I live in the mountains and
I live in the mountains and loved the manual shift feature in my 05 Outback sedan, it was the the regular gear shift and you could tap it forward or back. Reliably available in the same place at all times. I used it frequently. The paddle shifters move with the steering wheel, when one is constantly navigating curves and hills, they are much more difficult to use. I don't think they are misunderstood, but for my driving conditions they are worthless.