Got a tiptronic on my X5 - hardly use it - only good for dropping it a gear and overtaking. Its got three modes - Manual (tiptronic) Auto and Auto Sport. If you have an auto with Sport mode - use that for a racier gear change (mine only changes when it gets high in the revs) other wise I tend to keep forgetting to change gear as you get used to the auto. You also find that they change down for you, doing the thinking and you sometimes can't get the gear you want. It depends on what car I suppose ?