Toyota of Dothan Explains Paddle Shifters

Dec 18, 2014

Have you heard the term ‘paddle shifter’ recently? If you have been shopping for a car online, chances are you have. A few Toyota vehicles are equipped with the feature, but what is it and how does it work. Toyota of Dothan explains paddle shifters.

What are Paddle Shifters?

Paddle shifters are ideal for drivers who like to have a little more control over their speeds and RPMs. Manual transmission are still very popular options for drivers, and many high performance vehicles features standard transmissions. Paddle shifters capture the essence of the manual transmission, but without all of the work. Paddle shifters are generally located on the back of the steering wheel, on either the left or right side. The shifters are hand-operated and permit the driver to choose between ‘drive’ mode and ‘manual’ mode. Drive does not require shifting. Manual mode gives the driver the ability to shift either up or down. The shifters are usually a minus paddle on one side for downshifting, and a plus paddle on the opposite side for upshifting.

How do I Use Paddle Shifters?

Not all designs are the same, but many work similarly. With the car in ‘drive,’ you just drive as you would with an automatic. If you downshift or upshift when the car is in drive mode, the transmission will adjust accordingly, but only temporarily. If you want to take complete control of shifting, you have to switch the manual operation mode, which allows you to control the RPM at which the gears are changed.