Originally Posted by David Burns
Originally Posted by XFire-Amore
yeah, i've realized that the AS does have that lag time in it b/w shifts. so i change my regular opinion to shotty manual imitation instead.
It is the Mercedes Touch Shift transmission. It has no resemblance to the "auto-stick" in the Pacifica or any other Chrysler vehicle other than in name.
Your right it is not like the chrysler autostick approach - This reviewer complained that it did not work as good as the Chrysler approach:
Originally Posted by By Joe Wiesenfelder of cars.com
The automatic also includes clutchless-manual operation under the Chrysler name AutoStick, but itfs clearly the same as Mercedesf system, in that the lever can be moved to the left or right to downshift or upshift sequentially without sliding into a separate shift gate. Unfortunately, this mode also operates like the Mercedes feature; selecting one of the higher gears still allows the transmission to kick down to a lower gear, which has not been the Chrysler approach. AutoStick historically has kept the transmission in whatever gear you choose unless you change it or come to a complete stop. Ifm not a big fan of clutchless manuals to begin with, but it seems to me that they should be as manual as possible. The Mercedes and Crossfire systems are little more than the old g4321h gear selector settings that used to follow the D (Drive), but with a different motion to activate them.
Another twist, the driver can hold the shift lever in the left, downshift, position and the computer will automatically select the optimum gear based on the carfs speed, engine rpm and lateral g-force. Other journalists were more taken with this feature than I. Smart drivetrain control is always great to see in an automatic transmission, but this is another way that AutoStick is more Auto and less Stick.
It wonft surprise you that I preferred driving the six-speed manual. This is the transmission that in 2001 rescued the SLK from the only manual transmission Ifve ever warned consumers not to buy. In the SLK, it was a vast improvement over the catastrophic five-speed sold in 2000, but Ifll need more time to decide how I like it in the Crossfire. I prefer it to the automatic just because itfs a manual, but Ifm not sure about the gear ratios. Theyfre the same as in the SLK and C-Class, down to the final-drive ratio, but something seems amiss. Perhaps itfs the Crossfirefs larger drive wheels or the fact that I recently drove Infinitifs G35 Sport Coupe, which has a brilliantly executed six-speed.
If it can't simulate a real manual then it is an auto...
I am suprised the aftermarket guys have not come up with a way to reprogram it...
-marc