Most of us are familiar with two types of shifting modes in cars; the automatic and the manual. They're quite self-explanatory and leave us quickly knowing which car we will want to drive. For those who don't know how to do any shifting, a manual isn't exactly the right cup of tea. Many people prefer automatics simply because all that is needed is a small de-press on the gas pedal and the internal workings of the car take care of the shifting on their own. But if those are the two main types, then just what is tiptronic shifting?
While the concept of bringing together manual transmission and automatic is not new, Audi has finally taken the right steps for people interested in the merger and developed tiptronic shifting. Essentially, manual characteristics are applied to an automatic gearbox, allowing the driver to then choose gears themselves and override the computer that would normally control the shifting of the car. You get both car types in one.
This is because when the tiptronic system is not engaged, you can expect the transmission to act as though it were a regular automatic. In which case, the computer will be what sends shifting information - when to shift, what gear to shift to, etc. Once the tiptronic system is engaged, you can then shift up or down as you see fit. The instrument display panel will indicate what gear you are in. The computer will be overridden by your commands, allowing you to have that feel of a manual as you zip around curves and on down the road.
You can use the tiptronic system before or when the car is in motion, and Audi has built their system smart so that if you haven't used it in a set period of time, the computer will eventually take control of shifting once again and the car will be back to an automatic.
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