For those who drive in their cities or towns my first question is do you drive in automatic mode or using the paddles? If you use the paddles what gear do you mostly drive in. I assuming the speed limits are in the range of 30MPH up to 45 MPH. Would you ever get to 6th or just stay in between 3-4. Just curious. Also do you use 1st or just start from 2nd. Next is do you down shift lets say between traffic lights or even to slow down .

 

I drive sometimes with the paddles (last time I mentioned that I did that because I liked the sound, it led to a minor frenzy on the board with at least one opinion that by doing so I was ruining the engine/transmission, and bemoaning the fate of the poor person who buys the car from me). With the greatest of respect for that opinion, which may or may not be right - pffft! If I get my jollies doing it, then I'll do it. I never pretended to be anything other than infantile when it comes to cars anyway.


So yes. I drive using paddles when the fancy take me. Just this morning I popped it into dynamic , shifted to first, and gave it a bootful (in D, not S - if you do that in S the change from first is too lumpy). The sound was awesome, the sweetest roar of the exhaust (downing out the screams of agony of the transmission). But usually, if I was to use paddles around town, I'd be keeping it mainly in 2nd and 3rd, particularly if it is in S. For speeds over 60kph (around 35mph), maybe 4th, but really once you get into 4th, then unless you are doing 60mph, you may as well be in full auto mode, unless you are on a windy road.


And I will, when using the paddles, downshift when rolling to the lights. But I usually wont put it back into first, and never (now) if it is in S with dynamic engaged.


You actually can drive these cars safely using the paddles and have some enjoyment at legal speeds, you don't need to drive like a lunatic at all.

 

I use the paddles in two scenarios: to drive spiritedly or to maximize fuel economy in the city.

When driving spiritedly, not in the city, it goes in sport and dynamic.

To maximize fuel economy, I start in 2nd and shift at about 1,500 rpm all the way to 6th. Honestly, the XKR has plenty of power to keep it in low RPMs for city driving and still not feel like you're driving it like a Prius.

 

I almost always use the paddles when the car is warmed up. Around town (<35 mph or so), I never go above 3rd gear and most often am playing around shifting between 2nd and 3rd.

On the highway, I am often in fourth gear (accelerating or maneuvering around traffic) but if I can set cruise I will put it in automatic and let it do its thing.

There is no point in driving a car like this if you can't hear the engine and exhaust...

 

In town its 2nd and 3rd for me, I never use 1st at all.

 

I never use 1st neither does the automatic by itself. Most of the time in town I am in D and with manual downshifts at 2,000rpm when coming to a stop. Then I let the car switch back to D after the start.
S will never use 1st nor 6th unless you are well past 120MPH or manually shift. If you use S and let it shift by itself it will most likely only use 2, 3 and 4 unless as already stated you drive at German Autobahn speeds.

I almost always do manual down shifts coming to a stop or for tighter turns, I want to hear the exhaust. I shift down usually just as it drops below 2,000rpm and let the engine/drive train slow down the car.

 

It seems no one uses 1st gear to start from a stop , why is that? Is it geared to low and revs quickly so it is useless to use manually? Also what would be the affect in using 1st to start from? If you are in S mode does the transmission shift by itself or just stay in gear until you upshift? It sounds like this transmission is pretty robust.

 

If you switch to S and don't touch the paddles it will shift by itself. once you touched the paddles it will no longer shift by itself. You would have to go to D and back to S to get it to shift by itself again.
To me 1st is more like a low gear, ie if you WERE towing. The car goes through the gears so fast and the torque comes on early and strong there is no need for the 1st at all. I am sure even the the base XK could spin the tires in 1st.
Having grown up and lived in the South of Germany for 28 years even in small 4 bangers with manuals in winter we would start in 2nd gear as to not spin the tires.

 

Thanks and by the way I loved Schwaben food and German beer . Had many great business trips (Autoban was fun too) to Stuttgart and Sindelfingen areas. I see the 1st gear issue now and thanks doe the auto vs. S mode.

 

Schwabe, there is a nice feature that you probably didn't know about.

If you are in S and do touch the paddles (override manual shifting), all you have to do is hold the right paddle shifter for 2 seconds and it goes back to Auto in the S mode.

 

I only time I use the paddles is when I accidentally hit them when turning the steering wheel. Always use Automatic or occasionally try Dynamic for a change.

 

I absolutely use 1st gear around town and I tend to downshift into 1st gear when coming to a stop because I love the sound. Crawling around in stop and go traffic under 10 mph, I usually stay in 1st as well.

Many people on the forum are also oblivious to the fact that their cars start in 1st gear from a stop in automatic mode. 1st gear is actually a pretty tall gear, especially compared to many other cars I've had. If you can get to 40 mph in first gear, that's pretty tall, in my opinion!

 

Keep it in Auto then quick it down to where it needs to be if I want to jump forward quickly.

 

If you are giving it plenty of boot, the wheels spin in second as well, especially if it is in full auto. That seems to be where the torque hits.

 

Yeah, I keep hearing the "always starts from 2nd in Drive" thing too. That may be true with some other Jags, but this is what the XK 5.0 workshop manual says:

The emphasis is mine - point being, the car is only likely to start in 2nd in certain circumstances, and only when Winter mode is selected.

Anyway: around town, I stay in Drive and let the car do the work - if I want to play, I can just stand on it, or switch to paddles when I go through a tunnel

Put me on a twisty B-road, and I'm into Sport & Dynamic like a rat up a drainpipe, and paddle shifting where I need engine braking or want to hold a gear. But I've found that I prefer to concentrate on braking points & reading the road than groping for gears.

 

Ngarara, I am certain that the entire Jaguar product line starts in 2nd gear. The only time it starts off in first is when you manually shift it to 1st or floor it. It will go from 2nd to 1st, back to 2nd, 3rd etc.

The winter mode doesn't affect the transmission much, other than it makes the throttle much less responsive.


I have tried the following myself and i can confirm that it starts in 2nd.

Put the transmission in S mode as you driving and click the right paddle shifter. That should only display the gears. As long as you don't touch the paddles again, it will shift automatically, but now you can see the gear changes.

 

I think it starts in second in S, but in first in D. Plant your foot in D from launch, you will get wheel spin, but then when it changes gears you'll get spin again. Also the timing of the upshifts suggests that it starts in first. But in the XFs, it started in second unless you clicked it down into first.

 

That's inaccurate information.


Go try what I explained above and post later if you still "think" you are right.

 

ooooh, a challenge! Will do. Be prepared to eat humble pie, bigfella!


(I hope I'm right!)

 

I will be waiting Bruce