kkapoor

Anyone can get 'used' to the PDK button system, but intuitive it is not!

LlBr

I'm forced to conclude buying PDK with buttons, having it delivered, and owning it makes their use "intuitive."

cgfen

any more votes?

hockeyguy

Well, my C2S pdk is my daily driver only, and I rarely use the steering wheel buttons. I drive in manual mode about 75 percent of the time. I like using the gear shift lever, and I also like holding the steering wheel one-handed a lot.

stevepow

I do appreciate that, among many bad habits, that DEs I did years ago got me out of the "one hand on the wheel" thing. Sure I still briefly do it, but not for long and not with out heightened attention.

That's one of the things I love about the PDK buttons - taking a hand off the wheel while driving now makes me about as uncomfortable as having my seat belt off.

ATX

I agree with ADias, rob and others here. The buttons make sense to me and I like the ability to choose either side of the wheel with the same outcome.

Canyon56

I don't have PDK or a Tip, etc., but I have to say this:

PDK owners will defend the system because it's what they have. It has to be defended because it's on the car you just paid big $$ for and there's nothing you can do about it.

It may or may not feel "intuitive" but the system will be learned and then it'll be "intuitive." i.e., one will get trained pretty quickly. The only reason it might seem different at first is because of what came before it.

So, it'll be learned quickly and all will be fine. Whether it's "intuitive" or not ends up being sorta moot, imho.

LlBr

Might be easy to test. Get an honest PDK owner (i.e. one who doesn't have any Porsche stock nor a personality disorder ) to let a friend drive his/her car.

To be fair give friend/driver a brief explanation on how to shift gears.

Report back what happens. I.e. how easily the brand new driver gets it.

Anyway, it's no big deal. You are correct about once you learn it, it's fine. It's just interesting trivia: did Porsche "get it wrong" or did they "make a mistake" or did they [insert your own conclusion here].

mdrums

LIBr, PSDS at Barber is the perfect place to watch non PSDS driver use PDK. I was there last March and did not hear too much complaining but what I saw happen the most was accidental upshifts due to the placement of the PDK buttons beign right where the meat of your thumb muscle is on the steering wheel. Under intense autox or tracking it is too easy to hit the upshift button with your thumb muscle on the palm of your hand. The guys that complained about the PDK shift pattern were guys that where use to pushing to downshift and pulling to upshift.
I run into this when I hope from my PDK to my Mini Cooper with the button like paddles...I have to think about it for a seconds but after a few shifts I am re trained. Yep things like this are not standardized.

LlBr

Interesting. Thanks for those details m. Again, no big deal, we're all just curious how things come about and how they work.

kosmo

since its my 1st semi auto the toggles makes sense to me. Of course if i had a paddles prior i may not feel the same way.

orange260z

So far, I've found that I like Porsche's button or toggle systems on the steering wheels, particularly the ones for the PDK generation. Moving from a car with L&R "pull" paddles takes a bit of changing the muscle memory, but once there I find the system very nice to use. Although I haven't tracked the car, I haven't had any accidental shifts during spirited driving.

The console lever, on the other hand, is a bigger struggle. Of all the cars I've had with "Tip-style" shifters, I've found the push down/pull up (as in BMWs) to be easier to get used to, so I would say for me it's more intuitive. I guess with Porsche one of the problems to go this route would be that they could end up with the toggles and the lever shifting in opposite directions... but I'd be ok with that!

Anyone find an aftermarket solution for the lever shift pattern?

docdrs

They are two totally different animals. Paddles and buttons. Wifes has the buttons , I have the paddles. You get used to it after a while. But i do like to push her buttons

soze

I came from a VW DSG GTI.... so Paddles for me. And I'm used to the shift **** push/upshift, pull/downshift as well.

AMG5PT4

Got my 2010 C2S three months ago. Had never ever shifted using a steering wheel before. Ever. Found the PDK buttons on my multi-function steering wheel to be incredibly unintuitive. The car laughed at me every time I tried to shift in Manual mode.

First mod I did to the car was $1,000 to Suncoast for a paddle shift wheel. Not one messed up shift since.

I'm sure I would have eventually figured it out, but I am a perfect study on intuitive vs unintuitive. Had no previous bias.

Al