SPORTSHIFT feature

[Riggs]

For those of you that have the SPORTSHIFT option:

1. How often do you find yourself using it - always, sometimes, never?
2. If you do use it, under what circumstances do you find it most useful?
3. What are your overall impressions of it?

[tigerclaws]

My impression is that its a good feature "to have" but if they offered a discount of $1500 for it, I would take the money . I guess when you are climbing mountains, it must be really helpful

[ported]

I always use the Sportshift in town for the jack rabbit city driving.
The 08 transmission slides rather than shifts into gear. It reminds of driving a standard with the clutch slipping.
It does downshift reasonably quick in normal mode, so I keep it out of Sportshift on the highway.
At my first service I'm going to put in synthetic to try and get a bit more "shift" between gears. Our 2000 Outback had Royal Purple synthetic used after a flush and it seemed to crisp things up.

[tbar]

I use sport mode most of the time. Around town. Certainly whenever I am driving in hills, which is frequent where I live.
Around town I usually do not "manually" shift, but I will drop it into a lower gear for passing or big hills. I use the shifter a lot on curvy mountain roads.
I have not detected a significant difference in gas mileage between normal and sport automatic modes.
I think it is a great feature.

[cosgti]

I use the sportshift primarily for mountain driving and/or passing on the highway. Does anyone else with 08 experience the sportshift shifting for you?
My Legacy will let me rev all the way to the Governor and then it will just stutter until I shift up. The Outback, however, will shift up for me if I get close to the Governor/ Redline. Does anyone else experience this?
I want to take it to the dealer, but am just wondering if it's normal.

[Riggs]

Originally posted by cosgti

My Legacy will let me rev all the way to the Governor and then it will just stutter until I shift up. The Outback, however, will shift up for me if I get close to the Governor/ Redline. Does anyone else experience this?
I want to take it to the dealer, but am just wondering if it's normal.

cosgti

I can't speak for the Legacy but in the OB the SPORTSHIFT will allow you to rev until the redline and will then automatically upshift for you just after hitting the redline. It's basically like having a fail safe. In a manual car there would be the limiter cut-off.

And vice versa on the down shifts. You can't stall the car in SPORTSHIFT like you would a manual. It just down shifts automatically for you when revs get too low.

[yellow1]

on my OB, i have a manual. so that doesn't count.

but my wife's IS has the sportshift feature. i rarely use it, and even when i do... it's only while coming off the freeway, or at times when i don't feel like easing onto the brakes. most of the time i forget it's there...

[tigerclaws]

Originally posted by ported
I always use the Sportshift in town for the jack rabbit city driving.
The 08 transmission slides rather than shifts into gear. It reminds of driving a standard with the clutch slipping.
It does downshift reasonably quick in normal mode, so I keep it out of Sportshift on the highway.
At my first service I'm going to put in synthetic to try and get a bit more "shift" between gears. Our 2000 Outback had Royal Purple synthetic used after a flush and it seemed to crisp things up.

I am not sure if you are refering to transmission fluid. If yes, Subaru ATF is the only recommended fluid by most people since other ATF's have supposedly given problems on subie auto transmissions.

[sixfifty]

i like the sportshift and use it about 20~25% of the time. particularly in bad conditions or on twisty roads.

i'd rather drive a stick shift, but my left ankle is spotty and dealing with a clutch is a pain in traffic.

[ported]

Tigerclaws

I haven't heard any negative as yet with synthetic in the tranny.
Most of the problems seem to come from lack of proper maintenance, proper flushing and filter changes and having no trans. cooler. Touch wood, no problems with the trans.at 230,000km. I drive mountain roads, it's where I live, I tow a boat (I'll post a picture when she's hooked up) and I use my car as a truck. Since about 89-90 I've been using synthetic oils and no issues with engine or transmissions. 1 Dodge, 4 GM, 1 Ford, 1 Nissan and 2 Subaru's since 89. My 08 Outback hasn't had its first oil change yet but all oils with the exception of the brake fluid (next year) are going to be changed to synthetic. The dealer changed all the oils in my 06 Impreza to synthetic at my request with no warranty issues. The manual 5 speed in the Impreza... synthetic made shifting smoother.
I'll be interested to see how it effects the Sportshift.

[ex-ma hole]

I use mine all the time.

Thumb buttons:
1. Slowing down on the highway.
2. Climbing up a hill.
3. Passing people in a controlled manner.

Sliding the shift lever over and shifting up and down:
1. Driving in snow. I've always had sticks, and it is what I am used to.
2. Driving like an idiot.

I had to get an automativ becasue I busted my back and couldn't always push in a clutch. This was a compromise, and I love having it!

[tigerclaws]

Originally posted by ported
Tigerclaws

I haven't heard any negative as yet with synthetic in the tranny.
Most of the problems seem to come from lack of proper maintenance, proper flushing and filter changes and having no trans. cooler. Touch wood, no problems with the trans.at 230,000km. I drive mountain roads, it's where I live, I tow a boat (I'll post a picture when she's hooked up) and I use my car as a truck. Since about 89-90 I've been using synthetic oils and no issues with engine or transmissions. 1 Dodge, 4 GM, 1 Ford, 1 Nissan and 2 Subaru's since 89. My 08 Outback hasn't had its first oil change yet but all oils with the exception of the brake fluid (next year) are going to be changed to synthetic. The dealer changed all the oils in my 06 Impreza to synthetic at my request with no warranty issues. The manual 5 speed in the Impreza... synthetic made shifting smoother.
I'll be interested to see how it effects the Sportshift.

I remember back when I was changing everything to Amsoil and I had even purchased Amsoil ATF but the Amsoil guys suggested that Subaru ATF was the only ATF that they would recommend because of issues with other ATF's. I remember reading in some other threads that people do recommend you stick with Subaru ATF (though in all likelyhood Subaru ATF might be synthetic).

[gigaru]

I'd rather have a manual, too, but this makes an auto a little more tolerable. I use mine regularly to upshift on a short, hairpin freeway on-ramp that I drive daily, and to gear down to second for a long, steep downhill stretch of road.

I use the sport shift mode less often, primarily when I'm crossing a mountain pass or climbing a long hill on the freeway.

[ported]

Tigerclaws

On my 2000 OB and my 2006 Impreza the dealer had said no problem.
Mind you I've gotten 2000km, 5000km and a 6000km recommendations for first oil change from 3 different Subaru dealers. The front end people, sales etc. seem to know way less than I do regarding their product and the service people are usually not up on performance or upgrade parts.
I'll let you know what they say. I am going to talk to some AT specialists in Edmonton as well.

[Ruperts Trooper]

I never use Sport - either normal automatic or tiptronic manual.

My previous GM automatic didn't have tiptronic so I did use the Sport mode on that occasionally.

[Riggs]

Originally posted by Ruperts Trooper
I never use Sport - either normal automatic or tiptronic manual.

My previous GM automatic didn't have tiptronic so I did use the Sport mode on that occasionally.

The SPORTSHIFT is the tiptronic over in the US. Not the SI Drive.

[Ruperts Trooper]

Originally posted by Riggs


The SPORTSHIFT is the tiptronic over in the US. Not the SI Drive.

Oh !!

I haven't got SI Drive either, that's only on the 3.0 H6 B-spec in the UK.

I've just got "regular" 4EAT with normal/sport modes for automatic (difference is the change points) and manual select +/-.

I only use manual select +/- to stop it changing down to 3rd (or 2nd when towing) to accelerate back up to cruising speed.

[EisBear]

To answer your questions briefly and in order:
1. using 'sport' auto mode more often than selecting, but probably will increase use later
2. So far, using it for experimenting, think it might be useful in sporty driving conditions or in bad road conditions but not 100% sure.
3. Its nice and gives added choices.

My opinion:
I feel that the biggest benefit to the transmission is the 'sport' mode. On the 2.5i (regular) when you move the shift lever to the left of the "D," but you don't shift the gears yourself, you get slightly delayed shifts which delay even more under heavy throttle. It makes a much bigger difference than some systems I have seen on certain Swedish cars of the past. This mode is one of the biggest reasons I thought the OB drove nicer than the Forester (both 08) when I tested them.

Using the sport mode gives the car a lot more zip. Staying under the 4000 RPM mark for the first 1000 miles was more challenging when in this mode.

I've never been a fan of entering a new gear (especially when downshifting) with no control over how fast the gear engages (read: no clutch). I always thought that not having control over that aspect put the manual-shift-automatic at a disadvantage around turns compared to a manual or a regular automatic (sudden engine break causes a feeling of oversteer at a speed where neutral power would feel more, well, neutral).

I'm probably a bit off base here but that's what it felt like when I used the sport shift on my Dad's old type S Acura CL. There must be a reason Porsche was using it on the 911 though, I just never really understood how it could be better than a manual. I never really understood how that could even be true in F1 but I suppose it is since they use a 'clutchless manual' for racing (AFAIK).

All of that having been said, I will add that when I have used it, it transitions pretty smoothly even on downshifts. I'll probably start using it more as I learn its capabilities and limitations but with the NA 4cyl, I'm just looking to add a bit more fun, not tear up a WRC race. It is NOT a substitute to the fun that a manual provides but it does have all of the advantages of an automatic and the extra choices make it more fun to drive than a 'normal' automatic, especially the 'sport' mode.

It also allows you to use the manual select to start off in 2nd gear but I think with AWD, this isn't such a big advantage. Without a "2" or "L" selector, it might also be useful for going downhill offroad or on slick surfaces but I think that even 1st might be geared a little high for doing that at really slow speeds, might just have to trust the ABS (yikes!). It also could be that selecting "1" in the manual mode forces the 50/50 front/rear power bias but I haven't tried that.

[nurse-gadget]

well....I have to say that I forget it's even there!!....I tried it today and kinda like it....one thing I've noticed....when I'm cruising along in drive....and switch over to sportshift, the indicator just tells me I'm in sportshift....it doesn't tell me what gear the car is in.....I have to shift up or down to see what gear I was in....I didn't want to shift, I just wanted to see where I was at...but too late....it shifted...then I was able to figure out what gear I was in...but now I'm a different gear....not where I wanted to be....does this make sense?....why doesn't it tell you what gear you are in when you pull the lever over?....you have to shift it up or down....is everybody else's sportshift like this?

[sixfifty]

Originally posted by nurse-gadget
well....I have to say that I forget it's even there!!....I tried it today and kinda like it....one thing I've noticed....when I'm cruising along in drive....and switch over to sportshift, the indicator just tells me I'm in sportshift....it doesn't tell me what gear the car is in.....I have to shift up or down to see what gear I was in....I didn't want to shift, I just wanted to see where I was at...but too late....it shifted...then I was able to figure out what gear I was in...but now I'm a different gear....not where I wanted to be....does this make sense?....why doesn't it tell you what gear you are in when you pull the lever over?....you have to shift it up or down....is everybody else's sportshift like this?

your transmission has three modes. normal or economy, sport, and a "manual" mode. when you pull the lever to the left the transmission goes into sport mode, where the shifts are delayed a bit (it shifts at higher revs.) the transmission is still an automatic at this point.

once you move the shifter forward or backward in the left-hand position the transmission is in "manual" mode, where you do the shifting (to an extent).