what do the paddle shifters on the 7th gen do?

*blazingchimp* · 07-08-2008, 06:17 PM

sorry if its been asked before but I did a quick scan and couldnt find my answer. since a cvt doesnt have gears im really confused at what the paddle shifters do. At first I thought it just changes between different transmission modes but after reading about peoples test drives it sounds as if you use the paddle shifters like you would in a car with traditional gears. like you redline then hit the right paddle to upshift till u redline again then press the paddle again etc etc.

uavscrappy · 07-08-2008, 06:38 PM

I believe they have talked about this b4, I do not know much about except that it is a way of shifting or downshifting without having to take your hands off the wheel. I also remember reading it was a 4 speed shifter.

lightonthehill · 07-08-2008, 07:43 PM

I haven't driven a 'paddle car', but think it works something like this:

In very brief words, the paddles are a way of simulating the changing of gears with a tranny that essentially has an 'infinite' number of gears (CVT).

The paddles allow the driver to switch very quickly (actually instantly) between six different RPM levels as selected by Nissan. Nissan gives us this option as 'manual' (normal RPM ranges) and as 'sport' (raises the RPM points of the six simulated gears). Of course most drivers will simply put the selector in 'Drive' and hang their fuzzy voodoo doll, plastic frog, or purse from the paddles.

Someone who actually has driven a 'paddle car' will explain this better.

made in china · 07-08-2008, 10:05 PM

They're for selecting imaginary gears

Blulytes · 07-09-2008, 05:35 AM

for paddling the shift.... geez...

ikalinin3 · 07-09-2008, 08:15 AM

why didnt they attach them to the steering wheel ?!?! weird.. and its wierd to be on a CVT! I AGREE!

yay.. look at me, i'm shifting fake gears.

NissLover · 07-09-2008, 10:42 AM

They're not mounted to the steering wheel because once you get in the twisties and start spinning the wheel so will the paddles, and it would therefore be hard to figure out which one is for upshifting and which is for downshifting. So the are mounted on the column so they are in the same position no matter what and still at a fingers reach.

bb700092 · 07-09-2008, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lightonthehill

I haven't driven a 'paddle car', but think it works something like this:

In very brief words, the paddles are a way of simulating the changing of gears with a tranny that essentially has an 'infinite' number of gears (CVT).

The paddles allow the driver to switch very quickly (actually instantly) between six different RPM levels as selected by Nissan. Nissan gives us this option as 'manual' (normal RPM ranges) and as 'sport' (raises the RPM points of the six simulated gears). Of course most drivers will simply put the selector in 'Drive' and hang their fuzzy voodoo doll, plastic frog, or purse from the paddles.

Someone who actually has driven a 'paddle car' will explain this better.

If the paddle shifters really help select between six different RPM levels, then will I get better mpg if I always drive at the lowest RPM level as compared to someone who always drives at the highest RPM level? Can I alter (for better) mpg of the 09 Maxima in any way using the paddle shifters?

Dark99GLE · 07-09-2008, 12:39 PM

they change the gear ratios on the CVT, not actual gears, but it's basically the same thing

johnsd2 · 07-09-2008, 03:36 PM

The 7th gen. Max has a four mode trans. When it is in the "D" slot it works like a regular CVT Trans. you can down shift in that mode with the paddle to slow the car down in traffic, after the car scences a steady speed it will go back to regular cvt. In the "Ds" mode you will feel it shift like a regular automatic trans. with no set shift points it depend on how fast you are accellerating, when in this mode the paddle shifters act like a manual trans. and stay in gear and not change regardless of RPM. I picked up a 2009 on 6-30-08, Premium, ever option except trunk organizer. The car is completely different than the last gen. Hope this helps. Johnsd2

lightonthehill · 07-09-2008, 05:51 PM

bb700092 - Generally speaking, the best gas mileage comes with the lowest RPMs that will do the job. Of course we don't want to 'lug' the engine, as that reduces efficiency. We know there is somewhat less power on tap at lower RPMs, but sometimes (cruising on a level road, for instance), little power is needed.

Having not driven a car with paddles, I personally feel the gas mileage with the CVT in normal drive mode would probably be hard to beat using any of the other modes. I feel the best uses of the paddles are to either somewhat simulate driving a manual tranny, make the car seem sportier, slow the car down using engine compression instead of the brakes, maintain desired RPMs through turns/curves, and, with a little experience, being able to maintain better overall control of the car.

Once I have my '09 with paddles, I may add to, or change those opinions.

*jsmithsole* · 07-09-2008, 06:13 PM

johnsd2, pretty much laid it out...

After my overnight visit with the 7th gen, this is what I got from it...

D = reg CVT.
DS = "simulated" shifting. Definitely does not feel like an MT but a bit softer shifting.
M = was all shift, I am used to an auto so I found myself revving the crap out of it in 1st while continuing to acellerate! Newbie move, I know. You can also shift on the up and down on the shifter if you don't want to use the paddles.

Coming from my boring 4AT it was pretty fun to have the options....

reb · 07-10-2008, 09:36 AM

wasting gas is what they are for

johnsd2 · 07-10-2008, 03:05 PM

If you use the paddle shifters in traffic to slow to keep a steady flow in the traffic you will save on brake wear. If people are worried about how much gas this car burns they should look for a gas sipper car, and not a loaded $38,000 car. Cruising on the expressway with the flow of traffic going 70 the car was showing 29mpg.

MAXIMAK99 · 07-10-2008, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnsd2

If you use the paddle shifters in traffic to slow to keep a steady flow in the traffic you will save on brake wear. If people are worried about how much gas this car burns they should look for a gas sipper car, and not a loaded $38,000 car. Cruising on the expressway with the flow of traffic going 70 the car was showing 29mpg.

How are you liking that new Max? Do you recommend it? Pros & Cons?

*DaveVQ* · 07-10-2008, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lightonthehill

I haven't driven a 'paddle car', but think it works something like this:

In very brief words, the paddles are a way of simulating the changing of gears with a tranny that essentially has an 'infinite' number of gears (CVT).

The paddles allow the driver to switch very quickly (actually instantly) between six different RPM levels as selected by Nissan. Nissan gives us this option as 'manual' (normal RPM ranges) and as 'sport' (raises the RPM points of the six simulated gears). Of course most drivers will simply put the selector in 'Drive' and hang their fuzzy voodoo doll, plastic frog, or purse from the paddles.

Someone who actually has driven a 'paddle car' will explain this better.

you forgot bong.....

*DeusExMaxima* · 07-10-2008, 11:42 PM

I have driven many "paddle cars", from Maserati, to BMW M3 with the SMG paddles, to Mercedes E55, E63, etc. etc. I just dont like automatic trannies. At my stealership, no one was allowed to drive the paddle shift Maxima unless you buy it first - so I havent driven the Maxima with paddles. Its just a way to shift the gears without taking ur hands off the wheel. They try to sell it likes its a manual. It just isn't. To each his/her own.

bb700092 · 07-11-2008, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnsd2

If you use the paddle shifters in traffic to slow to keep a steady flow in the traffic you will save on brake wear. If people are worried about how much gas this car burns they should look for a gas sipper car, and not a loaded $38,000 car. Cruising on the expressway with the flow of traffic going 70 the car was showing 29mpg.

Good car purchase advise from a newbie... welcome to the org!

With rising gas prices, every car below a 30mpg rating will soon be slapped with a gas guzzler tax... be it a $38,000 car or even more. And that should be the way. All people should not suffer because some knucklehead has decided to drive a 6/10 mpg (city/hwy) $75,000 car.

Its nice to see you kept an eye on the mpg while driving a $38,000 car at 70mph. Is that your own experience or hearsay? I tend to disbelieve that number unless at very favorable driving conditions (such as tail wind). The mpg of a vehicle is typically the best around 55-60mph and tends to fall beyond that. Highway speed is typically 65-75mph at which the 09 Maxima is rated to provide 26mpg. Getting 29mpg at 70mph just seems too good to me.

sunstream453 · 07-11-2008, 01:18 PM

why would you disbelieve that? 70 is a pretty average speed and you are definitely getting good mileage there. i get over 30 when im cruising at 70 like that. on long trips cruising at 80 (behind an SUV preferrably) i get 26+MPG and an easy 430 miles on a 15-16 gallon fillup. its all about how steady your foot is. i dont doubt 29 mpg in a new car thats slippery and has a cvt

Hurricane434 · 07-12-2008, 02:01 PM

I am contemplating going with the Sport Package because I like the wheels, premium leather seats, satellite radio, etc but actually the one thing I don't care for is the paddle shifters. I've never driven with them so maybe I'd like them. The plain CVT would be fine with me. I don't really care about "shifting". But as long as they don't really get in the way I guess it's fine to have. Does anyone think the paddles would feel like they were in the way if not being used?

bb700092 · 07-12-2008, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sunstream453

why would you disbelieve that? 70 is a pretty average speed and you are definitely getting good mileage there. i get over 30 when im cruising at 70 like that. on long trips cruising at 80 (behind an SUV preferrably) i get 26+MPG and an easy 430 miles on a 15-16 gallon fillup. its all about how steady your foot is. i dont doubt 29 mpg in a new car thats slippery and has a cvt

What car do you drive? Does it have a CVT?

lightonthehill · 07-12-2008, 06:06 PM

hurricane434 - The paddles are attached down on the steering column, and don't look to be in the way of using the steering wheel in a normal fashion. I would say (those who have a Maxima with paddles will have to confirm) you could drive the car just as you always do with the paddles not interfering at all.

drakutis · 07-12-2008, 08:48 PM

I drove a Winter Frost today with the sport/tech package and the paddles didn't get in the way at all, matter of fact I only touched them once and that was when I got in the car to see how they felt.

My dilemma now is trading my Xterra because I know I'm upside down. The White Max was 37,380 and I owe 20K on the X. A few months ago my value was 17K for the blue book. Now it's 12K! That is a horrible drop! An almost 8k negative now! IF I did the deal my payment would higher of course because of that negative which I expected to be so. They did add on an additional 1k to the trade offer though. They were asking for 3-5K down, but with my credit I'm thinking that I may not want to. I would be moving up to a more expensive vehicle, and eating the neg along with a higher payment.

The car was AMAZING and I never would have considered a white car, but there was a black, dark slate and precision gray. The white looked so much better than the others. I loved the Frost interior. I love this car! White went from the bottom of my list to the top!

I can swing the higher payments, but I'm asking myself should I? I do want the car, but should I pay THAT much? we never got into the finance rate or loan terms, this was raw numbers.

If I wait the value of my X will just keep going down and down faster than my balance and I'll still be negative. They asked me to bring my truck in tomorrow so they can appraise it.(I was in my work truck during all of this time and they did a non visual assessment.)

I'm going to talk my credit union on Monday and see what they can do for me.

Can I get some suggestions? I'm really torn!!

**NismoMax80** · 07-12-2008, 08:55 PM

my advice is wait.

wait for a cheaper used one, for when the X is paid, when you have the money, but wait.
i want one as well. but with 11 payments to go, i don't want to make them higher for 60 payments. i'll wait until i have the money for a used one, or later model.

i waxed my 04 today, so i'll be ok for a while. must be a sign that one dealer was sold out Tuesday and today another had no sales people around to check if there even was one left. i want to test drive one so bad, but it may cause turmoil inside me

drakutis · 07-12-2008, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NismoMax80

my advice is wait.

wait for a cheaper used one, for when the X is paid, when you have the money, but wait.
i want one as well. but with 11 payments to go, i don't want to make them higher for 60 payments. i'll wait until i have the money for a used one, or later model.

i waxed my 04 today, so i'll be ok for a while. must be a sign that one dealer was sold out Tuesday and today another had no sales people around to check if there even was one left. i want to test drive one so bad, but it may cause turmoil inside me

I'm thinking of that also. I still have 2yrs left on the X and it's not like the X is bad. It's a great SUV, and when I got it there was nothing I really wanted at the time car wise. I was actually considering a CTS earlier in the year because I was over the Maxima and Nissan didn't have anything else that appealed to me. The CTS would have been close to 40K even with a discount through my employer.

AND THEN NISSAN WENT AND DID THIS!!!!

This car will surely cause turmoil! I'm going thru it as I type!!!

lightonthehill · 07-13-2008, 02:35 AM

drakutis - I feel your love for this '09 Maxima. I not only feel it, I share it. And the white has moved up to tie the radiant silver for first place on my list.

I very seldom try to discourage a fellow Maxima lover from buying a Maxima. But I am most concerned with the idea of getting very far in debt with this economy sinking lower every day. Jobs are disappearing by the hundreds of thousands, and it may be a few years before the sinking levels off, and we begin the long, slow climb back.

In the meantime, probably a few million more jobs will disappear, and we will lose a few more major banks and airlines. I have been on record on several boards for almost a year as saying gas will not stop at $10 a gallon, and it would be very sad to own an '09 Maxima, but not be able to afford to drive it.

I made car payments on each car I bought from 1949 until spring of 1978, and these were all used cars I was buying. In 1978, I had children beginning college, and I told myself I would never finance another car, as the interest in the late 1970s had reached double digits. As a result, I held off buying many times, even when I was nursing cars with over 200,000 miles on the odo, because I did not have the cash available to pay the full price at purchase time.

That approach was one of the reasons (existing in a one room apartment on brown lettuce and green bologna for two years was another) that I finally achieved financial independence. I have paid cash up front for my last few Maximas, and it is so nice to not have to deal with loans. My wife will tell you that I will sneak behind grocery stores and restaurants and eat from their garbage bins before I ever borrow money or charge something I can't pay in full before any interest is due.

I'm not expecting a normal person to take on the life of a monk like I almost did. But I do hope you will be very careful about getting too far in debt in these troublesome times. At the very least, I would encourage you to wait until the '09 Maxima can be had somewhere near invoice. I realize your Xterra will continue to drop, but the reality is that it has already taken the biggest drop just within the past month or two, because of the price surge in gas.

I wish I could be more encouraging, but I want very much for you to not put yourself in a financial situation that could possibly destroy your very important credit rating. But the final decision must be made by you, and I hope you can make the best one for you.