When warm, my car shifts very smoothly, with the 1-2 shift being more noticable, but not harsh by no means. The 2nd-3rd and 3rd-4th are very smooth, but not slipping. When cold, the 1-2 is really noticable, with others smoother, but harsher than when the car is hot.

I personally would like a smoother 1-2 shift.

Reverse? Huh... when hot, it harshly engages into reverse (after a hesitation), when cold, its smooth into reverse. Been like this since I have owned it... no changes, so I am assuming it is nothing to cause concerns.