[alderran]

Nope in a normal auto when you put it in 2nd the car will start in first gear and then shift into second... it won't go past second but it does not start out in second. The point is to put it in second on a long hill so you don't overheat your brakes...

But I agree with LHer that autostick is nothing like a standard transmission...

Tom

 

[JoeKD]

Nope in a normal auto when you put it in 2nd the car will start in first gear and then shift into second... it won't go past second but it does not start out in second

define "normal"??

when my wife's Explorer and my old SHO are put in 2 they start in 2nd gear and stay in 2nd gear unless the shifter is moved to D.

There is not a dash button marked "2nd gear start" like a grand prix. The shifter is simply labled P R N D 2 1 and overdrive is defeated with a button on the shifter itself.

 

[alderran]

normal = "The vast majority of cars"... I know there are some vehicles that will start in 2nd when put in second... but it's the exception to the norm.

Tom

 

[Sysman]

Another nice thing about Autostick is that it prevents you from accidentally missing a gear, and shifting into neutral, or reverse, or park...

Kinda reminds me of the old Hurst dual shifter on GTOs.

 

[Warlord187]

Another nice thing about Autostick is that it prevents you from accidentally missing a gear, and shifting into neutral, or reverse, or park...

True. There have been a couple of times when I went from Autostick to reverse and didn't go up far enough so I ended up in neutral. Hit the gas and the car don't go anywhere.

 

[Candyman]

I too have left it in autostick after cruising on the highway and forgot when I got off at an exit and all of a sudden my car does not shift from first. I feel the high rpm's and realize...Oh! dummy, you're still in autostick mode, you've got to changes gears yourself! Have also had the gear in autostick, go to put in reverse and end up in nuetral due my gear count and forgetting I'm in autostick mode. Gotta go up extra gear! I personally wish the stick was set up like in the Stratus with the autostick where you actually have to push the stick over to the right to get it into autostick mode, then it's just a simple up (+) and down (-) motion, plus then you remember you have to switch back over to get in into park. I don't know, it just felt easier to use than in the Intrepids. Gotta love it anyway, I do use it about half of the times I am driving.