George88

Well, we finally had a few nice enough days here in NJ to be able to take the corvette out in. Got me thinking. Had mine for a little over one year now. Most of my cars were always manual transmissions, but my camaro and now corvette are auto. For the life of me, I cant get the hang of using the paddle shifters. It seems like it would be fun/cool to do it

Do you enjoy using the paddle shifters? Is it a novelty? How long did it take to get really comfortable using? And if you do use them, do you use them exclusively?

owc6

I never drive in D, I always use paddle shifters in M.

85,000 miles, and it is fun like driving a manual (only better, IMO). It's muscle memory just like a manual.

Wemattson

I've only had my Z51 since July but in that time I've only used "D" a couple of times. I use "M" with the paddle shifters 99% percent of the time. It's a lot more fun. Keep at it, you'll get the hang of it and then you'll never go back.

Steve_R

Same here. Bought my ‘14 new, it’s never been in D. Ever.

buckeye4

Drive it like you would if it was a manual.

JGarland

I paddle shift 100% of the time...

Up and down.

Takes about a week.

bankers1

What about the mileage difference. It should be HUGE when getting use to??? Still in "D" in Albany. If it's funner then I'm for it, but I really have to get use to it.

JGarland

I wouldnt drive a vette if I cared about mileage.

Thatsok

You need to drive mclaren or Ferrari to understand what is real paddle shifter is.it engage super fast. Corvette paddle shifter is piece of crap.
i mean you only pay 60k so what you gonna get.

Patman

I have 271 miles on my 2018 so I don't have a lot of seat time just yet but I've driven about 75% of the time using the paddles and I'm a bit disappointed with how slow they are to respond to a gear change at part throttle. I'm sure the response is quicker at full throttle, but that only accounts for a very small portion of most people's driving. I think I'm probably going to just leave it in drive most of the time, and just switch it to manual mode on the highway to keep it out of V4 mode.

NSC5

I use the paddle shifter most of the time (2016 Z06). Shift response speed does vary with slower response at part throttle and fast response at high throttle. The computer will still outperform any human so for fastest acceleration leave it in drive in sport (or track) mode.

It will downshift automatically as you slow so you don't have to paddle down when coming to a stop if you don't want to. But if you need rapid acceleration you will need to manually downshift because even if you go to full throttle while running in 8th gear with the engine turning 1,400 RPM in manual mode it isn't going to downshift by itself.

When starting from a stop in town, particularly when making a turn, I will tap the up paddle about as soon as I start rolling. The car will easily start in second gear anyway but this allows it to start in first and then upshift to second quickly without you trying to follow the paddle through the turn.

Driven hard there is little delay in shift responsiveness and when driving in relaxed mode it really doesn't matter. Unless you take a stopwatch with you to time every shift it isn't going to bother you. This reminds me of the "pixel peepers" in the DSLR world who blow up images to ridiculous sizes looking for aberrations while ignoring the basic fact that no flaws are apparent when viewed by normal people at a normal level of resolution. I just upgraded my older Canon 1 series digital to a new 1DX Mark ii and I am enjoying using the newer equipment but I don't have time for "pixel peeping"

Enjoy your paddle shift C7.

JGarland

"The delay" does diminish over time.

A bit disappointed is putting it mildly for me but it does get faster.

Especially if you are under 500 miles.

I have about 3k now and I am very happy with the paddle shift response.

Billy346

snow

Takes getting use to but it makes driving the car a lot more fun. My AMG does shift faster but to be honest its not like I'm at the track everyday so its no big deal.

Stick with it...

Patman

That's good to hear! I guess it's not that big of a deal, I just expected it to be a little bit more responsive, as I've driven a Ferrari with the paddle shifters and the shift was instantaneous even at part throttle.

I was wondering if an aftermarket tune can adjust the responsiveness of the paddle shift at part throttle?

NSC5

It could probably be reduced somewhat with a tune but the one delay a tune is sure to reduce is the length of time to void your warranty. That shift from warranty to warranty blocked status is instantaneous

JonMN

After a couple years, I am about 100% M now. Not that I am so worried about using A, it's just that I really like my M8 . I like to control the gear I'm in, and I like to run at a little higher RPM than A mode picks. [for the record, my modest sports car history went manual, manual, manual, DCT, M8]

Like with the manuals I have had, it becomes a reflex pretty fast--just an easier reflex than a manual. Technically, I guess I am in "semi-automatic" mode--If I know I am coming to a stop I just let the car downshift. But if on curves, I do the downshifting. Just like with a conventional manual, M mode takes a little practice to pick the right shift points, but when you start getting them right I really like it.

A useful thread to glance thru . . . Paddle Shifting Tips and Tricks

Personally, I would put manual shifting into three categories.

Around town: This actually took me the longest to get used to. Personally, I found shifting early (especially the 1-2 shift) resulted in fast and smooth shifts in the type of driving I would characterize as stop and go or around town.

Spirited: My definition of spirited is that you would probably get a ticket but not spend the night in jail . Here the manual shifting starts to shine. In my opinion, it kicks in when you start shifting over 3K or so.

Race: Only one track experience with this. Near WOT shifting is a hoot. As a rookie, I really appreciated having both hands on the wheel and not focusing on clutch work on my way around the track. But since I have a Vert, I don't see many more track days in my future.

Tried to think of how to sum it up. The simplest way is just to say that the Corvette is the most fun I have had yet!

Har-ray

18k mi. Paddle shift 100%. Best of both worlds!

Patman

I definitely won't be getting it tuned while it's under warranty, but once the warranty is up I definitely want it done.

bjones7131

Use paddles until I get in town and then shift to D. To much stop and go for paddles.