manual gearbox you just instinctively know what gear it is in or you can brush your hand against the gearstick to find out. With DSG you have to look at the dashboard display.

What does everyone else think?

 

[jc_boc]

I have been using manual for ages mate so I am very used to it. Still use auto alot but when i feel like playing in the traffic i use the paddles as i find I can control the car alot more the way i want it to handle and actually in London I never really use 6 opr 7 so it like a normal car and consumption does not get affected that muchy either.

 

[grant 123]

i do love using the paddles, the thing about having + on left and - on right is a no go, its just the industry standard, all race cars etc have same setup... whilest on that point, i do think the +/- on the actual gearstick should be the other way round, should be forward to go down the gears and towards yourself to go up, same as race cars

i also find that if you short shift using the paddles it can be a very aggressive gear change which i like, but go me thinking the mounts holding the gearbox and engine must be taking alot of stick.

apart from that i love paddles

 

[Nutkin]

I was taught to race using padels so i find them quite easy to use! love em but i wish they were a bit more mechanical feeling

 

[nightflight]

Noo, paddles are defintiely not the wrong way round, up on the right, down on the left, same as on gran turismo.
Agree it should be away for down and towards for up on the gear stick though.

 

[chuckb]

Love them do take a bit of getting used to but now I have them dialled its sooo easy. 1,2 are over in a flash though and in 3rd and pulling like crazy! the only time I dont really like is heavy stop start traffic. Just leave it in D and pootle along.

 

[Squash man]

Sharp corners or roundabouts always throw me. Apart from the odd 5 minutes play on the country roads I tend to stick to D.

 

[Tilley1]

I find the cars a bit jerky when doing slow speeds like stopping at roundabouts etc, in D car seems to hold it in 2nd whereas me naturally put it into 1st and judders, so when approaching roundabouts I put it in D then sometimes use the +/- stick when driving normally or paddles when driving fast.

Usually leave it in D though..

 

[Jay1990]

I spent most of my first weekend in D mode because I though it was great but full manual is where IT is at for the fun factor It just seems to go quicker in full manual than D/S for me.

Got used to the mvery quickly but I was once an avid racer in a game called Live For Speed(LFS) and had a G25 that had 900degree turning and flappy paddles as well as a full manual or tiptronic mode on a gear stick on the side set up on a race chair Im 21 so Im of the playstation generation(even though the first PS I got was a 3 and the first Xbox was a 360 quite recently) So I think the paddles are brilliant.

ahh the good old days lol

 

[Tilley1]

i want that ^

 

[Jay1990]

haha Its called a Playseat Evolution's can get them in black too. Quite expensive- more expensive now than it was when I bought mine. I sold mine about a year ago and made a profit lol!

 

[WJs]

Have one also, with the G25 now. Bought mine 3months before GT5 got released, prices went sky high after that. hehe

Its really awesome! Anyway, back ontopic.

I use D and Manual most of the time, I try to use Sport every now and then but just get annoyed with the retarded rev happyness. It feels like its destroying the engine, hehe. I know its designed and guess should be able to handle it easy...

You just need to get used to the 7 speed thing, I so lost track of gear and even the speed I was doing when I just got my car. But now that I'm used to it, its the best thing ever. The roundabout thing is annoying me also, paddles shouldnt been mounted on the wheel but behind it. (and also could have been a little bit bigger)

 

[Tonezz]

When your using manual do you even need to use all 7 gears though?

Also saying that gear 1 and 2 are over so fast, is this because its a fast car or because they are shortened ratio's or something?

 

[phil_monk31]

I use Manual a lot. I have an uprated Dogbone and it makes driving with the paddles much more responsive.

 

[jc_boc]

I use Manual a lot. I have an uprated Dogbone and it makes driving with the paddles much more responsive.

+1

 

[Jay1990]

How does it make the drive more responsive, what is an uprated dogbone? Im guessing its a gearbox part/selector switch?

Jay

 

[InvisibleName]

Just did a holiday drive down to Baveria & Austria - the paddles were great fun driving in the alps!

 

[jc_boc]

How does it make the drive more responsive, what is an uprated dogbone? Im guessing its a gearbox part/selector switch?

Jay

Uprated gearbox mount mate. Stiffens it up more so you don't get that horrible shaking feeling from the increased torque after remapping.

 

[grant 123]

Uprated gearbox mount mate. Stiffens it up more so you don't get that horrible shaking feeling from the increased torque after remapping.

as i said earlier, if i short shift the car i sometimes feel it, and thats stock

 

[Bobanegra]

I've only recently started driving it in manual, D was good enough just for pottering about town but anything other than that and its straight into manual... the S mode is crap and the noise I get when driving in it is hideous, sounds as though my car wants to throw up - manual is obviously much more responsive anyway but does anyone else's seem to take a second or two after the number changes on the dash before the engine actually responds?