Shifting the Jgate to 2, 3 or 4 just locks out the higher gears but does not enforce the selection of specific gear 2, 3 or 4, right? I've never actually used that side of the Jgate other than the rare occasion (in nyc) to descend a steep grade in the snow.

Essentially, I'm asking to confirm that there is no tiptronic-like means to manually shift the x308, right?

 

You can technically use it as a manual selection. It is still just a limiter and will only allow to change into the gear if you within revspec...

 

If it's a top-only limiter, then position 4 means shifting automatically between any gear between 1st and 4th, that's fairly useless for the purpose of shifting manually.

 

Yes but you can override it quite well and use it for engine braking... Works quite smooth...

 

I believe i answered this in a similar thread, but yes....this is only gear limiting, not tiptronic

 

I don't understand?

The Tip (Porsche) will not allow you to downshift and over rev .. or hold a gear .. it will downshift.

 

Yeldogt, There is no way to put this car into 1st or 5th, unless you drive it to persuade the automatic transmission programming to do so. Using 2, 3 or 4 only persuades it a bit more, not let you choose the gear. If you want to start in 3rd gear (ie. in snow), you can't.

Tiptronic will go in whatever gear you want within the power range for your speed/tach and stay there unless your speed changes beyond the gear-scope or you redline it.

 

Maybe different systems ... my 911 will not let me start out in 3rd. I agree it will hold a gear more.

I only ever use it in the mountains -- the R has enough power and the MB box works well. It fun sometimes to run it up ....

 

I find the J Gate system is quite good for what it is, I use it a lot. As previously mentioned it is useful to assist engine braking, but it is also useful on motorways when overtaking. Just knock it to 4th, perform your overtake and nudge back to D.
It can be used as a manual gearbox if you're "pressing on a bit", if you're going quickly it changes up & down when you want it to because normally you'll "pre select" for a corner. For example if you know you want 3rd gear for a particular bend you'd select 3rd as you went into the bend and the car shifts when engine speeds allow a shift, then when you exit floor it and go back to 4th.

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the XJR gearboxes start in 2nd gear unless Sport Mode is selected.

The Saab 9-3 I had between Jags had an auto box which had proper manual selection as well as steering wheel controls. Although you could select 3rd gear to start off if you wanted to, the system operated the same as the XJ when changing down, i.e. it would only do so when engine speed allowed. However I've driven XJ's in deep snow and was able to keep moving when most other cars had become stuck.

I think the J gate system is good overall, and the selector design is a nice change to the more common auto selectors.

 

My last car, a RWD Cadillac with nearly the same weight and tire size as my VDP, could start in 3rd via a "snow mode" button and it would automatically disengage into standard auto over a set speed (maybe 20mph.)

The Jag is much better in the snow and does not need this, but there is definitely fun of hard shifting around curvy/hilly roads. The non-S/C 5-speed auto is quite responsive and extremely smooth - you can force a downshift up to 2nd (but not 1st), but to upshift you have to "let it upshift" via the JGate and then it will upshift whenever it wants afterward, that is not manual.

Only the S/C engines start in 2nd without sport-mode engaged - I've never driven one to compare tranny's.