Let me start by saying, I love driving a stick-shift car. LOVE it. The Jaguar is the first and only car that has enticed me away from even considering a car that is not equipped with a manual transmission.

My question is - for someone who has driven a manual transmission for the past six years (and off and on since I learned to drive, oh so many years ago)... how difficult will it be to transition from a stick and clutch to paddles?

I feel such a tremendous sense of control over a manual transmission car that I'm afraid I'll miss when moving to paddle shifting. I know that paddles are on all of the Formula 1 cars and it's faster to shift, but the style of driving seems like it will be different - more tame somehow with the paddles.

Anyone here who has made a successful transition? Any advice?

Sandy

 

After nearly 40 years of driving only manual transmission cars I finally bought an XF. I test drove one for over an hour to be sure I could tolerate the automatic. The ZF transmission is a revelation. The software is so good you will find you hardly ever use the paddles.

I still also drive my four manual shift cars regularly. Even so, I prefer the XF which never fails to entertain. THe ZF transmission clutch locks up in 2nd through 6th gear so is really equivalent to an automated manual, albeit with constantly engaged planetary gears engaged with clutch bands instead of constant mesh helical cut gears engaged with dogs and synchros. The torque converter is used to multiply torque for first gear and to smooth the shifts in all gears, and also permits the car to remain stationary and in gear. A torque converter automatic has essentially a continuously variable low gear and then 5 other gears (if a 6 speed like the XF ZF).

Be aware that you will soon find manually shifting the ZF transmission in the XF pointless except for rare occasions where you are driving very hard on a bendy road, even if you now think you are a dyed in the wool manual man. In fully automatic mode, whether in D or S, the automatic shifting is pretty spookily intuitive.

The manual transmission is on the way out for road cars, they are in fact inferior to the latest automated technology.

 

Excellent write-up jagular... I can add only from an experienced driver also coming over to auto/paddles from a non-technical opinion (your explanation is impressive).
I thought the same as sandydlc coming from manual shift vehicles for almost 20 years... I thought manual was the only way to enjoy driving... how wrong I was. My previous car was a 400hp six speed sedan that was a blast to drive but the thing is... you ALWAYS had to shift... with my XF S/C it became a choice... and as you said; it becomes less of a choice the more I drive in D rather than S or fully manual gear selection. Yeah, I did drive it for the first few days always in S but as time passed and I realized the capability of this transmission it's become a rarity for me.

 

I have had three auto/paddle cars since moving to the US, having always had manual/stick shifts in the UK. The style of driving in Houston means that an auto function is better 95% of the time here, but if you are in an area with great driving roads, I would still be tempted to go for a manual. The first auto car I had was a VW with the DSG gearbox (dual clutch) and it was a revelation - fast, seamless shifts with no lag at all. I don't think I missed a manual. Then I moved to an Audi with a traditional torque converter and paddles, but it never felt as good. Ponderous changes, over-riding my decision making etc. and I never really used the paddles.

The XFR box is probably one of the best torque-convertor autos ever produced, with fast and smooth changes and very good software programming. But it is no match for the latest dual clutch offerings from Mercedes and BMW. there is still that loss of forward power during changes and it doesn't kick down as readily as I would like.

I haven't felt quite as connected with the driving experience in any of these auto cars as I did with manual cars. i go back to the UK every year and rent hum-drum cars with manual gearboxes and feel much more connected with them, and actually enjoy getting the changes right. That is a big part of the driving experience for me, but it is also an unfair comparison because I rarely get to drive roads like we have in the UK, here in SE Texas. I would love to have my XFR in the UK - maybe then I would appreciate the auto shifter a bit more. As good a box as this is, I will bet it is the last fast Jag to have a torque convertor...

 

Interesting. I get to compare my XF with a brand new Audi S4 with DSG and a 2001 chipped Audi S4 with 6 spd manual shift. Both Audis are orders of magnitude quicker than the XF (though not quicker than a XFR would be). However, the ZF (the brand of automatic transmission Jaguar fits) is far and away the best transmission among the three.

The DSG is direct but lumpy, especially in stop and go or when parking. The 6 spd is excellent but a tad slow (baulky especially when cold and this is so even though the S4 is an inline drivetrain rather than transverse the gear shifter is direct into the top of the box, not cable or rod remotely actuated). The ZF is silky smooth and pretty quick to shift when in Sport.

The torque converter and the DSG are the two transmissions now competing for market dominance. Mercedes has come up with a planetary transmission like the standard torque converter version but with electronic control of the dry plate clutch entirely replacing the torque converter. Even though that technology could potentially replace the torque converter and may prove to be superior to the DSG in the end, at least for large cars, I still think most drivers want that smooth cushioning and quick take off provided by the torque converter automatic.

I wouldn't buy the XF expecting to paddle shift on a normal drive. I use it only for specific maneuvers such as the quick overtake, a stop light GP (awesome off the line in Sport with 1 manually selected) or a particularly inviting set of bends (rare out here in Western Canada as for Texas). Otherwise, D for Dull is the seductive setting for everyday driving.

 

Jagular -thanks for the extremely detailed response. Such a thorough explanation and I'm probably going to be researching terms for a few hours yet!

I actually do consider myself a dyed in the wool manual woman ...so I know the transition will be something to get used to. I have a particularly exciting road that leads to the development where I live. It's steep, bendy, with no houses and on a dry day, I regularly push my driving skills to the limits on that hill. That feeling of the perfect shift - clutch, stick, accelerator all in sync and you're the one that did it - it's a skill that I'm very proud to have. I taught one of my daughters to drive a manual transmission car in two 30 minutes sessions and now she's a pro.

It's encouraging to hear that the XFR will actually have more power than my RS4 and that the shifting in auto will be smooth without the lag that always makes me hate an automatic transmission. It's still a few months yet before I'll be in a Jaguar but I'll be sure to post back here with my initial impressions and maybe you can all coax me off the ledge on the days when I miss my manual Audi! Actually my husband has a 2011 911 Carrera S so if/when I can ever get him to let me drive it, I should be able to get my manual fix in then.

Until then, back to looking at more pics of the updated XFR!!

Sandy

 

I, too, am a dyed-in-the-wool manual transmission person. My last car (for the past 10 years until recently) was an e39 M5 (2001). Sweet car. I thought I'd never get a paddle shifted car, let alone one with a torque converter auto. But the XFR made me a convert. While I still enjoy manual shifting (I have a weekend car for that), the XFR is totally satisfying to drive.

The only thing I miss is that finer control you have over staying in the exact gear you want, when you want. If I'm driving hard, I don't want to shift mid-corner and the car's auto modes don't seem to understand that! That kind of control is available via selection of S mode and using the paddles, however.

 

Selecting Sport mode and manually selecting a gear puts the ZF into manual mode. It will then only shift if you use the paddles, hit the redline or drop the rpm way too low.

Actually, the ZF does a fair job of holding the gear in corners or if the dsc activates ( I notice this particularly in winter) but it isn't perfect. I think it needs a fair bit of g force to hold the gear while in a bend so unless you are driving hard it may shift during a cornering event. If the dsc is activated the ZF is programmed not to shift until the slippery bit is finished. A bit disconcerting the first time it happens but very effective to maintain stability and traction. Of course, the dsc is also moderating the throttle for you simultaneously.

The ZF shifts quickly, especially in Sport, but not as quickly as a DSG can shift. A well driven manual will just beat the ZF but only if you are lightning quick. Basically, in Sport and selecting the gears manually with the paddles will allow you to enjoy that bendy road even more than if you were manually shifting. The XF has pure steering feel and excellent handling.

 

+1

 

There is nothing quite like being able to hold a drift on a long bend using only the gas pedal on a car with rear wheel drive, true limited slip and standard transmission.

Bags of fun

 

Because the ZF transmission has a lock up clutch you can do this in an XFR, all day long. The standard XF likely doesn't have enough torque though the 5.0 engine might. DSC has to be OFF or at least in DYNAMIC mode if fitted.