Just get in the habit: every time you would normally move to D, slip it one to the left into M and leave it there. Keep both hands on the wheel and use the paddles full-time. It's the least-confusing mode, and gives you full control without worrying about the temporary-paddle-shifter timeout. You only have to go back to the shift knob to pop it into N at a stop, then back into M to go again. D is just an annoying spot on the shift controls you have to move through to get between M<->N
