I have an 07 SRX with the v-6....could someone explain the difference between the standard shift pattern and the manual mode. I have read the manual but it doesn't really tell you much.


I understand that in the sport mode that the shift points are held longer and that it is supposed to shift more aggressively.

I understand that in the manual mode I can shift from 1 thru 5 but if I just put it in manual 5 on the highway and then pull into town and leave it in manual then it shifts automatically (the same as when I have the shifter in D).

Is that the correct thing to be happening?

I guess were I am going with this is that if this car even thinks that there is a hill in the vicinity it will shift down a gear.

I drove 450 kms (250 miles) over two mountain ranges and this thing spent more time in 4th gear than in 5th (and the gas mileage suffered accordingly). I put it into manual 5 hoping to keep it in 5th gear until I decided to shift down but to no avail.

If that is how the manual mode works than it is not much help.

An interesting aside to all this is that my old car was an 04 SRX with v-8 and it got better gas mileage on the same trip than this new car and it shifted 1/2 as much.

I am perplexed! :hmm:

Sorry.....double post.

I can say that our '04 & '05 V6 shifted as you have stated. However I did not think it downshifted as much as you have said. Drove through the Smokey's and out west in four corners area that take you to 7,000+ ft. elevations. Yes, it would downshift on on the steep hills and run at about 3300 rpm to hold 70 mph. When the sport shift is used in our '07 V8 it will go to 1st gear when you stop and does not shift out of 1st or go to the drive mode as our V6 did. Small inclines seem to affect the V8 6-speed more than the V6 that has torque on the low end. Do know there was a complaint of some with the V8 5-speeds that the cruise was developed for the V6 and not the V8.

My thinking is that in manual it should down shift all the way to 1st gear but you should have to shift it (hello.....manually) up.

The manual shift can be used for "performance" driving, but it can also set the maximum range manually.
You can downshift on your own but if you don't the computer will do it.
I really don't think when you come to a stop you can start in manual 5th. :lol:
There are even limits to the manual override the computer will do what it can to try to save the powertrain in the event you forget to shift manually.

In manual mode, best in 5th, you can drive around daily. Plus it saves on gas. The computer does it for you. Form a stop, the vehicle accelerates from 1st shifting to 5th ASAP. However, low performance but high mileage. Even kickdown works (delayed). Give it a try, the computer is programmed to aviod any damage.

Hey I like that idea.........I will give it a try....my biggest concern though is highway driving and the early downshifts on even the slightest grade.

Once we get this all straightened out we can then advance to the trailer towing mode and what it does.

I have an 07 V8 AWD with the 6 speed. This thing downshifts at the hint of a hill on the highway in Cruise Control mode, yet when driving without cruise, I am able to keep it in 6th and not lose but maybe 1MPH over the stretch of the hill. I can't qute understand it. I suppose the car probably has a different shifting algorithm for Cruise Control. I imagine in the PCM there is a range for cruise control threshold, and it is set very tight. I would take a 1-2MPH variance if the damn thing wouldn't shift in and out of 6th on the same hill 2 times. Luckily I only notice it by seeing the RPM's rise as this thing is butter smooth! If this is the biggest gripe I have with the car after 2500 miles, I think I have winner though!

I have an 07 V8 AWD with the 6 speed. This thing downshifts at the hint of a hill on the highway in Cruise Control mode, yet when driving without cruise, I am able to keep it in 6th and not lose but maybe 1MPH over the stretch of the hill. I can't qute understand it. I suppose the car probably has a different shifting algorithm for Cruise Control. I imagine in the PCM there is a range for cruise control threshold, and it is set very tight. I would take a 1-2MPH variance if the damn thing wouldn't shift in and out of 6th on the same hill 2 times. Luckily I only notice it by seeing the RPM's rise as this thing is butter smooth! If this is the biggest gripe I have with the car after 2500 miles, I think I have winner though!

I experience the exact same thing. I don't think it's the cruise "range" settings as much as it is probably the vacuum load on the engine. I found that I can defeat that by putting it in manual mode and drop it in 6th. It seems to keep up just fine.

steined.....that is exactly what mine does except when I put it into manual 5 as Robvuk suggests it still down shifts prematurely (I think anyway).