I've had my transmission fluid replaced twice now. First time with a brand called TOTAL which is known in europe but was available here as well and then I replaced it with Motul the next time after. It works great, smooth shifts, especially when in DS mode. I remember before I replaced the fluid the first time, I started having hard shifts especially when downshifting when coming to a slow stop. Read up on the forums that the transmission required a software update, etc etc and even after that it still didn't make the issue go away but I ended up doing some more research and turns out that the ATF fluid life was done and required replacing. Just from replacing the transmission fluid it felt like a new car again. These 7 speed transmissions are high performance compact designs and the oil does get degraded faster than the old 5 speed transmissions. One thing I do recommend before having the oil replaced is to use the Motul transmission cleaner first. It's a small bottle that contains a cleaner that you have "injected" in through the oil pan of the transmission into the old oil while the car is running (while running the oil level drops so it doesn't spill out). Then what you do is with the car running and stationary (do not drive it) shift between gears (Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive then Neutral, Reverse, Park) a few times. This cleans all the passages in the transmission including the solenoids and removes any varnish and build up. Then replace all the oil. If you take it to a shop, make sure they have the machine that replaces transmission oil. It basically drains the oil as it feeds new oil. With this machine they can also pour the transmission cleaner into the machine to have it cycle around the transmission before replacing the oil. One thing to note, also make sure they have the machine replace the oil slowly which they should know. Replacing it too fast can cause some issues with the transmission. I usually prefer shops that specialize in upscale cars and transmissions as they'll treat the work differently and cleanly.
