Why have manual transmissions become replaced by paddle shifters and such? What are the benefits in terms of performance?
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Subaru specifically has recently switched over to CVT’s (continuously variable transmission), which are a set of pulleys that adjust size Continuously to keep you in an optimal power band(RPM range) for gas mileage. This means that there are no physical gears, eliminating shifts and allowing you to stay in the gas mileage power band no matter what speed you’re going. The addition of paddle shifters and manual mode gives you a higher level of control by having set ratios on those pulleys as “gears”. Why that matters really is the power band for maximum torque and horsepower are much higher than it wants to automatically sit at so if you want more go, and go fast paddle shifting is right there as an option and since it’s not physically shifting gears just preset ratios controlled by a computer, it makes a lot more sense to have quick buttons rather than a full shift.
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