[DC5]

Hello everyone, i've been driving a RSX-S for a good 7 years now and lately i've been itching to get a new car. I have my eyes on a Q50S and i LOVE everything about the car ,but i'm very dissapointed that infiniti doesn't offer the car in a 6MT. Which leads me to the question of how well do the paddle shifters perform?

Is upshifting/downshifting pretty fast?

Does the car automatically rev match on downshifts?

Is it truly like a MT in that the car is able to hit the rev limiter before a forced gear shift?

Lastly, how does the car react if i'm purposely in a higher gear ,such as 6th or 7, and i slow down will the car "stall" out? Or will the car just automatically force a downshift?

I'm aware that the Q60 has the 6MT option ,but i'm over the idea of 2 doors and i'm ready for a 4 door sedan. It's sad that the majority of other car makers are not offering a MT anymore, there's nothing like doing a good ole heel/toe downshift while simultaneously braking upon entering a turn.

 

[Sinecure]

shifting is faster than you can do it in a 6MT - plus better fuel economy than a 6MT
the Q50 does do downshift rev matching.
Yes, you can/will hit the rev limiter. The car will not automatically upshift for you - it will bounce off the limiter. It will auto downshift though (won't stall).

But no, it is not truly like a MT. It is a different overall feeling of connection between you and the car. I want to use a condom analogy, but that's not exactly accurate either. There is definitely something visceral that connects you more to the car when you have a manual shift knob in your hands.

My suggestion is do a 24 month lease on a Q50. By then we'll know for sure whether there is a 6MT coming.

 

[Sinecure]

To me, paddle shifters are a great compromise. Where I live, MT is a burden for 90% of normal driving. Paddle shifters lets you shift when you want and be in Auto when you don't.

 

[DC5]

Really appreciate the reply and from your description the 7 speed auto tranny doesn't sound TOO bad. Sorry i forgot to ask ,but i'm assuming the same characteristics/performance you've just mentioned would also apply with using the gear lever to shift, even if i were to get a base/premium model aswell?

Thank You

shifting is faster than you can do it in a 6MT - plus better fuel economy than a 6MT
the Q50 does do downshift rev matching.
Yes, you can/will hit the rev limiter. The car will not automatically upshift for you - it will bounce off the limiter. It will auto downshift though (won't stall).

But no, it is not truly like a MT. It is a different overall feeling of connection between you and the car. I want to use a condom analogy, but that's not exactly accurate either. There is definitely something visceral that connects you more to the car when you have a manual shift knob in your hands.

My suggestion is do a 24 month lease on a Q50. By then we'll know for sure whether there is a 6MT coming.

 

[chris2k5]

Really appreciate the reply and from your description the 7 speed auto tranny doesn't sound TOO bad. Sorry i forgot to ask ,but i'm assuming the same characteristics/performance you've just mentioned would also apply with using the gear lever to shift, even if i were to get a base/premium model aswell?

Thank You

Yes. The paddle shifters and the gear lever shift in manual mode do the same thing.

 

[InfinitiPlusOne]

DC5, you should go test drive a Q50S Hybrid. Put it in manual mode and sport transmission. Try to punch the accelerator on the 3rd gear, it will literally put you back on your seat. If the passenger doesn't pay attention, you might can break his neck. The sale guy put it in manual mode when I test drove it, I was sold afterward.
The Q50 manual mode is pretty good. Probably not as good as true manual, but it's good enough when you are in a pissing contest with another car.

 

[SimpsonTide985]

It's probably best to...you know, get out there and get some hands-on experience.

 

[Sinecure]

As Chris said, using the gear shift lever to shift works the same way. That's what I do - I have a Premium, not a Sport (because I'm too cheap to pay the extra for the S lease, plus the sport AWD tires aren't as good in snow as the stockers).

 

[DC5]

The hybrid sounds nice and fast ,but i'm coming from a 4 banger honda motor..... so even the "old" VQ37 motor will feel a bit faster. However, the K20 motor in my RSX is quite respectable, in that it surprisingly made 202/140 to the wheels with just an intake and raceheader (cat delete), the last time i had it on a dyno. It would also be wonderful to actually have some torque down low and not have to rev it to 5000RPM for VTEC to kick in, even then it's not that much.

With all that said, I thoroughly enjoyed my current car and it clearly isn't the fastest car especially compared to a Q50. However, it's still really fun to toss around a light/high revving car. Also, i loved how reliable my RSX is. As mentioned earlier, i've had it for about 7 years with 125,000 miles and i've NEVER had any major issues and it's never left me stranded this whole time. ****, i'm even on the same stock clutch since the first day i got the car and i definitely did quite a bit of spirited driving.

Ummm.... i think i might be emotionally attached to my current car and i didn't realize it til just now.

DC5, you should go test drive a Q50S Hybrid. Put it in manual mode and sport transmission. Try to punch the accelerator on the 3rd gear, it will literally put you back on your seat. If the passenger doesn't pay attention, you might can break his neck. The sale guy put it in manual mode when I test drove it, I was sold afterward.
The Q50 manual mode is pretty good. Probably not as good as true manual, but it's good enough when you are in a pissing contest with another car.

 

[DC5]

It's probably best to...you know, get out there and get some hands-on experience.

I would love to test drive one ,but i've been busy with school and work. I'm planning to possibly test drive one during spring break in a month or so. Also, it's a pain because the nearest infinite dealership is about 30-40 minutes away. I'm just trying to research this car as much as i can in the meantime.

 

[Thuanvinhny]

I wish the Paddle shifters were just as simple as the Scooter I used to have. It allows to shift up-down similar to the Paddle shifters, but once you reach Top gear (7th), you Up-shift again, and it comes down to Neutral, or you hold either Up-shift or Down-shift for a brief second, and it turns back to Neutral.

I never test drove the 50 yet, but I will soon. If the Paddle shifter allow easy access to Neutral, it will be Perfect.

 

[Sinecure]

Paddle shifters do not access neutral. You shift the car to neutral by moving the shift lever.

 

[Thuanvinhny]

Paddle shifters do not access neutral. You shift the car to neutral by moving the shift lever.

How easy can you access Neutral using the Shift lever ? like a swag to the side ? or do you swag to the side and push it over the D position to get Neutral ?

 

[Sinecure]

In D and push forward a notch to go into N.

I'm not really understanding the need to put the car into neutral, but whatever floats your boat.