well, that has not been my experience.

this 2006 cl500 has a 7 speed tranny.

if you are in D, and move the lever into downshift, it goes into 1.

so, if you are in twisty bits, you cannot downshift.

you can stop. move the lever for a downshift to 1. then start to drive and upshift.

and this is how the owner's manual describes the functioning of this tranny by the way.

and i have wondered, did m-b do this so as to prevent the breakage of trannys?

i lost the first one at approx 30,000 miles. at 35mph in D. thank god for a warranty. but i wonder what it would have been like a few minutes earlier cruising up the interstate at 85mph.

i think that would have been way too exciting.