Ok so my dad gets the CVT lancer last year. I put injen intake and greddy tic exhaust and its great and all but all my friends ask why i don't drive with the paddles or tiptronic. It's simple. I don't know when to friggin shift. Someone please tell me when to shift up, how to brake and downshift with the whole CVT crap. I'm not bored driving auto but I would want to learn the crappy CVT because I attempt a real 5 speed car later on. Please tell me also how to read the rpm gauge for shifting up or down. Like a full tutorial if possible. Thanks.

First off, the CVT is not crap. I have it and I am very fond of the smooth ride it provides. Secondly, this is all covered in the manual... I'm dead serious! :grin:

If you are you are driving in the city, mellow and calm, the manual states you can shift at every 15MPH interval, but that's more aimed towards the manual Lancer which only has 5 gears. On the CVT, I'd say shoot more for every 10 MPH. If you are racing, then you will want to stay in the lowest gear possible for the longest period of time. Lower gears have quicker acceleration than higher gears, but they have a max speed limit and you will have to up shift in order to reach a higher speed.

On the CVT, the optimal time to shift is 6000 RPM, which is about 500 RPM before red line. This is because the CVT is a smart transmission and will not allow you to cause potential damage or harm to it, so the car will deliberately kick in a limiter after 6000 RPM and significantly decrease acceleration. It's an alternative to a red line light because you physically feel the drop in power after 6000 RPM (safer too since you should be watching the road, not your tachometer). Shifting at or just before 6000 will help counteract this loss.

Downshifting is a great alternative to braking because you actually save more gas with engine braking as opposed to with your brakes (plus you make your brakes last longer). I've noticed the best time to downshift when trying to slow down is around 1500 RPM. If you are downshifting to quickly gain speed, you'll want to drop down in the lowest gear the car will allow, thus allowing you the greatest possible acceleration.

Lastly, a CVT is a terrible way to learn how to drive a stick. The most important thing about learning how to drive a manual transmission isn't the RPM... it's the clutch. Once you've mastered the clutch, the RPM comes naturally.

Willy's right....you can't learn how to drive stick with a CVT with paddle shift. Find a friend with a car that has stick & learn that way. It's a bit challenging at 1st, but in no time at all you will figure it out. It is REALLY fun driving stick. Just don't forget to set the emergency brake when you park it :laughing: