VeeshanVault

Posted: **February 8, 2007, 10:27 pm**

I've heard a few say Tiptronic sucks.. Just wondering why that is. While in Florida on my vacation I remted a car with Tiptronic and I didn't really have a problem with it. I'm thinking of getting a new car soon (6 mos or so). I've driven manual for the past 20 years or so and not really sure I want another new car with manual. This sorta seemed like the best of both as you could shift yourself when you wanted and if you were in stop and go traffic you could just go into fully automatic.

Is it certain implementations of tiptronic that people don't like or just that system in general?

Posted: **February 8, 2007, 10:33 pm**

There are two reasons people do not like tiptronics:

1. The purist. They want a plain manual for the joy of driving. I must admit I probably fall into this group.. I love stick on a sports car!

2. Slow gear shifts. You might not get as much out of the car as you do with a manual. Delays are no fun!

Posted: **February 8, 2007, 10:51 pm**

Honestly, they've improved hugely in the last few years. They used to be slow as heck to actually shift.

I'd say if you're not a purist type as Kelshara mentioned above, they'd be just fine. And they may also be fun for an auto driver who never learned manual to play with.

Posted: **February 9, 2007, 7:26 am**

You should read what people say about the tiptronic system in the vehicle you intend to purchase. Some are better than others as far as gear shift quickness as well a giving you a lot of control over the entire gear band. Vehicle cost isn't always the main differentiation for these two things. I test drove the IS 350 and the paddle shifters were great(actually, the whole car was fantastic save for rear seat room). I want to test drive a Fit with one to cover the lower cost spectrum but the Honda dealerships by me still only ship sold units.

Driving a shift can be fun, but if your commute is a stop and go bitch, you're not going to miss it as that is the majority of time usually spent in a car

Posted: **February 9, 2007, 11:28 am**

My father has the Semi Auto/ semi shift 350z convertable . I like it but yes the shift when in the MODE is a bit slow for my taste. I also Hate the TCS (traction control). Where I have driven it , its a waste, all 90 degree corners on flatland USA (central valley Calif). It just seems like the car is slipping into gear , like when you ride the clutch in a true manual. When in Auto mode it does shift a little tighter.
For ME I like the true auto , just because I have one of the worst commutes in the country. Its stop and go all morning and shifting really SUCKs the Ass in that case. I love taking my truck Mon-Wed since it is an auto. On Sundays I take her car ( 04 VW Golf 5speed) I really like the control of a shift in that case. Being Sunday there is no traffic, and I have an option of a nice old road that is about 10-12 miles of skight elevation changes and twisties. I grew up on that road and know every corner very well. On Mon- Fri you can take the road too , but only get up to about 50mph , while Sundays , well I average about 85mph (in a stock Golf 2dr 2.0l). It all boils down to personal pref. Your call on what you like, and what the driving conditions You will be in most days.

Posted: **February 9, 2007, 6:54 pm**

True Auto is a cleaner shift than most every tiptronic

Posted: **March 7, 2007, 11:26 pm**

My 04 Tiburon is a tiptronic and I have no complaints.. I actually use the tiptronic full time and I dont notice any delays in gear shifts.. I think I'll get stick for my next car just because I want to learn stick but I love my car and the tiptronic..

Posted: **March 8, 2007, 6:38 pm**

I guess I was mainly curious as far as reliability goes. Are they more prone to breakage than a manual? Meaning you almost get the same level of control yet nothing like a clutch to go out and leave you with a large repair bill.

Although I am guessing this is more specific to certain manufacturers.

Posted: **March 9, 2007, 12:48 pm**

Aslanna wrote: Although I am guessing this is more specific to certain manufacturers.

Bingo

Posted: **March 9, 2007, 1:13 pm**

CVT > Tiptronic

Posted: **March 9, 2007, 1:18 pm**

miir wrote:CVT > Tiptronic

I was actually going to ask about this as I have been looking at test-driving a Caliber soon. How different are the systems that you would rate the CVT as better?

Posted: **March 9, 2007, 1:25 pm**

I have tried tiptronic in a few cars, and being someone who has had a manual in every car I have ever driven I will tell you right now that the tiptronic manual does not give you as much control over your car as a true manual does.

I also found it really hard for me to adjust, because in the two that I tried it in the RPM's at which you shifted were way way off from what it would be for a regular manual.

Overall I just don't like it, but again thats probably because all my driving has been in a manual.

Posted: **March 9, 2007, 2:17 pm**

What if the car offers both CVT and Tiptronic modes? Sounds like the best of both worlds!

Posted: **March 9, 2007, 4:30 pm**

Aslanna wrote:What if the car offers both CVT and Tiptronic modes? Sounds like the best of both worlds!

I hope you're joking.

Posted: **March 9, 2007, 4:44 pm**

Posted: **March 9, 2007, 5:39 pm**

They're the same thing. Called differently by different manufacturers.

Posted: **March 9, 2007, 6:53 pm**

Truant wrote:They're the same thing. Called differently by different manufacturers.

That's news to me. Cite source, please!

Posted: **March 9, 2007, 7:06 pm**

Aslanna wrote:
Truant wrote:They're the same thing. Called differently by different manufacturers.
That's news to me. Cite source, please!

They aren't entirely the same system, but I am guessing that they are each so engineered into the car that it wouldn't be possible to have both systems

Tiptronic® is a registered trademark, and it is owned by German sports car maker Porsche, who licenses it for use by others such as Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda.

Other manufacturers use Tiptronic-like systems under different names:

Acura: Sequential SportShift
Audi: Tiptronic, Multitronic (CVT)
BMW: Steptronic
Chrysler/Dodge: AutoStick
Citroën: Sensodrive
Ford (Australia): Sequential Sports Shift
Honda: iShift, S-matic, MultiMatic
Hyundai: Shiftronic, H-Matic
Infiniti: Manual Shift Mode
Jaguar: Bosch® Mechatronic
Lexus: E-Shift
Mazda: Sport AT
Mercedes-Benz: TouchShift
MG-Rover: Steptronic
Mitsubishi: INVECS, INVECS II, Sportronic, Tiptronic
Nissan: Tiptronic
Vauxhall/Opel: Easytronic
Peugeot: 2Tronic
Pontiac: TAPshift
Saab : Sentronic
Subaru: Sportshift (system developed and name used under license from Prodrive Ltd.)
Smart : Softip
Volkswagen : Tiptronic
Volvo: Geartronic

I found this to be an interesting item on the History section of the CVT Wiki entry:

Leonardo da Vinci, in 1490, conceptualized a stepless continuously variable transmission.[1] [2] The first patent for a toroidal CVT was filed in 1886.

New automobiles equipped with CVT
Audi A4 2.0/1.8T/2.4/3.0/2.5 TDI
Audi A6 2.0/1.8T/2.4/3.0/2.5 TDI
Dodge Caliber
Fiat Punto 1.2 L
Ford Escape Hybrid 2.3 L 4 cyl
Ford Five Hundred 3.0 L 6 cyl
Ford Focus C-MAX 1.6 L TDCi 110 PS
Ford Freestyle 3.0 L 6 cyl
Honda Civic HX 1.7 L 4 cyl
Honda Civic Hybrid 1.3 L 4 cyl
Honda City 1.5 L
Honda HR-V 1.6 L
Honda Insight 1.0 L 3 cyl
Honda Jazz 1.4L / Honda Fit 1.3 L/1.5 L
Jeep Compass 2.4 L
Jeep Patriot 2.4 L
Lexus GS450h 3.5 L 6 cyl
Lexus RX400h 3.3 L 6 cyl
Mercedes-Benz A-Class
Mercedes-Benz B-Class
Mercury Montego 3.0 L 6 cyl
Microcar MC1/MC2 505cc 2 cyl diesel or petrol
Microcar Virgo 505cc 2 cyl diesel or petrol
Mitsubishi Colt 1.5 L MIVEC 4 cyl with INVECS-III CVT (Asian-Oceanian version only, 72 kW)
Mitsubishi Lancer 1.6 L/1.8 L MIVEC 4 cyl with INVECS-III CVT (Asian version only)
MG F/MG TF 1.8L
BMW MINI One and Cooper.
Nissan Altima (from 2007)
Nissan Cube
Nissan Maxima (from 2007)
Nissan Micra 1.0 L/1.3 L
Nissan Murano 3.5 L
Nissan Primera 2.0 L
Nissan Qashqai 2.0 L
Nissan Sentra (from 2007)
Nissan Serena 2.0 L
Nissan Skyline 350GT-8
Nissan Tiida / Versa
Opel Vectra 1.8 L
Rover 25
Rover 45
Rover Streetwise
Saturn ION Quad Coupe (2003-2004)
Saturn VUE 2.2 L AWD (2002-2005), 2.2 FWD (2002-2004)
Subaru R1
Subaru R2
Subaru Stella
Toyota Highlander Hybrid 3.3 L 6 cyl
Toyota Camry Hybrid 2.4L 4 cyl
Toyota Prius 1.5 L 4 cyl

Posted: **March 10, 2007, 2:48 am**

it would be damn near impossible to have a CVT (gearless pulley system) and a tiptronic (auto with manual gear shifting capacity) though you can make the infinite range of a CVT finite by putting it in it's "lower gears" (multitronic)

Posted: **April 1, 2007, 9:07 am**

If I want a manual I will buy a manual...

I've driven a few tiptronic style cars and not really liked them. Not had an opportunity to try a Ferrari with one, but has tried one in a Jaguar XKR, not my thing. The one in my wives car works great for locking it in a particular gear etc to pull up a hill, or prevent speeding going downhill with a load.

Problem with most are that they will automatically upshift in manual mode when close (and some not so close) to redline, which is of course a problem at times....

Posted: **August 7, 2007, 7:13 pm**

I have a Porche 911 Turbo with Tiptronic and the shift times are equal to manual. I like the Tip technology for two reasons.
1. Nice and neat with no clutch burning.
2. In Hong Kong where I live there is a lot of traffic in the urban areas so I just go auto. In the rural or new territories I can go Tip.

VeeshanVault

Tiptronic

Tiptronic

Re: Tiptronic