I live in and work in mountaneous terrain, and I have never had to downshift into 1st. Just curious about why youre shifting down that low while at speed?

it does, but not til Im at near standstill. And thats for take off purposes. In manual mode you have to drop it to 1st when at a complete stop. It will only go as low as 2nd. The reason is 1st is too short, and if I have to make a left or right from a standstill, I dont have to shift into 2nd mid turn, because the paddles are stuck to the upside down or spinning steering wheel. 2nd can handle take offs just fine, but if you want to launch, 1st is your friend. I dont use Sport mode because it downshifts too aggressively too often. I use manual mode, and I do mostly upshifts. If Im going to stop, I slow down and the computer will drop gears without downshifting(nicer on the Viscous clutch) once I stop, I will downshift to 1st for take offs, but never if Im going to turn. I will drop into 2nd if Im going to make a turn at an intersection, while at speed. Dropping into first while at speed is just too much wear and tear.

Ahhh, easy fix. Dont use Sport mode while doing non sporty driving such as exiting your garage. If you need 1st, select it manually and ride the way down. Shift up around 2k rpm, or switch to auto, and warm things up. The real challenge is to learn to shift and think ahead, when using paddles, and you can avoid needing to shift while the steering wheel is spinning. Ive gotten real good at it because sport mode doesnt do it for me. The shift points dont match what my mind is thinking, and the downshifts, as fun as they may sound, theyre simply at the wrong time. Use the paddles instead. Im going out on a limb here, but 1st is not for engine braking, unless youre tracking it, and are prepared to lose it all. Thats my approach to aggresive shifting and/or racing, and its what kept me sane when I money shifted my cup car. Live and learn.

☝🏻Yup